A Greek public authority has not answered my application: deadlines, records and next steps

Do you have proof of receipt and a complete file?

Start with the application, attachments, protocol number or electronic receipt and any later request for additional documents. Establish whether the application reached the competent authority and exactly what it requested. A telephone conversation or informal message does not always establish formal submission of that particular request.

Record the original submission and every later supplementation separately. Under the general processing rule, submission to the competent authority and the availability of all required information matter. If completeness is disputed, ask in writing what is missing and why it is needed, rather than repeatedly resubmitting the same application without identifying the outstanding issue.

Fifty days is a general rule, not an answer for every case

Article 4 of the Administrative Procedure Code sets a general 50-day processing period, linked to the competent authority and a complete file. Specific procedures, different statutory periods and matters involving several authorities require separate checking. Identify the rules governing your application before calculating whether there has been a delay.

Do not assume that 50 days of silence automatically means approval, rejection or entitlement to a fixed compensation payment. Whether silence has legal effects, an omission can be challenged and a judicial deadline has begun are separate questions. A legal assessment therefore needs the actual application and dates, rather than simply the fact that you have waited a long time.

What to ask in a focused written follow-up

Identify the original protocol number and ask about completeness, the responsible unit, the current stage and the estimated completion time. Attach what is needed to identify the file without unnecessarily circulating personal data. Keep proof that your follow-up was submitted.

Law 5293/2026 amended Article 4(5) to provide for personalised electronic information on a case’s progress, including completeness, stage, responsible unit and contact details. The provision took effect on 1 June 2026. Ask the authority about its available tracking arrangements; an online status indication should not be treated as a substitute for a required decision or formal notification.

• Original protocol number and submission date
• A precise description of what remains outstanding
• A request for completeness and responsible-unit information
• Copies of responses and submission receipts

When to consider a complaint or court protection

Depending on the case, further administrative action, a complaint within the Greek Ombudsman’s remit or court protection may be appropriate. An Ombudsman complaint does not itself suspend the legal periods for judicial remedies. Waiting for an answer to an ordinary reminder should likewise not be treated as assurance that every other deadline remains open.

For assessment by a lawyer in Heraklion, organise submissions and notifications in a timeline and explain the decision or action you need from the authority. The review establishes whether a particular decision is legally required, which body is responsible and what step can protect your rights. If a decision has already been issued or notified, provide it promptly rather than waiting for the correspondence to end.