Best EOR Providers for Hiring in Greece 2026

Summary

Remote and Deel are the top EOR providers for Greece. Greece’s employment law stacks compliance requirements in a way that punishes EOR providers who lack local depth: mandatory 13th and 14th month salaries (statutory, not optional), employer social security (EFKA) contributions of 22.29%, a 12-month probation period that creates a false sense of flexibility, and the Ergani electronic reporting system that requires real-time filing of every hire, termination, overtime authorization, and schedule change. Severance costs for long-tenured employees can reach 12 months’ salary. This is not a market where you want a budget provider handling your compliance.

Quick decision: Pick Deel if you want the safest default for Greece. Skip it if your priority is the absolute lowest monthly fee. Cost/timeline signal: Plan around $599 per employee/month and 3-7 business days for onboarding in standard cases.

Top Picks

1. Remote — Best for Greek Labor Law Compliance

Most teams get a stronger decision signal by combining this page with how to choose an EOR, pricing negotiation guidance, and the EOR glossary.

Remote operates in Greece with strong coverage of the compliance areas that matter most: 13th and 14th salary payments (Christmas bonus, Easter bonus, summer vacation allowance) on the correct dates, EFKA social security registration and contributions at 22.29%, and Ergani platform reporting. Remote’s Greek operation handles the three separate bonus payments — December 21 for Christmas, before Easter for the Easter bonus, and with annual leave for the summer allowance — with correct proration for partial-year employees.

Onboarding takes 5–7 business days. Remote’s employment contracts include all mandatory Greek terms: Ergani registration, EFKA enrollment, applicable collective agreement references, and the full 13th/14th salary obligations. Pricing: $599/employee/month. Remote is the pick for companies hiring roles where termination is a realistic possibility — Greece’s steeply scaling severance (up to 12 months for 16+ years of tenure) and unfair dismissal exposure demand an EOR that understands the procedural requirements cold. Remote’s termination advisory in Greece is the strongest among the four providers.

2. Deel — Best for Speed and Multi-Country Mediterranean Hiring

Deel onboards Greek employees in 3–5 business days. Their platform handles the 13th and 14th salary accrual (amortized across monthly invoices), EFKA contributions, and Ergani reporting. Deel’s Greek contracts are generated with correct probation terms (12 months), notice periods (scaling to 4 months), and annual leave entitlements (20–25 days based on tenure).

Deel is the right choice when Greece is part of a broader Mediterranean or Southern European hiring push — hiring across Greece, Spain, Italy, and Portugal on one platform. Their cost model transparently includes the 13th/14th salary obligation, so there are no December surprises. Pricing: $599/employee/month. Where Deel is thinner than Remote in Greece: complex termination scenarios involving long-tenured employees with 6–12 months’ severance exposure, and navigating the Greek labor courts (which are slow, employee-friendly, and procedurally demanding).

3. Multiplier — Best for Cost-Conscious Southern European Teams

Multiplier covers Greece at a competitive price — typically $499–$549/employee/month. They handle EFKA contributions, 13th/14th salary accrual, and standard employment contract generation. For companies building a distributed Southern European team where budget matters, Multiplier offers the basics at 15–20% less than Deel or Remote.

Multiplier’s coverage is solid for standard professional hires on indefinite contracts with straightforward terms. Where they’re lighter: Ergani reporting responsiveness (overtime must be pre-authorized through Ergani before it occurs), deep collective agreement compliance for sector-specific roles, and termination advisory beyond basic notice-and-severance calculations. For a senior developer on a clean indefinite contract, Multiplier delivers adequate compliance. For roles in regulated sectors, unionized environments, or where termination risk is elevated, the advisory depth doesn’t match Remote or Deel.

4. Remofirst — Best for Budget-First Greek Hiring

Remofirst covers Greece at $199/employee/month. At that price, you’re getting basic payroll processing, EFKA registration, and employment contract generation — but the 13th/14th salary handling, Ergani reporting, and termination support are areas where you should probe capabilities before signing.

Greece is one of the riskier markets for a budget EOR. The 13th and 14th salary payments are statutory — missing a payment date or miscalculating the prorated amount is a labor law violation, not an administrative oversight. Ergani fines for late or missing filings range from €300 to €5,000 per violation. Severance miscalculation for a long-tenured employee can cost tens of thousands of euros. Remofirst works for a single straightforward hire in the first year of employment (when the 12-month probation window gives you flexibility). Beyond that, the risk-reward math doesn’t favor the cheapest provider.

Local Alternative: WorkMotion — Southern Europe employment workflows

WorkMotion is a credible regional option in this market, especially if you need pragmatic payroll support and flexible rollout timelines. Pricing and onboarding vary by setup, so confirm current terms directly.

Why Greece Is Harder Than It Looks

The 13th and 14th salary are statutory. Unlike Austria or Cyprus where the 13th salary is driven by collective agreements or market practice, Greece’s Christmas bonus (1 month), Easter bonus (half a month), and summer vacation allowance (half a month) are mandated by law. They must be paid on specific dates — December 21, before Easter Wednesday, and with annual leave respectively. Social security contributions (EFKA) apply to all three. Failing to pay on time or in the correct amount gives the employee grounds for an immediate claim at the labor inspectorate (SEPE), which can issue fines and order payment within days.

EFKA social security is complex and expensive. Employer contribution: 22.29% of gross salary. Employee contribution: 13.87%. Combined: 36.16%. This funds pension, health, supplementary pension, unemployment, and housing contributions. Contributions are calculated on monthly gross including prorated 13th/14th salary portions. The pension contribution is capped at a monthly ceiling of €7,126.94 gross, but health insurance contributions are uncapped. Your EOR must calculate contributions correctly on each payroll run, including the bonus months, and file with EFKA on time.

Ergani reporting kills informality. The ERGANI electronic system is Greece’s mandatory employment reporting platform. Every hire must be registered before the employee’s first day. Every termination must be reported within 4 working days. Every overtime session must be pre-authorized through Ergani before it occurs. Schedule changes for shift workers require advance Ergani filing. Fines: €300–€5,000 per violation. This means your EOR needs real-time responsiveness — if your Greek developer needs to work late on a deadline, the EOR must file the overtime authorization on Ergani before the overtime begins. Batch-processing EOR providers that file once a week will generate compliance violations.

Practical Scenario: Hiring 2 Engineers in Athens at €3,500/Month Each

You’re a US company hiring 2 mid-level software engineers in Athens. Gross salary: €3,500/month each.

13th and 14th salary. Total annual obligation: 2 additional months × €3,500 = €7,000/year per employee. Amortized monthly: €583/month per employee.

EFKA employer contributions. 22.29% × €3,500 = €780/month per employee (on regular months). EFKA also applies to the prorated 13th/14th portions. Effective annual EFKA cost: approximately €780 × 14 months equivalent / 12 = ~€910/month amortized.

EOR fees. Using Remote at $599/month per employee: ~€555/month per employee.

Total monthly cost per employee (amortized):

That’s roughly 59% above the base monthly gross including EOR fees, or 43% excluding EOR fees. Greece’s total employer burden is comparable to France and significantly above Hungary (14.5%) or Georgia (2%).

Comparison Table

Our Final Verdict

Remote for most Greece hires — the 13th/14th salary complexity, EFKA calculations, and Ergani reporting requirements demand a provider with genuine Greek labor law depth. Deel when speed is critical and you’re hiring across multiple Mediterranean countries. Greece’s entity setup is cheap (€800–€2,000 for an IKE), but the monthly compliance burden — EFKA filings, Ergani reporting, 13th/14th salary administration — makes EOR the rational choice for teams under 10. Above 10 employees, own-entity economics start winning.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I negotiate away the 13th and 14th month salaries in Greece?

No. They are statutory under Law 1082/1980 and apply to every employee regardless of contract terms, collective agreement coverage, or salary level. The Christmas bonus (1 month’s gross, paid December 21), Easter bonus (half month, paid before Easter), and summer vacation allowance (half month, paid with leave) are legally mandatory. Attempting to roll them into a higher monthly salary is unlawful — Greek law specifically requires them as separate payments on the designated dates. Any EOR that suggests otherwise doesn’t understand Greek employment law.

How does Greek severance compare to other EU countries?

Greece has some of the steepest severance scaling in the EU. White-collar employees accumulate severance based on tenure: 1 month (1–4 years), 2 months (4–6 years), 3 months (6–8 years), scaling up to 12 months at 16+ years. If the employer provides advance notice, severance is halved. By comparison: Germany requires no statutory severance (just negotiated packages), France caps at roughly 0.25–0.33 months per year of service, and the UK caps at 30 weeks. Greek severance for a 20-year employee can exceed a year’s salary — a termination cost that should factor into every long-term hiring decision.

Does the 12-month probation period really mean I can fire freely for a year?

During the first 12 months, the employer can terminate without severance — but not without process. The termination must still be reported on Ergani within 4 working days, written notice must be provided, and the termination cannot be discriminatory (gender, pregnancy, union membership). After 12 months, full termination protections apply: mandatory severance based on tenure, notice periods scaling to 4 months, and exposure to unfair dismissal claims. The 12-month probation is genuinely useful — it’s one of the longest in the EU — but it’s not a free pass to hire and fire without consequence.

What’s the minimum realistic budget for a Greek employee through EOR?

At the statutory minimum wage of €830/month gross (paid over 14 months): EFKA employer cost (~22.29%) adds €185/month. 13th/14th salary amortized adds ~€138/month. EOR fee: $199–$599/month. Total: €1,350–€1,750/month for a minimum-wage hire. For a professional hire at €3,500/month: total monthly cost reaches approximately €5,000–€5,550 including EOR fees. Greece is not a low-cost hiring destination — the 14-month salary structure and 22% EFKA contribution create a significantly higher cost base than headline salaries suggest.

Before choosing a provider, review how to negotiate EOR pricing and current remote jobs by country market signals.

Further Reading

• Hiring in Greece
• Hiring in Europe Guide
• Best EOR for Cyprus
• Deel EOR Review

Anchal Katyal · Founder, eorHQ

Anchal has spent over a decade in product strategy and market expansion across Asia and the Middle East. She evaluates EOR providers on compliance depth, entity ownership, payroll accuracy, and in-country support quality.

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