How do you hire a Greek employee in 2026?
Greek law gives you a 12 months window at the start of any open-ended contract where you can end employment without notice and without severance. After that window closes, notice scales from 1 month to 4 months depending on tenure, and severance becomes compulsory.
· Greece guide
Illustration · Athens, Greece
The Greece hire process has five steps. Offer letter, work-authorisation check, written employment contract, e-EFKA registration, first payday.
Open-ended contracts in Greece have a 12 months window. During that window you can end employment without notice and without severance. After it closes, notice and severance apply based on tenure.
A contractual probation period of up to 6 months can be set under Law 5053/2023. During probation, neither side needs to give notice. After 12 months of service, full dismissal protection and severance rights apply.
What does the end-to-end Greece hire process look like?
Five steps from accepted offer to first payslip: offer letter, work-authorisation check, written employment contract, e-EFKA social-insurance registration, first payday.
The written contract and e-EFKA registration must both be completed before the first payroll runs.
| Step | What happens | Owner | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Offer letter | Written offer with role, salary, start date, and key terms | Client / Teamed drafts | Same day after verbal accept |
| 2. Work-authorisation check | Verify right to work: EU/EEA passport or valid Greek residence and work permit for non-EU nationals | Teamed | Before the employee starts |
| 3. Written employment contract | Written contract covering all terms required under Greek labour law | Teamed (legal employer) | On or before day one |
| 4. e-EFKA registration and ERGANI notification | Register the employee with the unified social-insurance fund (e-EFKA) and notify the ERGANI digital work platform before the start date | Teamed | Before day one; ERGANI notification due on the day before start |
| 5. First payday | First payslip issued; income tax withholding remitted to AADE | Teamed | End of first calendar month |
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Issue the offer letter
Send a written offer the same day as verbal acceptance. Include role, salary, start date, probation of up to 6 months, and any conditions such as work-authorisation or references. Note the mandatory Christmas and holiday bonuses as part of the total package.
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Complete the work-authorisation check
Check the identity document for EU and EEA nationals, or verify the Greek residence permit for non-EU nationals, before the employee starts. Record the document details and retain a copy.
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File the ERGANI notification and issue the contract
File the mandatory pre-start employment notification on the ERGANI platform on the day before the start date. Issue the written employment contract on or before day one. Teamed's standard Greek contract meets all requirements under Law 4808/2021 and Law 5053/2023.
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Complete e-EFKA registration
Register the employee with the unified social-insurance fund (e-EFKA). Collect the Greek tax ID (AFM) and IBAN. This runs across days 0 to 3 alongside contract signing.
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Issue the first payslip
Run the first payroll at the end of the first calendar month. The employee receives their payslip and is on the payroll record. Income tax withholding is remitted to AADE by the last working day of the second following month.
What must a Greek offer letter include?
An offer letter is not the binding contract. It is the document the candidate decides against.
Standard inclusions are role title, reporting line, start date, gross monthly salary, working hours, location, a probation period of up to 6 months, and any conditions such as work-authorisation or reference checks.
Three traps to avoid in Greek offer letters:
- Quoting net salary. Greek employees often ask about net pay. Committing to a net figure creates problems when tax rates or e-EFKA contribution rates change. Quote gross only.
- Confusing the 12-month statutory window with the 6-month contractual probation. These are two separate concepts. The 12-month statutory window under Law 2112/1920 lets you end employment without notice or severance. The 6-month contractual probation period under Law 5053/2023 lets you set a shorter no-notice window. Both can coexist. Misrepresenting them in the offer letter causes confusion at termination.
- Omitting mandatory bonus commitments. Greece requires a Christmas bonus (equal to one full monthly salary) and combined Easter and summer holiday allowances (together equal to one further monthly salary). If your offer letter states a gross salary but does not mention these, the employee will expect them on top. Tread these into your total cost from day one.
Teamed's standard Greek offer letter template covers all required ground. Clients choose commercial elements; Teamed holds the legal-employer position.
Greece work-authorisation checks
Every employer must check work authorisation before the employee starts.
EU and EEA citizens have the right to work in Greece without a separate permit. Non-EU nationals need a valid Greek residence permit that explicitly authorises work before they can start.
EU and EEA nationals
Citizens of EU and EEA member states can work in Greece without a work permit. The employer checks the identity document (passport or national ID card) and retains a copy. No separate government portal is required for this check.
Non-EU nationals
Third-country nationals must hold a valid Greek residence permit with explicit work authorisation before starting. The employer checks the permit type, number, and expiry date before the start date. Common categories include the skilled worker permit and the EU Blue Card. The Greek Migration and Asylum Ministry processes permit applications.
Employers in Greece must verify that a worker holds valid work authorisation before employment begins. For non-EU nationals, a residence permit with explicit work authorisation is required. Employment without valid authorisation is an offence under Greek immigration law.
Source: Greek Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs: Frequently Asked Questions
ERGANI notification
Before the employee starts, Teamed files an employment notification on the ERGANI digital platform. This is a mandatory pre-start-date declaration to the Ministry of Labour. It records the employee, the employer, the job type, the salary, and the working hours. Filing late or not filing is an administrative offence. Teamed manages this deadline as part of the onboarding sequence.
Ongoing checks for time-limited permits
For employees on permits with an expiry date, Teamed tracks the renewal deadline and triggers a reminder ahead of it. A permit expiry without a renewal is a compliance breach. Teamed manages the calendar so no renewal is missed.
The Greek employment contract: what must it contain?
Greek law requires a written employment contract for every employee. It must be signed before or on day one.
The contract is the binding document. It must set out all key terms. Law 4808/2021 expanded the required disclosure list to implement the EU Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions Directive.
What the Greek written employment contract must include:
- Names and addresses of both parties
- Place of work and, where the employee works at multiple locations, a note to that effect
- Start date of employment
- Job title or brief description of the role
- Whether the contract is open-ended or fixed-term, and if fixed-term, the duration and reason
- Gross salary and all pay components (base, allowances, mandatory bonuses), pay intervals, and payment method
- Working hours per day or week (standard week is 40 hours), including any overtime rules
- Annual paid leave entitlement (at least 20 days per year for a five-day week after one year of service)
- Probation period, if agreed (up to 6 months under Law 5053/2023)
- Notice periods that apply after the 12-month statutory free window closes
- Mandatory year-end bonuses: Christmas bonus equal to one monthly salary, Easter bonus equal to half a monthly salary, and summer holiday allowance equal to half a monthly salary
- Reference to the applicable collective agreement, if any covers the role
- Sickness and sick pay terms
- Pension and social-insurance scheme details (e-EFKA registration)
- Disciplinary and grievance procedures
Law 4808/2021 also introduced additional disclosure requirements around work schedules, training obligations, and social security institutions. Teamed's standard Greek employment contract satisfies all current requirements under Law 4808/2021 and Law 5053/2023.
Key source: Law 4808/2021: Major Reforms in Greek Employment Legislation.
Onboarding admin in the first week
The ERGANI notification must be filed on the day before the employee starts. The e-EFKA registration and contract signing both happen on or before day one.
Teamed handles the payroll and compliance side. The client handles the cultural and operational side.
| Onboarding task | Who does it | Day |
|---|---|---|
| Employment contract signed | Employee and Teamed | Day 0 or 1 |
| ERGANI platform notification filed | Teamed | Day before start (mandatory) |
| Work-authorisation check completed and recorded | Teamed | Day 0 (before start) |
| Greek tax identification number (AFM) collected | Employee submits to Teamed | Day 1 |
| e-EFKA social-insurance registration | Teamed | Days 0 to 3 |
| Bank details (IBAN) collected for SEPA payment | Teamed | Days 1 to 7 |
| Occupational health insurance or benefits enrolment | Teamed (admin) and Client (decision) | Days 1 to 7 |
| Equipment and system access | Client | Days 0 to 1 |
| Manager introduction and first-week plan | Client | Days 0 to 7 |
| 30-60-90 day plan documented | Client (manager) | Days 1 to 14 |
How does Teamed handle Greek employment for you?
Teamed becomes your legal employer of record in Greece for from $599 per employee per month, with zero FX mark-up in any currency.
Payroll, e-EFKA registration, the ERGANI notification, and the full Greek employment law stack run on one platform.
Real HR and legal experts handle your Greek hires, from the first offer letter through every monthly payroll run and ERGANI filing. An actual person, not a chatbot or a pooled queue. There is no setup fee and no exit fee. Employer cost passes through at cost, itemised on every invoice.
EOR payroll, contractor onboarding, and entity setup all live on one platform. A Greek contractor who converts to full employment keeps their record. Run the Crossover Calculator to see the month your Greek hire is ready to graduate to your own entity. Start from the Greece hiring overview; each guide here takes one layer of Greek employment law.
Key sources: Greek Ministry of Labour: Labour Relations FAQ, Law 4808/2021 overview, and ICLG Greece Employment Law 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to hire someone in Greece through Teamed?
Teamed can onboard a Greek employee with EU or EEA work authorisation within a few business days. The ERGANI notification must be filed on the day before the start date, and the written employment contract must be issued on or before day one. e-EFKA social-insurance registration runs in parallel. Non-EU nationals who need a Greek work permit will take longer, as the permit must be in place before the start date.
What is the probation period and notice during probation in Greece?
A contractual probation period of up to 6 months can be agreed under Law 5053/2023. During the probation period, either side can end the employment without notice. There is also a broader statutory window of 12 months under Law 2112/1920 during which open-ended contracts can be ended without notice and without severance. These two periods run concurrently from the start date.
When must the ERGANI notification be filed?
The ERGANI notification must be filed on the calendar day before the employee starts work. It is a pre-start-date declaration to the Greek Ministry of Labour that records the employee, employer, job type, salary, and working hours. Filing late or failing to file is an administrative offence. Teamed manages this deadline as part of every Greek onboarding.
What is the minimum annual leave entitlement for a Greek employee?
The minimum paid annual leave is 20 days per year for a five-day week, after the employee has completed one year of service. Leave accrues proportionally during the first year. Greece also has public holidays each year in addition to the 20 days statutory entitlement.
What are the mandatory bonus payments in Greece?
Greece requires three mandatory bonus payments per year. A Christmas bonus equal to one full monthly salary, payable by 21 December. An Easter bonus equal to half a monthly salary, payable before Easter. A summer holiday allowance equal to half a monthly salary, payable before 1 July. Together these amount to two extra months of gross pay per year and must be factored into your total employment cost from day one.
The ERGANI notification is the step Greek hires most often miss. It must be filed on the day before the employee starts. Not day one, not the morning they arrive. The day before. We build that into every onboarding sequence so it never becomes a last-minute scramble.
Greece gives you 12 months at the start of every open-ended contract where you can end employment without notice or severance.
After that window closes, notice and severance both apply. The rules are clear when you know them from day one.
Get the ERGANI notification, the contract, and the e-EFKA registration right before the first day and you stay clean.
