Company formation · Greece
Company formation in Greece — sorted out by a lawyer who works there
Greece is a codified civil-law jurisdiction, so the paperwork around a new business follows statutes rather than judicial precedent. Tell us what you are setting up and where, and we introduce you to a Greek lawyer who handles the file from the first document onwards.
- A lawyer who is a member of one of the Greek Bar Associations
- Fees agreed in a written engagement before work starts
- Clear guidance on notarial deeds, registries and Greek-language filings
Matching is free and carries no obligation. Note: we are a matching platform, not a law firm.
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Why this page exists
Advice on Greek company matters, from people who practise there
Setting up a company in Greece raises questions that rarely appear in generic guides: which Bar Association the person advising you belongs to, whether a notarial deed or a registry entry is required before your business can operate from a property, and how fees are agreed in writing. Greece follows the continental civil-law model, so the answers rest on codified statutes — the Civil Code, the Commercial Code and the Code of Lawyers — rather than on judicial precedent. We are a matching platform, not a law firm. You tell us what you are building and where in Greece you plan to operate, and we introduce you to a lawyer who handles company formation in Greece and the contracts that follow.
Greece in practice
How legal work is organised in Greece
Greek legal practice rests on codified statutes, compulsory Bar membership and a clear division between civil, criminal and administrative courts. These are the country-specific points that shape any company project here.
Who is allowed to practise here
Practising law in Greece requires membership of a Bar Association. Article 4 of Law 4194/2013 (the Code of Lawyers) sets the route: nationwide bar examinations, an appointment decision of the Minister of Justice published in the Government Gazette, the statutory oath before a Court of Appeal or Court of First Instance, and entry in a Bar register. Article 6 requires Greek, EU or EEA citizenship, with limited exceptions.
Fees must be agreed in writing
Under Article 58 of the Code of Lawyers, a lawyer’s fee is freely determined by written agreement with the client and may cover the whole engagement or specific acts. Where no written agreement exists, the fee is fixed by the statutory scale based on the value of the matter (Article 63 and the Annex). Fees carry 24% VAT.
Notarial deeds and registry entries
If your project involves acquiring premises or other immovable property, Greek law requires a notarial deed; ownership passes only once that deed is registered with the competent Land Registry or Cadastral Office, and the registration is constitutive rather than merely declaratory (Articles 1033 and 1192 of the Civil Code). A 3% transfer tax is payable before signing, and only lawyers, bailiffs and notaries may carry out registry searches.
A codified system, not binding precedent
Greece follows the continental civil-law model. The Civil Code entered into force on 23 February 1946 and is currently codified by Presidential Decree 456/1984, complemented by the Code of Civil Procedure, the Commercial Code and the Constitution of 1975. The Supreme Court (Areios Pagos) secures the uniform interpretation of statutes, but its decisions are not formally binding precedent for the lower courts.
The working language is Greek
The language of the Greek justice system is Greek, and the same expectation applies to dealings with authorities, registries and counterparties. Contracts, powers of attorney and filings are normally prepared and executed in Greek, so if you are based abroad it is worth agreeing at the outset who will handle those formalities.
If a dispute arises later
Commercial claims, professional fees and periodic payments fall under a five-year limitation period in the Greek Civil Code, while general civil claims run for twenty years and tort claims for five years, subject to a twenty-year absolute limit. Company disputes often turn on written contracts and invoicing records, so keep both from the first day of trading.
Key time limit — Commercial & Corporate Law
Commercial, professional-fee and periodic claims — 5 years. The shorter period that normally covers invoices, commercial contracts and recurring payments.
The country data on this page comes from official Greek and European Union sources — the Greek Ministry of Justice, the Greek Ministry of Labour, the Plenary of the Presidents of the Greek Bar Associations and the European e-Justice Portal — consulted in 2025.
- Greek justice system — European e-Justice Portal
- Code of Lawyers and Bar Associations — Plenary of the Presidents of the Greek Bar Associations
- Costs of proceedings in Greece — European e-Justice Portal
- Greek Civil Code — Greek Ministry of Justice
- Termination of an open-ended employment contract — Greek Ministry of Labour
Common difficulties
Where company projects in Greece usually stall
Most delays are not about ambition; they are about formalities that were never mapped at the start.
Formalities discovered too late
A lease signed, a premises acquired or a filing submitted in the wrong form, and the project waits weeks for a correction that a short review would have avoided.
No written agreement on fees
Greek law lets a lawyer agree fees freely in writing. Without that document, the statutory scale applies instead, so the basis of the invoice is decided for you rather than with you.
Documents, registries and a Greek-speaking counterparty
Filings are made in Greek, registry searches are reserved to lawyers, bailiffs and notaries, and a foreign director cannot walk into every step personally.
What you get
A file prepared the Greek way, from the beginning
We match you with a lawyer who handles company work in Greece and can carry the matter through in sequence.
Qualified and accountable
Your lawyer practises under a Greek Bar Association, with the qualifications, oath and register entry required by the Code of Lawyers.
Costs discussed up front
You agree the scope and the fee in writing, the way Article 58 of the Code of Lawyers contemplates, so invoicing follows your plan.
Used to clients based abroad
We match you with lawyers who regularly work with owners outside Greece and can explain what will need to be signed where, and by whom.
Continuity after setup
The same lawyer can stay on for commercial contracts, hiring questions and any dispute that falls under the five-year commercial limitation period.
Other jurisdictions
Looking at another European market as well?
We also match clients with lawyers in these countries, so you can compare jurisdictions before deciding where to place the company.
Questions
What clients ask about company formation in Greece
Is the lawyer who advises me on company formation in Greece actually qualified?
Practising law in Greece requires membership of a Bar Association. Article 4 of Law 4194/2013 sets the route: nationwide bar examinations, an appointment decision published in the Government Gazette, the statutory oath and entry in a Bar register. Article 6 adds citizenship and degree requirements. We match you only with lawyers who meet them.
Does my project need a notarial deed?
That depends on what the project involves. Acquiring premises or other immovable property in Greece must be done by notarial deed, and ownership passes only when the deed is registered with the Land Registry or Cadastral Office — registration is constitutive. A 3% transfer tax is payable before signing, and only lawyers, bailiffs and notaries may search the registries.
How are fees calculated for this kind of work?
Under Article 58 of the Code of Lawyers, a lawyer’s fee is freely determined by written agreement with the client, whether for the whole engagement or for specific acts. If no written agreement exists, the statutory scale based on the value of the matter applies. Fees are subject to 24% VAT. Free legal aid exists under Law 3226/2004 for applicants below the income threshold.
What time limits should I keep in mind once the company is trading?
Commercial claims, professional fees and periodic payments are subject to a five-year limitation period under the Greek Civil Code, while general civil claims run for twenty years and tort claims for five years, with a twenty-year absolute limit. Keeping contracts and invoicing records organised from the start makes those periods easier to manage.
Can I handle Greek formalities without travelling there?
Often a great deal can be done remotely, but some steps have their own formalities: a party to a real-estate transaction may act through a lawyer holding a notarised special power of attorney, and documents are normally executed in Greek. Your lawyer will set out what must be signed, where and in what form.
How does the matching work, and what does it cost?
You describe the project and where in Greece you plan to operate. We identify a lawyer whose practice covers that work and put you in contact; the first response usually arrives within 24–48 hours. Matching is free, there is no obligation, and any engagement and fee are agreed directly with the lawyer.
Next step
Tell us what you want to build in Greece
Send us a short description of the project, the city you have in mind and your timeline. We will match you with a Greek lawyer who handles company formation work, so the first conversation is with someone who knows the formalities you will actually face.