Business Registers in Greece: Γ.Ε.ΜΗ. (GEMI) & Central UBO Register

Overview

Greece operates a centralised commercial register known as the Γενικό Εμπορικό Μητρώο (Γ.Ε.ΜΗ. / GEMI, General Commercial Register), which has been the single point of reference for company information since it became operational on 4 April 2011. It is maintained by the Union of Hellenic Chambers of Commerce. GEMI covers legal forms from public limited companies and partnerships to sole proprietorships and cooperatives.

The register is accessible online in both Greek and English through businessportal.gr, where basic searches are free. Certified extracts and copies of filed documents are available for modest fees. A separate beneficial ownership register, the Κεντρικό Μητρώο Πραγματικών Δικαιούχων (Central UBO Register), is maintained by the Ministry of Finance and has more restricted access rules.

For KYB (Know Your Business) and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) compliance, GEMI holds structured company data and filed documents in a single system. Documents and interfaces are overwhelmingly in Greek, and beneficial ownership data is not freely available.

Official Registers

Γ.Ε.ΜΗ.: Γενικό Εμπορικό Μητρώο (General Commercial Register / GEMI)

GEMI is Greece's official commercial register, established by Law 3419/2005 and substantially reformed by Law 4919/2022. It is operated by the Hellenic Chambers of Commerce and provides a unified database of all registered commercial entities in the country. Prior to GEMI's creation, company information was fragmented across prefectures and courts.

The register is accessible online via businessportal.gr. Basic company searches are free and return company name, GEMI registration number, legal form, address, and status. Certified extracts and copies of documents can be obtained electronically through the GEMI Publicity Portal or via Gov.gr, with fees typically ranging from €5 for a general certificate to €30 for more detailed certified extracts.

GEMI also provides an Open Data API used by public bodies and financial institutions for automated access to company profiles, legal representatives, shareholders (for applicable legal forms), activity codes, and filed documents. Documents (including articles of association, financial statements, and corporate announcements) are all filed and publicly disclosed through GEMI.

The register records at least the following for commercial entities: company name and trade name, registered address, legal form, registration number, directors and legal representatives, share capital, activity sector (KAD/NACE codes), and registration status. Financial statements, articles of association, and significant corporate events (mergers, liquidation, capital changes, board changes) are also published through GEMI.

Enforcement tightened sharply from 1 January 2026. Joint Ministerial Decision 46982/2025 (published in the Government Gazette on 8 July 2025) introduced a structured schedule of fines for non-compliance with GEMI obligations, ranging from a few hundred euros to €100,000 for the most serious cases (such as late financial statements of listed companies), doubled on a first repeat offence within three years and tripled thereafter. Entities had until 31 December 2025 to correct outstanding registrations; from 1 January 2026 these fines are actively imposed.

Κεντρικό Μητρώο Πραγματικών Δικαιούχων (Central UBO Register)

Greece's Central Register of Ultimate Beneficial Owners became operative on 30 January 2019, following the transposition of the EU's 4th Anti-Money Laundering Directive (2015/849). The register is maintained by the Ministry of Finance and accessible through Gov.gr.

All corporate and other entities with a registered seat in Greece, or engaging in taxable business activity in Greece, must register their ultimate beneficial owners. The register contains UBO names, dates of birth, nationalities, and the nature and extent of beneficial ownership or control.

Access to the register is tiered. Competent authorities have full access. Obliged entities (such as banks and law firms) may access the register for due diligence purposes, subject to an annual fee of €100. Since 1 July 2023, the general public has limited access (restricted to the UBO's name, nationality, and the type and extent of their rights) in order to protect personal data. Companies whose securities are traded on a regulated market are exempt from the UBO registration obligation, as their transparency is ensured through other disclosure requirements.

Non-compliance with UBO filing obligations can result in administrative sanctions, including fines and the suspension of tax clearance certificates. Subsidiaries of Greek companies must also ensure compliance if they fall within scope.

Registration and Publication Requirements

Companies (capital companies and partnerships)

The following legal forms must register with GEMI:

• Ανώνυμη Εταιρεία (ΑΕ): Public Limited Company (S.A.)
• Εταιρεία Περιορισμένης Ευθύνης (ΕΠΕ): Limited Liability Company (LLC)
• Ιδιωτική Κεφαλαιουχική Εταιρεία (ΙΚΕ): Private Company (P.C.)
• Ομόρρυθμη Εταιρεία (ΟΕ): General Partnership
• Ετερόρρυθμη Εταιρεία (ΕΕ): Limited Partnership (simple or by shares)
• Cooperatives (Συνεταιρισμός), Social Cooperative Enterprises (Κοιν.Σ.Επ.), Energy Communities, and European legal forms (SE, SCE, EEIG)

All capital companies (ΑΕ, ΕΠΕ, ΙΚΕ) must file annual financial statements with GEMI. The annual general meeting must be held within six months of the financial year end, and approved financial statements must be submitted to GEMI for publication. Large companies and those of public interest follow IFRS, while smaller entities may use Greek Accounting Standards (Law 4308/2014, transposing Directive 2013/34/EU). Listed companies also file financial statements with the Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC), where they are publicly available.

Financial statements for ΑΕ and ΕΠΕ companies above applicable size thresholds are accessible via the GEMI Publicity Portal. ΙΚΕ companies are also required to file, though compliance among very small entities can vary.

All these entities must also report their beneficial owners to the Central UBO Register within 60 days of registration or of any change, unless they are listed companies or otherwise exempt.

Sole proprietors (Ατομική Επιχείρηση)

Profit-oriented sole proprietorships with an establishment in Greece are subject to GEMI registration if they are regularly engaged in commercial transactions, distribute goods or services, or operate with organised infrastructure or employees. Certain categories are excluded from GEMI: notably farmers selling their own produce, liberal professionals (doctors, lawyers, notaries), taxi drivers on a freelance basis, and artists.

Sole traders register digitally through the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) via TAXISnet. There is no general obligation for sole traders to file financial statements publicly through GEMI.

Associations and other non-commercial forms

Associations (Σωματεία), foundations (Ιδρύματα), and fundraising committees (Επιτροπές Εράνων) are explicitly excluded from GEMI registration. Civil-law partnerships for the exercise of professional activity by lawyers, notaries, and judicial officers are similarly exempt.

However, certain nonprofit-adjacent forms such as civil companies under Article 784 of the Civil Code (Αστική Εταιρεία 784 Α.Κ.) and associations of persons (Ένωση Προσώπων) do register with GEMI.

Summary table

*Listed companies (ΑΕ with securities traded on a regulated market) are exempt from UBO registration.

With Topograph

Topograph reads structured data on Greek commercial entities, their officers, and filed documents from the GEMI Open Data API and the GEMI Publicity Portal. The primary lookup key is the GEMI Number, a 7–12 digit code (e.g. `31301000`); company lookups by VAT or name resolve to that number first. Greek EU VAT numbers carry the prefix `EL` (not `GR`) followed by the nine-digit tax number (ΑΦΜ): for example ΑΦΜ `093808863` becomes `EL093808863`.

Available Data

Company Profile

• Company name and trade name
• Registered address
• GEMI registration number and EUID
• Legal form
• Registration status and date
• Activity sector (KAD / NACE / ISIC codes)

Legal Representatives

• Name
• Role (AI-parsed from Greek free-text)

Other Key Persons

• Board members, auditors (AI-parsed)

Shareholders

• Available for ΙΚΕ, ΕΠΕ, ΟΕ, ΕΕ, cooperatives, and social cooperative enterprises
• Names and share percentages
• Not available for ΑΕ (public limited companies)

Available Documents

All GEMI documents are free of charge. UBO data is held in the separate Central UBO Register maintained by the Ministry of Finance and is not publicly accessible through GEMI.

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