🇬🇧 English Hub · Guide · Updated July 2026

Starting a Business in Greece: How to Choose Your Activity Codes (KAD)

When you register a company or freelance activity in Greece, the registration itself is largely paperwork — but the activity codes you declare shape everything that follows: VAT treatment, whether you can issue the invoices your clients need, and your eligibility for Greek and EU grant programmes. Here is how to get them right the first time.

Primary vs secondary codes

You declare one primary KAD — the activity expected to generate most of your revenue — and as many secondary codes as you genuinely need. Secondary codes cost nothing to add and can be added later via myAADE, so the practical rule is: start with the codes you will invoice under in the first year, and extend when a new revenue stream actually appears. What you should not do is operate and invoice under an activity you never declared.

Common codes for foreign-owned businesses

Management & business consulting — NACE class 70.20

Covers strategy, organisational and management advisory — the standard choice for foreign consultants.

E-commerce (online retail) — NACE class 47.9x

Online retail falls under distance-sales retail classes, specialised by product type; brick-and-mortar retail uses different classes.

Short-term rental (Airbnb-style) — NACE class 55.20

Furnished tourist accommodation; long-term property letting belongs to real-estate classes (68.xx) instead.

Software development (custom) — NACE class 62.10

Bespoke development and programming services. Off-the-shelf software you publish and sell falls under publishing (58.2x).

IT consulting — NACE class 62.20

Advisory on hardware, software and systems — distinct from hands-on development.

Holding / own-asset management — NACE class 64.20 / 68.20

Depends on whether the entity holds participations or lets its own real estate — a classic setup question for foreign investors.

Classes above are 4-digit NACE level; your Greek declaration uses the 8-digit national code beneath them. On each code page of this site you can read the official “includes / excludes” notes before committing.

Codes and subsidy eligibility

Greek grant programmes (Development Law regimes, Just Transition Fund actions, ESPA calls) each define their own list of eligible KAD codes. An eligible code is a necessary but not sufficient condition — but an ineligible primary code disqualifies you outright, which is why investors increasingly choose their code structure with future programmes in mind. Every code page here shows the programmes it is currently eligible for.

Practical workflow

(1) Shortlist candidate codes with the KAD 2025 search (Greek interface — numeric codes work language-free). (2) Open each code page and check the official includes/excludes section. (3) Check the eligibility badges if grants matter to you. (4) Give the final list to your Greek accountant for the myAADE filing. Corrections to the 2026 automatic re-mapping remain possible until 30 October 2026.