Greece's Christmas bonus 2026: who gets it, how it is calculated and when it is paid
Every private-sector employee in Greece is owed a Christmas bonus under a 1981 joint ministerial decision published only in Greek. This guide sets out the formula, the 21 December due date and the 31 December limit, what happens if an employer does not pay, and the separate payment for unemployed people.
18We read 18 sources, 17 in Greek, 2 of them official documents, including the codified text of decision 19040/1981 and the original 1981 Government Gazette issue, so you can read this in 7 minutes. What we checked ↓
Does this affect you?
- Private-sector employees in Greece, full- or part-time, on fixed-term or open-ended contracts
- You are owed one month's salary or 25 daily wages if you were employed from 1 May to 31 December 2026, and a proportionate share if you were employed for less of that period. 12
- Employers, including foreign-owned businesses with staff on Greek employment contracts
- You must pay the bonus by 21 December 2026 under the decision, which allows it to be held back until 31 December 2026 at the latest. It must be paid in money, not in kind, into each employee's payment account, and not paying it on time is a criminal offence. 1210
- Unemployed people receiving benefit from ΔΥΠΑ, the public employment service
- In 2025 ΔΥΠΑ said it would pay a Christmas bonus to benefit recipients automatically from 17 December 2025. We found no announcement of the amount or the date for 2026. 11
What to do Nothing has changed for 2026: the 1981 rules still apply and we found no new notice. Employers should pay by 21 December 2026 under the decision, which allows it to be held back until 31 December 2026 at the latest. Employees who are not paid can complain to the Labour Inspectorate on 1555, by name or anonymously. 12
Where it stands
Checked 13 October 2026- Joint ministerial decision 19040/1981 published in the Government Gazette (ΦΕΚ Β' 742) 189 Dec 1981
- All private-sector pay must go into employees' payment accounts, under decision 26034/695 101 Jul 2019
- Labour Inspectorate issues its notice on the 2025 Christmas bonus 25 Dec 2025
- Labour Inspectorate or labour ministry notice on the 2026 Christmas bonus 2Not announced; last year's notice came on 5 December 2025 · next
- 2026 Christmas bonus due to employees; the employer may hold it back until 31 December 2026 at the latest 121 Dec 2026
At a glance
- Private-sector employers in Greece must pay the Christmas bonus (δώρο Χριστουγέννων, doro Christougennon) on 21 December 2026, a Monday by our calculation, but the decision lets them hold it back until 31 December 2026 at the latest. The bonus must be paid in money, not in kind. [S1]
- Someone employed from 1 May to 31 December gets one month's salary, or 25 daily wages if paid by the day. Shorter periods earn 2/25 of a monthly salary, or two daily wages, for every 19 days of employment. [S1][S2]
- Non-payment is a criminal offence, and employees can complain to the Labour Inspectorate on 1555, by name or anonymously. We found no notice for 2026 as of 13 October 2026; last year's came on 5 December 2025. [S2]
Every private-sector employee in Greece is owed a Christmas bonus, the δώρο Χριστουγέννων (doro Christougennon), which the law calls the Christmas holiday allowance (επίδομα εορτών Χριστουγέννων, epidoma eorton Christougennon).12 Employers must pay it on 21 December each year, though the decision lets them hold it back until 31 December at the latest.1 The rules come from a 1981 joint ministerial decision, or ΚΥΑ (κοινή υπουργική απόφαση, koini ypourgiki apofasi), a decision signed jointly by more than one minister.1 It is decision 19040/1981, published in the Government Gazette (ΦΕΚ, FEK, Β' 742) on 9 December 1981 and issued under Law 1082/1980.118 The decision has been amended since 1981, so this guide quotes its current wording from the codified text published by Taxheaven, in our translation.1
We found no notice for 2026 when we checked on 13 October 2026.2 Last year the Labour Inspectorate, the ΑΑΕΕ (Ανεξάρτητη Αρχή «Επιθεώρηση Εργασίας», Anexartiti Archi «Epitheorisi Ergasias»), published its notice on 5 December 2025.2
Who is entitled to the Christmas bonus?
All private-sector employees paid by salary or by daily wage are entitled, whether they work full- or part-time and whether their contract is fixed-term or open-ended, according to the Labour Inspectorate's 2025 notice.2 The 1981 Government Gazette issue describes the decision as covering employees "throughout the country" employed under a private-law employment relationship, in our translation.18 The decision says that all employees paid by salary or by daily wage are entitled to the bonus from «πάσης φύσεως εργοδότες», their employers of every kind, in our translation.1 It makes no exception for foreign-owned businesses, so a foreign company with staff on Greek employment contracts owes the bonus like any other employer.118
Employees who resigned or were dismissed during the period are owed a proportionate share, according to ΚΕΠΕΑ (Κέντρο Πληροφόρησης Εργαζομένων και Ανέργων, Kentro Pliroforisis Ergazomenon kai Anergon), the workers' information centre of the ΓΣΕΕ (Γενική Συνομοσπονδία Εργατών Ελλάδος, Geniki Synomospondia Ergaton Ellados), Greece's main private-sector union confederation.3 For people who have left, the bonus is calculated on their pay on the day the employment ended, according to the Labour Inspectorate.2
How much is the Christmas bonus in 2026?
An employee who worked for the same employer for the whole period from 1 May to 31 December gets the full bonus.1 For salaried staff the full bonus is one month's salary; for staff paid by the day, it is 25 daily wages.12
For a shorter period, the employee gets 2/25 of the monthly salary, or two daily wages, for every 19 days of employment.1 The Labour Inspectorate and Ergasiaka read the 19 days as calendar days.25 For a period shorter than 19 days, the decision gives a proportionate fraction.1
ΚΕΠΕΑ, Ergasiaka and Newsit all increase the bonus by the "leave coefficient" (συντελεστής αδείας, syntelestis adeias; our translation) of 0.041666, about 4.17%, so that it is multiplied by 1.041666.359 Ergasiaka explains this as the share of the annual-leave allowance (επίδομα αδείας, epidoma adeias): half a month's pay divided by 12.5 We did not find this coefficient in the Labour Inspectorate's 2025 notice as reproduced, and our sources did not cite the legal article that sets it.23
The bonus is calculated on the regular pay actually paid on 10 December.1 Regular pay means the salary or daily wage plus regular benefits in money or in kind, such as food or housing.1
Part-time employees get the same number of months or daily wages as full-time staff, calculated on their reduced pay, according to ΚΕΠΕΑ.3 Employees who work in rotation (εκ περιτροπής, ek peritropis) get one daily wage for every eight days actually worked, according to Ergasiaka and ΚΕΠΕΑ.53 Like ordinary pay, the bonus is subject to social-security deductions and contributions, according to ΚΕΠΕΑ, and Newsit's worked examples also withhold income tax.39
A worked example
This example is our own arithmetic, not an official calculation.
- Full period: an employee on €1,200 a month who worked from 1 May to 31 December 2026 is owed €1,200 under the decision, or about €1,250 gross once the 1.041666 coefficient that Greek outlets apply is added, by our calculation.19
- Shorter period: an employee hired on 1 September 2026 on €1,200 a month, still employed on 31 December 2026, with no unpaid absences, has 122 calendar days of employment, by our calculation.1 Each 19-day period earns 2/25 × €1,200 = €96, by our calculation.1 Six full periods (114 days) earn €576, and the remaining eight days earn 8/19 of €96, about €40.42, so the bonus comes to about €616.42, by our calculation.12 With the coefficient it is about €642.10 gross, before tax and contributions, by our calculation.39
What doesn't count towards the 19-day periods?
Days of unjustified absence, and days of unpaid leave, do not count as employment time, even though the employment continued.1 According to ΚΕΠΕΑ and Ergasiaka, sick days do not count either when e-ΕΦΚΑ (Ηλεκτρονικός Εθνικός Φορέας Κοινωνικής Ασφάλισης, Ilektronikos Ethnikos Foreas Koinonikis Asfalisis), the social-security fund, paid sickness benefit for them.35 Ergasiaka also lists strikes among the days that do not count.5
Paid annual leave, public holidays and Sundays count as time worked, according to ΚΕΠΕΑ.3 Ergasiaka says the employer leaves out the months of special maternity leave paid by ΔΥΠΑ (Δημόσια Υπηρεσία Απασχόλησης, Dimosia Ypiresia Apascholisis), the public employment service.5 ΔΥΠΑ pays its own Christmas bonus to people receiving maternity benefits.11
When must the Christmas bonus be paid in 2026?
The decision says the Christmas bonus is paid on 21 December and the Easter bonus on Holy Wednesday, but lets the employer hold the amount until 31 December (30 April for Easter) and no later.1 21 December 2026 is a Monday, by our calculation.1 The 2026 Christmas bonus is therefore due on Monday 21 December 2026, and under the decision an employer may pay it no later than Thursday 31 December 2026, by our calculation of the weekday.1
The Christmas bonus is due on 21 December 2026, and the 1981 decision lets an employer hold it back until 31 December 2026, but no later.1
In 2025, 21 December fell on a Sunday, by our calculation.2 Proto Thema (Πρώτο Θέμα), Powergame and To Vima's English edition reported that the 2025 deadline moved to Friday 19 December 2025, and ERTnews that the bonus would be paid earlier, because the 21st fell on a Sunday.46178 The Labour Inspectorate's notice said only "21 December 2025", and we found nothing in the decision that moves the date earlier.12
How must employers pay the bonus?
The decision says the bonus must be paid «σε χρήμα μόνο», in money only, and never in kind.1 The phrase means money as opposed to goods; it does not mean cash.1 Since 1 July 2019, all private-sector pay has had to go into the employee's payment account, with the reason for each payment and the period it covers, under decision 26034/695.10 Powergame reports that this applies to the Christmas bonus.6
What if the employer doesn't pay?
Not paying the Christmas bonus by the deadline is a criminal offence, the Labour Inspectorate says.2 Employees can complain to the Labour Inspectorate by name or anonymously on 1555.2
ΚΕΠΕΑ says that Law 690/1945 provides for up to six months in prison, and Powergame also reports a prison term of up to six months and a fine.36 Ta Nea (ΤΑ ΝΕΑ) reports that the Labour Inspectorate can refer cases to the police for the fast-track procedure used for offences caught in the act (αυτόφωρο, aftoforo).7 According to ΚΕΠΕΑ, Law 690/1945 also provides for a fine of between 25% and 50% of the amount owed.3
What do unemployed people on benefit get?
ΔΥΠΑ's release of 16 December 2025 said it would pay its own Christmas bonus to unemployed people on benefit, to recipients of maternity and parental-leave benefits and to recipients of the work benefit (επίδομα εργασίας, epidoma ergasias).11 ΔΥΠΑ announced on 16 December 2025 that it would start prepaying the bonus automatically the next day, Wednesday 17 December 2025, with no action needed from recipients.11 For unemployed people due to declare their presence between 17 December 2025 and 6 January 2026, ΔΥΠΑ said payment would follow that declaration.11
The labour ministry's payment schedule for 15–19 December 2025 listed €70 million to 350,000 beneficiaries for unemployment-benefit Christmas bonuses, and €15 million to 33,000 mothers for the Christmas bonus.12
Powergame, Alfavita and GOVNews reported the full 2025 bonus for the unemployed at €540, for people on benefit throughout 1 May to 31 December; Alfavita put the previous year's at €509.75.131415 ΔΥΠΑ's own release gave no amount.11 Alfavita and GOVNews say three daily allowances are paid for each full month of benefit, and GOVNews gives a daily allowance of €21.60.1415 Over eight months that comes to €518.40, not €540, by our calculation; €540 equals 25 times €21.60, also by our calculation.15 We found no ΔΥΠΑ announcement of the 2026 amount.11
Is this the same as the new public-sector Christmas allowance?
No. The €500 gross Christmas allowance for public employees planned from December 2027 in the 2027 draft budget is a separate measure; see our article on the draft budget.16
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What we checked
Highlights from our fact-check against the original Greek documents. Every claim in the article went through the same check.
- Got it wrong
ERTnews, in an article headlined «…τι αλλάζει φέτος» (what changes this year), said this year's Christmas bonus must be paid exclusively by bank deposit. 8
That is not a 2025 change. Private-sector pay has had to go into employees' payment accounts, stating the reason and the period, since 1 July 2019 under decision 26034/695, according to ΚΕΠΕΑ, the ΓΣΕΕ's workers' information centre. 10
- Not in the document
Πρώτο Θέμα, Powergame and To Vima's English edition reported that the 2025 deadline moved to Friday 19 December 2025 because 21 December fell on a Sunday; ERTnews said the bonus would be paid earlier. 46178
The Labour Inspectorate's 2025 notice gives the date only as 21 December 2025, and Article 10 of the decision contains no rule that moves it earlier; it lets the employer hold the bonus back until 31 December, but no later. The question does not arise in 2026: 21 December 2026 is a Monday, by our calculation. 12
- Not in the document
ΚΕΠΕΑ, Πρώτο Θέμα and Newsit say the bonus is increased by a leave coefficient of 0.041666. 349
The coefficient is not in the codified decision or in the Labour Inspectorate's 2025 notice, and none of these sources cites the provision that sets it. 12
- Confirmed
Ergasiaka and Newsit say the full-period bonus is one month's salary (25 daily wages for day-wage staff) and is due by 21 December. 59
That matches Article 1, paragraphs 1–2, and Article 10, paragraph 1, of decision 19040/1981, as amended. 1
- Confirmed
Powergame and GOVNews said ΔΥΠΑ would pay the 2025 Christmas bonus to the unemployed on Wednesday 17 December 2025. 1315
ΔΥΠΑ's own release of 16 December 2025 confirms that the prepayment started on Wednesday 17 December, with no action needed from recipients. 11
What we don't know yet
- Whether the Labour Inspectorate or the labour ministry will issue a notice for 2026, and whether it will add anything new. Last year's notice came on 5 December 2025.
- How much ΔΥΠΑ will pay unemployed benefit recipients as a Christmas bonus in 2026, and when. The amount depends on the minimum wage set in April 2026 and on the pilot benefit formula, which we have not verified.
- Which legal article sets the 0.041666 leave coefficient that Greek outlets and ΚΕΠΕΑ add to the bonus. Our sources apply it but do not cite the article.
- How periods of suspension of work in 2026 (for example after natural disasters) count towards the bonus, and whether the state covers any share.
- When an employee who leaves before December must be paid their share: on leaving or by the December dates in the decision. We found no source that settles this.
- Whether the cap in Article 10, paragraph 2 of the decision (100 times the general minimum daily wage) has any practical effect today.
«Όλοι οι μισθωτοί που αμείβονται με μισθό ή με ημερομίσθιο δικαιούνται, από τους πάσης φύσεως εργοδότες τους»
All employees paid by salary or by daily wage are entitled, from their employers of every kind, (in our translation)
«καταβάλλονται στο ακέραιο εφ' όσον η σχέση εργασία των μισθωτών με τον υπόχρεο εργοδότη διήρκεσε ολόκληρη τη χρονική περίοδο, … στην περίπτωση του επιδόματος εορτών Χριστουγέννων από 1ης Μαΐου μέχρι 31 Δεκεμβρίου κάθε χρόνου»
are paid in full provided that the employees' employment relationship with the employer liable to pay lasted the whole of the period, … in the case of the Christmas holiday allowance, from 1 May to 31 December of each year (in our translation)
«ποσό ίσο με 2/25 του μηνιαίου μισθού ή δύο (2) ημερομίσθια, ανάλογα με το συμφωνημένο τρόπο αμοιβής, για κάθε δεκαεννεαήμερο χρονικό διάστημα διαρκείας της εργασιακής σχέσεώς τους»
an amount equal to 2/25 of the monthly salary or two (2) daily wages, depending on the agreed method of pay, for each nineteen-day period of the duration of their employment relationship (in our translation)
«Τα επιδόματα εορτών Χριστουγέννων και Πάσχα … καταβάλλονται την 21η Δεκεμβρίου και την Μεγάλη Τετάρτη αντίστοιχα. Ο εργοδότης όμως μπορεί να παρακρατήσει μέχρι την 31η Δεκεμβρίου ή την 30ή Απριλίου το ποσό που αναλογεί στο επίδομα, χωρίς να μπορεί να το καταβάλει αργότερα από τις ημερομηνίες αυτές.»
The Christmas and Easter holiday allowances … are paid on 21 December and on Holy Wednesday respectively. The employer may, however, retain the amount corresponding to the allowance until 31 December or 30 April, but may not pay it later than those dates. (in our translation)
Sources
- Taxheaven (codified text of joint ministerial decision 19040/1981) · 19040/1981 Επιδόματα (Δώρα) εορτών - Κωδικοποιημένη · in Greek · Open ↗ · Archived copy
Passage we quote: Article 1, paragraph 1 (codified text)
«Όλοι οι μισθωτοί που αμείβονται με μισθό ή με ημερομίσθιο δικαιούνται, από τους πάσης φύσεως εργοδότες τους»
All employees paid by salary or by daily wage are entitled, from their employers of every kind, (in our translation)
Passage we quote: Article 1, paragraph 2 (codified text)
«καταβάλλονται στο ακέραιο εφ' όσον η σχέση εργασία των μισθωτών με τον υπόχρεο εργοδότη διήρκεσε ολόκληρη τη χρονική περίοδο, … στην περίπτωση του επιδόματος εορτών Χριστουγέννων από 1ης Μαΐου μέχρι 31 Δεκεμβρίου κάθε χρόνου»
are paid in full provided that the employees' employment relationship with the employer liable to pay lasted the whole of the period, … in the case of the Christmas holiday allowance, from 1 May to 31 December of each year (in our translation)
Passage we quote: Article 1, paragraph 3(a) (codified text)
«ποσό ίσο με 2/25 του μηνιαίου μισθού ή δύο (2) ημερομίσθια, ανάλογα με το συμφωνημένο τρόπο αμοιβής, για κάθε δεκαεννεαήμερο χρονικό διάστημα διαρκείας της εργασιακής σχέσεώς τους»
an amount equal to 2/25 of the monthly salary or two (2) daily wages, depending on the agreed method of pay, for each nineteen-day period of the duration of their employment relationship (in our translation)
Passage we quote: Article 10, paragraph 1 (codified text)
«Τα επιδόματα εορτών Χριστουγέννων και Πάσχα … καταβάλλονται την 21η Δεκεμβρίου και την Μεγάλη Τετάρτη αντίστοιχα. Ο εργοδότης όμως μπορεί να παρακρατήσει μέχρι την 31η Δεκεμβρίου ή την 30ή Απριλίου το ποσό που αναλογεί στο επίδομα, χωρίς να μπορεί να το καταβάλει αργότερα από τις ημερομηνίες αυτές.»
The Christmas and Easter holiday allowances … are paid on 21 December and on Holy Wednesday respectively. The employer may, however, retain the amount corresponding to the allowance until 31 December or 30 April, but may not pay it later than those dates. (in our translation)
- Ανεξάρτητη Αρχή «Επιθεώρηση Εργασίας» (Labour Inspectorate), notice reproduced by Taxheaven · Επιθεώρηση Εργασίας - Δώρο Χριστουγέννων στους μισθωτούς ιδιωτικού τομέα · 5 December 2025 · in Greek · Open ↗ · Archived copy
- Πρώτο Θέμα · Δώρο Χριστουγέννων 2025: Υπολογισμός, προθεσμίες και δικαιώματα εργαζομένων · 2 December 2025 · in Greek · Open ↗ · Archived copy
- Ergasiaka-gr · Δώρο Χριστουγέννων 2025: Τι ισχύει, με απλά λόγια και παραδείγματα · 18 December 2025 · in Greek · Open ↗ · Archived copy
- Powergame.gr · Δώρο Χριστουγέννων 2025: Μόνο με τραπεζική εντολή η πληρωμή · in Greek · Open ↗ · Archived copy
- ΤΑ ΝΕΑ · Δώρο Χριστουγέννων 2025: Ο νόμος δεν αστειεύεται - Οι ποινές για τους εργοδότες για τη μη καταβολή του · 20 December 2025 · in Greek · Open ↗ · Archived copy
- ERTnews · Δώρο Χριστουγέννων 2025: Ποιοι θα πάρουν περισσότερα, πώς υπολογίζεται και τι αλλάζει φέτος · in Greek · Open ↗ · Archived copy
- Newsit · Δώρο Χριστουγέννων 2026: Πόσα δικαιούνται οι εργαζόμενοι, αναλυτικά παραδείγματα · 9 October 2026 · in Greek · Open ↗ · Archived copy
- ΚΕΠΕΑ/ΓΣΕΕ · Υποχρεωτική καταβολή από τους εργοδότες των αποδοχών των εργαζομένων στον ιδιωτικό τομέα, καθώς και της αποζημίωσης απόλυσης αυτών, μέσω λογαριασμού πληρωμών · in Greek · Open ↗ · Archived copy
- ΔΥΠΑ (press release reproduced by Taxheaven) · Από αύριο η προπληρωμή επιδομάτων, παροχών και Δώρου Χριστουγέννων από τη ΔΥΠΑ · 16 December 2025 · in Greek · Open ↗ · Archived copy
- Υπουργείο Εργασίας και Κοινωνικής Ασφάλισης (labour ministry) · Ο «χάρτης» των πληρωμών από e-ΕΦΚΑ, ΔΥΠΑ για την περίοδο 15 έως 19 Δεκεμβρίου · 13 December 2025 · in Greek · Open ↗
- Powergame.gr · Δώρο Χριστουγέννων 2025: Πότε και πόσα πληρώνει η ΔΥΠΑ · in Greek · Open ↗ · Archived copy
- Alfavita · ΔΥΠΑ: Ποιοι άνεργοι θα λάβουν αυξημένο Δώρο Χριστουγέννων το 2025; · in Greek · Open ↗ · Archived copy
- GOVNews · Έρχεται το Δώρο Χριστουγέννων για τους ανέργους: Αναλυτικά πόσα χρήματα θα λάβουν φέτος · 30 November 2025 · in Greek · Open ↗ · Archived copy
- Υπουργείο Οικονομικών (finance ministry) · Προσχέδιο Κρατικού Προϋπολογισμού 2027 · in Greek · Open ↗
- To Vima (English edition) · Countdown to Greece's Christmas Bonus Payment · 1 December 2025 · Open ↗
- Εθνικό Τυπογραφείο (National Printing House), ΦΕΚ Β' 742/9.12.1981 · Χορήγηση επιδομάτων εορτών Χριστουγέννων και Πάσχα στους μισθωτούς όλης της Χώρας που απασχολούνται με σχέση εργασίας ιδιωτικού δικαίου · 9 December 1981 · in Greek · Open ↗
Every figure in the text links to its source. Our own calculations are marked as such. Translations from Greek are ours. Archived copies are snapshots saved on the Internet Archive when we published.
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