Greece

Brief Fact File

Capital	Athens (Athínai)
Currency	Euro (EUR)
Language(s)	Greek 99% (official), English, French
Local time	GMT + 02:00 in winter and GMT + 03:00 in summer
Telephone code	30
Major cities	Thessaloniki, Piraeus, Patrai

Economy
Greece follows capitalist economy accounting 40% of GDP by public sector. Its two major weaknesses are the heavy public debt and the high level of unemployment. Tourism and merchant navy are the two pillars for the economy. Tourism is booming and has become a major stake for the government. It is the largest European ship-owner and it accounts for 10% of the GDP. Agriculture occupies an important place. The top export countries for Greece are Germany, Italy and the UK. Telecommunications, computing, building, medical equipment, and some food products such as fish or groundnuts are important developing sectors.

Major Exports:

• Food And Beverages
• Manufactured Goods
  
• Petroleum Products
  
• Chemicals
  
• Textiles
  

Major Imports:

• Machinery
  
• Equipment Goods And Boats
  
• Fuels
  
• Chemicals
  
• Hydrocarbons

Business Practices

Business Dress

• Business dress is same as in most of the European Countries.
  
• Men should wear dark coloured, conservative business suits.
  
• Women should wear either business suits or tasteful dresses. Dark or subtle colours are preferred.
  

Communication Guidelines

• Relationships are the linchpin of business dealings because they prefer doing business with those they know and trust.
  
• They maintain an intricate network of family and friends to call upon for business assistance as they can be confident of their trustworthiness.
  
• They prefer face-to-face meetings rather doing business over the telephone or in writing, which are seen as too impersonal.
  
• Developing relationships takes time. It is usually done in the office, over extended lunches, dinners, and social outings.
  
• Never say or do anything which can be construed as challenging the honour or integrity of a business colleague.
  
• Under no circumstances should one publicly question someone's statements.
  
• They do not like people who are pretentious or standoffish.
  
• If the Greek business colleagues become quiet and withdrawn, one may have said or done something to upset them.
  

Business Hour
9.00 am to 5 pm - Offices (Monday to Friday with an hour's break)
8.30 am to 2.00 pm - Banks (Monday to Thursday until 1.30 pm on Fridays)
9.00 am to 6.00 pm - Stores (Monday to Saturday)

Important Contacts

Associations / Ministries
Athens Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ACCI)
7, Akadimias str., 10671
Athens, Greece
E-mail : info@acci.gr
Website: http://www.acci.gr

Indian Embassy / Counsulate

Embassy of India
3 Kleanthous Street
Athens, 10674
Tel.: +(30)-(1)-7216227
Fax: +(30)-(1)-7211252
E-mail: indembassy@ath.forthnet.gr

Visiting this country

Business Visa Rules for Greece

Requirements
The requirements for Business Visitors are as follows:

• Business Visitors must have a residence and an employer outside Greece, and he/she must be traveling to Greece for a limited and pre-set time period.
  
• Business Visitors must not receive compensation from sources within Greece; however, some incidental expenses such as accommodation, travel, and meals may be paid by the host.
  
• Business Visitors must have evidence of adequate funds to defray expenses for the entire duration of the stay.
  
• Business Visitors must have specific, realistic, and articulable plans for his/her stay in Greece.
  
• The period of intended stay must be consistent with the intended purpose of the trip.

Allowable Activities

• Participate in meetings. This includes the managers professionals, and specialists sharing procedures for the mutual benefit of the home country or employer and the local entity in Greece and sales representatives meeting with customers and accompanying them to sites in various countries.
  
• Participate in training sessions and/or exhibitions and seminars organized by the company, trade organizations, universities, and other such bodies.
  
• Computer specialists, the manufacturing technicians and other such foreign employees traveling to Greece to install equipment and/or provide temporary services to the local office or client.
  
• Sales and marketing personnel soliciting orders, providing product information, negotiating contracts and resolving issues with customers.
  
• Executives and managers traveling to the country to negotiate with unrelated third parties who are potential acquisition targets, or to negotiate the contracts for joint ventures, manufacturing affiliations, joint marketing, sourcing and licensing agreements.

Maximum Duration

A foreign national with valid immigration documentation may enter into and reside in Greece for a maximum period of 90 days within any six months period. Time spent in any of the other Schengen Member Nations is deemed to count towards the 90 day maximum.

Extensions

Usually, it is not possible to extend visits beyond the maximum period permitted.

Public Holidays

Festival	Date	Detail
New Year's Day	January 1
Epiphany Day	January 6
Greek Independence Day	March 25
Shrove Monday, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Holy Spirit Day		Variable dates
Labour Day	May 1
Assumption of Mary	August 15
Greek National Day	October 28
Christmas Day	December 25
Boxing Day	December 26

Travel Tips

• Tipping is 12-15% in general.
  
• The voltage used in Greece is on 220 volts.
  
• Gate 1 tour packages allow only one piece of luggage per person and one carry-on bag. Additional baggage is subject to handling charges of up to $100 per piece.
  
• In Greece traffic drives on the right.