According to the Immigration and Social Integration Code (law 5038/2023, as applicable), there are three (3) procedural stages that must be followed to enable a citizen of a third country outside the EU/EEC. and Schengen Zone to come and work under a dependent labor contract in Greece.

These stages are set forth below:

1. Invitation (metaklisi) from the employer/company interested in hiring a third country citizen,
2. National Visa for entry into Greece,
3. Granting a residence permit in Greece, on the grounds of dependent labor.

In more detail, as regards the first stage of the invitation addressed by the employer, the following requirements apply:

• Request to offer to an employee a valid employment contract in Greece for a minimum annual duration and for a minimum remuneration equal to the monthly earnings of the unskilled worker;
• Tax invoice or a copy of the tax declaration of a legal entity, substantiating the employer’s ability to pay the monthly wages, as defined in the employment contract;
• Proof of payment of a fee in favor of the State for each citizen of a third country that the employer wishes to employ;
• All the above supporting documents are submitted by the employer to the locally competent Decentralized Administration of its headquarters.

Subsequently, after the invitation application for recall has been accepted, the citizen of a third country, in order to be granted a national entry visa to Greece, submits the following to the competent Diplomatic or Consular Authority:

• Application form for a national dependent labor visa, accompanied by a recent, color photograph of the applicant, which should meet the relevant specifications set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO-International Civil Aviation Organization);
• Passport or other travel document recognized by the competent Greek authorities;
• Criminal Record Certificate issued by foreign authorities, which certifies the criminal status of the applicant in the latter’s country of residence;
• Medical certificate, from which it can be concluded that the employee does not suffer from any diseases capable of posing a risk to public health, according to the international data of the World Health Organization and the EU acquis;
• Travel insurance, with a minimum validity period equal to the granted visa;
• Proof of payment of national visa consular fees.

In addition, the third-country national should not be considered a threat to public order, internal security, public health or international relations and should not be listed as undesirable in national databases.

Finally, the procedure is completed with the granting of a residence permit to the third-country citizen, following the latter’s arrival in Greece, by the competent Directorate for Aliens and Immigration of the Decentralized Administration of the applicant’s place of residence in Greece or the competent Immigration Policy Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior. Prerequisite supporting documents are the following:

• Application form,
• Four (4) recent color photographs (passport type), as well as in digital format on an optical storage disc (CD) in JPEG2000 graphic format,
• Certified copy of a valid passport or travel document recognized by our country with the prescribed valid entry visa (Visa),
• Fee for the cost of printing a residence permit in the form of an independent document,
• Receipt in favor of the State in the form of an electronic receipt, where required,
• Confirmation that an application has been submitted to the relevant insurance institution for the coverage of hospitalization, medical treatment and work accident expenses,
• A certified copy of the dependent labor contract with the employer’s signature certified as original by a public agency.

After the completion of the above procedural stages, the third country citizen can work under a dependent labor status for the employer who invited same for this purpose.

In addition to the above, there are also the following categories of national visas (VISA D), under which a citizen of a third country is allowed to work in Greece if same falls under one of them: 

• Board members, shareholders, managers, legal representatives, general managers, directors of companies established in Greece.
• Official staff of local companies who have undertaken within the framework of the execution of a contract for the provision of services or a project concluded by the foreign company with third parties for the purpose of promoting products and providing technical support to foreign companies and consumers.
• Employees who are employed as legal representatives, managers, executives and employees in companies, based on special international agreements or recommendations of competent Greek authorities.
• Directors, operational and technical executives of companies engaged in marine exploration, drilling and extraction of hydrocarbons.
• Official staff and legal representatives employed in shipping, commercial, manufacturing or other companies.
• Technicians employed in industries or mines according to Law 448/1968
• Athletes – coaches of a sport that has been recognized by the Greek sports principles

• Intellectual creators (especially writers, writers, directors, painters, sculptors, actors, musicians, singers, choreographers and stage designers)
• Ministers- of the prevailing or known religion
• Foreign press correspondents. Members of foreign archaeological schools, whose scientific activity is under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture and Sports
• Teachers of minority schools in Thrace, as well as foreign schools operating with a license from the Ministry of Education and Religion and teachers of private and equal schools
• Support staff of disabled people who come in to develop strategic investments
• Investment activity
• Investors (investment of at least 250,000 euros)
• Senior executives, financial and legal advisors, experts and middle managers, specialized clerical or technical staff employed during the implementation stage of an investment
• Strategic investors
• Personnel to be employed in a strategic investment
• Investment in securities or bank deposit
• Highly skilled “Blue Card” employment
• Entry and stay for the purpose of intra-company transfer (ICT’s)
• Requests for a residence permit are submitted to the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum

The granting of the residence permit in the  aforementioned cases is the same as the procedure applying to the dependent labor category.