Greece Cuts Red Tape for Investors to Obtain Hotel Permits

The secretary general of the Greek Tourism Ministry, Anastasios Liaskos (second from right), announced the simplified licensing procedures for accommodation establishments during the annual council of hotel associations of the Hellenic Federation of Hoteliers.

As of 1 January 2015, hotels in Greece will receive authorization to operate in no more than 50 days from the day the necessary paperwork has been submitted to the Greek Tourism Ministry for approval.

Investors will have to submit (only) seven documents to obtain a permit (special operational seal) for hotels and lodges.

This was announced recently by the secretary general of the Greek Tourism Ministry, Anastasios Liaskos, at the annual council of hotel associations of the Hellenic Hotel Federation, held on the sidelines of the 30th Philoxenia exhibition in Thessaloniki.

According to the secretary general, as of 2015 the licensing of a hotel in Greece will be possible in only one step and without the investor having to visit the same services dozens of times, as was the case in the past.

He informed that construction specifications of hotels will be simpler than before as the investor’s mechanic and architect will have more flexibility. Permits will mainly depend on the offered services of hotels.

The tourism ministry has also simplified the procedures for the issuance of permits for marinas and ski resorts.

Mr. Liaskos stressed that administrative burdens of the past in regards to licensing procedures have been lifted. The ministry will now focus on ensuring the quality of the product and its staff will no longer be involved in permit autopsies and lengthy bureaucratic procedures.