S.O.E.L. The Institute of Certified Accountants of Greece

What S.O.E.L. The Institute of Certified Accountants of Greece does

S.O.E.L. (Σώμα Ορκωτών Ελεγκτών Λογιστών — The Body of Certified Public Accountants of Greece), founded in 1955 and re-established under Presidential Decree 226/1992, is the statutory professional regulatory body for certified auditors in Greece. Operating under Law 4449/2017 and supervised by ELTE (Hellenic Accounting and Auditing Standards Oversight Board), the organization holds exclusive authority for licensing statutory auditors and audit firms, administering professional examinations, conducting quality control oversight, and delivering continuous professional education. SOEL serves three tightly linked persona segments: aspiring statutory auditors pursuing the Chartered Accountant license, currently licensed statutory auditors, and audit firms seeking registration under EU Directive-aligned requirements. The institute operates through four physical offices (Athens headquarters, Thessaloniki, Heraklion Crete, Larissa) plus a member portal at portal.soel.gr, and wholly-owns IESOEL (the Institute of Education of SOEL, which delivers training programs including METKEL, JES, AMP, CertIFR, CertIPSAS, and ESG certification seminars) and TEA SOEL (a supplementary insurance fund for members).

The revenue model is non-commercial. SOEL is a non-profit professional body that derives inflows from standardized unit-priced examination fees (€45-120 per subject), training and certification fees (€60-750 depending on program and member status), annual member subscriptions, and registration fees for audit firms. There is no public disclosure of total revenue, funding rounds, or ownership structure beyond member-elected governance through the General Assembly and Supervisory Board. SOEL's primary strategic differentiator is its legally mandated monopoly over Greek statutory auditor licensing, reinforced by long-standing international cooperation with ACCA (since 2009, via the Joint Examination Scheme and CertIFR) and ICAEW (via the Accredited Membership Program), which extends the value of its qualification internationally. Notable recent moves include the 2026 expansion of the ACCA partnership to include CertIPSAS for public-sector accounting and the introduction of an ESG Certification Seminar aligned with ELTE Regulatory Act 001/2024.

Name

S.O.E.L. The Institute of Certified Accountants of Greece

Legal name

Σώμα Ορκωτών Ελεγκτών Λογιστών (Σ.Ο.Ε.Λ.)

Website

https://soel.gr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SOEL (Σώμα Ορκωτών Ελεγκτών Λογιστών) is the statutory professional regulatory body for certified auditors in Greece, founded 1955 and operating under Law 4449/2017. It administers licensing examinations, continuous professional education, and certifications for Greek auditors and audit firms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Accounting & Auditing Certification

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDADAFAD

Professional & Occupational Licensing Examination Authorities

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Assessment, Examinations & Qualifications Authorities

SECONDARYEDAAANAD

Finance, Accounting & Risk (CFA/CPA/FRM) Certifications

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Professional Certification Programs

SECONDARYEDANAIAD

Accounting & Finance Certification Prep (CPA, CMA, CFA, FRM)

Education/Tutoring & Test Preparation/Professional Certification & Licensure Exam Prep

Keywords

• Professional certification services
• Statutory auditor licensing
• Accounting professional body
• Audit firm registration
• Continuing professional education

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

S.O.E.L. is the statutory professional body that licenses chartered auditors (Ορκωτοί Ελεγκτές Λογιστές) and registers audit firms in Greece under Law 4449/2017. It administers professional licensing examinations, delivers the METKEL postgraduate program in Applied Accounting and Auditing through its IESOEL education subsidiary, and offers international certification pathways in partnership with ACCA (CertIFR, CertIPSAS, JES) and ICAEW (AMP). The body also provides continuous professional education seminars, ESG reporting assurance certification, and maintains the official registry of Greek chartered auditors and audit firms.

Product overview

S.O.E.L. (The Body of Certified Public Accountants of Greece) operates as a professional certification and regulatory body, not a technology product company. Its core offerings consist of professional certification programs including the METKEL postgraduate program in Applied Accounting and Auditing, professional examinations for Chartered Accountant licensing, and international partnerships with ACCA and ICAEW. The portfolio includes specialized certificates such as CertIFR (IFRS) and CertIPSAS (Public Sector Accounting), continuing professional education seminars, and member registry services. These offerings are educational and professional certification services rather than software products, though the organization maintains an online member portal and examination registration system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• METKEL Postgraduate Program in Applied Accounting and Auditing (ΜΕΤΚΕΛ) Postgraduate program providing specialized knowledge and skills required for obtaining the professional license of Chartered Accountant, offered in collaboration with the University of Athens (ΕΚΠΑ) through IESOEL.
• Joint Examination Scheme (JES) – SOEL & ACCA Joint examination program enabling METKEL holders to also obtain the ACCA professional qualification, in operation since 2009.
• Accredited Membership Program (AMP) – SOEL & ICAEW Program enabling METKEL holders to obtain the ICAEW professional qualification through the SOEL-ICAEW partnership.
• CertIFR – ACCA/SOEL IFRS Certificate Certificate in International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), offered for the first time in the Greek language. Training program of 48 hours plus 20-30 hours of self-study, with exams in Greek.
• CertIPSAS – Certificate in International Public Sector Accounting Standards Certificate in International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS), offered in Greek through the ACCA-SOEL strategic partnership for enhancing financial excellence in the public sector.
• ESG Certification Seminar 30-hour seminar on sustainability reporting assurance for Chartered Accountants, covering ESRS standards, EU Taxonomy, and ESG reporting frameworks per ELTE Regulatory Act 001/2024.
• SOEL Professional Examinations (Επαγγελματικές Εξετάσεις ΣΟΕΛ) Professional examinations for obtaining the Chartered Accountant license, conducted in Athens, Thessaloniki, and Heraklion Crete, with standardized exam fees ranging from €45-€120 per subject under Article 13 of Law 4449/2017.
• Continuing Professional Education Seminars (Σεμινάρια Συνεχούς Επαγγελματικής Εκπαίδευσης) Mandatory continuing professional education seminars for Chartered Accountants, offered in multiple cycles throughout the year, covering topics such as ESG, corporate law, tax law, and auditing standards, delivered via WebEx and in-person.
• Chartered Accountant Registration (Εγγραφή Ορκωτών Ελεγκτών Λογιστών) Registration and licensing service for Chartered Accountants (Ο.Ε.Λ.), including requirements documentation, application processing, and enrollment in the SOEL registry.
• Audit Firm Registration (Εγγραφή Ελεγκτικών Εταιρειών) Registration service for audit firms, including licensing requirements such as majority ownership by licensed auditors and two-thirds management board composition from qualified auditors, in compliance with EU Directive requirements under Law 4449/2017.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants): Global professional accounting body that operates as a direct counterpart to S.O.E.L. via the joint examination scheme (JES) and CertIFR partnership; both grant chartered accountant certifications with international recognition.
• ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales): UK chartered accountancy body partnered with S.O.E.L. through the Accredited Membership Program (AMP), offering a directly comparable chartered accountant qualification pathway with similar examination and membership functions.
• Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS): UK chartered accountancy body providing chartered accountant qualification through examination and membership pathways directly analogous to S.O.E.L.'s statutory licensing function.

Regional players

• Institut des Réviseurs d'Entreprises (IRE): Belgian professional body for statutory auditors, comparable in mandate and scale to S.O.E.L. as the national licensing and oversight authority for auditors in Belgium.
• Compagnie Nationale des Commissaires aux Comptes (CNCC): French professional body representing statutory auditors, serving an analogous role to S.O.E.L. in regulating the audit profession and overseeing professional standards in France.
• Wirtschaftsprüferkammer (WPK): Germany's statutory body for the auditing profession, performing the same exclusive licensing, oversight, and quality control function for German statutory auditors that S.O.E.L. performs in Greece.

Others

• Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA): Global professional body for internal auditors offering the CIA certification, thematically related to S.O.E.L.'s mandate around audit professional standards but focused on internal rather than statutory audit.
• IESOEL (Institute of Education of SOEL): Wholly-owned training subsidiary of S.O.E.L. that delivers the METKEL postgraduate program, JES, AMP, and CertIFR courses; included as an internal ecosystem peer given its parallel educational mandate.

Broad incumbents

• CPA Australia: Major Asia-Pacific professional accounting body offering chartered accountant certification comparable to S.O.E.L.'s offerings, with broader international scope and an established online examination platform.

Emerging players

• IMA (Institute of Management Accountants): US-based professional association offering the CMA (Certified Management Accountant) credential, representing an adjacent certification body that competes for finance professionals' continuing education spend.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SOELGR
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/s-o-e-l-the-institute-of-certified-accountants-of-greece

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about S.O.E.L. The Institute of Certified Accountants of Greece