Can You Sue Someone in Greece in 2026, Steps, Service Rules, Limitation Periods & Costs

If you are a business owner, creditor or in-house counsel wondering whether you can you sue someone in Greece, the short answer is yes, provided your claim has a recognised legal basis, the competent Greek court has jurisdiction, and the applicable statute of limitations has not expired. Civil proceedings in Greece follow the Code of Civil Procedure (Kodikas Politikis Dikonomias), which governs everything from filing and service of process to evidence rules and enforcement. This guide sets out the practical steps, limitation periods under Article 250 of the Greek Civil Code (GCC), domestic and international service routes, the current state of electronic submission of pleadings, and a realistic cost breakdown, all updated for 2026.

Can You Sue Someone in Greece?, The Short Answer

Any natural or legal person, Greek or foreign, may file a lawsuit in the Greek civil courts, provided three conditions are met. First, the claim must rest on a legal basis recognised under Greek law (contract, tort, unjust enrichment or statute). Second, the court seized must have both subject-matter and territorial jurisdiction. Third, the claim must not be time-barred under the statute of limitations Greece applies to the relevant category of dispute.

Where a valid arbitration clause exists in the underlying contract, Greek courts will generally decline jurisdiction in favour of the arbitral tribunal. Likewise, certain categories of dispute, such as those involving public-procurement decisions or tax assessments, must first be channelled through mandatory administrative remedies before civil proceedings in Greece can begin.

For commercial claimants, the practical checklist before issuing proceedings is brief:

• Confirm jurisdiction. Identify the competent court by reference to the defendant’s domicile, the place of performance or the place where the harmful event occurred.
• Check limitation. Verify that the claim has not expired, most commercial claims are subject to a five-year period under Article 250 GCC.
• Gather evidence. Greek procedure is largely documentary; assemble contracts, invoices, correspondence and expert reports before filing.
• Assess cost-effectiveness. Factor in court fees, bailiff costs, legal fees and realistic timelines before committing to litigation.

5 Steps to File a Commercial Lawsuit in Greece

The process of filing a lawsuit in Greece can be distilled into five sequential steps. This numbered checklist is designed to give prospective claimants a clear procedural roadmap from pre-action analysis through to enforcement.

Step 1, Pre-action checks: jurisdiction, limitation and evidence

Before any pleading is drafted, verify territorial and subject-matter jurisdiction. Single-member First Instance Courts hear commercial claims valued up to €250,000; Multi-member First Instance Courts handle claims above that threshold. Check whether a contractual forum-selection clause or arbitration agreement diverts the dispute away from the ordinary courts. At this stage, confirm that the statute of limitations Greece imposes on your claim type has not run, and whether any tolling or interruption event (such as a written acknowledgement of debt) has reset the clock.

Step 2, Instruct counsel and prepare the claim

Legal representation by a licensed Greek lawyer (dikigoros) is mandatory in proceedings before First Instance Courts. The lawyer drafts the statement of claim (agogi), attaching all supporting documents. If any evidence originates in a foreign language, a certified Greek translation is required.

Step 3, Filing and court registry

The signed statement of claim is filed with the registry (grammateia) of the competent court. Court filing fees, calculated as a percentage of the claim value, must be paid at this stage. The registry stamps the pleading and assigns a case number. Where electronic submission of pleadings is available, filing may be completed via the integrated Bar Association portal.

Step 4, Service and proof of service

Service of the filed claim on the defendant is the claimant’s responsibility. In most cases this is carried out by a court bailiff in Greece (dikastikos epimelistis). For defendants located abroad, service must comply with the Hague Service Convention or the EU Service Regulation, depending on the defendant’s country. Proof of service, typically a bailiff’s certificate or a Hague Convention certificate, must be filed with the court before the hearing.

Step 5, Hearing, judgment and enforcement

After service, the defendant has a prescribed period to file a defence. The court schedules a hearing date, and following the exchange of written submissions and any oral argument, delivers a judgment. Successful claimants may proceed to enforcement through seizure of assets, garnishment of bank accounts, or registration of liens. For urgent cases, provisional remedies, including injunctions and asset-freezing orders, may be sought at any point in the proceedings.

How to File a Lawsuit in Greece, Forms, Courts and Filing Channels

The Greek court system is structured into three tiers: Magistrate’s Courts (Eirinodikeio) for lower-value claims, First Instance Courts (Protodikeio), which handle the bulk of commercial disputes, and Courts of Appeal. Understanding which court to approach is essential before you file a lawsuit in Greece.

The statement of claim must include the full names and addresses of the parties, a clear statement of the facts, the legal basis for the claim, the relief sought, and a list of documentary evidence. It is signed by the claimant’s lawyer and submitted to the court registry together with proof of payment of court fees.

Electronic submission of pleadings, 2026 status

Greece has progressively expanded its electronic submission of pleadings infrastructure. The Integrated Judicial Case Management System (OSDDY-PP), accessible through both the Ministry of Justice portal and the integrated Hellenic Bar Association platform, now allows lawyers to file initial pleadings, written submissions and evidentiary briefs electronically in a growing number of courts. As of 2026, electronic filing is operational in all First Instance Courts in Athens, Thessaloniki and Piraeus, with phased rollout continuing to regional courts. Lawyers authenticate filings using their Bar Association digital credentials and qualified electronic signatures.

Industry observers expect the system to cover all First Instance Courts nationwide within the next twelve to eighteen months. For courts not yet integrated, physical filing at the court registry remains the standard procedure.

Documents checklist and sample filing timeline

Service of Process in Greece, Domestic and International Routes

Proper service of process in Greece is a prerequisite for a valid hearing. If the defendant is not lawfully served, the court cannot proceed, and any judgment obtained risks being set aside. Greek law provides several service routes, each with distinct requirements and timelines.

For domestic defendants, the primary method is personal service by a court bailiff in Greece. The bailiff delivers a certified copy of the statement of claim and supporting documents directly to the defendant, or, if the defendant is unavailable, to a co-habitant or employee at the registered address. The bailiff prepares a formal certificate of service (ekthesi epidosis) which constitutes the official proof. Service by registered post is available as an alternative in limited circumstances, but bailiff service is overwhelmingly preferred because it produces the most robust proof.

Service on companies follows specific rules. A Greek company is served at its registered seat, typically through delivery to a director, manager or authorised agent. Foreign companies with a Greek branch are served at the branch address.

Serving documents abroad, practical steps and timelines

When serving documents in Greece proceedings on a defendant located abroad, two principal routes apply:

• EU Service Regulation. For defendants domiciled in EU Member States, service is effected under the EU Service Regulation (recast). The Greek transmitting agency (typically a court bailiff or the competent court) forwards the documents to the receiving agency in the defendant’s Member State. Certified translation into the language of the receiving state, or a language the defendant understands, is mandatory. Typical processing time is four to eight weeks.
• Hague Service Convention. For defendants in non-EU states that are parties to the Hague Service Convention, service is channelled through the Central Authority designated by each contracting state. Greece’s Central Authority is the Ministry of Justice. The requesting party submits the documents and the completed Hague Convention request form to the Ministry, which forwards them to the receiving state’s Central Authority. This route can take two to six months, depending on the efficiency of the receiving state.

Proof of service and resisting defective service

Regardless of the route used, the claimant must file proof of service with the Greek court before the hearing. Defective service is one of the most common grounds on which defendants seek to challenge jurisdiction or vacate a default judgment. Courts scrutinise the bailiff’s certificate (or the Hague/EU certificate) closely. If the defendant can demonstrate that service was not properly effected, for example, documents were left with an unauthorised person or translation requirements were not met, the court may declare the proceedings void or grant additional time for the defence.

Limitation Periods and Article 250 GCC, Commercial Claim Timings

Understanding the statute of limitations Greece applies to your claim is critical. Once the limitation period expires, the defendant may raise it as a defence, and the court is bound to dismiss the claim if the defence is upheld. Greek limitation law is codified in the Greek Civil Code, with the general regime set out in Articles 247–280.

The default limitation period for most civil and commercial claims is twenty years (Article 249 GCC). However, a large category of commercial and professional claims falls under the shorter five-year period prescribed by Article 250 of the Greek Civil Code. This shorter period applies to claims by merchants, manufacturers, tradespeople and professionals for goods delivered, services rendered, or fees earned in the ordinary course of business. Because most B2B commercial disputes involve exactly these types of claims, the five-year window is the operative deadline for the majority of commercial claimants.

Article 250 GCC, text summary and practical effect

Article 250 GCC establishes a five-year limitation period for claims arising from the sale of goods, the provision of services, professional fees, and related commercial transactions. The clock starts running from the end of the calendar year in which the claim becomes due and payable. This “end of year” rule means that a claim arising on 15 March 2021 would begin its limitation period on 31 December 2021 and expire on 31 December 2026, giving the claimant an effective window of approximately five years and nine months.

Interruption of the limitation period occurs when the claimant files a lawsuit, the debtor acknowledges the debt in writing, or enforcement proceedings are initiated. A successful interruption resets the limitation period entirely, meaning a new five-year period begins from the date of the interrupting event. Suspension of limitation, which pauses the clock without resetting it, may arise in cases involving force majeure or where the parties have entered into formal settlement negotiations that toll the period by agreement.

For claimants weighing up whether to commence proceedings, the critical practical takeaway is straightforward: identify which limitation period applies, calculate the expiry date (remembering the end-of-year start rule for Article 250 claims), and file well before the deadline. A claim filed even one day after expiry is vulnerable to a limitation defence that the court cannot override.

Costs, Court Fees and Likely Budget for a Commercial Claim

Costs are a key factor when deciding to file a lawsuit in Greece. The Greek system combines proportional court fees, fixed bailiff charges, lawyer fees, and ancillary costs such as translation and notarisation. Below is a realistic breakdown for a standard commercial claim.

Court filing fees are calculated as a percentage of the value of the claim. They comprise a judicial stamp duty (dikastiko ensimo), which is approximately 1.2 % of the claimed amount, plus surcharges that bring the effective rate to roughly 1.6 %–1.8 % when all ancillary levies (legal aid fund, lawyers’ pension fund contributions) are included.

Bailiff fees for domestic service typically range from €40 to €80 per service, depending on the region and whether multiple attempts are necessary. International service costs vary: Hague Convention transmissions carry modest Central Authority fees, but translation costs and courier charges can add several hundred euros.

Lawyer fees in Greece are either agreed by retainer or charged on an hourly basis. Hourly rates for experienced commercial litigators in Athens generally fall between €150 and €350. Contingency-fee arrangements (pure success fees) are restricted by the Hellenic Bar Association’s Code of Conduct, though hybrid fee structures with a partial success element are common.

Sample budget, €100,000 commercial claim

Cost recovery, when costs follow the event

Under Greek civil procedure, the losing party is generally ordered to pay a portion of the successful party’s legal costs. However, the court-awarded costs rarely cover the full expenditure: the court applies a statutory tariff that tends to be lower than the actual fees incurred. This means that even a fully successful claimant should expect to absorb a proportion of their legal costs.

Practical Timelines, Sample Calendar from Filing to Judgment

One of the most common questions about civil proceedings in Greece is how long they actually take. The answer depends heavily on the complexity of the case, the court’s caseload, and whether an appeal follows. The table below provides three representative scenarios.

Enforcement of a final judgment, through seizure, garnishment or public auction, can typically be initiated within weeks of the judgment becoming enforceable. However, delays may arise if the debtor’s assets are difficult to locate or are situated abroad.

Enforcing a Greek Judgment in EU and Non-EU States

A judgment obtained in Greece can be enforced across the EU under the Brussels Ia Regulation (Regulation 1215/2012, recast). This regulation abolishes the requirement for exequatur in most civil and commercial matters, meaning that a Greek judgment is directly enforceable in other EU Member States upon obtaining a certificate from the Greek court that issued it. The judgment creditor submits the certificate and a copy of the judgment to the enforcement authorities in the target Member State.

For non-EU states, enforcement depends on whether a bilateral or multilateral treaty exists between Greece and the relevant country. Where no treaty applies, enforcement requires recognition proceedings in the courts of the target state under that state’s domestic rules. Within Greece itself, enforcement of domestic judgments is carried out by court bailiffs through asset seizure, bank-account garnishment, or forced sale of property.

When You Cannot Sue, Limits, Immunities and Alternatives

Not every dispute can or should be resolved through litigation. Several circumstances may prevent you from suing in Greek courts:

• Arbitration clauses. A binding arbitration agreement diverts the dispute to arbitral proceedings. Greek courts will decline jurisdiction if a valid arbitration clause is invoked.
• State sovereign immunity. Foreign states and international organisations may enjoy immunity from Greek jurisdiction under international law, subject to narrow exceptions for commercial activities.
• Mandatory administrative remedies. Disputes involving public-sector decisions, tax assessments or social-security matters often require exhaustion of administrative appeals before court proceedings can begin.
• Mediation. Since 2020, mandatory initial mediation sessions apply to certain categories of civil disputes in Greece. Failure to attend the mandatory session before filing may affect the admissibility of the claim.

Conclusion and Next Steps

For any business or individual asking whether you can you sue someone in Greece, this guide confirms that the procedural framework is well-established, accessible, and, with 2026’s expanding e-filing infrastructure, increasingly efficient. The keys to a successful claim are early verification of jurisdiction and limitation, proper service of process, and realistic budgeting for costs and timelines. Claimants dealing with cross-border disputes should pay particular attention to service routes under the Hague Service Convention and the EU Service Regulation, which add time and complexity. To discuss a potential claim or to be connected with a qualified commercial litigator in Greece, search the Global Law Experts lawyer directory.

Sources

1. Greek Ministry of Justice, Code of Civil Procedure and E‑Justice Overview
2. Gov.gr, Public Services: Disputes with the State
3. Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), Service Convention Status Table