Greece Legal Employment Visa Guide (2025 Updates)

Greece is facing a severe labor shortage that is opening up opportunities for talent on the world scale. The government of Greece is also working on simplifying procedures of non-EU/EEA nationals who need non-EU/EEA nationals to obtain a National Visa with Employment (Type D) and a subsequent Residence Permit with Employment because there are critical gaps in the sphere of tourism, construction and highly-qualified jobs.

Preliminary Conditions Sponsorship is Compulsory

The procedure of the Greece legal employment visa is instigated by the employer and is a two phase process in the first phase is the work permit (approval), the second phase is the visa (entry), and the final phase is the residence permit (stay/work).

Key Prerequisites

Job Offer: You have to obtain a valid Job offer by a Greek employer. The Employment Contract should be at least one year in duration.
Volumes of Admission: The government of Greece places a quota on the amount of non-EU workers that can enter the country annually, which is called the Volumes of Admission. In case of 2025, Greece was to fill around 89,290 vacancies of foreigners and around 41,670 dependent jobs and 2,000 highly-skilled jobs. The position should be in this quota approved by government.
Labor Market Test (Standard Roles): In the case of the majority of common jobs, the employer will have to provide the corresponding body (in most cases the Decentralized Administration Office) with a document proving that no appropriate Greek or EU/EEA worker was found to occupy the vacancy. This is the Labor Market Test.

Highly-Qualified Advantage EU Blue Card Greece

When you have specialized skills or high level of education, the EU Blue Card Greece route provides a quota-free and much faster route.

Why Choose the Blue Card?

Quota Exemption: You are allowed exemption of the restrictive Volumes of Admission.
Waiver of Labor Market Test: Waiver of Labor Market Test is in many cases a situation when the employer does not have to prove the need of the labor market (Waiver of Labor Market Test).
Good salary: The salary is the main need. You will have to receive a High remuneration/salary that is usually determined at 1.6 times the average gross annual salary in Greece. This limit was roughly €31,918.83 per annual gross (or roughly 2660 per month) as of early 2025.

Eligibility: You should be able to present Professional Qualifications (university diploma, or five years of similar professional experience, particularly in the ICT field).

Visa Application Process (Two-step Guide)

The work visa procedure is in phases and includes two different steps: one, the approval of a Work Permit in Greece and the second step, you have to take out your visa outside of that country.

The role of the employer (In Greece)

Application to the Residence Permit to work: Your Job offer is submitted by an employer in Greece to the competent regional Decentralized Administration Office, in order to pre-approve your Residence Permit to work.
Approval: The Decentralized Administration Office will then stamp it with the approval (this may take 2-3 months), and sent it to the Greek Embassy/Consulate in your country of residence or citizenship.

Role of an Applicant (Abroad)

To apply for a National Visa in the interest of Employment (Type D) in the Greek Embassy/Consulate you need the approved permit notice of the Decentralized Administration Office.

Visa D Application Fee: Have at least a fee of about 75-90.
Entry and Residence Permit: when you are given the Visa D, you enter Greece. Within 30 days of arrival, you are to apply to your final Residence Permit to work at the local Aliens and Immigration Department.
Application Fee of Residence Permit: This is another application, which will involve a fee, usually between 150 and 300.

Mandatory Supporting Documents Checklist

The secret of preventing delays in the processing is a ready application. Make sure that non-Greek/ non-English papers are Certified Translations.

Passport: Should be a minimum of 3-6 months in advance of the planned stay.
Health Insurance: Should indicate at least a cover of 30,000 during the Visa D.
Medical Certificate: A recent certificate of fitness to work.
Criminal Background Check/Clean Criminal Record: You are obliged to provide this from your home country.
Evidence of Accommodation in Greece: Confirmed address (rental or letter of employer).
Evidence of Sufficient Funds: Bank statements to evidence Proof of Sufficient Funds to initially sustain themselves.
Biometric Data: Will be taken in both Visa D and the Residence Permit applications.

Certain Employment Categories

Greece has certain avenues in high-demand jobs, which are mainly Seasonal jobs and maritime jobs.

Greece Seasonal Work Visa: Permits employment of no more than six months each year in such areas as tourism, catering, and agriculture. The process is the same but customized to temporary needs and is also quicker (1–2 months Processing Time). This is also the path in most cases of Fishery workers.
Renewal of the Work Permit: The average renewal of your Residence Permit as an Employee is two years and can be renewed to three years. You need to apply two months before expiry to get Work Permit Renewal. Five years later, you can be eligible to be awarded with a Long-term resident permit upon maintaining the legal residence status.

Disclaimer

The purpose of sharing this job information is to provide education and information. It is important to confirm all the information about the Greece legal employment visa, Visa D Application Fee and the specifications on the official Greek government sites, especially the Ministry for Migration Policy and the local Greek Embassy/Consulate before submitting any application or make any financial obligation.