Greece transposed Directive 2014/67/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 on the enforcement of Directive 96/71/EC concerning the posting of workers through Presidential Decree 101/2016, as amended. Directive 96/71/EC was originally transposed through Presidential Decree 219/2000, which deals with “Measures on the protection of workers, posted in Greece in order to carry out a temporary work, within the territory of Greece in the framework of the transnational provision of services”. The framework was subsequently updated by Presidential Decree 30/2021, transposing Directive (EU) 2018/957.
For an overview of all Directives on the matter, take a look at our complete guide on EU Posted Workers Directives.
Preliminary obligations when posting workers to Greece
A foreign posting company must send a written preliminary posting declaration in Greek, at the latest when the provision of services begins, regardless of its duration. The document must be sent to the competent Department of Labour Relations Inspection for the place where the services are provided.
The posting company must have at its disposal the following information to correctly submit a posted workers notification to Greece:
- data of the posting company;
- data of the posting company’s representative in Greece, who acts as liaison with the competent authorities;
- data of the receiving company in Greece;
- the address of the workplace where the posted workers shall provide services;
- data of the posted workers;
- the start date and expected duration of the posting and service provision;
- the nature of the activity of the undertaking where the work is performed.
The declaration must be accompanied by a list of posted workers in two copies: one must be displayed visibly at the workplace and the other retained by the competent Labour Inspectorate department.
In case of a change to the notified information, the posting employer must send a supplementary statement within 15 days of the change.
Working and salary conditions in Greece
The standard working week in Greece is 40 hours. However, including overtime, working time must not exceed an average of 48 hours per week, generally calculated over a reference period of up to four months.
Presidential Decree 30/2021 provides that remuneration is determined by Greek labour law (acts, decrees, ministerial decisions) and by the collective agreements applicable under the posting rules, including universally applicable agreements. Remuneration includes mandatory allowances and overtime premiums; reimbursements of travel, board and lodging expenses incurred because of the posting are not counted as remuneration. In any case, according to Directive 96/71/EC, as amended by Directive (EU) 2018/957, a worker posted to Greece must benefit from the mandatory Greek terms and conditions applicable to posted workers, without prejudice to more favourable conditions applicable to their employment relationship.
Storage of the posting documents
In Greece, the place where all the relevant documents concerning the posting must be stored during the posting is the workplace. Copies may be kept in paper or electronic form. The required documents are:
- Employment contract (or an equivalent document);
- Payslips covering the posting period;
- Timesheets showing the beginning, end and duration of daily working time;
- Evidence of salary payment.
The employer must retain these documents for two years after the end of the posting and, upon request, provide them to the competent authority in Greek or English within 15 days of receiving the request.
Social security in Greece
Pursuant to Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 883/2004, posted workers to Greece may continue to be covered by the social security system of the sending Member State, provided that the conditions for posting are met.
The posting company must apply for an A1 Certificate. The competent social security institution will issue it after verifying that the applicable conditions are met.
The A1 Certificate could have a maximum duration of 24 months. Furthermore, the worker must hold it for the whole period of his posting to Greece.
Penalties in case of non-compliance with Greek obligations when posting workers
An employer who fails to comply with the provisions of Greek labour law may be liable to administrative and, where the relevant offence is established, criminal sanctions.
Administrative sanctions
Pursuant to Article 572 of the Labour Law Code (Presidential Decree 62/2025), an employer who infringes labour legislation may be punished with a fine ranging from €300 to €50,000 for each infringement. The applicable amount depends on the infringement and the relevant assessment criteria.
Penal sanctions
Under Article 576 of the Labour Law Code (Presidential Decree 62/2025), an employer’s breach of the specified provisions on working time limits, remuneration and other protected employment conditions may be punishable by imprisonment of at least 6 months or a criminal fine of at least €900 or both, subject to the applicable statutory exceptions and any special provisions imposing more severe penalties.