Greece Work Permits

Description

Greece's standard employer-sponsored work route for non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals with a valid employment contract from a Greek employer. This is the most common category for direct, long-term employment in Greece and typically involves a labour market test.

Rules & Regulations

• Work permit approval must first be obtained in Greece by the sponsoring employer (via the Decentralized Administration Office) before the applicant applies for the Type D national visa.
• The employer must demonstrate the role could not be filled by an EU/EEA candidate (labour market test), unless the occupation is otherwise exempt.
• Initial validity is typically 1 year, renewable annually as long as the employment relationship continues.
• Anyone entering on a Type D visa must apply for a residence permit within 30 days of entering Greece, at the local Aliens and Immigration Division.
• Residence permits must be renewed 2 months before expiry.

Government Fee

Standard Greek national Type D visa fee applies (confirm exact current amount with the Greek Embassy Islamabad). Travel medical insurance of at least €30,000 Schengen coverage is required for the visa stage.

Processing Time

National Type D visa at the consulate: typically 2–4 weeks, depending on appointment availability and workload. Temporary residence/work permit processing after arrival: generally 2–4 months once all required documents are submitted and accepted. Total end-to-end timeline (work permit approval + Type D visa + residence permit): commonly 3–6 months depending on circumstances and document readiness.

General Eligibility

• A valid, signed employment contract from a Greek employer specifying duties, salary, and duration.
• Employer registered in Greece, in good standing, and up to date with tax and social security obligations.
• Qualifications and experience appropriate for the role.

Eligibility for Pakistani Nationals

• No nationality-based restriction — Pakistani nationals are fully eligible for the Employment Visa, subject to employer sponsorship and standard requirements.
• Applications are submitted at the Greek Embassy Islamabad via appointment booking, referencing the Greek work-permit decision number (Apofasi) issued to the sponsoring employer.
• Police Clearance Certificates must be apostilled and no more than 3 months old at the time of submission — plan this document's timing carefully given processing delays.

Document Checklist

• Valid passport (minimum 1.5 years' validity from date of application)
• Work permit approval/decision number (Apofasi) from the Greek Decentralized Administration
• Signed employment contract
• Recent apostilled Police Clearance Certificate (under 3 months old)
• Travel/health insurance (minimum €30,000 Schengen coverage)
• Medical certificate from an approved medical institution (including infectious disease tests)
• Completed application form with recent color photograph
• Proof of accommodation in Greece

Description

Greece's route for highly qualified non-EU professionals, allowing entry via a national Type D visa followed by an EU Blue Card residence permit for highly skilled employment.

Rules & Regulations

• Salary threshold is set at approximately 1.5–1.6× the average gross annual salary in Greece (the EU Commission's most recent published figure, based on 2024 data, is roughly €31,919/year) — this figure is recalculated periodically, so confirm the current exact amount before applying.
• Requires a valid work contract for a highly qualified post for at least 1 year.
• Requires a university degree or equivalent tertiary qualification, or highly specialised professional qualifications demonstrated through experience.
• EU Blue Cards are valid for 2 years (or the contract duration plus 3 months, if shorter).
• Family members' residence permits are issued within 6 months of application, valid for the same duration as the principal's Blue Card.

Government Fee

Standard Greek national Type D visa fee plus EU Blue Card residence permit fee applies — confirm exact current combined figure via the Greek Embassy Islamabad.

Processing Time

National Type D visa: 2–4 weeks at the consulate. EU Blue Card residence permit processing after arrival: generally follows the standard 2–4 month timeline for employment-based permits, though family member permits specifically are confirmed to take up to 6 months.

General Eligibility

• A university degree/tertiary qualification or comparable professional experience.
• A work contract of 12+ months meeting the applicable salary threshold.
• Employer support/documentation confirming the role and terms.

Eligibility for Pakistani Nationals

• No nationality-based restriction — Pakistani professionals with a qualifying degree/experience and a Greek job offer are eligible.
• The exact proof of qualifications accepted can vary by occupation — confirm degree recognition requirements for the specific role before applying.
• This route is not suitable for remote workers with foreign (non-Greek) employers — those should instead consider Greece's Digital Nomad framework, covered on our Visit Visa page.

Document Checklist

• Valid passport (minimum 1.5 years' validity)
• University degree certificate or evidence of comparable professional experience
• Signed employment contract or documented job offer from a Greek employer meeting the salary threshold
• Recent apostilled Police Clearance Certificate
• Travel/health insurance
• Medical certificate
• Completed application form with recent color photograph

Description

A visa for temporary employment in sectors with seasonal labour demand — primarily agriculture, tourism, and hospitality — significantly modernized under Law 5275/2026, which extended the maximum stay and introduced digital processing improvements. You can work seasonally in Greece for up to 9 months within any 12-month period, up from 6 months under the previous framework.

Rules & Regulations

• IMPORTANT 2026 UPDATE: under Law 5275/2026 (effective early 2026), the maximum stay was extended from 6 months to 9 months within any 12-month rolling period.
• 94,240 seasonal positions were made available under the 2026 framework, with a streamlined single-permit process.
• Processing is now typically 30–60 days, faster than in previous years thanks to digital improvements introduced under Law 5275/2026.
• Employer must provide a fixed-term contract aligned with the seasonal labour need (e.g. harvest season, summer tourism peak).
• Does not lead directly to permanent residence, and the visa cannot be used to search for work — genuine prior employer-side approval is required before applying.

Government Fee

Standard Greek national Type D seasonal visa fee applies — confirm exact current amount via the Greek Embassy Islamabad.

Processing Time

Typically 30–60 days under the 2026 digital-improved process (Law 5275/2026) — faster than the pre-2026 framework.

General Eligibility

• A fixed-term job offer from a Greek employer in an eligible seasonal sector (agriculture, tourism, hospitality, food processing).
• Employer confirmation that the role is genuinely seasonal in nature, with prior employer-side approval before the worker applies.

Eligibility for Pakistani Nationals

• No nationality-based restriction — Pakistani nationals are eligible for seasonal work opportunities in Greece's agriculture and tourism sectors.
• The extended 9-month stay makes this a meaningfully more attractive option for Pakistani seasonal workers as of 2026.

Document Checklist

• Valid passport
• Seasonal employment contract
• Employer-side work permit approval (prior to visa application)
• Travel/health insurance valid for the stay period
• Medical certificate
• Completed application form with recent color photograph

Description

A visa for foreign nationals seeking to establish or operate their own business in Greece — not an employee sponsorship in the traditional sense, but a pathway for entrepreneurs to directly create business opportunities.

Rules & Regulations

• Requires approval of a viable business plan by Greek authorities.
• Requires proof of sufficient financial resources to support the business and the applicant's living costs.
• No employer sponsorship is involved — this is a self-sponsored route based on the applicant's own business venture.

Government Fee

Standard Greek national Type D visa fee applies to the self-employment category — confirm exact current amount via the Greek Embassy Islamabad.

Processing Time

Generally comparable to the standard Employment Visa timeline (2–4 weeks consular, 2–4 months residence permit), though business plan review may extend processing in some cases.

General Eligibility

• A viable, well-documented business plan for the intended activity in Greece.
• Proof of sufficient financial resources.

Eligibility for Pakistani Nationals

• No nationality-based restriction — Pakistani entrepreneurs with a genuine, well-documented business plan are eligible.
• This route requires strong, credible business documentation — generic or underdeveloped plans are a common reason for delay or refusal, similar to other EU self-employment routes.

Document Checklist

• Valid passport
• Detailed business plan
• Proof of sufficient financial resources
• Recent apostilled Police Clearance Certificate
• Travel/health insurance
• Medical certificate
• Completed application form with recent color photograph

Description

A permit allowing employees of multinational companies to transfer from a non-EU branch (such as a Pakistani office) to a related Greek entity, implementing the EU ICT Directive framework.

Rules & Regulations

• Requires a qualifying corporate relationship between the sending entity and the Greek receiving entity.
• Covers managers, specialists, and trainee-level transfers within the same corporate group.
• Employer must demonstrate good standing and proper registration in Greece.

Government Fee

Standard Greek national Type D visa fee applies to the ICT category — confirm exact current amount via the Greek Embassy Islamabad.

Processing Time

Generally comparable to the standard Employment Visa timeline (2–4 weeks consular, 2–4 months residence permit processing).

General Eligibility

• Employment in a qualifying role at the overseas entity.
• A confirmed intra-corporate assignment to a related Greek entity.
• Evidence of the qualifying corporate relationship between the two entities.

Eligibility for Pakistani Nationals

• No nationality-based restriction — Pakistani business owners and multinational employees being transferred to a related Greek entity are eligible.

Document Checklist

• Valid passport
• Proof of qualifying relationship between the Pakistani/overseas entity and the Greek entity
• Assignment/transfer letter detailing the role, duration, and terms
• Corporate registration and compliance documents from the Greek entity
• Travel/health insurance
• Completed application form with recent color photograph