Greece extends Swiss-franc mortgage relief deadline to 30 September as nearly 19,000 borrowers apply

The extension decision

The Ministry of National Economy and Finance announced the three-month extension on 16 June 2026, moving the deadline for all categories of the Swiss-franc loan settlement to 30 September 2026. The original cutoffs had been 19 June 2026 for borrowers not subject to specific income or asset criteria, and 19 August 2026 for the remaining eligible groups. Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis said the decision was taken because of the high response rate from borrowers, with thousands of households moving to use the framework.

The scheme is progressing very well and citizen participation confirms there was a real need for a substantive solution to this specific issue.

Who is eligible and what they get

Nearly 19,000 borrowers have already approached banks or used the dedicated electronic platform to explore joining the scheme, according to the latest data. Of those, an estimated 14,000 meet the criteria for the more favourable categories, which provide an exchange-rate improvement of 20% to 50% depending on each household's income and asset profile. The remaining borrowers can use the horizontal arrangement that offers a 15% exchange-rate improvement with no income or asset tests.

The scheme covers performing or already restructured and serviced Swiss-franc loans and provides for their conversion into euros. For financially vulnerable borrowers the benefit is largest: the write-down of the exchange-rate difference can reach 50%, with the interest rate set at 2.30%. Three additional support tiers exist for other borrowers, with graduated write-downs from 20% to 50%.

The application process

Borrowers in the first three categories, where graduated write-downs of 20% to 50% apply, must log into the special electronic platform to have their category certified. Once the verification is complete, the loan conversion proceeds on terms more favourable than those that would apply under ordinary bank conditions today. The horizontal 15% category requires no income or asset screening.

Related housing and debt measures

Pierrakakis also addressed the Property Acquisition and Re-lease Agency, stating that a final offer was submitted on 29 May and is under evaluation. The government aims to have the agency fully operational by autumn 2026. The agency is a first-home protection tool allowing a tenant to remain for 12 years with state-subsidised rent and an option to repurchase the property. The minister added that the out-of-court mechanism also serves as a first-home protection instrument.

The agency is a tool for protecting the primary residence; it gives the tenant the ability to stay for 12 years, with a state rent subsidy and the option for the tenant to repurchase the property.

On the Katselis law and a recent Supreme Court ruling, Pierrakakis said the court's decision will be implemented but that the ministry is studying the method of implementation carefully because the ruling is complex and presents interpretative difficulties. He also noted that systemic private debt stands at 94.5% of GDP, below the European average of 121%.

Hybrid vehicle tax break

In the same interview the minister confirmed a six-month extension of the graduated 50%–75% discount regime for plug-in hybrid vehicles, covering cars purchased in the last six months that have not yet been registered, to avoid surprises for buyers. From 1 January 2027 a flat 50% discount will apply to plug-in cars.