Greece: technology regulation at a glance

Framework: EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA, Reg. (EU) 2023/1114) directly applicable, transposed and supplemented in Greece by Law 5193/2025 (in force April 2025); Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC) as competent authority for CASPs (operationalised via HCMC Decision No. 8/1059/30.07.2025), Bank of Greece as prudential supervisor for asset-referenced and e-money tokens, AADE for tax administration.

Crypto-assets are legal and comprehensively regulated in Greece under the EU's MiCA regime, which became fully applicable to CASPs on 30 December 2024 and was supplemented domestically by Law 5193/2025, making Greece one of the first EU members to complete national MiCA implementation. The HCMC licenses and supervises crypto-asset service providers, the Bank of Greece oversees stablecoin (ART/EMT) issuers, and the AADE administers a 15% flat capital-gains tax on crypto disposals (with progressive rates for professional, mining and staking income) alongside DAC8 information exchange from 2026.

Framework: EU AI Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, directly applicable in all EU member states); Greek Law 4961/2022 on Emerging Technologies; Ministry of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence / Special Secretariat for Artificial Intelligence and Data Governance

Greece is governed primarily by the directly applicable EU AI Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689), which entered into force on 1 August 2024, with prohibited-practices rules enforceable from 2 February 2025 and most high-risk provisions from 2 August 2026. Nationally, Law 4961/2022 imposes public-sector-specific AI obligations, algorithmic impact assessments and transparency requirements, predating the EU Act. Greece published a national AI strategy blueprint in November 2024, renamed its lead ministry to incorporate Artificial Intelligence in 2025, and is formally designating national competent authorities for EU AI Act enforcement.

Framework: EU GDPR (Regulation 2016/679) directly applicable + Greek Law 4624/2019 (national supplement, in force 29 August 2019) + Law 3471/2006 (ePrivacy Directive implementation); supervised by the Hellenic Data Protection Authority (HDPA)

Greece operates under the EU GDPR as directly applicable law, supplemented by national Law 4624/2019 which exercises GDPR derogations for employee data, sensitive categories, and sectoral rules for health, insurance, and media. The Hellenic Data Protection Authority (HDPA) is the independent supervisory authority, maintaining an active enforcement record with significant fines against public bodies, telecoms, and private controllers. The ePrivacy Directive is transposed via Law 3471/2006 governing electronic communications privacy and unsolicited marketing.

Framework: Law 4537/2018 (PSD2 transposition); Bank of Greece Executive Committee Acts 164/2019, 178/2020, 189/2021; supervised by the Bank of Greece (BoG)

Greece operates a full licensing regime for payment institutions and electronic money institutions under Law 4537/2018, which transposed PSD2 (Directive 2015/2366/EU) into national law, with the Bank of Greece as the sole competent authority for authorisation and prudential supervision. The IRIS instant-payment rail became mandatory for all businesses on 1 December 2025, and the per-transaction daily limit was raised to €1,000 in January 2026. Greece aligns with all applicable EU-wide frameworks, PSD2, CCD2 (BNPL), and MiCA, with national implementing legislation in force or in transposition.

Framework: Law 4825/2021 (amendment to Greek Immigration Code, Article 18B), administered by the Hellenic Republic Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa issuance) and Ministry of Migration and Asylum (residence permit); official portal: workfromgreece.gr

Greece introduced a dedicated Digital Nomad Visa for non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals in September 2021 under Law 4825/2021, permitting remote workers employed or self-employed for clients/employers entirely outside Greece to reside legally for up to 12 months, convertible to a 2-year renewable residence permit. As of 1 January 2024, applicants must obtain the initial visa from a Greek consulate abroad before applying for the in-country residence permit. EU/EEA/Swiss citizens are excluded from the scheme as they hold free-movement rights and register through standard EU-citizen procedures.

Framework: EU Digital Services Act (Regulation (EU) 2022/2065, directly applicable) + Greek Law 5099/2024 (supplementary national implementation measures); Digital Services Coordinator: Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission (EETT)

Greece enacted Law 5099/2024 in April 2024 to implement the EU Digital Services Act, designating the Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission (EETT) as the national Digital Services Coordinator with enforcement, inspection, and sanction powers over intermediary service providers. A multi-authority structure shares oversight with the Hellenic Data Protection Authority (HDPA) and the National Council for Radio and Television (NCRTV). In April 2026, Greece announced proposed legislation to ban under-15s from major social media platforms, with entry into force targeted for 1 January 2027.

Framework: Law 5160/2024 (Government Gazette A'/195/27-11-2024) transposing EU NIS2 Directive (2022/2555); supervised by the National Cybersecurity Authority (NCSA / cyber.gov.gr)

Greece enacted Law 5160/2024 on 27 November 2024, fully transposing the EU NIS2 Directive into national law, establishing binding cybersecurity obligations for essential and important entities across 18 sectors. The National Cybersecurity Authority (NCSA) is the sole competent authority for supervision, registration, and enforcement. Secondary legislation in early 2025 operationalised the regime with a mandatory 22-control security framework and a tiered incident-reporting timeline.

Framework: Law 4919/2022 (transposing EU Directive 2019/1151); General Commercial Registry (GEMI) under Ministry of Development & Investments; digital One-Stop-Shop (e-YMS); competent authority: GEMI Directorate

Greece permits 100% foreign ownership in most sectors with no mandatory local director for capital companies. Business formation has been substantially digitised under Law 4919/2022, enabling online IKE (Private Capital Company) incorporation via the GEMI portal in 1-2 business days; however, the prior need to obtain a Greek tax number (AFM) and open a corporate bank account extends the practical end-to-end timeline to 3-6 weeks, particularly for non-EU nationals who must use notarised powers of attorney.