Vehicle registration plate shortages hit İskeçe and Eastern Macedonia and Thrace
Vehicle registration plate stocks are running low in İskeçe (Xanthi) and across Greece's Eastern Macedonia and Thrace region, prompting authorities to redistribute supplies between regional units. The region requires approximately 700 plates for cars and heavy vehicles and 250 for motorcycles every month.
Shortages of vehicle registration plates are becoming increasingly serious in İskeçe (Xanthi) and other parts of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (AMTH), forcing local transport authorities to borrow supplies from neighbouring regional units to meet demand.
The situation has led to a growing number of vehicles registered in İskeçe displaying licence plate prefixes associated with other parts of the region, including Kavala, Rhodope, Meriç (Evros) and Drama.
According to Pantelis Delidis, head of the Regional Directorate of Transport and Communications, the shortage is a nationwide problem linked to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, which is responsible for procuring registration plates.
"Our stocks of registration plates are running out. For this reason, we are trying to exchange supplies between regional units through internal redistribution in order to serve citizens. This is why we obtain plates from Kavala for İskeçe, and similarly for other cities," Delidis said.
He added that the regional authorities had formally notified the ministry about the shortage.
"We have submitted official documents to the ministry outlining the problem. What we know is that international procurement tenders have been delayed, which has led to the depletion of stocks," he explained.
MONTHLY DEMAND REACHES 950 PLATES
Delidis said Eastern Macedonia and Thrace requires approximately 700 registration plates per month for passenger cars and heavy vehicles, in addition to 250 plates for motorcycles.
The redistribution of existing stocks is currently being used as a temporary measure to prevent disruptions to vehicle registration services.
PROCUREMENT DELAYS BEHIND THE SHORTAGE
The shortage of registration plates has previously affected Greece, including around a decade ago. The current situation is raising concerns about delays in vehicle registration and the delivery of new cars and motorcycles.
According to the report, stocks have reached critically low levels in several transport directorates across the country, including Attica, where some estimates suggest that supplies could be exhausted within days.
The underlying problem is reportedly linked to complications, objections and legal obstacles affecting procurement tenders for registration plates. Proceedings before the Hellenic Court of Audit, including Acts 358/2025 and 250/2026, are cited as part of the delays in securing timely deliveries.
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport is reportedly seeking to ease the situation through the redistribution of available stocks between regions and emergency procurement measures.
However, representatives of the automotive industry, including the Hellenic Association of Motor Vehicle Importers and Representatives (AMVIR/SEAA), have warned that inconvenience and registration delays remain ongoing concerns.
