Greece is tightening the rules governing new undergraduate programs offered by foreign university branches, introducing stricter requirements on faculty staffing, financial sustainability and academic standards as the country moves ahead with an overhaul of its higher-education landscape.
The new framework applies to in-person undergraduate programs offered by branches of foreign universities operating in Greece as nonprofit higher-education entities, known under Greek law as Legal Entities of University Education, or NPPEs. Medical programs are excluded and will be subject to a separate accreditation framework.
The tougher standards come as Greece’s effort to open its traditionally state-dominated university system to foreign institutions faces heightened legal scrutiny. In rulings including decisions 1167/2026 and 1169/2026, the Council of State, Greece’s highest administrative court, annulled initial administrative acts granting licenses for the establishment and operation of branches of nonstate universities.
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The new rules were adopted by the Supreme Council of Greece’s National Authority for Higher Education, or HAHE, and published in the Government Gazette. They replace accreditation standards introduced in 2024 and establish a more detailed set of conditions that new programs must meet before receiving approval.
At the heart of the system are 11 accreditation criteria assessed by external experts. The process is intended to go beyond a box-ticking exercise based on numerical thresholds. Reviewers will consider a program’s overall academic design, internal procedures, available resources and the findings of the external evaluation.
A central concern is whether new programs can remain academically and financially viable over time. University branches will be required to submit feasibility and sustainability studies alongside a four- or five-year operating plan, depending on the length of the degree.
Those plans must spell out expected student numbers as well as requirements for facilities, faculty and other personnel, financing and student services. The aim is to demonstrate that a program has the resources to operate as proposed rather than relying on expansion after students have already enrolled.
The framework also establishes explicit staffing thresholds. Institutions must cover 100% of their staffing requirements for the first year of a new program before it begins operating, including at least three full-time members of teaching staff.
As programs mature, their full staffing needs must be met within three years. Five-year degree programs are given four years to reach that threshold. Institutions must also demonstrate funding sufficient to cover 100% of their projected operating and development requirements.
The regulations prescribe clear rules for the academic structure of degrees. One academic year corresponds to 60 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System credits, or ECTS, while each semester carries 30 credits. Four-year undergraduate degrees must total 240 ECTS and five-year programs 300 ECTS.
Direct teaching hours must take place in person at the facilities that have been formally declared and evaluated for the particular program. The framework also prohibits joint teaching with students enrolled in programs operated by other education providers, reinforcing the requirement that accredited programs maintain their own academic structure and resources.
Artificial intelligence also makes an explicit appearance in the new standards, reflecting the growing pressure on universities to address both the opportunities and academic risks created by generative AI.
Depending on the field of study, programs are expected to incorporate digital skills and AI literacy into their curricula. Institutions must also establish clear academic-integrity rules covering both traditional plagiarism and students’ use of AI tools.
The accreditation system is particularly strict when it comes to the final assessment. A program can be deemed compliant overall only if it isn't found noncompliant with any of the 11 criteria and receives a finding of “partial compliance” on no more than three.
Failure on even one criterion results in the entire program being classified as noncompliant.
