Hiring in Greece: Employer Costs, Labor Laws and How to Hire
Greek employers pay 21.79% e-EFKA contributions on gross pay for a standard private-sector employee, and the employee pays 13.37%. Pay comes in 14 salaries a year. On a €2,000 monthly salary, the employer's cost is €34,101.20 a year.
Hiring someone in Greece? This guide covers what an employee costs, e-EFKA social security contributions, the 14 salaries a year, the labor rules that apply, income tax, work visas and the ways a company outside Greece can employ someone there.
Social security contributions in Greece, 2026
Key employment rules in Greece
How to hire in Greece
Hiring in Greece comes down to two decisions: who you hire, and how you employ them.
- Find the person. Write the role, set the salary against Greek pay levels, then source and interview candidates. You can run the search yourself with a job post, or use a placement service that delivers a shortlist.
- Choose how to employ them. A Greek entity running payroll, an employer of record or a contractor agreement. Each option is explained below.
- Make the offer. The contract has to meet the rules in the employment table above. Pay in Greece is usually quoted as a gross monthly salary, and the bonuses bring it to 14 salaries a year.
Your options for employing someone in Greece
- Greek entity: you register a company in Greece, run payroll and pay the employer's e-EFKA contributions yourself. It suits a team of several people in Greece.
- Employer of record (EOR): a third-party provider becomes the legal employer and runs Greek payroll for a monthly fee per employee. Your company directs the work.
- Contractor: the person invoices you as a self-employed professional. The relationship has to be genuinely independent, or it can count as employment.
Euro Remote Talent does not employ people on your behalf. We handle the placement: we find and shortlist the candidate, and you employ them through the route that fits.
Why Greek pay comes in 14 salaries
Employees get 3 statutory bonuses on top of 12 monthly salaries: a Christmas bonus of 1 month's salary, an Easter bonus of half a month's salary and a holiday allowance of up to half a month's salary. The Ministry of Labour counts pay over 14 salaries a year: it put the rise in the minimum wage since 2019 at about €270 a month, or €3,780 a year.
What an employee costs in Greece
Take a salary of €2,000 a month in 2026, paid 14 times. It is below the €7,761.94 monthly ceiling, so contributions apply to all of it.
- Gross pay: €2,000 x 14 = €28,000
- Employer contributions: €28,000 x 21.79% = €6,101.20
The employer's cost is €34,101.20 a year, before any benefits. The employee pays 13.37%, or €3,743.60, which the employer withholds from pay along with income tax.
Minimum wage and pay
The minimum wage is €920 gross a month for salaried employees and €41.09 a day for manual workers from 1 April 2026, under Ministerial Decision 8934/2026. Paid 14 times, the monthly rate comes to €12,880 a year. Full-time private-sector employees earned an average of €1,397.95 a month in December 2025, according to e-EFKA. See our Greece minimum wage and average salary in Greece pages.
Income tax in Greece
The employer withholds income tax from each payment. A new scale applies from tax year 2026, with lower rates for people with dependent children:
| Taxable income, 2026 | No children | 1 child | 2 children | 3 children |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to €10,000 | 9% | 9% | 9% | 9% |
| €10,000 to €20,000 | 20% | 18% | 16% | 9% |
| €20,000 to €30,000 | 26% | 24% | 22% | 20% |
| €30,000 to €40,000 | 34% | 34% | 34% | 34% |
| €40,000 to €60,000 | 39% | 39% | 39% | 39% |
| Over €60,000 | 44% | 44% | 44% | 44% |
Each rate applies to the part of taxable income in its band. People under 26 pay 0% on the first €20,000, and people aged 26 to 30 pay 9% on the €10,000 to €20,000 band. The tax due is then cut by €777 for an employee without children, rising to €1,120 with 2 children. This reduction falls by €20 for every €1,000 of employment income above €12,000.
Work visas
- EU citizens: people from the EU can work in Greece without a work permit.
- Non-EU citizens: people from outside the EU need a Greek work and residence permit before they start work in Greece.
How Euro Remote Talent can help
We do placement. We source, screen and interview remote professionals across Europe, then deliver a shortlist of 3 candidates within 21 days for a flat $6,500, or your deposit back. Prefer to run the search yourself? Post a job for $299 and reach candidates who want to work remotely.
See how placement works, post a job or book a 30-minute call. Browse remote jobs in Greece to see who is hiring there now.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change and collective agreements can set different terms. Confirm with a local accountant or lawyer before you hire.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an employer pay in social security in Greece?
21.79% of gross pay for a standard private-sector employee in 2026, on top of salary. The employee pays 13.37%. Contributions stop at €7,761.94 of pay a month.
Why do Greek employees get 14 salaries a year?
The law gives a Christmas bonus of 1 month's salary, an Easter bonus of half a month and a holiday allowance of up to half a month. With 12 monthly salaries, that makes 14.
How long can probation last in Greece?
Up to 6 months on an open-ended contract, under Labor Code article 1A. In the first 12 months, an open-ended contract can be ended without notice or severance.
How much severance does a Greek employer pay?
Without notice, 2 months' pay from 1 year of service, rising to 12 months from 16 years. The amount is halved when the employer gives the legal notice.
Can a company outside Greece hire someone there without a local entity?
Yes. The usual routes are an employer of record, a third-party provider that employs the person for you, or a genuine contractor agreement. Euro Remote Talent handles the placement: we find, screen and shortlist the person, and you choose the route.
Sources
- Ministry of Labour, Reply to Parliament question 2631/16-1-2024, contribution rates. Checked 3 Nov 2026.
- e-EFKA, Circular 38/2024, health care contributions from 1 Jan 2025. Checked 3 Nov 2026.
- e-EFKA, General questions for employees, contribution ceiling 2026. Checked 3 Nov 2026.
- Ministry of Labour, Insurance contributions. Checked 3 Nov 2026.
- Ministry of Labour, Holiday allowances. Checked 3 Nov 2026.
- Labour Inspectorate, Regular annual leave and leave allowance. Checked 3 Nov 2026.
- Ministry of Labour, New minimum wage in force, 1 Apr 2026. Checked 3 Nov 2026.
- Ministry of Labour, Working time limits. Checked 3 Nov 2026.
- Ministry of Labour, Termination of employment. Checked 3 Nov 2026.
- Ministry of Labour, Law 5053/2023. Checked 3 Nov 2026.
- Labour Inspectorate, Probationary period. Checked 3 Nov 2026.
- Labour Inspectorate, Severance pay. Checked 3 Nov 2026.
- Ministry of National Economy and Finance, Income taxation. Checked 3 Nov 2026.
- Ministry of Labour, Minimum wage. Checked 3 Nov 2026.
- e-EFKA, Monthly employment statistics, December 2025. Checked 3 Nov 2026.
