The system replaces the outdated Notify Business platform and aims to provide greater transparency, efficiency, and regulatory oversight. By shifting the entire licensing process online, it eliminates bureaucratic inefficiencies, allowing businesses to submit all required documents electronically and significantly reducing the time required for approvals.
The Open Business platform facilitates two types of licensing. The first is simple notification-based licensing, which allows businesses to start operating immediately while compliance checks take place later. The second is approval-based licensing, which applies to industries with stricter regulatory requirements. By integrating both methods into a centralized digital system, Greece seeks to make the licensing process smoother, more transparent, and better regulated.
The platform covers a wide range of economic activities, including manufacturing, logistics, environmental services, IT, mining, hospitality, entertainment, tourism, animal husbandry, aquaculture, veterinary services, vehicle service stations, food and wellness, education and training, and social welfare services. Over time, additional industries will be added to the system, expanding its scope and ensuring that more businesses benefit from the simplified process.
The launch of Open Business marks a major shift in regulatory compliance and enforcement in Greece. Each licensed business is assigned a digital record, replacing traditional paper-based archives. This digital repository allows more than 1,300 government agencies to access real-time licensing data, improving regulatory oversight and enabling authorities to monitor compliance more effectively. The platform also helps prevent delays and inefficiencies in licensing procedures, ensuring that all required documentation is properly submitted and stored in a digital format.
For foreign investors and companies looking to expand into Greece, Open Business represents a significant improvement in the business environment. The new platform reduces bureaucratic red tape, simplifies licensing procedures, and improves regulatory oversight, making it easier for companies to establish and operate businesses in the country.
