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Hellenic Post
State-owned provider of postal services in Greece From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Hellenic Post S.A. (Greek: Ελληνικά Ταχυδρομεία, abbreviated ΕΛΤΑ, ELTA) is the state-owned provider of postal services in Greece. It succeeded the former government Postal Service, founded in 1828. ELTA provides a universal postal service to all parts of Greece and is a member of the Universal Postal Union. Services provided include: letter post; parcel service; deposit accounts; Swiftpost, a nationwide next-day delivery service; and the EMS international express mail service.
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History
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Hellenic Post was founded in 1828 along with the modern Greek state. Since 1996 it has been operating as a public limited company owned by the state.
In 1834 an agreement with French banker Francois Feraldi ensured mail service to and from the Greek islands, and in 1836 placed the first wagons for transporting mail between Athens and Piraeus.
In 1860 the law on stamps came into force, and the first Greek postage stamp was printed at the Paris Mint, symbolically the head of Hermes.
In 1869 ELTA started using the Greek railway system, and in 1874 it was one of the founding members in the Universal Postal Union established in Bern.
In 1892 telephone services were added to the responsibilities of the post.
In 1909 the company inaugurated the rural postal service, which for remained for decades the sole means of communication for farmers in difficult to reach rural areas.
Starting in 1926, the Italian Aero Espresso started offering its services to ELTA for mail delivery by plane.
During the Greek Civil War, the post office was always present, ensuring and enabling communication with the front. In 1949, with the establishment of OTE, the telegraph and telephone services were separated from the postal service, which now became the sole service of ELTA.
Since 2006 ELTA have been providing banking services, in accordance with the partnership with Hellenic Postbank.
Branch Closures and Reorganization (2025)
In 2025, the management of the Hellenic Post announced a major reorganization plan that includes the closure of 204 branches across Greece.[5] In the first phase, 46 branches ceased operations, mainly in the Attica region but also in cities such as Patras, Rhodes, Ioannina, and Crete.[6]
According to ELTA management, the decision was based on data showing that 92% of postal deliveries and 90% of parcel shipments are handled directly by home delivery, making the maintenance of an extensive branch network economically unsustainable.[6]
The announcement triggered strong political reactions, not only from the opposition but also from several members of the governing New Democracy party in constituencies affected by the closures.[5]
The Panhellenic Federation of Postal Workers’ Union also expressed opposition, denouncing the closures as part of a gradual privatization process and the transfer of postal services to private couriers.[7]
Critics argued that the downsizing of ELTA benefits private courier companies.[8]
The reorganization process was accompanied by the resignation of the CEO of Hellenic Post, Gregory Sklikas.[9]
As part of the restructuring, ELTA had previously contracted the consulting firm PwC (2022–2024) for approximately €5 million to design and evaluate the reorganization of its service network.[10]
Post office in Patmos
Post box at Cape Sounion
Hellenic Post, Courier Service logo
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External links
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