--- title: "Hiring in Greece 2026 | Employer of Record Guide" description: "Hire in Greece through Teamed's EOR. 21.79% employer social security, 20 days statutory leave, mandatory 13th-month salary, and notice up to 4 months. The Greece guides, one per layer." canonical: https://www.teamed.global/country-hiring-guides/greece --- Greece · Country overview Served by Teamed via a Greece-licensed EOR entity # What do you need to know to hire in *Greece*? Greece requires two mandatory bonus payments per year totalling one full extra salary, employer social security runs at 21.79%, and the minimum monthly salary rose to €920/month in April 2026. Each guide below takes one layer. Last reviewed 13 June 2026 · Greece guide ## How does Teamed handle Greek hiring for you? Teamed becomes your legal [employer of record](/lp/employer-of-record) in Greece for [**from $599 per employee per month**](/pricing), with **zero FX mark-up** in any currency. Payroll, mandatory bonus events, e-EFKA filings, and the full Greek employment law stack run on **one platform**. **Real HR and legal experts** manage every Greek hire, from the first offer letter through the Christmas bonus calculation to the final ERGANI notification. **An actual person**, not a chatbot or a pooled queue, handles your Greek team alongside EOR, contractor onboarding, and entity payroll on **one platform**. There is **no setup fee** and **no exit fee**. Employer cost **passes through at cost, itemised** on every invoice. A Greek contractor who converts to salaried employment keeps their record, and that same employee can **graduate** from EOR to your own Greek entity without re-onboarding. Run the [Crossover Calculator](https://www.teamed.global/tools/crossover-calculator) to see the month the model flips. EOR is the right model for a first Greek hire, **until it isn't**. Three things you won't find on any other Greece EOR guide - **Greece mandates two bonus payments that most US buyers miss.** Every employer must pay a Christmas bonus of one full monthly salary by 21 December and a combined Easter and summer holiday allowance of a further full monthly salary across the year. These are not optional or cultural norms. They are the law. - **Severance in Greece is calculated in months of gross salary, not weeks of pay.** Unlike the UK, there is no weekly pay cap on a per-week formula. Instead, the monthly salary used in the calculation is capped at €2,000/month, and the maximum payout for employees hired after November 2012 is 12 gross monthly salaries. [The termination guide](/country-hiring-guides/greece/termination-and-severance) walks through every service band. - **Greek dismissal law is permissive on grounds but strict on procedure and payment.** You can dismiss a permanent employee without giving a reason. You cannot fire someone for being pregnant, in a union, a whistleblower, or disabled. And the severance payment must be handed over at the same moment as the termination document, not later (Law 4808/2021). Answer.cite this Hiring in Greece adds roughly 121 to 122 percent of gross salary in employer social security alone, before the mandatory year-end bonuses. Employer e-EFKA social security is 21.79% on gross pay up to a monthly ceiling. Greece pays monthly. The statutory minimum monthly salary is €920/month from April 2026. Annual leave is 20 days for a five-day week, counted separately from public holidays. Teamed runs Greek payroll, contracts, and compliance through an EOR entity holding the required Greek registrations. The mandatory bonus events, e-EFKA filings, and ERGANI notifications are all handled on one platform. This page is the map. Each guide below is the detail. At a glance · Greece EUR · Greek · Monthly payroll Currency EUR € Employer social security 21.79% e-EFKA, capped at EUR 7,761.94/month Employee social security 13.37% e-EFKA, same ceiling Annual leave 20 days 5-day week, separate from public holidays Min. monthly salary €920/month from April 2026 Max. notice period 4 months at 10 or more years service Top income tax 44% above EUR 60,000 Mandatory bonuses 2 per year Christmas (1x salary) plus Easter and summer (1x salary combined) ![A wide illustration of Athens at golden hour: the Acropolis and the Parthenon rising above the city, Lycabettus Hill in the background, white-washed buildings spreading across the hillsides under a warm amber sky.](/images/country-guides/greece-hiring.webp) Greece · per employee · per month · flat $ 599 Zero FX. No setup fees. 48-hour onboarding. The price your finance team can forecast against without an asterisk. Zero FX Fixed No setup fee No exit fee 48-hour onboard ## How much does it cost to hire an employee in Greece in 2026? A Greek hire costs roughly 135 to 140 percent of annual gross salary once social security and mandatory bonuses are added. Employer e-EFKA social security is 21.79% on gross pay. On top of that, two mandatory annual bonus payments add the equivalent of one full extra month's salary. Employer e-EFKA social security runs at 21.79% on monthly gross pay up to the contribution ceiling. That alone takes the total employer cost past 121 percent of salary. Then add the Christmas bonus (one full monthly salary, due by 21 December) and the combined Easter and summer holiday allowance (a further full monthly salary spread across the year). These two bonus obligations push the true annual cost to roughly 135 to 140 percent of base salary. Teamed's Greece fee sits inside that envelope, not outside it. Teamed's Greece price is a starting rate, with zero FX in any currency pairing. No setup fees. No exit fees. Salaries, taxes, and benefits passed through at cost on every invoice. The full breakdown, with worked examples at current statutory rates, is in the cost guide. [Read the full Greece cost breakdown](/country-hiring-guides/greece/cost-breakdown) ## Do you need a Greek entity to hire employees in Greece? No. An Employer of Record runs Greek payroll and contracts from day one. Your own Greek entity becomes cheaper than EOR somewhere around 5 to 8 employees, depending on salary. Setting up a Greek Anonymi Etaireia (AE) or Etaireia Periorismenis Euthynis (EPE) requires registration with the Hellenic Business Registry (GEMI), notarisation, and tax registration with AADE. Setup takes several weeks and comes with ongoing payroll, accounting, ERGANI notifications, and GEMI filings. An [Employer of Record](/lp/employer-of-record) is faster and cheaper at low headcount. Teamed runs Greek payroll, ERGANI filings, and e-EFKA contributions from day one. The crossover point depends on Greek salary levels and your accounting costs. For most professional roles it lands around 5 to 8 employees. At that headcount your own entity's total cost crosses below the EOR fee plus 21.79% e-EFKA plus the mandatory bonuses on the same gross salary. Most EOR providers will not tell you when you have crossed it. We do, and we help you move. You progress from contractor to EOR to your own Greek entity on **one platform** under Teamed's Graduation Model, with tenure preserved. [Read the full Greece EOR vs entity guide](/country-hiring-guides/greece/eor-vs-entity) ## What are the key employment law rules in Greece in 2026? The statutory minimum monthly salary rose to €920/month on 1 April 2026 under Ministerial Decision 8934/2026. Law 4808/2021 reformed dismissal protection, extended paternity leave to 14 days, and introduced a 4-month parental leave entitlement per parent. Ministerial Decision 8934/2026 raised the statutory minimum monthly salary from EUR 880 to €920/month from 1 April 2026. This applies to all permanent employees including part-timers on a pro-rated basis. Every employer must register all employment changes, including new hires, terminations, and hours changes, through the ERGANI information system on the day the change occurs. Law 4808/2021 brought a significant reform wave. Paternity leave was extended to 14 days of fully paid leave. Each parent gained a right to 4 months of parental leave per child, the first half state-subsidised, until the child turns eight. Dismissal on prohibited grounds (pregnancy, union membership, whistleblowing, disability) became subject to an additional court award of at least 3 months months pay. The hiring guide covers day-one obligations in full. [Read the full Greece hiring guide](/country-hiring-guides/greece/hiring-guide) ## What benefits must you provide Greek employees in 2026? The statutory floor is 20 days of paid annual leave, two mandatory annual bonus payments, 17 weeks of maternity leave, and 14 days of paid paternity leave. The two mandatory bonuses together equal a full additional month's salary per year. They are not discretionary. Statutory annual leave is 20 days for a five-day week, counted separately from public holidays. The Christmas bonus is one full monthly salary, paid by 21 December. The Easter bonus is half a monthly salary, paid before Easter Sunday. The summer holiday allowance is a further half monthly salary, paid at or before annual leave. Combined, these two bonus events equal one full additional monthly salary per year. Maternity leave runs 17 weeks in total, with at least 8 weeks taken before the expected birth date and the remaining 9 weeks after. Paternity leave is 14 days of fully paid leave. Each parent also has a right to 4 months of parental leave per child until the child turns eight, the first two months state-subsidised. The benefits guide covers each entitlement and the employer obligations in full. Read the full Greece benefits guide ## What are payroll taxes in Greece in 2026? Employer e-EFKA social security is 21.79% on gross pay up to a monthly ceiling of EUR 7,761.94. Employees pay 13.37% e-EFKA on the same basis, plus income tax on a six-bracket progressive scale starting at 9%. Greek social security runs through the unified e-EFKA fund. The employer rate is 21.79% and the employee rate is 13.37%, totalling 35.16 percent on gross pay up to the monthly contribution ceiling of EUR 7,761.94. Contributions above this ceiling are not charged. Greece bundles pension, health, unemployment, and auxiliary insurance into the e-EFKA rate; there is no separate pension line on top. Income tax is progressive across six brackets. The first EUR 10,000 is taxed at 9%, the next band at 20%, and the rate rises to 44% above EUR 60,000. Greece uses a tax credit system rather than a personal allowance; a single individual with no dependants receives a credit of up to EUR 777 against their annual tax bill. Income tax withholding (Lohnsteuer equivalent) must be remitted to AADE by the last working day of the second month following each payroll period. The tax and payroll guide sets out every band and threshold. [Read the full Greece tax and payroll guide](/country-hiring-guides/greece/tax-and-payroll) ## How do you terminate an employee in Greece? Greek statutory notice starts at 1 month for employees with 12 months to 2 years of service. Notice scales with tenure and reaches 4 months at 10 or more years of service. Notice under Law 2112/1920 and Law 3198/1955 runs in full calendar months. There is no notice obligation during the first 12 months of an open-ended contract. After that, notice is 1 month for 1 to 2 years of service, 2 months for 2 to 5 years, 3 months for 5 to 10 years, and 4 months at 10 or more years. The employer pays full salary through the notice period. Severance is owed for any dismissal after 12 months of continuous service. If the employer gives full notice, severance for 1 to 4 years of service is 1 month of gross salary. The monthly salary used in the calculation is capped at €2,000/month. The maximum severance for employees hired after November 2012 is 12 gross monthly salaries. Severance must be paid at the same time as the termination document is handed over. The termination guide runs the full notice and severance tables. [Read the full Greece termination and severance guide](/country-hiring-guides/greece/termination-and-severance) ## What should you know before hiring in Greece? Two things catch US buyers out. The first is the mandatory bonus calendar. The second is that collective redundancy rules apply at just 20 employees, much lower than buyers expect. **The two mandatory bonus payments require advance planning.** The Christmas bonus (one monthly salary) must be paid by 21 December. The Easter bonus (half salary) must be paid before Easter Sunday, and the summer holiday allowance (half salary) must be paid at or before the employee's annual leave. These are not year-end discretionary items. They are statutory obligations under Joint Ministerial Decision 19040/1981. Missing or underpaying them is a labour violation. **Collective redundancy rules kick in earlier than most markets.** Dismissing more than 6 employees in a 30 days-day period at an employer with 20 to 150 staff triggers a formal consultation and notification process with a 30 days-day minimum consultation period. An employer with more than 150 staff can dismiss no more than 5 percent of its workforce or 30 employees per month, whichever is lower. The hiring guide and EOR vs entity guide both cover how Teamed navigates this. [Read the full Greece hiring guide](/country-hiring-guides/greece/hiring-guide) ## Frequently asked questions How much does it cost to hire an employee in Greece? Plan on roughly 135 to 140 percent of annual gross salary. Employer e-EFKA social security is 21.79% on monthly pay up to the contribution ceiling. Two mandatory annual bonus payments add the equivalent of one full extra monthly salary per year. Teamed's Greece fee is one flat number per employee per month, with zero FX mark-up in any currency pairing. The cost breakdown guide has worked examples. Can a US company hire in Greece without an entity? Yes. An Employer of Record like Teamed runs Greek payroll, e-EFKA contributions, ERGANI notifications, and contracts through its own registered entity. You direct the work. Teamed becomes the legal employer of record. Setup takes 48 hours once terms are confirmed. Registering your own Greek entity takes several weeks and requires GEMI registration, AADE tax enrolment, and notarisation. What are the mandatory bonus payments in Greece? Greek law requires two bonus payments per year under Joint Ministerial Decision 19040/1981. The Christmas bonus equals one full monthly salary and must be paid by 21 December. The Easter bonus equals half a monthly salary, paid before Easter Sunday. The summer holiday allowance equals a further half monthly salary, paid at or before the employee's annual leave. Combined, the two bonus events equal one additional monthly salary per year, pro-rated for partial-year employees. What are Greek statutory notice periods? There is no notice obligation during the first 12 months of an open-ended contract. After that, notice scales with tenure: 1 month for 1 to 2 years of service, 2 months for 2 to 5 years, 3 months for 5 to 10 years, and 4 months at 10 or more years. These periods are set by Law 2112/1920 and Law 3198/1955. Employers can give more by contract. How does severance work in Greece? Severance is owed on any dismissal after 12 months of service. If the employer gives full notice, the payment for 1 to 4 years of service is 1 month of gross salary. The monthly salary used in the calculation is capped at €2,000/month. The maximum payout for employees hired after November 2012 is 12 gross monthly salaries. Severance must be paid simultaneously with the termination document, not after. What is the minimum annual leave for a Greek employee? Statutory paid annual leave is 20 days for a five-day week, counted separately from public holidays. This applies once the employee has completed one year of service. Leave rises to 25 days after 10 years with the same employer. The employer must also pay the summer holiday allowance (half a monthly salary) at or before the employee takes their annual leave. Teamed Legal Operations Greece has a reputation for complexity, but most of it is procedural rather than arbitrary. The mandatory bonus calendar, the e-EFKA filing cadence, and the ERGANI real-time notification requirement are all predictable once you learn the system. The mistakes we see are not from the law being opaque. They come from US buyers who budget for base salary plus a rough percentage and then get a December bonus bill they did not model. A note from Tom Price-Daniel Greece adds one full extra month of salary per year in mandatory bonuses before you account for social security or leave. Most of the cost surprises come from not reading that into the budget before the first hire. Read the right Greece guide before that hire, not after the December payroll lands. Tom Price-Daniel · Co-founder, Teamed ## Keep reading - [Greece hiring guide, offer to payslip](/country-hiring-guides/greece/hiring-guide)guide - [Greece employer cost breakdown 2026](/country-hiring-guides/greece/cost-breakdown)guide - [EOR vs entity in Greece](/country-hiring-guides/greece/eor-vs-entity)guide - [Greece termination and severance](/country-hiring-guides/greece/termination-and-severance)guide - [Greece tax and payroll](/country-hiring-guides/greece/tax-and-payroll)guide - [Employer of Record overview](/lp/employer-of-record)core - The Graduation Modelcore - [Teamed pricing, Zero FX Fixed](/pricing)core - [Crossover Calculator](https://www.teamed.global/tools/crossover-calculator/greece)tool - [Talk to an expert](https://www.teamed.global/contact)CTA A note on this page. This is a guide, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Rules change and vary by jurisdiction. Verify current requirements with the Greek Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (ypergasias.gov.gr) and AADE (the Independent Authority for Public Revenue) for Greece, or speak to a qualified professional, before relying on any specific framework.