Greece occupies a distinctive place in the history of medicine. Hippocrates, born on the island of Kos around 460 BC and traditionally regarded as the father of medicine, transformed healing by distancing it from superstition and grounding medical practice in clinical observation, sound judgement and a profound duty of care towards the patient.
The oath bearing his name remains one of the most influential texts in medical ethics. Although doctors today do not use its ancient wording, modern professional declarations retain several of its enduring principles, including acting in the patient’s interests, avoiding harm, respecting confidentiality and recognising the limits of one’s competence.
In Greece today, these ethical principles are supported by a formal legal framework. Doctors are subject to professional registration, rules governing recognised specialist titles and the Greek Code of Medical Ethics. The premises from which private healthcare is provided must also have the required authority to operate.
That framework becomes particularly important in private healthcare, where patients often choose a doctor through a recommendation, an internet search or information supplied by the practice itself. For anyone unfamiliar with the Greek system, three questions matter: Is the doctor entitled to practise? Do they hold the officially recognised specialty they claim? Do the premises have the required operating authorisation?
A recommendation, an impressive website or a reassuring consultation may influence a patient’s choice. None answers these three questions.
At a glance
Choosing a private doctor in Greece involves three separate checks:
- Check the doctor’s registration. Consult the National Register of Doctors to identify the doctor’s registration and the medical association to which they belong.
- Check the doctor’s specialty. Confirm that the doctor holds the officially recognised specialty they claim.
- Check the premises. Ask whether the practice holds the certificate of operation required for the premises and the services offered there.
1. Is the doctor legally entitled to practise?
A doctor practising lawfully in Greece must be registered with the appropriate medical association.
The official starting point is the National Register of Doctors, available through Gov.gr and provided by the Panhellenic Medical Association. The register identifies the medical association to which the doctor belongs and indicates their recognised specialty.
The doctor may belong, for example, to the Athens Medical Association, the Thessaloniki Medical Association or another local medical association. The relevant association can confirm the doctor’s registration and current professional status.
The National Register can confirm the doctor’s registration and indicate their recognised specialty, but it does not establish that every address from which they work is authorised for the services offered there.
2. Does the doctor hold the officially recognised specialty they claim?
A medical degree and a recognised specialist qualification are not the same thing.
The National Register of Doctors indicates the doctor’s recognised specialty. The Ministry of Health also publishes official decisions and information concerning medical specialties and their recognition in Greece.
Recognised specialties include Cardiology, Neurology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ophthalmology, Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Paediatrics, Psychiatry and Rheumatology, among others.
Important note: A doctor may be legally entitled to practise in Greece without holding a recognised specialist title. This is indicated in the National Register of Doctors by the Greek term “Άνευ”, meaning “without”. However, although this is legally permitted, it is uncommon for a doctor to practise for an extended period in Greece without specialising. Most doctors go on to complete specialist training before working within the National Health System (ESY) or establishing themselves in private practice
The useful question is direct: What is your officially recognised medical specialty in Greece?
Descriptions such as “holistic doctor”, “wellness expert”, “anti-ageing specialist”, “functional medicine specialist” or “quantum medicine specialist” should be treated as descriptive or marketing terms, not as specialist medical titles. They do not, by themselves, constitute medical specialties officially recognised by the competent medical authorities in Greece.
Certificates from private courses, membership badges and scientific-sounding terminology do not amount to a recognised specialist title. Foreign qualifications may be valid, but patients should establish what the qualification is, which institution awarded it and whether the corresponding professional title has been recognised in Greece.
3. Do the premises have the required authority to operate?
A doctor’s professional registration does not establish that the premises from which they work are operating lawfully or are authorised for every service offered there.
The legal framework covers several kinds of private healthcare premises. Under Presidential Decree 84/2001, as amended, the principal categories of private primary healthcare provider include private medical practices, private multi-doctor practices, diagnostic laboratories and private laboratories of physical medicine and rehabilitation.
Separate rules govern autonomous private day-care units (Μονάδες Ημερήσιας Νοσηλείας, ΜΗΝ). These facilities may perform specified medical or surgical procedures involving short-term care without an overnight stay. The official framework includes autonomous private units in ophthalmology, plastic and reconstructive surgery, otorhinolaryngology, and dermatology and venereology.
Each provider must meet the requirements applying to its type of facility and the services offered. These may include rules concerning premises, equipment, staffing and scientific responsibility. The facility must also hold the appropriate certificate of operation (βεβαίωση λειτουργίας) or other authorisation required under the legislation governing that category.
This status cannot be judged from appearance. Medical equipment, uniformed staff and an elegant reception area do not demonstrate that premises are authorised for every service advertised.
If in doubt, ask the provider for details of its certificate of operation or other applicable authorisation. You can also consult the Panhellenic Medical Association’s directory of Greek medical associations and contact the relevant association, giving the doctor’s name and full practice address, to ask which authority can confirm the premises’ status.
The doctor’s professional status and recognised specialty concern the individual practitioner. The operating authorisation concerns the premises and the services provided there. They must be checked separately.
What should the signage at a doctor’s practice say?
Patients may encounter two forms of signage at a private medical practice: the doctor’s professional nameplate and a Lawful Medical Practice sign.
The doctor’s professional nameplate
The professional nameplate identifies the doctor and provides objective information about their professional status. Article 17 of Law 3418/2005, the Greek Code of Medical Ethics, regulates where the nameplate may be displayed and what it may contain.
The nameplate may appear at the main entrance to the doctor’s professional premises and on the building’s façade. Its content is limited to:
- The doctor’s first name and surname
- Their registration number with the relevant medical association
- Permanent titles recognised in Greece
- Their officially recognised medical specialty
- Consultation days and hours
The specialty shown must correspond to the doctor’s officially recognised title. Commercial content, conspicuous decoration and lighting are prohibited. A doctor who intends to display a nameplate must submit the proposed sign to the relevant medical association for approval before it is installed.
The Lawful Medical Practice sign (“Νόμιμο Ιατρείο”)
Some medical associations issue a separate Lawful Medical Practice sign identifying an authorised medical practice. Examples can be found in Athens, Thessaloniki and elsewhere, although the design and issuing procedure may vary.
Where issued, the Lawful Medical Practice sign provides patients with a visible indication that the issuing medical association has identified the premises as an authorised medical practice.
There is no single nationwide design for the Lawful Medical Practice sign. Its appearance, wording and issuing procedure may vary. Where issued, it can provide an additional visible indication of a practice’s operating status. It does not replace direct confirmation of the doctor’s credentials or the premises’ authorisation.
A generic plaque reading only “doctor”, “clinic” or “medical centre” gives a patient little information to verify. Confirmation should come from the practice’s certificate details and the relevant authority or medical association.
Even a genuine sign does not assess the quality of a particular service, establish the scientific standing of an advertised treatment or confirm that a specific procedure is suitable for that setting.
Marketing is not verification
A polished website can create an impression of authority quickly. So can paid advertisements, elegant premises, international flags, media appearances and a large social-media following.
These elements show how a practice wishes to present itself. They do not establish professional registration, a recognised specialty or the premises’ lawful operating status.
Sponsored search results, celebrity or influencer endorsements, testimonials, before-and-after photographs, unexplained awards and claims to be “the best” or “a leading specialist” are forms of marketing rather than independent verification.
Online reviews may provide useful information about organisation, communication and waiting times. They are not an official measure of clinical competence, professional registration or operating status.
The Greek Code of Medical Ethics states that information supplied to the public must not exploit patients’ lack of specialist medical knowledge. It also requires public medical information to be documented and based on internationally accepted evidence.
What to ask before and during treatment
A first consultation is an opportunity to assess both the proposed care and the way the practice communicates.
It is reasonable to ask about the doctor’s officially recognised specialty, who will be responsible for your treatment, the proposed diagnosis and the reasons for any recommended tests. You should also understand the expected benefits, significant risks, reasonable alternatives, likely costs and arrangements for follow-up care.
Ask whether you will receive a written report and how you can obtain copies of your medical records.
If the consultation takes place in English or another shared language, check that both sides have understood the medically important details. Conversational fluency does not always extend to complex explanations of risk, consent and aftercare.
Before a medical procedure
When a procedure involves an injection, breaks the skin, uses prescription medicine, requires sedation or anaesthesia, or carries a risk of an acute reaction, the questions should go further.
- Who will perform the procedure?
- What recognised medical specialty does that person hold?
- Why is the procedure being recommended?
- Is it appropriate for your condition, medical history and this particular setting?
- What medicine, device or substance will be used?
- What are the common and serious risks?
- What reasonable alternatives are available?
- What monitoring and emergency equipment is available?
- Who will respond if a serious complication occurs?
- How would an emergency transfer to hospital be arranged?
- What symptoms require urgent medical attention?
Patients should provide an accurate account of allergies, current medication, pregnancy, previous medical conditions, earlier reactions and past procedures. A private practice should not be assumed to have access to medical records held elsewhere.
A facility’s certificate of operation does not confirm that every doctor working there is qualified to perform every procedure offered. It also does not establish that a proposed treatment is appropriate for an individual patient.
Information, consent and records
The Greek Code of Medical Ethics sets out doctors’ duties concerning patient information, consent, confidentiality and medical records.
Before treatment, a patient should understand what is being proposed, why it has been recommended, the expected benefit, significant risks, reasonable alternatives and the likely course of recovery.
Consent forms should be read rather than signed on trust. If anything is unclear, ask for an explanation. When a decision carries meaningful risk, it is reasonable to request written information, take time to consider it and seek a second opinion.
Costs, insurance and paperwork
Ask about likely costs before treatment. The doctor’s fee, facility charges, laboratory tests, anaesthesia, medical devices and follow-up appointments may be billed separately.
Anyone intending to claim through private insurance should contact the insurer directly. Confirm whether prior authorisation is required, whether the doctor or facility is covered, and which documents must be submitted.
Keep receipts, prescriptions, test results, the doctor’s written report, signed consent forms and aftercare instructions.
A doctor does not have to be contracted with EOPYY (Greece’s National Organisation for Healthcare Services Provision) to practise privately. EOPYY contracting concerns access and reimbursement, while professional registration, recognised specialty and the premises’ operating status are separate questions.
A matter of informed confidence
Greece has no shortage of highly trained doctors. Even so, each doctor, specialty and treatment setting deserves its own check. A polished website, a prominent advertisement or a large social-media following does not verify any of them.
None of this is a mark of distrust. It is simply part of making an informed decision in an unfamiliar healthcare system.
This article provides general information and does not replace medical or legal advice. Requirements and administrative procedures may change. Readers should confirm current details with the relevant Greek authority or medical association.
Official resources
- National Register of Doctors, Gov.gr
- Panhellenic Medical Association, Gov.gr
- Directory of local medical associations
- Athens Medical Association member directory
- Thessaloniki Medical Association doctor directory
- Ministry of Health: medical specialties
- Panhellenic Medical Association: Presidential Decree 84/2001 and subsequent provisions
- Thessaloniki Medical Association: Lawful Medical Practice sign
- Panhellenic Medical Association: legal opinion on doctors’ advertising and media appearances
- World Medical Association: Declaration of Geneva
