Article 45 of Law 3028/02 establishes the legal framework for museums in Greece.

Definition
According to the above article a museum is a service or an organization of non-profit character, with or without legal personality, which acquires, accepts, safeguards, conserver, records, documents, researches, interprets and primarily exhibits and promotes to the public collections of archaeological, artistic, ethnological or other material evidence of people and their environment, for purposes of study, education and employment. Services or organizations with similar objectives and functions such as open-air museums may also be considered as museums.

Recognition of museums
There are “state museums" and “museums established by or belonging to other legal persons“. In order for the latter to benefit from the regulations governing museums, they must be recognized as such by decision of the Minister of Culture. A decision of the Minister of Culture defining the procedure for the establishment or recognition of museums is still pending.

Transfer of ownership of objects forming part of the collection of a state museum is forbidden. Recognized museums which belong to the broader public sector or to local authorities “may be exceptionally allowed to transfer ownership of objects either to the state or preferably to related legal persons for the purpose of inclusion in another museum collection.

Loan and temporary export of objects forming part of museum collections may be allowed under conditions such as a) a time limit no longer than 5 years (renewable), b) reciprocal exchange with another museum, c) the provision of guarantees for safe transport.

Museums are governed by their internal regulations. State museums adopt these by a decision of the Minister of Culture following an opinion by the Council of Museums. Other museums must simply notify the Service.

The objects deposited in museums must be registered in the National Inventory of Monuments. The museum administration is responsible for this registration.