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How to Get A Work Permit in Greece
Understand how to legally live and work in Greece with a Work Permit. Our immigration attorneys will support your dream to work in a new country.
How can a lawyer help me with a Greek Work Permit?
Our immigration law experts will guide you through the whole process from applying for an entry visa at your nearest Consulate to submitting an application for a residence and work permit at the Ministry of Immigration.
We will also arrange for any documentation to be translated, certified and reviewed before the meeting with consular authorities for the visa interview. We offer full support in English, French, Greek, Italian and Portuguese.
Our immigrations lawyers will also help you adjust to work and life in Greece by advising on the various paperwork and requirements you must fulfill. We help clients register for social security with the National Security Organization. We also guide people through the process of obtaining a Greek bank account and getting a tax number.
We work with a number of partners, including healthcare insurance providers, and can ensure you get world-class private medical coverage.
¨We will be with you each step of the journey.¨
What is a Work Permit for Greece?
All nationals from countries outside of the European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) must have a valid residence and work permit to be employed in Greece. They must get this document before starting their employment activity in the country.
How do I get a Work Permit for Greece?
To work in Greece, a person from a non-EU or EEA nation must first get a visa to enter the country. This visa is called Visa D and is a long-stay visa. Once they have this visa, they can then apply for a residence/work permit in Greece.
Those who have entered Greece on an entry visa that’s dependent on work will be given a residence permit if they provide an employment contract. This contract must have a salary that’s at least equal to the monthly salary of an unskilled worker.
The Process of getting a Greek Work Permit
A third-country national must enter Greece on a visa. Before this visa expires they must file an application for a residence permit.
These applications must be filed to the one-stop service at the Directorate of Foreigners and Immigration of the Decentralized Administration. These offices can be found at the applicant’s place of residence or, alternatively, the Ministry of Immigration accepts applications.
These residence permits will allow non-EU citizens to be employed. They are valid for two years and can be renewed for three years.
The renewal must be submitted at least two months before the permit expires. Late renewal applications can be submitted up to one month after the permit expires. However, there is a €50 fine for lates submissions.
What are the requirements?
Prior to entering Greece, the applicant must apply in person at the Greek Consulate Authority. This should be in their country of residence. The process starts with getting a long-term entry visa, known as Visa D. The process also involves an interview.
This visa is usually issued within 10 days and is valid for a year. Once the applicant has entered Greece, they can then apply for the residence permit by submitting the following information.
- Copy of the passport
- Two passport photos
- An employment contract with the net salary
- A copy of their criminal record
- Medical and travel certificates
If the applicant is joined by their family, they will also need:
- A marriage certificate that’s translated into Greek and certified
- A birth certificate for each child that’s translated into Greek and certified
If the work and residence permit needs to be renewed, the holder must file an application with the following supporting paperwork:
- Proof that all taxes have been paid
- Proof of healthcare insurance coverage
- Evidence of how many days they worked during the year.
Our team of lawyers understand that a global workforce requires timely solutions to immigration matters.
We combine our detailed knowledge of local regulations for global mobility with the reach of our law firms in Greece, Italy, France, Spain and Portugal to successfully manage our client’s cross–border issues wherever they arise.
OUR WORK
We are a department formed by qualified legal experts who have been trained in the field of immigration law. We work on these requests every day and it’s our passion. For us, Lexidy is a way of life and what excites us the most is to be able to deliver the happiness and satisfaction of a successful immigration process. We want to help you achieve your goals and dreams.

Eleftheria Charalambous
Lawyer, Head of Athens Office
Eleni Maderaki
Head of Corporate Department Athens
Maria Balaoura
Paralegal
Iliana Arvaniti
Legal TraineeIS TO MAKE CLIENTS HAPPY













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