Doing Business in Greece: A Strategic Legal Guide for 2025-2026

Navigating the Greek business landscape has fundamentally changed. The former complexity of dealing with bureaucracy has evolved into a “digital-first,” pro-growth environment. This transformation creates unique opportunities, such as streamlined digital company formation processes and a comprehensive array of new development incentives. However, modernization also brings with it an automated compliance framework—digital-first now also means digital enforcement. To succeed in Greece during 2025-2026, it is critical to have a legal partner who can help you seize opportunities while carefully managing emerging digital compliance risks, including the new Digital Transaction Duty (DTD) and the important 2025 GEMI deadline. This guide serves as your comprehensive roadmap for both.

1. Company Formation in Greece: Digital, Fast, and Strategic Greece’s company formation process has become largely digital, highly efficient, and swift.
The IKE (Private Company) – The Modern Default Choice
• Popularity: The Private Company (IKE or P.C.) is now the most popular form for new investors because it offers maximum flexibility with minimal bureaucracy.
• Digital-First Setup: An IKE can be established entirely online within 1-3 days through the e-One-Stop-Shop (e-YMS) service.
• Minimal Capital: Only €1 is required as minimum capital.
• No Notary Required (in most cases): If model articles of association are used and there are no in-kind contributions, a notarial deed is not needed, which significantly reduces setup costs and time. A notary is only necessary for customized articles or when contributing assets as in-kind capital.
The AE (Société Anonyme) and Branch Offices
• AE (Société Anonyme): For larger-scale operations, the AE remains the standard, requiring at least €25,000 in share capital.
• Branch Offices: Foreign corporations can establish a presence by registering a Branch Office (Ypokatastima) or a specialized Law 89/1967 office, functioning as a cost-center providing exclusive services to its foreign parent or affiliates.

2. URGENT: The 2025-2026 Corporate Compliance Framework
The Greek government has enacted a strict new compliance regime. Understanding and meeting these deadlines is crucial to avoid significant penalties.
The GEMI Deadline (12/31/2025) – A Ticking Clock
A new Joint Ministerial Decision (No. 46982/2025) has activated the penalty framework of Law 4919/2022, imposing substantial fines for non-compliance with General Commercial Registry (GEMI) requirements.
• Grace Period: All companies (AE, IKE, EPE, Branches) are granted a one-time grace period to rectify all outstanding GEMI-related registrations, such as unpublished financial statements, unrecorded board changes, and overdue filings, with zero penalties. This grace period ends definitively on December 31, 2025.
• Automated Enforcement: Beginning January 1, 2026, new IT systems will link GEMI with the Tax Authority (AADE), enabling automatic detection of violations. Penalties for non-compliance are severe.

Don’t Risk 2026 Penalties. The GEMI grace period ends on December 31, 2025. From January 1, 2026, severe and automatically enforced fines will apply. Our firm offers a fixed-fee GEMI Compliance Audit to identify and resolve all outstanding issues, ensuring full compliance before the deadline.
3. The New Investment Incentives Landscape (2025-2026)
Greece has launched a comprehensive suite of incentives to attract investment. Our firm provides the strategic legal structuring required to maximize these benefits.
Development Law 4887/2022
This law is the foundation of Greece’s development strategy, offering financial aid (including grants, tax exemptions, and leasing subsidies) across 13 thematic schemes. Key focus areas include:
• Digital and Technological Business Transformation
• Green Transition & Environmental Upgrades
• Support for Tourism Investments
• New Entrepreneurship
Tech & Innovation (Law 5162/2024 & 5193/2025)
• R&D Super-Deductions: Eligible R&D expenses can be deducted at rates ranging from 150% to 315% of their value.
• Patent Incentives: Profits from internationally recognized patents developed by the company are entirely tax-exempt for three years.
• “Startup” Residence Permit: A new permit for non-EU citizens investing at least €250,000 in a Greek startup listed on the National Startup Registry.
Capital Markets & Finance (Law 5193/2025)
• SME Listing Incentives: 100% super-deduction for expenses incurred between 2025 and 2027 when listing an SME on a regulated Greek market.
• Corporate Bond Tax Cut: The tax rate on interest from listed corporate bonds for Greek tax resident individuals is reduced from 15% to 5%.

4. Navigating Tax & Digital Compliance
In addition to corporate compliance, Greece’s tax environment has been digitized, offering both new efficiencies and new risks.
The End of Stamp Duty (Digital Transaction Duty – DTD)
As of December 1, 2024, the outdated Stamp Duty Code has been abolished and replaced by the new Digital Transaction Duty (DTD).
• Critical Change: The DTD eliminates the principle of territoriality. Now, if at least one party to a transaction is a Greek tax resident, the DTD applies regardless of where a contract is signed or executed. This change impacts intra-group loans and multinational commercial agreements.
myDATA & Mandatory B2B e-Invoicing
Under Law 5222/2025, mandatory B2B electronic invoicing is being introduced, fully integrating all business transactions with the myDATA tax platform. Commercial contracts must now be drafted to comply with these new digital invoicing and reporting requirements.
DORA, MiCAR & FDI Screening
We provide counsel on new regulatory requirements affecting finance and technology companies, including the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) and the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCAR) regulation, both implemented via Law 5193/2025. Additionally, Greece has adopted a new national security screening mechanism for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in sensitive sectors such as energy, defense, and digital infrastructure.
5. Our Comprehensive Business Law Services
Our firm integrates the new legal framework into core services, providing proactive and strategic counsel:
• Corporate & Governance: Digital company formation (IKE, AE, Branch), ongoing corporate secretarial support, and the essential GEMI Compliance Audit.
• Commercial Contracts: Drafting and reviewing distribution, agency, franchising, and supply agreements, ensuring full compliance with the new DTD and e-invoicing rules.
• Investment & Incentives: Legal structuring to maximize benefits under Law 4887/2022, R&D tax credits, and Patent Box incentives.
• Intellectual Property & IP: Securing trademarks and patents and structuring their commercial exploitation under the new tax-incentive laws.
• Real Estate: Full support for commercial leases, acquisitions, and tourism developments under the incentive schemes.
• Employment Law: Guidance on the new Employment Law 5053/2023 and the Digital Work Card system.
• Competition Law: Ensuring compliance with Greek and European competition regulations.
Why Choose Piperakis-Kostopoulos Law Firm?
In this evolving environment, reactive legal advice is no longer sufficient. You need a partner who is proactive. We don’t just address your legal challenges—we anticipate them. From auditing your GEMI compliance before the 2025 deadline to structuring your investments to optimize new R&D incentives, we serve as your strategic legal partner in Greece.
Are you ready to invest in Greece or concerned about the December 31, 2025 compliance deadline? Contact our team for a confidential consultation.