A large-scale deregistration process for inactive students will begin in December, with approximately 285,000 individuals expected to be removed from the registers of Greece’s public universities (HEIs).

Who Will Be Deregistered

The process applies to students who have exceeded both the official duration of their studies and the additional grace period provided under Law 5224/2025, which offered one final opportunity to complete their degree programs.

A circular from the Ministry of Education has already been issued, detailing the implementation steps for enforcing the maximum study duration and student record updates. Universities have also received specific instructions on how to carry out the measure.

Implementation Framework

The ministerial decision issued on 22 October 2025, in line with Article 76 of Law 4957/2022 (“New Horizons in Higher Education Institutions”), introduces the universal and mandatory application of the “n + 2 / n + 4 / n + 6” rule across all universities. The first automatic deregistrations are expected to take effect from the 2026–2027 academic year.

The regulation includes safeguards for students facing documented difficulties or who have only a few remaining courses before graduation. Universities are also required to establish electronic notification systems and maintain individualized study duration records.

Education Minister Sofia Zacharaki stated that the process will proceed as planned, noting that the ministry now has a complete overview of students who have not fulfilled their academic obligations. She added that around 30,000 students have already submitted applications, making use of the transitional provisions that allow them to complete their studies before deregistration.

The Numbers Behind the Deregistrations

According to data from the Ministry of Education and the Rectors’ Synod, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) has the highest number of inactive students, totaling 83,970. The figure is attributed to the university’s large size and long history, as its records include enrolments dating back to 1938. In several cases, the exact year of admission cannot be verified due to the absence of older electronic archives.

In contrast, the University of Western Macedonia has the highest percentage of active students among the so-called “eternal students,” with 42.17% participating in recent examination periods. By comparison, participation is significantly lower at former Technological Educational Institutes (TEIs) that merged with universities in 2018 — at the former TEI of Western Greece, only 2.3% of enrolled students have taken part in exams over the past two years.

What Law 5224/2025 Provides

Under the new framework, students admitted by 2016 will be automatically deregistered two months after the end of the September 2025 re-examination period, unless they have applied for an exemption.

Extensions or exemptions will only be granted to those who apply within the deadlines and can prove serious health issues or other documented hardships.

A circular issued by Deputy Minister of Education Nikos Papaioannou instructed universities to begin notifying students via official announcements on their websites, urging them to take immediate action.

As the Rectorate of the Hellenic Mediterranean University noted, “The deadlines are strict, and no further extensions are foreseen. Eligible students are strongly encouraged to complete the required exemption application without delay.”