Greek authorities have introduced a digital age verification system to enforce national bans on tobacco and alcohol sales to minors. Presented by Health Minister Adonis Georgiades alongside the Ministers of Citizen Protection and Digital Governance, the mobile platform links directly to Greece’s existing digital wallet infrastructure.
The system closes an operational loophole that previously allowed vendors to claim ignorance regarding a buyer’s actual age.
“What we are doing today removes that excuse,” Georgiades stated. “It makes it easier to control, clearer the relationship between us, and easier to impose a fine.”
Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou noted that the system mirrors the technical standards favored by the European Union for online platforms, marking its first physical retail implementation across the continent.
Since the enforcement law took effect on July 7, 2025, authorities have carried out roughly 82,000 inspections, generating the following enforcement actions:
- 313 arrests: 67 percent involved illegal alcohol transactions.
- 150 administrative fines: Issued mostly for alcohol-related violations.
- 121 private event filings: Processed through a mandatory reporting system for gatherings involving minors.
The Ministry of Citizen Protection confirmed that the legal framework now requires both mandatory age verification at points of sale and formal reporting of youth events to local police.
