Greece reissues operating permits for Keele and York university branches

Restoration of operating permits in Athens and Thessaloniki

On Friday, 28 August 2026, the Greek Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports announced the re-issuance of establishment and operating permits for two foreign university branches. Deputy Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports Nikos Papaioannou signed the ministerial decisions granting formal authorization to The University of Keele, Greece, located in Athens, and City - European Campus of the University of York, based in Thessaloniki. The ministry confirmed that the administrative procedure was conducted again from scratch to ensure complete compliance with recent court decisions. Both institutions will function as University Education Legal Entities, known under Greek law as NPPE. The decision clears the path for the two British university branches to operate their facilities across the country for the upcoming academic period.

Council of State rulings and administrative corrections

The ministerial actions follow decisions 1167/2026 and 1169/2026 delivered by the Council of State. On 13 August 2026, the supreme administrative court annulled previous operating permits granted to Keele University, York University, and Anatolia College. A seven-member panel of the court's Third Section, led by President D. Kyrillopoulos and Reporting Judge E. Argyros, identified procedural defects in the licensing route. Specifically, the court found legal flaws in the initial certifications issued by the National Organisation for the Certification of Qualifications and Vocational Guidance, known as EOPPEP. To remedy the defect, EOPPEP reviewed the files under a revised administrative process and issued fresh approval decisions on Friday, enabling the deputy minister to sign the new ministerial orders on the same day.

Constitutional framework and cross-border oversight

In its published rulings numbered 1167 through 1172 of 2026, the Council of State reaffirmed the constitutional framework established in its 2025 Plenary decisions 1919 and 1920. The judges determined that establishing private university branches under international treaties does not breach constitutional protections for public education, provided standards remain monitored.

The Constitution does not prohibit the establishment and operation of branches of foreign universities originating from the European Union or from a country party to GATS, under the terms of a specific law that ensures a high standard of studies and academic freedom.

The court also dismissed legal petitions demanding that curricula receive separate individual accreditations from home-country regulators abroad. The judges concluded that the degree programs are explicitly defined in formal educational contracts between the parent universities and their Greek NPPE entities, which guarantee parent institutional oversight.

Next steps for Anatolia College and the accreditation authority

While the administrative hurdles for the Keele and York campuses were resolved on Friday, the file for Anatolia College remains pending. Anatolia College was the third institution whose operating license was set aside in the 13 August court rulings. According to ministry information, the remaining authorization is scheduled for completion next week. The resolution requires an adjustment to the committee composition of the National Authority for Higher Education, known as ETHAEE. Once the newly constituted ETHAEE committee reviews and clears the documentation, the education ministry will issue the final operating permit to conclude the relicensing cycle for all three affected private institutions.