Greece · Licensing & Access
Key points
- As an EU single market member, foreign investment access is open; most industries have no shareholding caps.
- Licensed/approved industries: banking/insurance (central bank license), telecom, energy, pharmaceuticals, defense, ports and critical infrastructure.
- Strategic industries (ports, infrastructure, media) FDI security screening tightening.
- Investment Law L.5203/2025: regional incentives, subsidies, R&D uplift, accelerated depreciation.
- Golden visa: property purchase (popular areas ≥€800k / other areas ≥€400k) grants 5-year residence, convertible to citizenship.
Procedure
- Confirm whether the industry is restricted and whether a special license is needed.
- Apply for the operating license from the competent ministry/regulator.
- Complete GEMI registration and tax registration.
- If applicable, apply for investment incentives via ependyseis.gov.gr.
Hard requirements
- Industry license (restricted industries); local legal/tax advisors.
Costs
Licensing and approval fees; advisory costs.⏱ ⏱ Timeline:Industry licensing takes weeks to months (by industry).⚠ Common risks
- Specific industries have long approval cycles and demanding conditions.
- Strategic-industry FDI screening may require equity/governance adjustments.
- Incentive applications rejected for missing deadlines or incomplete materials.
📘 Step-by-Step Handbook (with owner / timeline / cost / penalties)
Applies to:Chinese enterprises undertaking regulated/incentive activities in Greece (banking/insurance, telecom, energy, pharmaceuticals, defense, ports, strategic investment), and applying for development-law incentives or the golden visa.
Prerequisites
- Confirm whether the industry is restricted and requires a special license
- If applicable, complete Chinese ODI filing first
- Assess strategic-industry FDI security screening
- If applying for development-law incentives, confirm whether one of the 12 aid schemes applies
| Step | Action | Owner | Timeline | Cost | Official form / system | Notes & penalties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Industry access and license determination Assess whether banking/insurance, telecom, energy, pharmaceuticals, defense and ports require approval under EU single market rules and Greek requirements | Legal/regulatory | 1-2 weeks assessment | Internal | Industry classification assessment | Most manufacturing/services 100% open to foreign investment Penalty:Entering licensed industries without a license is penalized |
| 2 | Apply for the operating license from the competent ministry or regulator Banking/insurance regulated by the central bank; telecom, energy, pharmaceuticals, defense and ports by the corresponding ministries. Prepare Greek-language materials in parallel | Applicant/law firm | Weeks to months | License/advisory fees | License application | Processing times vary greatly by industry Penalty:Operating unlicensed is ordered to stop |
| 3 | Complete GEMI registration and tax registration See incorporation/tax dimensions | Agent | 1-3 weeks | See incorporation dimension | e-YMS | Must be done before operations |
| 4 | Apply for Development Law L.5203/2025 incentives (if applicable) File under one of the 12 aid schemes (modern technology, green transition, manufacturing, tourism, etc.) on the ependyseis platform; aid forms include tax exemption, subsidies, lease subsidies; single scheme max €20M | Ministry of Development / advisor | Evaluation within 90 days | Application fees | Application via the Development Law e-system | Scheme announcement windows published in Q1/Q3 Penalty:Incomplete materials or scheme mismatch rejected; wait for the next window |
| 5 | Strategic-industry FDI security screening (if triggered) Ports, energy, telecom and critical technologies require parallel EU/Greek screening filings | Greek investment/security authorities | By industry | Advisory | Security screening filing | Linked to odi dimension step 4 Penalty:No filing may lead to equity/governance adjustment or transaction revocation |
| 6 | Golden visa (residence in exchange for investment) Property purchase: €800k (popular areas), €400k (other areas) or €250k (commercial-to-residential/heritage); also possible via funds; the first two property types must be single units ≥120㎡ and not used for short-term rental | Investor / law firm | 4-12 months processing | Government fees + property purchase | Investor residence application (migration ministry) | Three-tier investment thresholds per Law 5100/2024 Penalty:Non-compliant property or short-let violation leads to revocation |
✅ Self-check list
⚠ Common pitfalls
📅 Ongoing post-incorporation obligations
- Licensed industries maintain continuous regulatory reporting (central bank and ministries)
- Development-law projects certified and disbursed per milestones
- Strategic investments maintain investment and employment commitments
- Golden visa maintain investment (no short-let violations)
- License changes or renewals processed promptly
🔗 Official portals
🔧 CE Marking (EU / EEA)
Benchmarked against C2P's product-compliance module: C2P gives regulatory text and catalogs, whereas this library delivers a do-it-now checklist — identify the directive, pick the conformity-assessment route, prepare the technical file, sign the DoC, affix the mark, retain records.
📘 Step-by-Step Handbook (with owner / timeline / cost / penalties)
Applies to:Physical products destined for the EU market (EEA members such as Germany / Spain / Greece) that fall under one of the EU harmonised-legislation scopes above. B2B components not placed on the EU market separately are assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Prerequisites
- Target country/market confirmed (this template covers Germany / Spain / Greece)
- Product technical spec and drawings frozen
- Non-EU manufacturer ready to appoint an EU Authorized Representative
- Qualified Notified Body identified where applicable
| Step | Action | Owner | Timeline | Cost | Official form / system | Notes & penalties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Identify the applicable EU directive(s) / regulation(s) Map the product type to the relevant EU harmonised legislation (e.g. radio device → RED; low-voltage appliance → LVD + EMC + RoHS). A single product often triggers several directives — list them all. | Manufacturer / compliance consultant | 1–2 weeks | — | EU directive mapping table | The directive list is the master plan for every downstream step; missing one is a violation. Penalty:Omitted applicable directive → non-conforming placement on market, market-surveillance ordered removal |
| 2 | Confirm essential requirements & harmonised standards Check each directive's 'Essential Requirements' and adopt the corresponding EU harmonised standards (EN) as the presumption-of-conformity route. | R&D / compliance | 2–4 weeks | Standard purchase fee (some free) | Harmonised standard list (EN) | Using harmonised standards gives 'presumption of conformity', reducing proof burden. Penalty:Marking before meeting essential requirements → invalid mark, penalties |
| 3 | Select conformity-assessment module Pick the route per directive: Module A (internal production control) through Module H (full quality assurance). Most products may self-declare; high-risk (e.g. medical devices, some PPE) require a Notified Body. | Manufacturer / Notified Body (if applicable) | Self-declaration immediate; Notified Body route weeks–months | Notified Body fee (high-risk categories) | Conformity-assessment module description | First decide 'whether a third party (Notified Body) is needed' — that drives lead time and cost scale. Penalty:Self-declaring when a Notified Body is required → certificate not recognised |
| 4 | Compile the Technical File Assemble product description, design drawings, circuit/structure, risk analysis, test reports, user manual, conformity calculations — proving essential requirements are met. | Manufacturer | 2–6 weeks | Testing fee (third-party lab) | Technical Documentation / Technical File | The Technical File is the core evidence of CE compliance and must be producible for market authorities on demand. Penalty:Cannot produce Technical File → presumed non-compliant, product withdrawn |
| 5 | Notified Body involvement (if applicable) For categories needing third-party assessment, submit to EU type-examination (Module B) / system audit and obtain the Notified Body certificate (e.g. NB-number certificate). | Notified Body | Weeks–months | Assessment fee (by category) | EU type-examination certificate / system certificate | Only NANDO-listed bodies with the corresponding scope are recognised. Penalty:Using a non-qualified body's certificate → treated as invalid |
| 6 | Sign the EU Declaration of Conformity (EU DoC) Draft and sign the EU DoC listing applicable directives, standards, manufacturer and representative info, NB certificate numbers — as a precondition to marking. | Manufacturer (or representative on its behalf) | 1–3 days | — | EU Declaration of Conformity | The DoC must be available with the product (paper or electronic); language per member-state requirement. Penalty:Placing on market without a DoC → unlawful, subject to penalties |
| 7 | Affix the CE mark compliantly Affix the CE mark per rules: proportions, size (height ≥5mm), visible and durable, on the same surface as the NB number (if applicable); multilingual manual with compliance info. | Manufacturer | Immediate | — | CE marking specification (Commission 2021 decision) | The CE mark is affixed by the manufacturer itself — it is not 'issued' by a third party. Penalty:Non-compliant size/position or misuse → administrative even criminal liability |
| 8 | Post-market retention & supervision cooperation Keep the Technical File and DoC for 10 years from placement on the market; cooperate with member-state market-surveillance sampling, incident and recall notifications. | Manufacturer / Authorized Representative | Ongoing (10 years) | Archive maintenance | Technical File archival | Non-EU manufacturers have files held by their EU Authorized Representative. Penalty:Destroying files before expiry → cannot prove conformity, presumed non-compliant |
✅ Self-check list
⚠ Common pitfalls
📅 Ongoing post-incorporation obligations
- Keep Technical File and DoC for 10 years from placement on market
- Product change (design/BOM/standard) triggers re-assessment
- EU Authorized Representative continuously in place and published
- Cooperate with member-state market-surveillance sampling and incident/recall notifications
- Track directive revisions (e.g. Machinery new Regulation 2023/1230 transition)
🔗 Official portals
🔧 EPR — Extended Producer Responsibility (EU)
Benchmarked against C2P's product-compliance module: C2P gives per-country EPR legal text, whereas this library delivers a do-it-now checklist — identify categories, register per target country, appoint an authorized representative, declare placed volume, pay fees, label, periodic filing. Covers Germany's LUCID/packaging, WEEE, battery and other key schemes.
📘 Step-by-Step Handbook (with owner / timeline / cost / penalties)
Applies to:Producers or importers placing physical products (including packaging) on the market of any EU member state such as Germany / Spain / Greece. Even cross-border sellers without an EU entity must fulfil EPR obligations per country of sale.
Prerequisites
- Target sales countries clarified (register per country — no EU-wide number)
- Categories involved mapped (packaging / WEEE / batteries, can stack)
- Non-EU entity ready to appoint in-country authorized representatives
- Corresponding Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) selected
| Step | Action | Owner | Timeline | Cost | Official form / system | Notes & penalties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Identify applicable EPR categories & target countries Confirm per country the EPR categories triggered: packaging (almost always), WEEE (electronics), batteries (battery-containing products). The EU has no unified registration — handle per country of sale. | Producer / compliance consultant | A few days | — | Category × country matrix | Packaging is the most overlooked 'always-triggered' item; the new Battery Regulation 2023/1542 is phased in from 2025. Penalty:Missed category/country → non-compliant sales in that country |
| 2 | Register with the target-country authority / PRO Register per country: Germany packaging → ZSVR LUCID central register + sign a PRO; WEEE → Stiftung EAR; batteries → battery-law authority. Spain/Greece connect to their respective PROs and environment ministries. | Target-country authority / PRO | Days–weeks | Registration fee / annual fee | LUCID number / EAR number / national registration number | Germany's LUCID is a mandatory central register, and the number must be uploaded to platforms. Penalty:Selling in Germany without registration → platform takedown, fines |
| 3 | Non-EU producer appoints an Authorized Representative Foreign producers must appoint an in-country Authorized Representative (AR) as the responsible entity, taking on registration, declaration and recovery obligations. | Authorized Representative (AR) | Days | Agent service fee | Authorized Representative agreement | AR info often must be published in the register. Penalty:Non-EU entity without an AR cannot register compliantly |
| 4 | Declare placed volume of products / materials Declare the expected quantity/weight placed on the market per registered category (e.g. packaging tonnes, WEEE units, battery kg) as the basis for fees and recovery quotas. | Producer / AR | At registration + periodically | — | Placed-volume declaration | Declarations must be truthful; under-reporting triggers audit. Penalty:False declared volume → fines, reputational damage |
| 5 | Pay the eco-fee Pay the eco-contribution to the PRO / authority (by category and weight), funding end-of-life recovery. | Producer / PRO | On schedule | Eco-fee (by volume) | Payment receipt | Fees vary widely by category and country. Penalty:Unpaid fees → registration lapses, sales banned |
| 6 | Fulfil labelling & recovery obligations Apply the country's recycling/sorting marks (e.g. Germany's 'Green Dot', WEEE crossed-out wheelie-bin symbol) on the product page and packaging. | Producer | Ongoing | Labelling cost | Recycling-mark spec | Platforms often require the EPR number and marks shown on the product page. Penalty:Missing marks → platform takedown |
| 7 | Periodic filing & renewal Report actual placed volume and renew fees to the PRO and authority annually/quarterly; update registration info. Multi-country sales require a per-country compliance calendar. | Producer / AR | Ongoing (annual/quarterly) | Renewal fee | Periodic filing | Multi-country sales require a multi-country compliance calendar to avoid missed filings. Penalty:Missed filing / lapsed payment → registration lapses, sales banned |
✅ Self-check list
⚠ Common pitfalls
📅 Ongoing post-incorporation obligations
- Annual / quarterly placed-volume filing and renewal
- Ongoing registration-info and AR maintenance
- Continuous display of recycling marks and platform EPR numbers
- Compliance maintained per country (no blanket exemption)
- Track national EPR legislative updates (e.g. PPWD revision, new battery rules)
🔗 Official portals
🔧 CCC Mandatory Certification (China · Source-Country Manufacturing Prerequisite)
Benchmarked against C2P's product-compliance module: C2P lists a global certification catalog, whereas this library turns China's CCC into a do-it-now checklist — determine catalog scope, pick the body, type testing, factory inspection, obtain certificate, annual surveillance. Applies to all outbound products sourced from / supplied via China.
📘 Step-by-Step Handbook (with owner / timeline / cost / penalties)
Applies to:Physical products produced or imported in mainland China that fall under the Compulsory Product Certification Catalog; includes outbound enterprises 'sourcing manufacturing/supply from China with domestic-sale or domestic-sale-linked channels'. Pure-export products that can provide export proof may apply for exemption, but the determination must be made first.
Prerequisites
- Product BOM and model frozen
- Determined against the latest CCC Catalog whether it is listed
- Domestic production plant has basic quality system in place
- Selected a CNCA-designated certification body (mainly CQC)
| Step | Action | Owner | Timeline | Cost | Official form / system | Notes & penalties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Determine whether the product is in the CCC mandatory catalog Cross-check against the latest CNCA Compulsory Product Certification Catalog and implementation rules to confirm the product model is listed; note the catalog is dynamically adjusted (some products have been removed). | Manufacturer / compliance consultant | A few days | — | CCC catalog cross-check | Products outside the catalog need no CCC; but 'similar names' are easily misjudged — verify against the CN sub-items in implementation rules. Penalty:Certifiable product produced/sold/imported without certification → unlawful, punished by customs and market regulator |
| 2 | Select a designated body & submit application Submit the certification application to a CNCA-designated body (mainly China Quality Certification Centre CQC), specifying the certification model. | Certification body (CQC etc.) | Acceptance in days | Application fee | CCC certification application | Only certificates from designated bodies are valid. Penalty:Certificate from a non-designated body is invalid |
| 3 | Send samples for Type Testing Per the implementation rules, send samples to a designated lab for safety, EMC and other type tests and obtain the test report. | Designated lab | Weeks | Testing fee | Type test report | Must use a production-representative sample. Penalty:Failed test cannot proceed to next step |
| 4 | Initial factory inspection The body inspects the plant's quality-assurance capability (man/machine/material/method/environment + consistency control), confirming consistency with the type-tested sample. | Body inspection team | Days–weeks | Inspection fee | Factory inspection report | Failed inspection and consistency defects are common blockers. Penalty:Factory inspection failed → no certificate issued |
| 5 | Certification decision → obtain CCC certificate + mark The body makes a certification decision combining test and inspection results; upon approval issues the CCC certificate, and the enterprise applies for and uses the CCC mark per rules. | Certification body | Decision in days | Certificate fee / mark fee | CCC certificate / CCC mark | The mark must be applied per spec; counterfeiting is prohibited. Penalty:No certificate or counterfeit mark → administrative even criminal liability |
| 6 | Post-certification supervision (annual factory inspection) During the certificate's validity, accept annual follow-up inspection and product sampling to maintain validity. | Certification body | Every year | Annual fee / supervision fee | Annual supervision report | Missed inspection or failed sampling may suspend/revoke the certificate. Penalty:Certificate revoked → product banned from sale |
| 7 | Export / domestic-sale release & exemption determination Domestic sale/import cleared against the CCC certificate; pure-export products meeting conditions may apply for exemption with export proof, but catalog determination and record retention must be done first. | Enterprise / customs | With business | — | Export proof / customs clearance | 'Export exemption from CCC' ≠ blanket exemption; determine batch by batch per customs and certification rules. Penalty:Domestic sale/import without required certificate → punished |
✅ Self-check list
⚠ Common pitfalls
📅 Ongoing post-incorporation obligations
- Annual factory-inspection and product sampling
- Certificate maintenance and change declaration (model/BOM/critical parts)
- Compliant use of the CCC mark
- Retain export-exemption records for inspection
- Track dynamic catalog adjustments
🔗 Official portals
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