- Simplified Entry: Wellness activities now fall under a “notification-only” status (Law 4442/2016), meaning businesses can open after a digital filing rather than waiting months for administrative approval.
- Broad Scope: The new framework covers non-therapeutic massage, saunas, non-medical spas, steam baths, and artificial tanning services (solariums).
- Personnel Standards: Health safety officers and staff must hold specific, recognized diplomas and valid health certificates.
- Specialized Supervision: Services involving technical equipment, such as solariums, now require the presence of qualified scientific personnel.
Greece is introducing a new regulatory framework for wellness and spa-related activities, bringing a fragmented sector under a single, simplified system. The changes are part of a broader effort to streamline business operations while setting clearer operational standards.
The scope is wide. It covers non-therapeutic massage services, saunas, steam baths, non-medical spa facilities, bathing establishments, and artificial tanning services (solarium). All of these are now formally classified as “physical wellness activities” and regulated under one unified regime.
What Counts as Wellness?
The law draws a clear line between medical therapy and lifestyle wellness. The following are now unified under the new simplified regime:
- Non-therapeutic Massage: Relaxation treatments that do not claim medical or physiotherapeutic benefits.
- Heat & Water Treatments: Saunas, steam rooms, and traditional bathhouses (hammams).
- Artificial Tanning: Solariums are included but come with stricter supervision requirements due to the nature of the equipment.
From Licensing to Notification
The most important structural change is how businesses start operating.
Under the new framework, these activities are subject to the notification system introduced by Law 4442/2016. This means:
- Businesses can begin operating without prior administrative approval.
- Operators must submit a formal notification declaring compliance with all legal requirements.
- Responsibility shifts more clearly onto the business, rather than the licensing authority.
In practice, the state steps back from pre-approval and moves toward ex post control.
Clearer Requirements for Staff and Safety
While the process becomes simpler, the obligations do not.
The framework introduces stricter clarity around professional qualifications and health standards:
- Each business must designate a health-responsible person, along with a substitute.
- These individuals must hold relevant qualifications and professional licenses, where required.
- All staff must have a valid health certificate, as is standard for health-related businesses.
The emphasis is not only on having personnel, but on ensuring that they are properly trained and accountable.
Special Rules for High-risk Equipment
Additional provisions apply to activities involving specialized equipment.
For example:
- Artificial tanning facilities must operate under the supervision of qualified scientific personnel.
- Compliance with existing safety regulations for such equipment is mandatory.
This reflects a risk-based approach—more oversight where potential harm is higher.
Inspections and Enforcement
The shift to notification does not mean less control—it means delayed control.
- Authorities will carry out regular inspections to verify compliance.
- Violations may lead to administrative penalties.
- Businesses must be able to demonstrate compliance at any time, not just declare it.
This aligns with the broader regulatory philosophy already applied in other sectors.
Transition to the New System
The law also includes transitional and implementing provisions that define:
- How existing businesses move into the new framework.
- The detailed procedures required for full implementation.
This is meant to ensure continuity while standardizing the rules across the sector.
A Broader Tourism Strategy
Beyond regulation, the move reflects a strategic direction.
Wellness services are being positioned as part of Greece’s effort to develop special forms of tourism—higher-value, experience-driven, and less dependent on seasonality.
The objective is twofold:
- To organize and formalize the market.
- To ensure consistent service quality across providers.
In other words, fewer grey areas, more structure—and, ideally, a better product.
This move is a strategic piece of the puzzle for Greece’s “all-season” tourism goal. By making it easier for hotels and independent centers to offer high-quality wellness services, the government is helping the market diversify. It creates a standardized floor for quality across the country, ensuring that a spa experience in a Cretan mountain village meets the same regulatory safety standards as a luxury resort in Athens.
