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Greek vehicle registration plates are composed of three letters and four digits per plate (e.g. ???-1000) printed in black on a white background. The letters represent the district (prefecture) that issues the plates while the numbers begin from 1000 to 9999. As from 2004, a blue strip was added on the left showing the country code of Greece (GR) in white text and the Flag of Europe. Similar plates with digits beginning from 1 to 999 are issued for motorcycles which exceed 50 cc.

With the exception of Athens and Thessaloniki, all districts are represented by the first 2 letters. The final letter in the sequence changes in Greek alphabetical order after 9,000 issued plates. For example, Patras plates are ???-1000, where ?? represents the Achaia prefecture of which Patras is the capital. When ???-9999 is reached the plates turn to ???-1000 and this continues until ??? is finished. Only the letters from the intersection between the Latin and Greek alphabets by glyph appearance are used, namely ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ? (in Greek alphabetical order). This is because Greece is a contracting party to the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, which in Annex 2 requires registration numbers to be displayed in capital Latin characters and Arabic numerals. The rule applies in a similar way in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bulgaria.

Combinations used for overseas residents are L-NNNN (where L = letter and N = number) and are limited. Until 2003, taxis used L-NNNN; the plate was aligned with the prefecture and the letters were colored red.

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History

1952-1955

When number plates were introduced to Greece, they were numbered and in the late 1950s the system was L-NNN and LL-NNN. The letters were Greek letters and Latin letters, respectively.

1956-1971

In 1956, the system was NNNNNN.

1972-1982

In 1972, they became lettered and the system was LL-NNNN while trucks used L-NNNN.

1983-2003

In 1983, the system was LLL-NNNN and the first two letters are prefecture letters.

2004 to present

In 2004, the euroband was added.

Rent A Car From Athens Airport Video

Car designations

Prefectures (in Greek alphabetical order)

The first 2 of 3 letters (which are listed below) of a licence plate usually represent the prefecture (nomos) where the car was registered. The almost full list of plates in Greece is below (next to the prefecture / district is its capital or an area within the prefecture that the plates are issued; some prefectures have more than one combination):

?? Achaia prefecture - Patras
?? Kavala prefecture - Kavala {motorcycles}
?? Lasithi prefecture - Agios Nikolaos (future use)
?? Achaia prefecture - Patras
?? Xanthi prefecture - Xanthi (??? is omitted)
?? Aitoloakarnania prefecture - Agrinio area (??? is omitted)
?? Laconia prefecture - Sparti
?? Phokida prefecture - Amfissa
- ?? [?, ?, ?, ?, ?] (red letters) tax free cars
?? Lasithi prefecture - Agios Nikolaos
?? Achaia prefecture - Patras {motorcycles}
- AO also used in Mount Athos in style of AO-NNN-NN.
?? Argolis (Argolida) prefecture - Nafplio
?? Arta prefecture - Arta
?? Achaia prefecture - Patras
?? Magnesia prefecture - Volos
?? Magnesia prefecture - Volos {motorcycles}
?? Piraeus prefecture {motorcycles}
BZ Piraeus prefecture {motorcycles}
?? Piraeus prefecture {motorcycles}
?? Boeotia (Viotia) prefecture - Livadeia
?? East Attica prefecture - Pallini (future use)
?? East Attica prefecture - Pallini (future use)
?? West Attica prefecture - Elefsina (future use)
?? Magnesia prefecture - Volos (??? plates were also issued for cars in Pella Prefecture due to lack of ??? plates at that time)
?? West Attica prefecture - Elefsina (future use)
?? Magnesia prefecture - Volos (future use)
?? Boeotia (Viotia) prefecture - Livadeia (future use)
?? Piraeus prefecture {motorcycles}
?? Dodecanese prefecture - Kos island {motorcycles}
?? Evros prefecture - Alexandroupoli (??? is omitted)
?? Pella Prefecture - Edessa (??? is omitted)
?? Cyclades prefecture - Ermoupoli {motorcycles}
?? Euboea (Evia) prefecture - Chalkida {motorcycles}
EI Euboea (Evia) prefecture - Chalkida {motorcycles}
EK Trucks
- ?? [?, ?, ?] (introduced maybe in 2003/2004, yellow colored) trucks and other vehicles used for national transport of goods
?? Cyclades prefecture - Ermoupoli
?? Serres prefecture - Serres
?? Corfu (Kerkyra) prefecture - Corfu {motorcycles}
?? Lefkada prefecture - Lefkada (??? plates were also issued in Rodos Island due to lack of ??? plates at that time)
- ?? [?] tax free cars of offshore companies
?? Kilkis prefecture - Kilkis (future use)
?? Zakynthos prefecture - Zakynthos
?? Zakynthos prefecture - Zakynthos (future use)
?? Thessaloniki prefecture (future use)
?? Athens prefecture
?? Athens prefecture
?? Thessaloniki prefecture (future use)
?? Athens prefecture
?? Athens prefecture
?? Piraeus prefecture {motorcycles}
?? Thessaloniki prefecture (future use)
?? Piraeus prefecture {motorcycles}
?? West Attica prefecture - Elefsina {motorcycles}
?? East Attica prefecture - Pallini
?? East Attica prefecture - Pallini
?? Ilia prefecture - Pyrgos
?? Athens prefecture {motorcycles}
?? Ilia prefecture - Pyrgos (future use)
?? Heraklio prefecture - Heraklio {motorcycles}
?? Heraklio prefecture - Heraklio {motorcycles}
?? Heraklio prefecture - Heraklio (future use)
?? Heraklio prefecture - Heraklio (??? and ??? plates were also issued in nearby Chania Prefecture due to lack of ??? plates at that time)
?? Imathia prefecture - Veria
?? Thesprotia prefecture - Igoumenitsa
?? Xanthi prefecture - Xanthi {motorcycles}
?? Heraklio prefecture - Heraklio
?? Xanthi prefecture - Xanthi (future use)
?? Phthiotis (Fthiotida) prefecture - Lamia (future use)
?? Imathia prefecture - Veria (future use)
?? Trucks
- ?? [?, ?, ?] (yellow colored) trucks used for international transport
?? Athens prefecture
?? Athens prefecture
?? Athens prefecture
?? Athens prefecture (IHA plates were also issued for cars in Euboea Prefecture due to lack of XAI plates at that time)
?? Ioannina prefecture - Ioannina (future use)
?? Athens prefecture
?? Athens prefecture
?? Ioannina prefecture - Ioannina
?? Athens prefecture
?? Athens prefecture {not solely for motorcycles as previously stated, IPN 1604 was my own rental car in October 2014}
?? Athens prefecture {motorcycles}
?? Athens prefecture {motorcycles}
?? Serres prefecture
?? Karditsa prefecture - Karditsa (??? is omitted)
?? Kavala prefecture - Kavala (??? is omitted)
?? Kefalonia and Ithaca prefecture - Argostoli (KEE is omitted)
?? Kozani prefecture - Kozani (??? is omitted)
?? Evrytania prefecture - Karpenisi
- ?? [?, ?, ?] (orange colored) state cars
?? Kilkis prefecture - Kilkis
?? Rhodope prefecture - Komotini {motorcycles}
?? Messinia prefecture - Kalamata
?? Pieria prefecture - Katerini (??? is omitted)
?? Rhodope (Rodopi) prefecture - Komotini (exception: ??? and ??? --> Thessaloniki prefecture, ??? --> Heraklio prefecture {motorcycles})
?? Corinthia prefecture - Corinth (Korinthos)
?? Kastoria prefecture - Kastoria
?? Corfu (Kerkyra) prefecture - Corfu
?? Dodecanese prefecture - Kos island (??? plates were also issued for cars in Rodos Island due to lack of ??? plates at that time)
- ?? [?] (red letters) tax free cars
?? Chalkidiki prefecture - Polygyros (future use)
?? Samos prefecture - Samos (future use)
?? Aitoloakarnania prefecture - Messolongi
?? Messinia prefecture - Kalamata {motorcycles}
?? Lesvos prefecture - Myrina (Limnos island)
- MH [?, ?, ?] (red letters) tax free cars
?? Phthiotis (Fthiotida) prefecture - Lamia
?? Karditsa prefecture - Karditsa (future use)
?? Pella Prefecture - Edessa (future use)
?? Kozani prefecture - Kozani (future use)
?? Samos prefecture - Samos (???, ??? and ??? plates for motorcycles were also issued in Rodos Island due to lack of ??? plates at that time)
- ?? [?, ?, ?] (red letters) {tax free cars}
?? Laconia prefecture - Sparti (future use)
?? Lesbos prefecture - Mytilini {motorcycles}
?? Lesbos (Lesvos) prefecture - Mytilini (??? plates were also issued for cars in Rodos Island due to lack of ??? plates at that time)
?? Evros prefecture - Alexandroupoli (future use)
?? Thessaloniki prefecture - Thessaloniki
?? Thessaloniki prefecture - Thessaloniki
?? Thessaloniki prefecture - Thessaloniki
?? Thessaloniki prefecture - Thessaloniki
?? Thessaloniki prefecture - Thessaloniki
?? Thessaloniki prefecture - Thessaloniki
?? Thessaloniki prefecture - Thessaloniki {motorcycles}
?? Thessaloniki prefecture - Thessaloniki {motorcycles}
?? Thessaloniki prefecture - Thessaloniki {motorcycles}
?? Thessaloniki prefecture - Thessaloniki {motorcycles}
?? Thessaloniki prefecture (future use)
?? Thessaloniki prefecture (future use)
?? Thessaloniki prefecture (future use)
?? Trucks
- ?? [?, ?] (yellow colored) {trucks for transport of goods in a prefecture}
?? Athens {motorcycles}
?? Athens {motorcycles}
?? Athens {motorcycles}
?? Athens (future use)
?? Athens {motorcycles}
?? Athens {motorcycles}
?? Athens {motorcycles}
?? Athens {motorcycles}
?? Athens (future use)
?? Athens (future use)
?? Evros prefecture - Orestiada area
?? Athens (future use)
?? Athens (future use)
?? Athens (future use)
?? Florina prefecture - Florina (??? is omitted)
- ?? [?, ?, ?] (red letters) tax free cars
?? Corinthia prefecture - Corinth (future use)
?? Rethymno prefecture - Rethymno (??? appears not to have been omitted as previously stated, and was observed on a motorcycle in Rethymno in October 2014)
?? Preveza prefecture - Preveza (??? is omitted)
?? Rethymno prefecture - Rethymno (previously stated as "future use", was observed in use on motorcycles/scooters in October 2014)
?? Larissa prefecture - Larissa
?? Dodecanese prefecture - Rodos (Rhodes) {motorcycles}
?? Drama prefecture - Drama (??? is omitted)
?? Grevena prefecture - Grevena
- ?? [?, ?, ?, ?, ?] (red letters) trucks
?? Dodecanese prefecture - Rhodes (Rodos)
?? Larissa prefecture - Larissa(New)
?? Larissa prefecture - Larissa (future use)
?? Dodecanese prefecture - Rodos (Rhodes) {motorcycles}
?? Dodecanese prefecture - Rodos (Rhodes) (future use)
?? Taxis
- ?? [?, ?, ?, ?, ?] (marked in yellow) taxis
?? Corfu (Kerkyra) prefecture - Corfu (future use)
?? Corfu (Kerkyra) prefecture - Corfu (future use)
?? Piraeus prefecture (future use)
?? Aitoloakarnania prefecture - Agrinio area (future use)
?? Pieria prefecture - Katerini (future use)
?? Trikala prefecture - Trikala
?? Argolis (Argolida) prefecture - Nafplio (future use)
?? Trikala prefecture - Trikala (future use)
?? Drama prefecture - Drama (future use)
?? Arcadia prefecture - Tripoli
?? Rhodope prefecture (future use)
?? Chania prefecture - Chania {motorcycles}
?? Preveza prefecture - Preveza (future use)
?? Athens prefecture
?? Athens prefecture
?? Athens prefecture
?? Athens prefecture
?? Athens prefecture (YHA plates were also issued for cars in Euboea Prefecture due to lack of XAN plates at that time)
?? Piraeus prefecture
?? Piraeus prefecture
?? Piraeus prefecture
?? Piraeus prefecture
?? West Attica prefecture - Elefsina
?? West Attica prefecture - Elefsina
?? West Attica prefecture - Elefsina
?? East Attica prefecture - Pallini
?? East Attica prefecture - Pallini
?? Euboea (Evia) prefecture - Chalkida (??? is omitted)
?? Chania prefecture - Chania {motorcycles}
?? Athens prefecture {motorcycles}
?? Athens prefecture {motorcycles}
?? Athens prefecture {motorcycles}
?? Chios prefecture - Chios
?? Chalkidiki prefecture - Polygyros (??? is omitted)
?? Athens prefecture (future use)
?? Chania prefecture - Chania (??? and ??? were skipped for cars, but were used for motorcycles)
?? Chios prefecture - Chios (future use)
?? Athens prefecture {motorcycles}
?? Athens prefecture {motorcycles}
?? Athens prefecture {motorcycles}
?? Athens prefecture {motorcycles}

Special plates

Vehicles that belong to public services and armed forces use special license plates with the following letter combinations followed by numbers:

??? (Athens International Airport service vehicles) -- (blue coloured with white lettering)
??.?. (???????? ???????, Anapiroi Polemou) -- Disabled in war (blue coloured)
??? (????????????, Dokimastikes) -- Test plates
?? (??????????? ????, Diplomatiko Soma) -- Corps Diplomatique or foreign delegation (e.g. ?? 48 CD, ?? 48-1 CD) (blue-coloured)
?.?. or ??.??. (???????? ?????????, Elliniki Astynomia) -- Hellenic Police
?? (???????? ????, Limeniko Soma) -- Coast Guard
?? (????? ?????????, Xenes Apostoles) -- Foreign missions (yellow coloured)
?? (????????? ???????, Ellinikos Stratos) -- Hellenic Army
?? (???????? ?????????, Polemiki Aeroporia) -- Hellenic Air Force
?? (???????? ???????, Polemiko Naftiko) -- Hellenic Navy
?? (???????????? ????, Pyrosvestiko Soma) -- Fire Guard
?? (???????? ??? ??????????, Próedros tis Kyvérnisis) -- President of the Government, i.e. the Prime Minister of Greece

The following categories are conflicting: The same letter combinations are used for both public services and specific regions:

?? (???????? ??????????, Agrotika Mekhanemata) -- Agricultural vehicles
?? (??????? ????????, Kratiki Ypiresia) -- State
?? (?????????? ?????, Mekhanimata Ergon) -- Public works vehicles (yellow coloured)

Source of the article : Wikipedia