Insurance rules for businesses in Greece
Private individuals over 18 years of age who engage in a business activity in Greece through a sole proprietorship or as a member of a legal entity are required to pay social security contributions to the e‑National Social Security Fund (e‑EFKA). The persons involved in the business must comply with the insurance rules of the agencies integrated into the e‑EFKA, as amended from time to time. The rules depend on the legal form and object of the business (professional, handicraft, commercial, technical or medical). Insurance rules applied by all former e‑EFKA agencies, depending on the category of business
1. Ex-Social security organisation for the self-employed (ex-OAEE)Persons working through a sole proprietorship or as a member of a legal entity are required to pay social security contributions to the e‑EFKA (ex-OAEE) in accordance with the statutory provisions of Presidential Decree 258/2005. Insurance of self-employed persons working through a sole proprietorship or as a member of a legal entity who are required to pay social security contributions to the ex-OAEE is initiated (survey and automated registration) using the online services for non-salaried workers on the e‑EFKA website www.efka.gov.gr , which are interoperable with the Independent Authority for Public Revenue. Information on these services can also be obtained from the National Register of Procedures (Diavlos): https://reg-diavlos.gov.gr A. Sole proprietorship Persons working through a sole proprietorship are insured from the date of commencement of trading reported to the local tax office. B. Members of a legal entity Members of a legal entity are insured from the date of the confirmed change reported to the tax office, provided incorporation formalities have been completed (registration with the General Commercial Registry (G.E.MI.) and allocation of a corporate social security number).
| LEGAL FORM OF COMPANY | CAPACITY OF MEMBER | SUBJECT TO COMPULSORY INSURANCE | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GENERAL PARTNERSHIP | GENERAL PARTNER | YES | ALL PARTNERS |
| LIMITED PARTNERSHIP | GENERAL PARTNER | YES | ALL PARTNERS |
| LIMITED PARTNERSHIP | LIMITED PARTNER | YES | ALL PARTNERS |
| LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY | OWNER | YES | ALL OWNERS WHATEVER THEIR SHAREHOLDING |
| LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY | MANAGER | NO | |
| LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY | OWNER & MANAGER AT THE SAME TIME | YES | IN CAPACITY AS OWNER |
| PRIVATE CAPITAL COMPANY | OWNER OF MULTIPLE PROPRIETORSHIP | NO | OPTIONAL INSURANCE |
| PRIVATE CAPITAL COMPANY | OWNER OF SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP | YES | |
| PRIVATE CAPITAL COMPANY | MANAGER OF SOLE OR MULTIPLE PROPRIETORSHIP | YES | ALL MANAGERS ARE INSURED |
| PRIVATE CAPITAL COMPANY | OWNER & MANAGER AT THE SAME TIME (MULTIPLE OR SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP) | YES | IN CAPACITY AS MANAGER |
| PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY | MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE COMPANY WHO HAS A SHAREHOLDING OF 3% OR MORE AT THE SAME TIME | YES | |
Self-employed engineers registered with the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE) working alone or as a member of a technical firm are required to pay social security contributions to the e‑EFKA (ex-TSMEDE). These persons are insured by the e‑EFKA (ex-TSMEDE) in accordance with the provisions of Law 4488/2017. Insurance of engineers registered with the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE) working through a sole proprietorship or as a member of a legal entity who are required to pay social security contributions to the ex-TSMEDE is initiated (survey and automated registration) using the online services for non-salaried workers on the e‑EFKA website www.efka.gov.gr Online services for non-salaried workers, which are interoperable with the Independent Authority for Public Revenue. Information on these services can also be obtained from the National Register of Procedures (Diavlos): https://reg-diavlos.gov.gr
A. Sole proprietorship Engineers registered with the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE) working through a sole proprietorship are insured from the date of commencement of trading reported to the local tax office.
B. Members of a legal entity Engineers registered with the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE) who are owners, members or managers of a technical firm are required to pay social security contributions to the ex-TSMEDE once the company has been incorporated, regardless of its legal form. Persons working through a legal entity are insured from the date of the confirmed change reported to the tax office.
| LEGAL FORM OF COMPANY | CAPACITY OF MEMBER | SUBJECT TO COMPULSORY INSURANCE | |
| GENERAL PARTNERSHIP | GENERAL PARTNER | YES | ALL MEMBERS ARE INSURED PROVIDED THEY ARE REGISTERED WITH THE TEE AND THE COMPANY IS A TECHNICAL FIRM |
| LIMITED PARTNERSHIP | GENERAL OR LIMITED PARTNER | YES | ALL MEMBERS ARE INSURED PROVIDED THEY ARE REGISTERED WITH THE TEE AND THE COMPANY IS A TECHNICAL FIRM |
| PRIVATE CAPITAL COMPANY | OWNER OR MANAGER OF A MULTIPLE OR SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP TRADING AS A PRIVATE CAPITAL COMPANY | YES | EVERYONE IS INSURED PROVIDED THEY ARE REGISTERED WITH THE TEE AND THE COMPANY IS A TECHNICAL FIRM |
| LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY | OWNER OR MANAGER | YES | EVERYONE IS INSURED, WHATEVER THEIR SHAREHOLDING, PROVIDED THEY ARE REGISTERED WITH THE TEE AND THE COMPANY IS A TECHNICAL FIRM |
A. Sole proprietorship Persons engaged in the lawful pursuit of the profession of doctor, dentist or veterinarian, provided they have reported commencement of professional activity to the tax office, and pharmacists granted an individual or shared pharmacy operating licence are required to pay social security contributions to the ex-TSAY. Insurance of doctors, dentists and veterinarians working through a sole proprietorship who are required to pay social security contributions to the ex-TSAY is initiated (survey and automated registration with the e‑EFKA) using the online services for non-salaried workers on the e‑EFKA website www.efka.gov.gr Online services for non-salaried workers, which are interoperable with the Independent Authority for Public Revenue.
B. Members of a legal entity Qualified health professionals who are partners in a general partnership or limited partnership or owners of a limited liability company or sole proprietorship with limited liability, members of the board of directors of a public limited company providing medical, dental, pharmaceutical, veterinary or chemical services, and health professionals who are owners or shareholders of a company providing private primary healthcare (Presidential Decree 84/2001) are also required to pay social security contributions to the ex-TSAY, provided in all such cases that they offer their health services to the legal entity (company) free of charge.
4. ETAP-MME (Insurance fund for the mass media) (ex-Press owners, editors and employees insurance fund (TAISYT))A. Sole proprietorship Press (weekly newspaper and periodical) owners, who are private individuals who have registered a trade mark with the Ministry of Trade and whose main occupation is the publication of a periodical are required to pay social security contributions to the ex-TAISYT.
B. Members of a legal entity If the newspaper or periodical is owned by a company, the following persons are required to pay social security contributions to the e‑EFKA (ex-TAISYT), depending on the legal form of the company.
Partnership If the owner is a partnership, the general partner.
LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY If the owner is a limited liability company, the shareholder with the largest shareholding.
PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY If the owner is a public limited company, the shareholder with the largest number of registered shares. If more than one person meets the insurance requirements in the above cases, because they have equal shareholdings, the business which publishes the newspaper or periodical must select which of the persons with equal shareholdings is to be insured. That selection is final.
5. ETAP-MME (ex-Newsagent and press agency staff pension fund (TSEYP))A. Sole proprietorship Newsagents, press distributors and press agency outlets whose primary occupation is the handling, distribution and sale of newspapers, periodicals and other printed matter circulated through press agencies are required to pay social security contributions to the ex-TSEYP. In order to qualify for insurance, the newsagent, press distributor or press agency outlet must enter into a direct contract with the press agencies or must enter into a private agreement duly approved by the tax office as a card-holding associate.
B. Legal entities If the printed matter is handled, distributed or sold by a legal entity, irrespective of its legal form, the partners or shareholders with a holding of at least 5% must be insured. In order to qualify for insurance, the partner or shareholder must also (personally or through intermediaries insured with the Fund) receive, deliver and sell printed matter on which contributions are payable to the Fund.
6. ETAP-MME (ex-Athens and Thessaloniki daily newspaper owners insurance fund (ex-TSPEATH)) The owners of political, financial and sports newspapers published in Athens and Thessaloniki in full or in part through a recognised press agency are required to pay social security contributions to the ex-TSPEATH. If the business which publishes the newspaper belongs to a political party or foundation, is a partnership or public limited company or is a co-ownership or society, the insurable persons are:- If the business is wholly owned by a political party or foundation, the newspaper publisher.
- If it is a co-ownership or society, two of the members of the business with the largest holding.
- If the business is a partnership, two of the general partners with the largest holding.
- If the business is a limited liability company, two of the shareholders with the largest shareholding.
- If the business is a public limited company, two of the shareholders with the largest registered shareholding.
The following private individuals engaged in these activities in Greece are required to pay social security contributions to the e‑EFKA main insurance fund (ex-TANTP):
Α. Sole proprietorship
- Maritime agents for passenger and cargo ships (maritime agencies).
- Tour operators (tourism offices).
B. Companies (general/limited partnerships, limited liability companies, private capital companies, public limited companies) Members of companies, regardless of form, whose object, according to their memorandum and articles of association, includes at least one of the following activities: Tourism office services Maritime agency services Operation/management of ships Maritime work Chartering of ships
| GENERAL PARTNERSHIP | LIMITED PARTNERSHIP | LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY | PRIVATE CAPITAL COMPANY |
| All the partners (whatever their share) and the manager |
|
All the owners (whatever their share) under single insurance The manager(s) | The manager(s) In a sole proprietorship trading as a private capital company, the sole proprietor is also insured, if this is a different person |
| Insurance is not required for a limited partner insured with another ex-fund | Insurance is not required for owners insured with another ex-fund who are employed by the same company. |
C. Maritime companies (NEPA) (Law 959/79, Emergency Law 378/68, Emergency Law 89/67, Law 318/03) In maritime companies, the representatives are insured.
