Service agreement in Greece: Template, Key Clauses and Local Law (2026)

What a service agreement is in Greece A service agreement is a contract where a provider performs services for a client for payment. In Greece the Civil Code (Astikos Kodikas) shapes how these contracts are read, and it draws a distinction that matters for drafting. A contract for work or project (symvasi ergou, Articles 681 and following) is where the provider owes a specific result, such as building something or delivering a finished product. A contract for independent services (Articles 648 and following) is where the provider owes effort and services over time rather than a guaranteed result. A consultancy retainer tends to be independent services; a fixed deliverable tends to be a contract for work. The category affects warranties, acceptance and when payment is due, so it is worth being clear which one you are writing. Above these specific categories sits freedom of contract under Article 361 of the Civil Code, which lets parties agree the terms they want, subject to mandatory law, public policy and good faith (Articles 200 and 288), which Greek courts apply actively. For business to business services there is no single regulatory code, so the written contract governs. Where the client is a consumer, separate consumer protection law adds mandatory terms. A service agreement in Greece does not need to be notarised and can be in Greek or English, though a Greek court may require a Greek translation. Value added tax (FPA) applies to most services, and invoicing must follow Greek tax rules. ## Key clauses a Greek service agreement should contain Parties and category. Identify the parties with their tax numbers (AFM) and make clear whether this is a contract for a result or for independent services. Scope and acceptance. Describe the services and, where a result is owed, the acceptance criteria. In a contract for work the client's acceptance and the provider's liability for defects follow Civil Code rules, so acceptance should be defined. Price, invoicing and VAT. The fee, payment days, late payment interest, and whether the price is exclusive of value added tax. Greek late payment in commercial transactions follows the rules transposing the EU Late Payment Directive. Term and termination. Fixed or rolling, notice period, and termination for breach. Note that some Civil Code provisions allow a client to terminate a contract for work before completion against compensation, so address this expressly. Liability. A liability cap and exclusion of indirect loss. Greek good faith principles can limit clauses that are grossly unfair, so keep the cap reasonable. Intellectual property. State who owns deliverables and whether rights are assigned or licensed, because they do not pass automatically on payment. Confidentiality and data protection. A confidentiality clause, supported by the trade secrets regime in Law 4605/2019, plus GDPR compliance where personal data is handled, supervised in Greece by the Hellenic Data Protection Authority. Governing law and disputes. Greek law, and a chosen forum, either the competent Greek courts or arbitration. ## A simple service agreement structure you can adapt 1. Parties and tax numbers.

2. Definitions and the Civil Code category (work or independent services).
3. Scope, deliverables and acceptance.
4. Charges, invoicing, VAT and interest.
5. Term and termination.
6. Intellectual property.
7. Confidentiality and data protection.
8. Warranties and limitation of liability.
9. Force majeure.
10. Governing law (Greek) and disputes.
11. Signatures. This is a starting point, not legal advice. For high value or regulated services, have a Greek lawyer review it. ## Points that catch people out The first is misreading the Civil Code category. If you treat an effort based retainer as if it owed a fixed result, the warranty and acceptance clauses will not fit, and vice versa. Decide the category and draft to match. The second is good faith. Greek courts apply Articles 200 and 288 of the Civil Code actively, so a term that is technically agreed but grossly one sided can be read down. Draft caps and penalties to be reasonable rather than aggressive. The third is the line between a service agreement and employment. If an individual provides services under the client's direction and control, over fixed hours, integrated into the business, a Greek court can find a dependent employment relationship with all its protections, regardless of the label on the contract. Keep a genuine services engagement independent in substance, not just in name. ## Keeping the agreement and everything after it in one place Signing the service agreement is the easy part. After that someone must track the renewal and notice dates, remember the acceptance and warranty terms, find the right version when a dispute starts, and reread the liability and IP clauses when the relationship changes. In most companies that work is scattered across inboxes and drives, which is how renewals get missed and old drafts get argued over. The idea worth keeping is that drafting a contract, checking it for risky clauses, editing it in plain language, and tracking its dates and obligations are one connected job, and it is far easier when it all lives in one place. That single workspace idea is what Adira is built around for business contracts. Adira is India first today, with other jurisdictions on its roadmap, so for Greece specific points such as the Civil Code categories or good faith adjustment you would confirm the detail with Greek counsel. The direction holds anywhere: a service agreement you can trust is one that stays in one place, in step, with its dates in view.