Greece is freezing Airbnb permits on its most famous islands and the map keeps getting bigger.

Mykonos. Santorini. The Cyclades.Under the new Special Spatial Planning Framework, Greece is moving to block new STR permits in its most tourism-saturated destinations and cut permitted bed capacity by up to 30%.Here's what makes this different from a night cap:In restricted zones, the STR registration number doesn't transfer on sale or inheritance. The permit dies with the transaction. New owner. No licence. No route back in.That's not a limit on how much you can rent. That's a limit on how many operators can exist.The Athens freeze started January 2025. Thessaloniki followed in March 2026. The islands are next. The ministerial decision lands after Easter.Greece is running a deliberate escalation ladder and with EU Reg 2024/1028 going live on 20 May, enforcement across the continent gets sharper fast.The era of "register later" is closing.