From pre-approval to building permit: how long a new apartment building takes
Pre-approval is the first sign that a new apartment building is coming. Of 3,992 new apartment buildings with a permit since 2023, 1,626 first had a pre-approval on Diavgeia, and for half of them the permit came within 51 days.
At a glance
- 51 days: the median time from pre-approval to building permit. Half of the apartment buildings got their permit faster, half more slowly.
- One in four got a permit within 22 days, and three in four within 106 days.
- 70% got a permit within 3 months, 87% within 6 months. Only 3% took more than a year.
- 32% of the permits have a revision within the first 12 months.
The acts of a new apartment building
In the e-Adeies system, a new building usually goes through three acts, all of which are posted on Diavgeia:
- Pre-approval of a building permit. It checks that the project complies with the building conditions of the area. Valid for 2 years.
- Building permit. Works start with it. Valid for 4 years, or 6 for buildings over 5,000 m².
- Revision or update. A revision concerns changes to the project or an extension of the permit. An update concerns smaller changes, such as a change of owner or changes that do not affect the built area, height and distances.
The durations are from article 42 of Law 4495/2017. Before the pre-approval there are often other steps as well (e.g. demolition of the old building, archaeology or forestry approvals), which we do not count here.
How long it takes, by year
| Year of permit | Apartment buildings with pre-approval | Median (days) | Within 3 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 412 | 53 | 67% |
| 2024 | 535 | 50 | 71% |
| 2025 | 331 | 46 | 72% |
| 2026 (to 27 October) | 348 | 56 | 69% |
The time stays stable, at around one and a half to two months, despite the changes to the NOK (the New Building Regulation). 2026 is slightly slower than 2025, but the difference is small.
By area
| Area | Apartment buildings | Median (days) | Within 3 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attica | 1,154 | 55 | 68% |
| Thessaloniki regional unit | 124 | 48 | 77% |
| Rest of Greece | 348 | 43 | 73% |
In Attica the permit takes about 12 days longer than in the rest of Greece. The difference may have many causes, e.g. the workload of the building services or the size of the projects; the acts do not show which.
After the permit: the first revision
Of the 2,759 new apartment buildings that received a permit up to 30 September 2025, 887 (32%) had a revision or update within a year. A revision shows that the project is "alive": usually something changes in the design, the owners or the project details as it progresses.
What it means for crews and suppliers
- The pre-approval warns you one to two months ahead. When a pre-approval is issued, the permit usually comes within the next two months. For anyone doing excavation or frame work, or supplying concrete and steel, this is the moment for first contact with the builder.
- The permit is valid for 4 years. Not all projects start immediately, but most go ahead. A permit from the last six months is most likely a construction site today or soon.
- The map also shows projects that have only a pre-approval. You can find them in the "Type of act" filter.
How we count
New apartment buildings: buildings with at least 4 levels and dwellings on at least 2 floors, with a first building permit from 1 January 2023 to 27 October 2026. For each project we count the days from its earliest pre-approval to its first permit, and only when the pre-approval was found on Diavgeia and is before the permit. 59% of projects have no linked pre-approval, e.g. because it was not needed or because it was issued before the period we cover. For revisions we count only permits up to 30 September 2025, so that each project has a full year of observation. Source: acts of the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE) on Diavgeia.