Societe Anonyme (or Anonymos Eteria) in Greece

Are you thinking of setting up a company in Greece? Consider forming a Societe Anonyme (S.A.)—a popular structure for businesses with significant turnover. Under Greek law, an S.A. offers limited liability protection for shareholders, who are only liable for the capital they contribute. With a minimum capital requirement of €25,000, an S.A. company in Greece can be established by one or more individuals or even as a single-member public limited company with all shares held by one shareholder. Shares can be publicly traded or held privately, offering flexibility for diverse investment goals.

Features of an SA Company Greece

• A Board of Directors, comprising at least three members, manages the company.
• The company must publish and file its accounts with the Ministry of Commerce.
• A one-person company can be formed as an Anonymos Eteria.
• A Notarial deed is required to establish the company.
• Double-entry accounting and reporting are mandatory.
• Banks consider this corporate structure more trustworthy due to its capital requirements.
• It also faces fewer statutory requirements mandated by the EU, which must be followed, and at least two of the following three factors must be adhered to:

1. Turnover of over 8 million Euros
2. Total assets of over 4 million Euros
3. A staff of over 50 people

How to Form an SA Company Greece?

The establishment of a Societe Anonyme requires that a notary drafts the company contract. The steps to register an SA company Greece are as follows:

1. The first step is similar to any other business entity: the Societe Anonyme has to register the name of the company with the Chamber of Commerce. The name of the company must include the syllable ‘Anonymos Eteria’.
2. The next step is to draft the Articles of Association before the notary public. It must include the following information:

• The company name and the mission
• The registered office of the company
• The term of the company
• The method of payment of the company capital
• The type of shares, number, their nominal value, and their issue
• The number of shares of each category, if there are more than one category of shares
• The conversion of registered shares into “anonymous” or of the “anonymous into” registered
• The convening, establishment, operation, and competencies of the company’s Board of Directors
• The convening, establishment, operation, and competencies of the company's general meetings
• The rights of the shareholders
• The balance sheet and the distribution, along with the disposal of profits
• The company dissolution and the settlement of its assets
• The details of the person that signed the company’s Articles of Association

3. Now, all that is left to do is pay various registration duties to the one-stop authority.
4. After the 3rd step, you will receive an establishment approval from the Ministry of Economy and Development.

The registration of SA company Greece is handled mainly by the General Trade Registry and published in the Government Gazette. Further, after registration, you can also initiate the tax registration step, which is carried out by the one-stop authority.

Let Business Setup Worldwide guide you through the process. Our experienced Greek advisors are ready to streamline your company incorporation, making it hassle-free. Contact us today, even for a casual consultation.