Want to move to Greece? Want to work in Greece? Want to live in Greece? If you’re already an EU citizen, no problem — all EU citizens have the right to free movement to live and work in any of the 27 member states, except citizens of Romania and Bulgaria until 2009. If you’re an American or other non-EU citizen, be aware that permits are involved in living and working in Greece.
Before packing up your things or looking for a job, it’s important to understand what options are legally open to you. Greece and the EU are NOT open to everyone, just as your own country is not open to everyone.
Background information
Greece categorizes its residents into four distinct groups and ranks them accordingly:
1) Greek citizens,
2) repatriated Greek citizens,
3) non-Greek EU citizens
4) non-EU citizens (nationality is unimportant, whether you’re Canadian, American, Australian, Albanian, Chinese, Filippina, Georgian, Russian, South African, etc.)
Unemployment is higher in Greece than other EU countries, and alarmingly so for university educated people between the ages of 25-35, with women, immigrants and the disabled particularly affected. The demand is for uneducated, unskilled workers, and connections and cronyism prevail; this is not expected to change in the next 20 years, if ever. Of the EU’s “Big 15,” Greece ranks next to last in salaries (only Portugal ranked lower) at 10-30% of an American/Canadian salary for the same job on average. See, “Monthly salaries of EU countries” for a chart.
In addition to low salaries, quality of living is not on par with cost of living, with the former being low and the latter being high. Consumers in Greece often pay double the cost of groceries compared to cities such as Brussels, New York and London. See, “Salary vs. Cost and Quality of Living of EU countries.”
Most young people speak some English, however all public sector services and applications, 95 percent of classified ads, help lines and more than half of Web sites are in Greek only. See, “The importance of speaking Greek in Greece.”
There are an estimated 1.2 million non-EU immigrants in Greece, however less than half of those have been able to secure a permit under existing legislation, even though the majority have been here an average of 7 years and qualify for long-term EU-wide permits. The immigration “reform” of 2007 changed little or nothing, and Greece and France announced in February 2008 their intention to tighten border controls and immigration laws. This article is always updated to reflect the latest information.
Entry - Visas for Greece
To enter the country, you need a visa. Greece, via the Greek Consulate in your homeland, issues two types of visas:
1) Schengen:
A Schengen visa is good in all countries that have signed the Schengen agreement, which includes but is not limited to Greece. See, “Schengen countries” if you do not know what they are.
a) Sticker-free: Citizens of some non-EU countries enjoy visa-free travel to Schengen, meaning they are not obligated to apply at the Greek Consulate for a visa sticker and can visit the Schengen zone (including Greece) temporarily for up to 90 days total within a 180-day period. Americans, Canadians and Australians all enjoy visa-free/sticker-free travel to Greece. Please see, “Countries that enjoy visa-free travel to Greece” if you want to see if your country is on the list.
b) Sticker: Non-EU citizens from countries not on the visa-free list must submit an application at the Greek Consulate in their homeland for a visa and have a sticker placed inside their passport in order to enter and temporarily visit the Schengen zone. Validity can be as little as a week to 90 days. Please see, “Countries that require a visa to enter Greece.”
When applying at the Greek Consulate/Embassy in your homeland, staff will determine the appropriate type of visa (A, B, C or LTV) and the right number of entries (one, two or multiple) specific to your needs and eligibility.
2) National:
A national visa is good only for Greece and no other country. These types of visas are issued to those seeking to travel, study, conduct business or potentially immigrate only to Greece OR to those who for some reason do not qualify for a Schengen visa.
All must submit an application and have a sticker placed in their passport by the Greek Consulate in their homeland. The type of visa you receive and the length of its validity (up to 90 days) will depend on: a) your eligibility (background, past overstays/fines/blacklist/deportation, other citizenships, family ties, current employment…); and b) why you are seeking to visit or stay in Greece (i.e. study, work, retirement via independent means, spouse of EU citizen…), thus giving it a further classification of work visa, tourist visa, stay visa, student visa.
Both types of visas (Schengen and national) depend only on your citizenship and passport. The citizenship and passport of your husband/wife/partner have no bearing on your visa, your passport or your citizenship, even if he/she is a Greek or EU citizen. In some countries, such as the USA, the citizenship of a spouse/fiance(e) is relevant when applying for an immigrant visa for permanent migration, however Greece and the majority of the EU do not have spouse or fiance(e) visas. There is no such thing as an ancestry visa.
There are no visas with validity past 90 days — there is no such thing as a 6-month, 1-year or 5-year visa. A visa is for entering, visiting up to 90 days and exiting; a permit is for working and staying permanently in a country.
Processing time for either visa to Greece depends on the Greek Consulate at which you apply. It depends on workload, staff, holidays, how long it takes to check your background, and whether it is high season (May-September). Common sense.
Upon entry to Greece at the airport or other border crossing, or even when applying for a visa at the Greek Consulate, you may also be asked to produce proof of financial means according to a new law passed in December 2007. See, “Non-EU travelers to Greece need 50 euros a day.” Even if you are not technically a traveler, Greek authorities have the right to question and request proof from any non-EU citizen they suspect will overstay, work illegally or is attempting to flee to Greece.
Lastly, having a Schengen or national visa means that you were granted the right to enter and visit the country, it does NOT allow you to stay permanently in Greece and it does NOT give you the right to work at any time. Any work you take without first securing a work permit is considered to be illegal, and authorities have the right to assess a fine or deport you if you are caught. A penalty of up to 1300 euros and 5 years blacklisting may also apply to anyone staying past the validity of their visa. See, “Overstaying a visa in Greece” for details.
Staying, Living and Working in Greece
In order to stay in Greece beyond the validity of your Schengen or national visa and live/work legally in Greece, you need a permit. Your spouse and his/her citizenship is irrelevant even if he/she is an EU (Greek) citizen; it only depends on which citizenship you possess and, often times, if you are of Greek origin (Greek descent). There is no such thing as a green card for Greece (green card is a term used in the USA and does not apply outside its borders).
Bottom line is: If you are a non-EU citizen without dual citizenship with the EU, you need a permit.
Ways around getting a permit for Greece
Before covering the lengthy and expensive bureaucratic process of getting a permit for Greece, there are two ways you can get around it:
1) Claim Greek citizenship through an ancestor
Having Greek citizenship would entitle you to live and work not only in Greece, but the entire EU. If you are of Greek origin (descent) and have mother, father or grandfather born in Greece, you can claim Greek citizenship. If you were not born in Greece, do not assume you have Greek citizenship since your parents or grandparents must have staked a claim for you and been issued a certificate. Being registered in an oikogeneiaki merida is not enough.
If you are a male of Greek origin aged 19-45, be aware that you are subject to mandatory Greek military in whole or in part, regardless if you have Greek citizenship. See the appropriate article below.
See:
“Greek citizenship by claim of Greek origin or ancestry“
“Dual Greek and American citizenship” for Americans
“Mandatory Greek military obligations” for males
If you are a male of Greek origin aged 19-45 with the idea of skipping Greek citizenship and getting a permit as an “American citizen” in order to avoid military duty, it will not work. Why? Because you are still of Greek origin (doesn’t matter if you have Greek citizenship or not), and they will reject your application on first sight. Want to know more? See, “Greek residence/work permits FAQ“
2) Claim citizenship through an ancestor born in an EU country
Staking a claim to citizenship through an ancestor born in any of the current member states of the EU, or EFTA countries Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland, would give you the right to live and work in Greece or any EU country without a permit. There are often no residency or language requirements, and applications for repatriation are processed more quickly and usually without a fee.
See, “Acquiring EU citizenship through ancestry.”
If either of these situations apply to you, I encourage you to stop here, use the links I’ve provided and follow the instructions in starting the process to citizenship. This is the easiest, fastest and most pain-free method to living and working in Greece and the entire European Union without restrictions.
Getting a residence and/or work permit for Greece
Should the previous section on ways around through citizenship not apply to you, your only legal path to Greece is through a permit. How do you get a permit for Greece?
There are dozens of permits, however I will only cover the most common ones since the majority of us are not Olympic athletes, politicians, diplomats or famous artists.
All permits require that you have the appropriate visa to enter Greece, then apply for the permit in Greece within 30 days of arrival. Failure to apply for the proper permit before your visa expires will require a lawyer, connections or that you exit and re-enter Greece again, which for many is a problem since non-EU citizens can stay only a maximum of 90 days in the Schengen zone in any 180-day period.
All of these permits apply to non-EU citizens of no Greek origin (descent). Why? Because if you are of Greek origin, you have the option to apply for Greek citizenship as explained above — it is a privilege to which you are entitled whether you want it or not.
How to get a permit for Greece:
1. Be the non-EU spouse or child (under 21) of a Greek/EU citizen
Should you be the current non-EU spouse or child (under 21) of a Greek or EU citizen, you are now recognized as having the same status as an EU resident. Options open to you are:
a) Regular residence/work permit for non-EU family members of a Greek national (first filing): If this is your first time residing in Greece and have never held a permit before, you need to prove you entered the country legally (stamp in your passport, appropriate visa, etc.), provide a health certificate and attend an interview at the Perifereia where a board will ask questions and examine whether your marriage and family relationship is legitimate or simply an attempt to get a permit. If you are unemployed, the Greek/EU citizen must show proof of at least 8,500 euros plus 1,275 euros for each dependent. It is valid for 5 years, good ONLY for Greece (not EU-wide) and has no application fee. Click, “Regular residence/work permit for an American or other non-EU family member of a Greek or EU citizen“ to see all of the requirements.
It used to be that residence/work permits were separate with separate bureaucracy at separate locations; now they have been fused into one permit with one process at one location since most people needed both. The work permit is given for free whether you need it or not.
Being the divorced non-Greek parent of a half Greek child does not entitle you to a permit if you do not already live in Greece. Rights trickle down from parent to child, not the other way around. The only time a divorced non-Greek parent can hold a permit is: a) the parent has resided in Greece for many years with a valid permit, AND b) during those years, the child with Greek citizenship grew up, came of age and still lives in Greece AND c) the parent has sufficient financial means or work to stay in Greece.
* If you have/are a male child under the age of 21, be aware that you will be obligated to disclose Greek origin and family relationships in the residence/work permit application, and the “permanent resident abroad” certificate status requires being registered in the oikogeneiaki merida. It may be helpful to read, “Mandatory Greek military obligations.”
b) Permanent residence/work permit for non-EU family members of a Greek or EU citizen (renewal): If you already held the 5-year permit listed above, you will automatically be renewed for 10 years in a permanent status. It is good ONLY for Greece (not EU-wide), and there is no fee to renew or change your status (i.e. from individual to spouse or child of a Greek citizen) if you already have a valid residence/work permit. Click “Permanent residence/work permit for non-EU spouse and children of Greek and EU citizens.”
Should you change countries, it will help to show your permit from Greece, but you will be expected to apply for a new permit in the new country. Permits are not transferable as they are wholly dependent on whether you have a valid, existing family relationship in the country you live. e.g. There are no EU-wide permits for non-EU spouses of Greek/EU citizens since “fake spouses” would marry only for papers and jump countries. This is true not only for Greece, but the entire EU, to prevent fraudulent marriages.
c) Greek citizenship by naturalization for non-EU spouses of Greek citizens: Being a non-EU citizen married to a Greek citizen does not automatically entitle you to Greek citizenship, a Greek passport or a Greek national ID.
You must be married a minimum of 3 years, be over the age of 18 and have no criminal record. If you have a child together, you must have 3 years legal residency in Greece before applying; if you do not have a child together, you must have 10 years residency of the last 12 years in Greece before applying. There are also a number of other requirements, including proficient knowledge of the Greek language, ancient Greek history, culture, etc. Click “Greek citizenship through naturalization“ to see all requirements in detail. Greek citizenship is the first step to a Greek passport and Greek national ID.
* There are no permits for heterosexual fiance(e)s or gay/lesbian partners married in another country. This violates an EU directive and Greece has been warned, but it will be years before the European Commission can force Greece to comply. i.e. It took 5 years for Greece to implement EU-wide permits that should have been done in 2003.
2. Be the non-EU spouse or child of a non-EU citizen living/working legally in Greece for 2 years
This is known as the Family Reunification permit. Should you be a non-EU spouse/child of a non-EU citizen who has already been living and working legally in Greece for 2 years with the proper permit, you can be brought over and reunified if (s)he can show proof of at least 8,500 euros plus 1,275 euros for each dependent. To see a story of (mistakenly) getting this permit, see “Thanks to Greece, I’ve been reunified with myself.”
* There are no permits for heterosexual fiance(e)s or gay/lesbian partners married in another country.
3. Be an investor
Non-EU citizens wishing to start a company with employees are required to have 300,000 euros in capital, a business plan in Greek approved by the Interior Ministry and create at least 10 jobs of which 30 percent must be given to Greek citizens. The permit is good for 3 years. Partnering with a Greek/EU citizen does not absolve you from these rules. See, “How to start a business in Greece” for details.
With such strict rules, many are opting for other countries. See, “Who really steals jobs from Greeks?“
4. Be a self-employed entrepreneur
Non-EU entrepreneurs wishing to be self-employed must have already held a residence permit in Greece for one year before: a) submitting a formal plan in Greek that proves your business will contribute to the Greek economy and b) depositing 60,000 euros in a bank account as evidence of solvency. If you manage to jump those hurdles, you will be required to prove an annual investment of 60,000 euros at each renewal. Pairing with a Greek/EU citizen does not absolve you from these rules. See, “How to start a business in Greece” for more details.
5. Retire/live in Greece supported by independent means
Non-EU citizens, unrelated to Greek/EU citizens and of no Greek origin themselves, who would like to retire or otherwise live in Greece on funds from outside Greece are welcome to apply for a special entry visa (usually Type ‘D’) at the Greek Consulate in their homeland, then get a residence permit if they can show a minimum of 2,000 euros/month. It is not a work permit and good for one year. See, “How to apply for a residence permit for Greece based on independent means” for details and the personal stories of those who have done it or been victims of misinformation.
6. Be a student at a university in Greece
If you are accepted to a semester abroad or a full degree program at a university in Greece, you can apply for a visa to study. Should you be here for more than a semester abroad (more than 90 days), you would be able to apply for a permit that allows you to work part-time.
However, when your course of study is finished, this permit cannot be converted to a regular residence/work permit if you find an employer to hire you full time. Why? Because your original visa and permit were based on a course of study, not work. For the employer to hire you, they would be required to go through the process described in the next option.
7. Find an employer to sponsor your work visa and permit for Greece
This option is amongst the most difficult and expensive, as it involves several steps, government approval, a significant monetary deposit (by you or your potential employer) and a period of waiting in your homeland.
To illustrate how rarely unmarried Americans of no Greek origin are hired and approved, there are less than 2,200 existing work permits at this time, which includes non-employees (investors, self-employed, visiting consultants and students) not just employees — I have one of them, and three readers who checked in on this site are others (see Phillip, in ‘Comments’ attached to this post). All of these permits are renewals, meaning we have all held them for years. There were no new permits issued to Americans last year, and there were no stats published for Canadians and Australians.
If you think 2,200 is a lot, note that there are 1.2 million non-EU citizens total in Greece, of which only 500,000 have permits.
Assuming you like those odds, how do you get sponsorship from an employer in Greece for a work visa?
a) Find an employer in Greece willing to hire you while still in your homeland
This is the most improbable situation unless you have connections or otherwise know someone in advance, as few (if any) would hire a stranger, put up a deposit and muck through months of bureaucracy without ever having met or interviewed a potential employee.
If you have a friend, potential spouse or relative willing to hire you, new laws passed in February 2008 require private businesses to show an annual profit of 24,000 euros and companies an annual profit of 60,000 euros before hiring non-EU citizens. With widespread tax dodging, there are few willing to go this route.
b) Come to Greece on a Schengen or other tourist visa, find an employer to sponsor your work visa and permit
Once you and your potential employer have met, interviewed and found a good fit, you are required to return home. Why? Because in order to be issued a work permit, you need a work visa (not a tourist visa). And in order to be issued a work visa, the potential employer must complete the paperwork, submit it to OAED (the Manpower Agency overseeing employment in Greece), prove that there is not a single Greek or other EU citizen in any of the 27 member states that can do this job, justify why you should be hired instead, then put up a deposit of several months salary (or ask you to do it).
When/if it is approved by OAED, the official work invitation letter and work contract will be sent from Greece to the Greek Consulate in your homeland. The Greek Consulate will invite you to interview on their premises, and hopefully the visa will be approved and issued. How long does it take from start to end? Up to a year.
Once the work visa has been issued, you will enter Greece and get an original work contract from your employer, which you will then use to apply for an AFM (tax number), IKA and the residence/work permit. All of this is your responsibility and must be done in person within 30 days. Should you fail to complete the paperwork before your visa expires, you will be required to leave Greece and start again, thus risking loss of your deposit (if you were asked to make one) and your job.
c) Seasonal work through the Embassy/Consulate
Another way is to find seasonal or regular non-embassy jobs — IT, teaching, unskilled labor positions — posted by the Greek Consulate in your homeland. Less than a dozen consulates participate in this program (mostly in eastern Europe) in conjunction with OAED, although it is supposed to be widespread. The good news is these jobs are pre-approved and ready to go; the bad news is wages are usually low, and fewer employers are participating in the program because the government is slow (or refuses) to return their deposits. America, Canada and Australia are NOT and never have been participants, and many of the jobs are of the dirty, difficult and dangerous type. See, “The jobs Greeks won’t take.”
If you’ve thought about working for the American Embassy in Greece or any embassy/consulate in Greece, I encourage you to read, “Getting a job at an American Embassy.”
d) Be a high-ranking executive or board member at a company in your homeland with a branch in Greece, and have them transfer you
Most of these transfers are approved, especially if you are from a big company like Coca-Cola that contributes to the economy, and/or earn a large salary that will continue to be paid from your homeland and not burden Greece. Typically, an employee’s non-EU family members will be allowed to accompany him/her. See, “Greek work permit for high-ranking executives from abroad.”
* If after 5 years you are still an unmarried non-EU citizen of no Greek origin and have held a residence/work permit in Greece for a full 5 years, you would be eligible for a long-term permanent EU-wide residence/work permit on par with being an EU citizen no matter what your profession, as long as you meet a number of other requirements. Click “Non-EU citizens seeking a long-term EU-wide residence/work permit“ to see all the requirements. More than 250,000 people qualify for this status, but to illustrate how difficult it is, Greece refused to issue these permits until late 2007 (even though the directive was passed in 2003) and only one person held this permit as of December 2007 and eight people total by April 2008.
Illegal Work in Greece
Illegal work is a widespread reality, but exact figures cannot be quoted because workers often stay quiet to avoid being fired and employers stay quiet to avoid being fined and jailed. This code of silence leads to other abuses, as well (i.e., No insurance, poor pay, extra hours without compensation, no vacation, no bonuses at Christmas, Easter or summer).
You also risk being fired once a qualified candidate with legal standing can replace you or your employer gets scared, and you will not be entitled to collect unemployment or lodge a formal complaint at the labor union. But none of this may matter to someone seeking experience or a basic means to just be in Greece.
In recent years, Greek authorities have raised fines and penalties assessed to employers using illegal workers, and police are more stringent and frequent in their immigration checks. Illegal workers are hired less frequently and fired more often, as a result.
Permit options now closed
1. Non-EU street vendors have been denied the right to start and renew their licenses
Despite the fact it is discrimination, this new law has not been overturned. You can file a complaint with SOLVIT, a free service offered by the European Union to handle directives violated by Greece.
2. Legalization drive (amnesty) for illegal workers already in Greece has ended
In the past, Greece has reluctantly acquiesced to legalizing undocumented illegal workers from non-EU countries who are already in the country and issuing them permits. However, most drives of this sort are announced without established parameters or have requirements that are impossible and/or expensive for many to fulfill, usually involving ensima (insurance stamps costing thousands of euros) and legal entry dates from years ago (i.e. before December 2004). The last legalization drive ended October 31, 2007, and there are no plans for any in the future. To get a sense of past requirements, see “Residence/work permit for undocumented workers in Greece.”
3. EU Blue Card program
The European Commission announced in October 2007 that a proposal for a “blue card” program, resembling the USA’s green card program, was drafted and sent to all 27 member states for input and approval. Many member states have already expressed disapproval and/or the intent to opt out, making it highly unlikely the program will be in place by the target date of 2009. (Article will follow and be linked here when finished).
About EU residence/work permits
Every EU member state has different rules and regulations in place for non-EU citizens wishing to live and work in their country. Many are not as stringent as Greece, while others more so.
For those who do not understand the nature of a residence/work permit, it is permission to stay in a country beyond a visa’s validity, a document or sticker given to someone who fulfilled requirements and legally lives and/or works under the laws and regulations of the country that issued it. If you move out of that country, you become a resident and worker of whatever country is your new home and must secure another residence/work permit under its laws and regulations. It is not a transferable document.
If you are an unmarried non-EU citizen with the coveted long-term permanent EU-wide residence/work permit, this IS transferable and you may live and work freely throughout the EU, though it is advised that you first check with the “new” country before you move. You may need to register or convert it upon arrival, but it cannot be revoked except under certain extenuating circumstances.
The EU is a union of 27 countries and some countries participate in the single currency, but the European continent has not fused into one country and each of the 27 member states retains its distinct laws, regulations, language and traditions, much like New York and California retain their distinct laws, regulations, accents and lifestyles even though they are both in the USA and use the dollar.
Important note
I highly encourage readers to view ‘Comments’ on this post and other posts that were mentioned above in this article, as they contain answers to questions and stories from people who were kind enough to share their experience.
It was necessary to close the possibility of discussion because too many readers were being lazy and asking questions that were already answered in this post and/or refused to use the ‘Search’ and ‘Categories’ options in the second column as per my ‘Questions’ policy.
Related posts
“Residence-work permits“
“Jobs in Greece“
* Article updated June 16, 2008
