Legal counsel for foreign companies and business owners entering Greece.

Company, branch or acquisition

A private company (ΙΚΕ) gives its partners limited liability and allows flexible contributions. A company limited by shares (ΑΕ) requires the minimum share capital set by Law 4548/2018, fully paid up, and suits a business that expects outside investors or larger financing.

A branch is not formed as a new Greek company: it is registered in ΓΕΜΗ as a branch of the foreign company, under the rules for branches of foreign companies in Law 4919/2022. Buying into an existing Greek business starts with legal due diligence on the company and its owners.

Forming the company

Greek companies are formed through a One-Stop Shop (Υπηρεσία Μιας Στάσης) and registered in ΓΕΜΗ under Law 4919/2022; the company receives its own tax number and is registered as an employer with e-ΕΦΚΑ, the social security institution, as part of that process.

A private company (ΙΚΕ) with standard articles of association can be formed online through the electronic One-Stop Shop (e-ΥΜΣ). Each founder signs in with Greek TAXISnet credentials and must hold an active Greek tax number. Where the founders want articles that depart from the standard model beyond the additional content it allows, or where the law requires a notarial deed, the online route is not available and formation goes through a One-Stop Shop such as a notary.

What a foreign founder or director needs

Founders, shareholders and directors from abroad normally start with a Greek tax number (ΑΦΜ). ΑΑΔΕ allows residents abroad to apply online through myAADE. Under the Tax Procedure Code (Law 5104/2024), a person who is tax resident abroad may appoint a tax representative resident in Greece, who then receives the tax authority's correspondence.

Companies registered in Greece must keep a register of their beneficial owners and file it with the Central Register of Beneficial Owners (Law 4557/2018, art. 20). The ownership chain up to the individuals who ultimately own or control the business therefore has to be documented from the start.

Documents signed abroad

Corporate documents and powers of attorney signed abroad must be authenticated before they are used in Greece. In a country that is party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, to which Greece is a party, this is an apostille issued in that country, unless Greece has objected to that country's accession; in a country that is not, it is legalisation through the Greek consular authority. A power of attorney can also be signed at a Greek consulate.

Which documents need a Greek translation, and in what form, should be settled before anything is signed, so that no document has to be signed twice.

Bank accounts

Greek banks are obliged entities under the anti-money laundering law (Law 4557/2018). When an account is opened they must identify the company and its beneficial owners and understand the purpose of the business relationship, and they may ask for the corporate documents of each company in the ownership chain and for information on the source of funds.

The decision to open an account rests with the bank. We prepare a complete and consistent file and answer the bank's legal questions; we cannot promise that an account will be opened or how long the bank will take.

After formation

Once the company exists, the routine legal work begins: board and general meeting decisions, minutes and ΓΕΜΗ filings, beneficial ownership updates, and contracts with customers, suppliers and staff. Proactive Support gives a business a named partner who knows the company, with regular reviews. Scope and fee are agreed in writing before work starts.

Working with clients abroad

We work by email and through the enquiry form on this page. The work is led by senior lawyers of the firm, who deal with the client directly. This page covers company and commercial law. It is general information, not legal advice, and does not deal with residence permits, visas or personal tax. Reviewed on 7 November 2026.

Sources

Statutes and official sources for the facts on this page:

• Law 4919/2022 (Gazette Α' 71/7.4.2022): One-Stop Shops and the General Commercial Registry (ΓΕΜΗ), incl. art. 10 (company tax number), art. 11 (e-ΕΦΚΑ employer register), arts 36-43 (branches of foreign companies): https://www.taxheaven.gr/law/4919/2022
• Mitos (National Register of Administrative Procedures): formation of an ΙΚΕ through the One-Stop Shop (e-ΥΜΣ): https://mitos.gov.gr/index.php/ΔΔ:Σύσταση_Ιδιωτικής_Κεφαλαιουχικής_Εταιρείας_μέσω_της_Υπηρεσίας_μίας_Στάσης
• Law 4548/2018 (sociétés anonymes), art. 15: minimum share capital of an ΑΕ: https://www.taxheaven.gr/law/4548/2018/arthro/15
• ΑΑΔΕ: FAQ for Greeks abroad and residents abroad (tax number application through myAADE): https://aade.gr/sites/default/files/2025-11/FAQs_omogeneis_gr_0.pdf
• Tax Procedure Code, Law 5104/2024, art. 8 (tax representative): https://www.taxheaven.gr/law/5104/2024/arthro/8
• Law 4557/2018 (anti-money laundering), art. 20: Central Register of Beneficial Owners: https://www.taxheaven.gr/law/4557/2018/arthro/20
• Law 4557/2018, art. 13: customer due diligence measures: https://www.taxheaven.gr/law/4557/2018/arthro/13
• HCCH, Apostille Convention (1961) status table: https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/status-table/?cid=41
• Mitos: authentication of documents from countries outside the Hague Convention: https://mitos.gov.gr/index.php/ΔΔ:Επικύρωση_εγγράφων_αλλοδαπών_αρχών_χωρών_εκτός_Σύμβασης_της_Χάγης
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs: powers of attorney at Greek consular authorities: https://www.mfa.gr/norway/services/ypiresies-gia-ton-politi/plirexoysia/