Authority & scope
Sections ↑Entities & regulation01
Where HCMC fits in Greek financial supervision
| Area | Role and boundary |
|---|---|
| Authority | The Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC) is Greece’s securities and capital-markets regulator. ESMA lists it as Greece’s national competent authority for investment firms.Source 1Source 3 |
| Investment-firm authorisation | Law 4514/2018 implements MiFID II in Greece. HCMC also grants the distinct AEED investment-intermediation authorisation; the licence category matters when checking a service.Source 2 |
| Adjacent supervisor | The Bank of Greece supervises credit and financial institutions within its remit and directs issues about investment services to HCMC. The relevant activity determines the complaint route.Source 9 |
Registers & licence checks
Sections ↑Process02
Check the entity, its permission and its cross-border scope
| Check | Official route | What to establish |
|---|---|---|
| Greek directory | HCMC’s market-entity directory, linked from ESMA’s Greece entry. | Match the contracting legal entity to the directory entry before relying on a brand or website claim.Source 3 |
| EU investment-firm entry | ESMA’s authorised-entity register; select the investment-firm category and search the legal name. | Review active/inactive status, identifiers and authorisation or withdrawal dates.Source 3Source 4 |
| Service permission | Open the entity’s Current activities tab. | Establish which services the entity is authorised to provide; a name match alone does not describe its permissions.Source 4 |
| Home and host state | Review the home/host filters, branch details and List of Notified Host Member States. | Distinguish a Greek home-state authorisation from services passported into Greece.Source 4 |
| Earlier status | Use Activities History and linked sanctions information. | Keep historical permissions separate from current activities and restrictions.Source 4 |
| AEED category | HCMC navigation: Responsibilities, Supervision of Market Intermediaries, Investment Firms, Investment Intermediation Firms (AEED). | Use the separate intermediation list when that is the claimed licence class.Source 2 |
Check the exact legal entity, permissions, current status and scope in the official record. A brand connection in our coverage does not establish authorisation.
Retail CFD framework
Sections ↑Greek CFD oversight includes MiFIR product-intervention measures as well as firm authorisation. ESMA’s opinion of 24 June 2019 described HCMC’s proposed permanent restrictions on the marketing, distribution or sale of CFDs to retail clients in or from Greece, with an intended start of 1 August 2019. ESMA’s current product-intervention guide explains that national measures replaced its earlier temporary restrictions. The applicable Greek measure and the client’s classification determine which product conditions apply.[6][7]
Complaints & dispute resolution
Sections ↑Process03
From the firm’s complaint process to the financial ombudsman
| Stage | Requirement or outcome |
|---|---|
| Complain to the firm | Identify the contracting company, explain the problem and requested remedy, and keep a dated record of the complaint and response. Ask for the firm’s formal complaint procedure.Source 8 |
| Check HFO eligibility | The Hellenic Financial Ombudsman offers free handling for individuals and businesses with annual turnover up to €3 million. The provider must be established in Greece and participate in its procedure.Source 10 |
| Observe the referral clock | Submit to HFO within one year of the first relevant complaint to the provider. HFO excludes disputes already examined, or being examined, by a court or another ADR body.Source 10 |
| Provider response under HFO rules | Participating providers have 10 working days to reply. If more time is needed, they must notify the complainant before that period expires; the extension may not exceed another 10 working days.Source 11 |
| Prepare the submission | Provide the firm and complaint dates, supporting records, requested remedy and identity document. HFO publishes forms for natural and legal persons, with an authorisation form for representatives.Source 11Source 12 |
| Timing and result | HFO normally communicates the outcome within 90 calendar days of a complete file; complex cases may take longer after notice. It can mediate or issue a non-binding recommendation. Court rights remain available.Source 11 |
| Cross-border dispute | FIN-NET helps identify the relevant financial ADR body when the provider is in another EEA country. The provider’s home-country scheme may be the appropriate recipient.Source 8 |
Report a regulatory breach
Sections ↑HCMC investigates possible breaches of capital-market legislation and can impose administrative sanctions. Its published complaint guidance directs investors to complete the complaint form and send it to [email protected]. The Commission examines regulatory compliance; it does not mediate private disputes between investors and firms. The guidance identifies a separate procedure for qualifying whistleblowing reports. A request for a personal remedy should therefore follow the firm and eligible dispute-resolution routes above.[13][8]
Compensation & firm failure
Sections ↑Protections & eligibility04
Investment Guarantee Fund: when compensation can apply
| Question | Scheme position |
|---|---|
| Who operates it? | The Investment Guarantee Fund, known as Syneggiitiko, operates under Law 2533/1997. It is a separate private-law nonprofit body.Source 15Source 16 |
| What triggers a claim? | A covered investment firm’s confirmed inability to return client money or financial instruments, with the relevant failure and liquidation process. Ordinary investment losses do not meet that return-of-assets trigger.Source 14Source 16 |
| How much? | The Fund publishes a maximum of €30,000 per client/investor for the total covered services of the failed firm. Overdue amounts owed to the firm are offset.Source 14 |
| Which services? | Coverage depends on the firm’s participation, the investor’s eligibility and a covered investment service. The FAQ lists services including execution, portfolio management and custody; services outside its covered list are excluded.Source 15 |
| What about a foreign firm? | The Fund describes exceptions to local participation where a firm authorised abroad has equivalent or higher home-country scheme protection. Establish the actual scheme for the contracting entity.Source 15 |
| How is a claim made? | The Fund announces its process after the relevant compensation decision. Its payment page describes claims left unsatisfied in special liquidation and exclusions, including certain financial institutions and connected insiders.Source 14 |
Bank-deposit protection is separate. TEKE publishes an ordinary deposit limit of €100,000 per depositor per bank, with additional protection for qualifying temporary high balances. That deposit limit should not be substituted for the investment-firm compensation conditions above.[17][14]
Contacts & official resources
Sections ↑At a glance05
Choose the recipient for the task
| Recipient | Public contact | Use |
|---|---|---|
| HCMC | [email protected] | General regulatory contact; follow HCMC’s complaint-form instructions for an investor report.Source 2Source 13 |
| Hellenic Financial Ombudsman | +30 210 3376 700; [email protected] | Eligibility, complaint forms and eligible disputes. Visits are by appointment.Source 12 |
| Investment Guarantee Fund | +30 210 3304682–3; [email protected] | Scheme participation, compensation conditions and a particular failure procedure.Source 16 |
HCMC market-entity directory
- Responsible body
- Hellenic Capital Market Commission
- Scope
- Official national route linked by ESMA; direct access could not be confirmed because the page timed out.
- Resource availability
- Unknown
- Checked
- Source 3
ESMA authorised-entity register
- Responsible body
- European Securities and Markets Authority
- Scope
- Entity search; interactive results may require a captcha. No individual firm result was retrieved for this profile.
- Resource availability
- Restricted
- Checked
- Source 5
ESMA register fields and permissions guide
- Responsible body
- European Securities and Markets Authority
- Scope
- Explains current activities, status, history, sanctions and notified host states.
- Resource availability
- Available
- Checked
- Source 4
HCMC investor-complaint guidance
- Responsible body
- Hellenic Capital Market Commission
- Scope
- Regulatory complaints; original PDF timed out, although indexed official text was available.
- Resource availability
- Unknown
- Checked
- Source 13
Financial Ombudsman eligibility
- Responsible body
- Hellenic Financial Ombudsman
- Scope
- Free ADR for eligible disputes involving participating providers; time limits apply.
- Resource availability
- Available
- Checked
- Source 10
Financial Ombudsman complaint forms
- Responsible body
- Hellenic Financial Ombudsman
- Scope
- Natural-person, legal-person and representative-authorisation forms.
- Resource availability
- Available
- Checked
- Source 12
Investment Guarantee Fund compensation conditions
- Responsible body
- Investment Guarantee Fund (Syneggiitiko)
- Scope
- Covered investment-firm failures, cap, exclusions and payment process.
- Resource availability
- Available
- Checked
- Source 14
TEKE bank-deposit coverage
- Responsible body
- Hellenic Deposit and Investment Guarantee Fund (TEKE)
- Scope
- Separate bank-deposit limit and conditional temporary-high-balance protection.
- Resource availability
- Available
- Checked
- Source 17
Resource availability describes the documented route. It does not establish eligibility, authorisation or compensation coverage.
Sources & further reading
- Hellenic Capital Market Commission — authority directory European Commission · Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Licence for the operation of an Investment Intermediation Company Greek National Registry of Administrative Public Services · Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Is the firm regulated? European Securities and Markets Authority · Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- ESMA Registers — Publication Interface Help File European Securities and Markets Authority · Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- MiFID and other authorised-entity registers European Securities and Markets Authority · Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Opinion on HCMC’s proposed CFD product-intervention measures European Securities and Markets Authority · Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Product Intervention European Securities and Markets Authority · Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Make a complaint European Securities and Markets Authority · Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Complaints to the Bank of Greece Bank of Greece · Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Our jurisdiction Hellenic Financial Ombudsman · Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Rules of Procedure Hellenic Financial Ombudsman · Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Complaint forms Hellenic Financial Ombudsman · Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Submission of a complaint Hellenic Capital Market Commission · Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Payment of compensation Investment Guarantee Fund (Syneggiitiko) · Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Investor compensation — frequently asked questions Investment Guarantee Fund (Syneggiitiko) · Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Investment Guarantee Fund Investment Guarantee Fund (Syneggiitiko) · Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Deposit coverage level Hellenic Deposit and Investment Guarantee Fund (TEKE) · Accessed 29 Oct 2026
A documented resource is not a finding of eligibility or compensation coverage. Consult the named body and current official terms for your firm, product and circumstances.
Report an error or submit an update
Covered broker profiles
Profiles connected to this authority in our coverage. This is not a complete official register or a list of approved brokers; see each entity’s dated status.
Forex & CFD
Investico
Investico’s accessible international mirror publishes Basic, Gold, Platinum and VIP accounts, with opening amounts from USD 250 to USD 250,000. Its account table also gives tier-specific withdrawal allowances. The main international domain timed out again during this review; the retrieved mirror may be stale and does not authenticate a current new-account offer.
- Operating status
- Active
- Sources checked
- 29 Oct 2026