Foreigners can start a business in Greece, and in many cases the process can be handled remotely. The key issue is not only whether registration is possible, but whether the documents are prepared correctly from the outset. In practice, delays usually come from incomplete identification documents, missing legalization requirements, or insufficient corporate evidence when the shareholder is a foreign legal entity. Greek public guidance confirms that a valid Greek Tax Identification Number (AFM) is a core prerequisite for starting a business, while company registration is handled through the One-Stop Shop / GEMI framework.
1. Core Documents for a Foreign Individual
Where the founder is a natural person, the standard document package usually starts with:
- valid passport or national ID
- proof of residential address
- Greek Tax Identification Number (AFM) application documents
- authorization or power of attorney, if the process is handled remotely
- business activity information
- registered office details in Greece
For AFM issuance, AADE states that the applicant submits identification documents and, where applicable, documents proving lawful residence in the country, through the digital AFM procedure. AADE’s more recent procedural guidance also confirms that the supporting documents are defined in detail and submitted digitally during the AFM process.
2. Documents Needed for AFM Registration
Before company formation, the foreign founder will usually need an AFM. In practical terms, this means preparing a tax-registration file first.
The most common AFM-related documents are:
- passport or other identity document
- personal details form
- contact information
- proof of address
- residence permit or evidence of lawful stay, where relevant
- authorization documents, if a representative submits the case
AADE’s digital AFM service explicitly lists an identity document and, where applicable, a valid residence permit or other evidence of lawful residence. AADE’s January 2026 guidance and its current FAQs also confirm that supporting documentation must be attached electronically depending on the applicant’s case.
3. Additional Documents When the Founder Is a Foreign Company
If the shareholder is not an individual but a foreign legal entity, the file becomes more demanding. The Greek authorities and One-Stop Shop practice typically require corporate evidence showing:
- legal existence of the foreign company
- articles of association or constitutional documents
- certificate of good standing or equivalent, where relevant
- proof of the current legal representative
- board resolution or shareholder resolution approving the Greek investment
- power of attorney for the person handling the incorporation
- officially translated and, where required, legalized documents
The One-Stop Shop documentation framework requires that the submitted documents establish the lawful incorporation of the foreign entity, the applicable amendments, and the person or persons who legally bind the company. That is the practical standard Greek authorities expect to see when a non-Greek company becomes founder or shareholder of a Greek entity.
4. Documents for Company Registration Through GEMI / One-Stop Shop
Once the AFM and founder documentation are in place, the company formation stage generally requires a separate incorporation file.
Depending on the legal form, that file usually includes:
- company name and distinctive title
- registered office address in Greece
- business purpose / activity description
- articles of association
- founder details
- director or manager appointment details
- declarations and authorizations to the One-Stop Shop
- fees and registration data required for GEMI processing
The 2025 Government Gazette material used by the One-Stop Shop system lists, among other things, founder declarations and authorizations to the One-Stop Shop, along with the incorporation document set submitted for the establishment of the company. Greek public guidance also states that starting a business in Greece requires an active AFM and registration through the relevant digital business-registration mechanisms.
5. Registered Office and Business Address Documents
A Greek business must have a registered seat. If the office is rented, granted, or otherwise made available, the relevant occupancy documentation should be ready before filing.
This generally means one of the following:
- lease agreement
- property use declaration
- title deed, if the founder owns the premises
- consent from the owner, if required by the case
The government guidance for starting a sole proprietorship expressly notes that the business seat must be in Greece and that, where the business premises are rented or transferred, the lease documentation must reflect the necessary address details. While company forms differ, the same practical principle applies across registrations: the business address must be documented correctly.
6. Do the Documents Need Translation or Legalization?
In cross-border cases, this is often the point that causes delay.
As a practical rule, foreign corporate and civil documents may need:
- official translation into Greek
- Apostille, where the issuing country is part of the Hague Convention
- consular legalization, where Apostille is not available
- certification that the signatory has authority to act
The precise legalization route depends on the issuing country and the type of document. This is less a matter of “optional best practice” and more a matter of admissibility of the file in Greece. Where the founder is a foreign company, the Greek registration authorities must be able to verify both existence and representation capacity from the submitted documentation.
7. Documents Commonly Required in Practice for an IKE
For an IKE (Private Company), which is often the most practical structure for foreign founders, the file commonly includes:
- passport / ID of each founder
- AFM of the founders, where required
- tax representative details, where applicable
- articles of association
- manager appointment
- registered office evidence
- declarations / authorizations for registration
- legal entity documents, if any founder is a company
Although the exact file differs by case, the One-Stop Shop model and GEMI framework are designed to support the digital establishment of Greek companies once the founders’ identity, authority, and corporate data are properly documented.
8. Most Common Document Problems
The most frequent issues are:
- passport copy not sufficiently clear or current
- mismatch between the founder’s name across documents
- outdated company certificates for foreign legal entities
- no proper board resolution authorizing the Greek setup
- no official translation
- no Apostille / legalization where required
- incomplete power of attorney
- registered office documents not aligned with the application
In practice, those errors do not merely slow the file; they can trigger rejection, re-submission, and extra tax-registration delays.
9. Why Proper Preparation Matters
Foreign founders often assume the question is simply “what papers do I need?” The more accurate question is: which documents must be prepared in a form acceptable to Greek tax and registration authorities?
That distinction matters because the process usually involves two separate tracks:
- tax identification / AFM
- company formation / GEMI and One-Stop Shop
If either track is incomplete, the full project stalls. Greek public guidance confirms the AFM requirement for starting a business and the One-Stop Shop registration structure, while AADE’s digital process confirms that supporting tax-registration documents must be filed electronically and reviewed case by case.
10. Conclusion
The documents required to start a business in Greece as a foreigner depend on whether the founder is an individual or a foreign company, as well as on the legal form chosen. At minimum, you should expect to prepare identity documents, address evidence, AFM-related documents, authorizations, registered office documentation, and, for foreign legal entities, full corporate representation documents.
The legal ability to register remotely exists, but the success of the process depends on how well the file is prepared. A properly structured document set reduces delays, avoids rejections, and allows the company to move faster into tax registration and operational setup.
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