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Greek employment requires ERGANI pre-clearance for all employment events, 22.29% employer EFKA, and mandatory Easter/Christmas bonuses. Rippling EOR handles AADE, EFKA, ERGANI, and bonus compliance so you can hire in Greece without a local entity.
Greece is a Southern European EU economy with strengths in shipping, tourism, agriculture, financial services, and a growing technology sector in Athens. Greece has recovered strongly from its sovereign debt crisis. Athens is the primary business hub; Thessaloniki is the second-largest market. EOR is particularly attractive for technology, digital services, and professional services companies entering Greece without forming a local IKE entity.
Setting up a Greek IKE or AE requires GEMI registration, EFKA/INSS employer registration, and ERGANI access. EOR is recommended for 1–10 employees or where ERGANI pre-clearance complexity (all employment events must be filed before they occur) is a barrier. Greece's significant severance obligations and termination protections make EOR attractive for initial market entry.
EFKA employee share: 13.87% (pension 6.67%, health 2.55%, unemployment 1.83%, and auxiliary branches). Income tax withheld monthly by employer on a progressive scale (9–44%) and remitted to AADE.
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EFKA employer share: 22.29% of gross salary (pension, health, unemployment, and auxiliary branches). Total employer on-cost approximately 22–24% of gross. Easter bonus (15 days' salary before Easter) and Christmas bonus (30 days' salary before December 21) are mandatory additional costs.
Progressive 5-bracket system: 9% (up to €10,000); 22% (€10,001–20,000); 28% (€20,001–30,000); 36% (€30,001–40,000); 44% (above €40,000). Employer withholds monthly and remits to AADE. Annual return filed by June 30.
Annual leave: 20 working days (year 1); 21 days (after year 1); 22 days (from year 3). Public holidays: 12 national. Maternity: 17 weeks at full salary via EFKA (8 pre-birth + 9 post-birth); additional 6-month special maternity leave at reduced allowance. Sick leave: employer pays 50% for first 3 days; EFKA pays 50–70% from day 4.
Notice: 1 month (1–2 years) scaling to 24 months (20+ years). Severance: 1–2 months (1–4 years) scaling to 12 months (16+ years). ERGANI termination notification required before the termination date. Unfair dismissal: additional compensation. Rippling EOR manages terminations compliantly.
EU/EEA nationals: free right to work in Greece; registration with the local municipality. Non-EU nationals: residence permit for employment required. Highly skilled: EU Blue Card available. Rippling EOR supports permit applications through its Greek entity.
Statutory: EFKA social insurance (pension, health, unemployment), Easter bonus (15 days' salary), Christmas bonus (30 days' salary), 20–22 days annual leave, 12 public holidays, 17 weeks maternity at full salary via EFKA.
Market-standard: Private health insurance, meal allowance, transport allowance, performance bonus. ERGANI registration mandatory for all employment events.
Rippling EOR Greece operates through a local Greek entity. Key Greece-specific handling: ERGANI pre-clearance for all employment events, EFKA monthly contributions (22.29% employer), Easter and Christmas bonus calculation and payment, AADE income tax withholding, and termination management with required ERGANI pre-filing.
ERGANI is Greece's mandatory electronic employment register. All employment contracts, working hours changes, overtime declarations, and terminations must be submitted to ERGANI before they take effect. Rippling EOR handles ERGANI submissions as part of the standard onboarding and offboarding process. Late ERGANI submissions attract fines of €300–1,000 per employee per infringement from the Labour Inspectorate (SEPE).
Greece mandates two bonuses: Easter bonus (dōro Pascha) equal to 15 days' salary, paid before Easter Sunday; and Christmas bonus (dōro Christougennon) equal to 30 days' salary, paid before December 21. Together they equal 1.5 months' additional salary per year — a significant cost that must be budgeted from the start of the employment relationship. Rippling EOR calculates and pays both bonuses automatically, pro-rated for partial years.
Notice periods in Greece scale significantly with tenure: 1 month (1–2 years) to 24 months (20+ years). Severance pay also scales: 1–2 months (1–4 years) up to 12 months (16+ years). Total termination cost (notice + severance) for a long-tenured Greek employee can be substantial. Rippling EOR manages terminations compliantly, including ERGANI pre-filing of the termination.
Greece's national minimum wage is €910/month (gross) for employees aged 25+ and €728/month for employees under 25. Greece has raised its minimum wage steadily since 2019 as part of post-crisis economic recovery. All Rippling EOR employees are paid at or above the applicable minimum.
