What is the licensing procedure for the establishment of hotels?

The procedure that needs to be followed for the issue of a hotel license in Greece includes six stages:

• issue of a preliminary environmental approval. This approval is required only for territories outside town planning zones and is issued by the Regional Directorates of Urban Planning, unless another authority is competent, depending on the area where the hotel will be established;
• approval of the suitability of the plot where the hotel will be built which is issued by the Regional Directorates for Tourism;
• approval of environmental terms. Depending on the location and size of the hotel, said approval is issued by either the Regional Environmental Authorities or the Prefecture of Athens or Thessaloniki, or the Regional Directorate of Environment or the Prefectural Office of Environment;
• approval of the architectural designs by the Regional Directorates of Tourism;
• issue of a building permit by the Directorate of Urban Planning of the Prefecture or Municipality where the hotel will be located; and
• issue of the operation license by the Regional Directorates of Tourism of the Hellenic Tourism Organization (EOT).