Out-of-court demand for payment (Greece)

Published byDocMuse

The Greek εξώδικη δήλωση (out-of-court notice) in which a creditor calls on a debtor to pay an overdue debt — a loan, a price, a fee — within a deadline, with the sum, its cause, the document proving it and the account to pay into. A court bailiff serves it, and the bailiff's report of service proves what was said and when. Service puts the debtor in default (art. 340 of the Greek Civil Code) unless a fixed payment day already did, and announces the payment order, which since 1 May 2026 a lawyer issues on a document proving the claim.

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Common questions

Why is a Greek demand for payment served by a court bailiff rather than emailed?

Because the court bailiff (δικαστικός επιμελητής) draws up a report of service that proves beyond dispute what the notice says and when the debtor received it — which is what counts if the dispute reaches court. A plain email is not service; electronic service exists only through a bailiff (Greek Code of Civil Procedure, art. 122A). Sign the notice and hand it to a bailiff with the debtor's address.

What does a creditor in Greece gain by serving an out-of-court demand?

If no payment day had been fixed, service puts the debtor in default (art. 340 of the Greek Civil Code) and default interest runs from then. If one had, the debtor is already in default (art. 341) and the notice is a last chance before court. Either way it proves, with a certain date, that the debt was asked for, and it is often enough to get paid without court costs.

Who issues a Greek payment order now, and what does it need?

Since 1 May 2026, after the reform of Law 5221/2025, a payment order is issued by a lawyer of the local bar rather than a judge. It needs a money claim proven by a public or private document (Greek Code of Civil Procedure, art. 623): a signed loan agreement, an acknowledgment of debt or a settlement agreement. That is why the demand names the document behind the debt — keep the original.