Open a Representative Office in Greece: Liaison Office

A foreign company or another type of entity can open a representative office in Greece. Also known as a liaison office, this type of establishment is used for non-commercial purposes. If you need in-depth information on how to register a representative office, our consultants in company registration in Greece can advise you and offer legal assistance.

Quick Facts
What is a liaison office	A liaison office (or a representative office) is a type of establishment that is set up by a foreign entity with the purpose of carrying out non-commercial activities (it can't generate profits).
Incorporation obligations	In order to open a representative office in Greece, investors must: – obtain an approval from the Ministry of Development (issued as a permit); – have a registered address in Greece; – employ minimum 4 employees within the 1st year of activity.
Types of activities it can undertake	A representative office can develop activities such as: – consulting services; – marketing services; – advertising services; – data processing; – research and development, etc.
Have a registered office in Greece (yes/no)	Yes
Registration costs	Outside the standard registration costs (incorporation, lawyers' fee, notary services), the representative office must have EUR 100,000 as yearly expenses.
Capital requirements	There are no capital requirements imposed to those who open a representative office in Greece.
Duration of the registration process	Approximately 6 weeks.
Tax obligations	The entity is required to register for taxation; a Law 89/1967 office is subject to corporate income tax on a cost-plus basis (deemed profit of at least 5% of its expenses) and must also pay employment-related taxes.
Reporting formalities (yes/no)	Yes
Institution in charge with the registration formalities	Ministry of Development, Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Law applicable to liaison offices	Investors can open a representative office in Greece following the regulations of the Law 89/1967.
Documents that must be submitted by the parent company	For the incorporation, the entity must conduct standard registration steps: – submitting the parent company's statutory documents; – presenting the registration certificate; – providing information on the shareholders; – submitting the statutory documents of the liaison office; – oferring documents on its registered address in Greece, etc.
Licensing requirements	The liaision office must obtain a permit from the Ministry of Development.
Appointing an accountat (yes/no)	Yes
Services offered by our team	Our consultants can assist foreign investors throughout the initial incorporation steps (the registration of the entity, completing immigration formalities for non-EU/EEA investors) as well as in other matters after the liaison office starts its activity (hiring foreign workforce, representing the office in front of the Greek institutions, reporting, etc).

What is the purpose of a representative office in Greece?

First of all, the representative office is not allowed, as per the applicable law, to carry out any commercial activity. The main purpose of a liaison office is to act as an intermediary between a foreign company (that has founded the office) and local companies and/or Greek clients.

What are the main responsibilities of a representative office in Greece?

It can only be used to represent the interests of the parent company on the local market, in matters as the ones mentioned below:

establishing new contacts with local businesses;
analyzing the characteristics of the local market;
developing marketing-related activities;
act on behalf of the parent company abroad.

What are the activities a Greek liaison office can undertake?

In the list below, our consultants present some of the activities a Greek representative office may undertake:

advertising services;
marketing services;
data processing;
preparation of designs, contracts and studies;
research and development services;
computer programming;
storage of files and information;
training of human resources.

What are its incorporation obligations?

With regards to the formalities that must be completed when it comes to company formation in Greece, the representative office must fulfill the following:

it must appoint a local representative;
it must obtain a tax registration number and a VAT code issued by the Greek tax authorities;
it must conclude certain tax reporting and accounting procedures.

What are the legal obligations of a Greek representative office?

Besides the Greek company formation steps that are similar with the ones applicable to a commercial company, the representative office must comply with specific rules that are available only for this entity, as presented below:

it must obtain a permit which grants the authorization to operate in Greece, issued by the Ministry of Development in a period of approximately 2 months after the application;
it can only develop activities that are prescribed under Article 1 of the Law 89/1967 (it contains a list of 15 approved non-commercial activities);
it is required to have minimum EUR 100,000 as expenses on a yearly basis;
it must open a corporate bank account in Greece, a procedure which can be completed in 4 weeks.

Below, you can watch a short video presenting details on the Greek liaison office:

Is it required to have a registered address in Greece?

Yes. It is necessary to have a registered address in Greece, as a mandatory requirement that must be met during the registration procedures. Please mind that the registered address must be a physical place for doing business. Our consultants can help you find a suitable location and assist you in the rental/purchase formalities. They can also help you open a company in Greece.

What institution is responsible for the registration process?

The process of company formation in Greece for a liaison office is supervised by the General Commercial Registry.

Who bears responsibility for the representative office?

The parent company is fully responsible for the operations and obligations of the representative office in Greece.

Does the representative office have legal personality?

No. The representative office is a type of entity similar to the branch office, which does not have legal personality and it is, from a legal point of view, just a sub-division of the parent company (more on this topic is available here). The same rule applies to the representative office (or liaison office).

Below, you can read our infographic, which presents some of the steps imposed to those registering a Greek liaison office:

Do I need to arrive in Greece in order to open a representative office?

No, investors who plan to open a representative office in Greece are not required to arrive in person for the registration procedures. They can be legally represented by a team of trusted company formation specialists or lawyers, such our consultants, who are specialized in any company registration matter.

Are there any employment obligations in Greece?

Yes, the representative office, according to the law, is required to hire 4 employees. They must be hired within 1 year since the office obtained its permit to operate in Greece.

What types of taxes can be charged to the representative office?

The liaison office is charged only with several types of taxes. First, it must be noted that, given the fact that this type of establishment does not engage in commercial activities, it pays corporate income tax only on a cost-plus basis (a deemed profit of at least 5% of its expenses). Its main tax obligations can arise from:

employment – the representative office must withhold the social security contributions and personal income taxes from the salaries of the employees;
property taxes – applicable if the parent company purchased a property for commercial purposes, where the representative office carries its operations.

We invite you to contact our team of specialists in company formation in Greece for more information concerning the registration of a representative office. We offer full support for the registration of this entity.