Debt recovery in Greece

If someone owes you money in Greece and isn’t paying, you need a clear path from demand to collection. We handle debt recovery for foreign creditors – from the initial demand through court proceedings and enforcement against the debtor’s assets.

THE DEMAND LETTER

Every recovery starts with a formal extrajudicial notice (εξώδικη δήλωση): a lawyer’s letter setting out the amount owed, the legal basis of the claim, and a deadline for payment. This is not a formality. A credible demand from a Greek lawyer, making clear that court proceedings will follow, resolves a significant proportion of cases without litigation. It also establishes the evidentiary record you’ll need if the matter goes further.

THE PAYMENT ORDER – THE FAST TRACK

For debts supported by written evidence – invoices, contracts, delivery notes, acknowledgments of debt, bills of exchange, cheques, or notarial deeds – the payment order procedure (διαταγή πληρωμής) is the most powerful tool available.

This is an ex parte process: the judge examines your documents without a hearing and, if satisfied, issues an enforceable order. For claims up to €20,000, the order is issued by a Magistrate’s Court judge; above that threshold, by a Court of First Instance judge. The process can produce an enforceable title within days to weeks – far faster than contested litigation.

A critical rule: the payment order must be served on the debtor within two months of issuance, or it lapses automatically.

The debtor’s response. Once served, the debtor has 15 working days to file an opposition. Filing an opposition does not automatically suspend enforcement – the order remains enforceable unless the debtor separately obtains a court-ordered suspension, which requires showing both a timely opposition and a reasonable prospect of success on at least one ground. If no opposition is filed, the order acquires the force of a final judgment and can only be challenged through the extraordinary remedy of reopening, available on very limited procedural grounds.

This is why the payment order is so effective: the burden shifts entirely to the debtor to act, and even when they do, you can often continue enforcement while the opposition is pending.

CONTESTED PROCEEDINGS

Where the debt isn’t supported by qualifying written evidence, or where the debtor opposes a payment order, the matter moves to standard civil proceedings (αγωγή). This means a full trial where both sides present evidence and argument.

Realistic timelines: 12–24 months at first instance depending on court backlog, with appeals potentially adding another one to three years. This is why we always pursue the payment order route where documentation supports it – and why we advise clients to structure their commercial relationships with written evidence from the outset.

PROVISIONAL MEASURES

Where there’s a risk the debtor will dissipate assets before you obtain a judgment, Greek law allows precautionary measures (ασφαλιστικά μέτρα) – including conservatory attachment of bank accounts, property, or other assets. These can be obtained quickly, sometimes ex parte in urgent cases, provided you demonstrate a probable claim and a risk of irreparable harm. We frequently use provisional measures in parallel with the payment order process to secure assets while the enforceable title is obtained.

ENFORCEMENT

An enforceable title – whether a payment order, court judgment, or notarial deed – is executed through a bailiff (δικαστικός επιμελητής). Available enforcement measures include garnishment of bank accounts, seizure and public auction of movable property (vehicles, equipment, inventory), seizure and auction of immovable property (real estate), and attachment of salary, rental income, or receivables owed to the debtor by third parties.

The practical challenge is asset identification. Greek law provides limited formal mechanisms for creditors to discover what a debtor owns. Effective enforcement often depends on investigation – tracing bank accounts, property holdings, vehicle registrations, and business interests – before initiating seizure proceedings. We coordinate this process as part of every recovery engagement.

Greek law protects certain assets from seizure: a minimum subsistence amount in bank accounts, essential household items, and tools necessary for the debtor’s livelihood. These protections are real but narrow, and they rarely prevent meaningful recovery where the debtor has identifiable assets.

LIMITATION PERIODS

Don’t wait too long. General contractual claims prescribe after 20 years, but commercial claims between merchants – which covers most of our foreign clients’ situations – prescribe after just five years. Tort claims also carry a five-year limitation from when you became aware of the damage. Once a claim is time-barred, it’s gone.

CROSS BORDER RECOVERY

For EU-based creditors pursuing debtors in Greece (or Greek creditors pursuing debtors elsewhere in the EU), several European instruments streamline the process.
Brussels I Recast Regulation (1215/2012). Judgments from other EU member states are recognised and enforceable in Greece without a separate recognition procedure – you can proceed directly to enforcement with a certificate from the court of origin.
European Payment Order (Regulation 1896/2006). A dedicated cross-border fast-track procedure for uncontested monetary claims. If the debtor doesn’t oppose within 30 days, the order becomes enforceable across the EU without any exequatur. If opposed, the matter continues as ordinary proceedings in the originating state.
European Small Claims Procedure (Regulation 861/2007). Available for cross-border claims up to €5,000, using simplified forms and typically without oral hearings.

For non-EU judgments, enforcement in Greece requires a recognition proceeding before Greek courts, typically governed by bilateral treaties or principles of reciprocity.

HOW WE WORK

We assess every case before taking it on. Debt recovery only makes economic sense if the debtor has assets to satisfy a judgment – pursuing an enforceable title against an insolvent debtor is an exercise in accumulating legal costs. We give clients an honest assessment of recovery prospects, the likely procedure and timeline, and the expected costs before proceeding.

Contact us with the details of your claim. We’ll tell you whether it’s worth pursuing and, if so, the fastest route to recovery.