Work permit in Greece

• The E.4 permit is for non-EU citizens who will live and work in Greece as employees after an employer invites them, and who do not fall under the Code's separate permits for highly qualified employees (E.1), intra-company transfers (E.2), special-purpose work (E.3) or seasonal work (E.5, E.6).
• The employer starts the process by applying online through the Ministry of Migration and Asylum's services. You cannot apply for this permit on your own.
• A job can only be filled if it is among the places in the Cabinet Act issued in the last quarter of each year, which sets the maximum number of places by occupation. The Act can also suspend invitations from specific countries, so whether your country is affected in a given year is unknown.
• We read the Migration Code in the Government Gazette issue of 1 April 2023 that the Ministry of Migration and Asylum publishes, together with the Ministry’s own procedure pages for the E.4 permit, last updated on 31 July 2026. The Code has been amended since, so confirm current rules with the Ministry.

Sources: Hellenic Republic. Checked 17 October 2026.

• The contract must be for at least one year in Greece, full time, and pay at least the monthly earnings of an unskilled worker. The monthly minimum wage for employees is €920 gross from 1 April 2026, and the daily rate for manual workers is €41.09.
• The employer must show it can pay the contract's monthly earnings, with a tax assessment note or the company's tax return.

Sources: Hellenic Republic. Checked 17 October 2026.

• The employer's file has the contract, the proof of its ability to pay and the €200 fee receipt. The approval act and your signed contract are then sent to the Greek consulate.
• Your permit file lists a copy of the travel document bearing the national visa, the employment contract (at least one year, full time), the employer’s recruitment announcement, a certificate that you applied for full health insurance, and one recent colour photograph in print and digital form.

Sources: Hellenic Republic. Checked 17 October 2026.

• If the file is complete and places remain, the service issues an approval and sends it with your signed contract to the consulate. The consulate invites you; you attend in person to sign the contract and receive the national visa.
• Straight after entering Greece you apply online for the E.4 permit. The Ministry’s page estimates 50 to 80 days for the permit decision and says you must apply before the national visa expires.

Sources: Hellenic Republic. Checked 17 October 2026.

• The employer pays a fee of €200 for each worker invited, which goes to the State and is not refunded.
• The E.4 permit fee is €150, plus €16 for the printed permit, so €166. Renewal costs the same. An administrative appeal against a refusal costs €50.
• The statute lists €150 for the E.1 to E.4 work permits, and €150 for each family permit (minors exempt). The consular fee for the work national visa is not in the sources we read, so it is unknown.

Sources: Hellenic Republic. Checked 17 October 2026.

• The first E.4 permit lasts three years and can be renewed for the same period while the conditions are still met. The Ministry’s page lists the validity as variable, subject to conditions.
• You apply to renew within two months before the permit expires, with proof of tax compliance and of insurance capacity. A late application is accepted for up to one month after expiry, with a €100 fine.

Sources: Hellenic Republic. Checked 17 October 2026.

• After five years of lawful, uninterrupted residence on E.4 permits, you can ask for permanent long-term resident status. The conditions are income of at least a minimum-wage worker's yearly pay plus 10% for dependants, full health insurance and a Greek language and history test.
• Absences count towards the five years if each is under six consecutive months and the total is ten months or less. The article on who cannot use long-term status names study and training, protection, temporary stay and diplomatic permits, not work permits.

Sources: Hellenic Republic. Checked 17 October 2026.

• You are a Greek tax resident if your permanent or main home, habitual abode or centre of vital interests is in Greece, or if you are there for more than 183 days in any 12 months. Residents are taxed on worldwide income, and the scale for wages and business income runs from 9% to 44%.
• New tax residents who take a job with a Greek company or a Greek branch of a foreign one can have 50% of that employment income exempt from income tax for seven tax years. They must not have been Greek tax residents in five of the previous six years, must move from an EU or EEA state or a state with a tax administrative-cooperation agreement, and must declare they will stay at least two years.

Sources: Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE), Hellenic Republic. Checked 17 October 2026.

• Digital nomad visa in Greece
• Retirement visa in Greece
• Family visa in Greece
• Golden visa in Greece

• Visas in Greece
• Greece

1. Visas (Foreign Ministry): short stay and the Schengen area (as recorded by the Atlas Visa Map), Hellenic Republic, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Checked 27 May 2026. As recorded by the Atlas Visa Map: US passport holders visa-free, 90 days in any 180-day period in the Schengen area (map refreshed 13 May 2026, verified 27 May 2026).
2. Visas (Greece in the USA), Internet Archive copy of 20 April 2026, Hellenic Republic, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Greek missions in the USA). Checked 15 October 2026. National (D) visa: longer than 90 and up to 365 days; the mission where the applicant is legally located handles it; no digital nomad checklist on this page.
3. Contact our Missions in the USA, Internet Archive copy of 3 October 2026, Hellenic Republic, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Greek missions in the USA). Checked 15 October 2026. Lists the Washington embassy and the consulates general in San Francisco, Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Tampa and the consulates in Atlanta and Houston, with the states each covers.
4. Migration Code (Law 5038/2023), Government Gazette A 81 of 1 April 2023: text as first published, Hellenic Republic, Ministry of Migration and Asylum (publishes the Government Gazette issue). Checked 17 October 2026. Articles 26 and 27 (Cabinet Act on places, employer application, approval, consulate invitation and national visa), article 61 (E.4 permit: invitation, contract of at least one year at no less than an unskilled worker, 200 euro fee), article 13 (three years, renewable for the same period), article 11 (renewal within two months before expiry), article 163(5) (I.5 permit for Canadians in the youth mobility programme: up to one year, not renewable), article 171 (fees: 150 euros for E.1 to E.4 and for family permits, minors exempt), articles 143 to 145 (long-term resident status). This is the text as first published on 1 April 2023; later amendments are not in this file. Greek text.
5. Identity History Summary checks: frequently asked questions, United States Federal Bureau of Investigation. Checked 16 October 2026. Fee 18 dollars; the FBI authenticates results and you then send them to the State Department for an apostille.
6. US citizens abroad: filing requirements, Internal Revenue Service. Checked 15 October 2026. US citizens abroad file as they would at home.
7. US international Social Security agreements, US Social Security Administration; Internet Archive copy. Checked 15 October 2026. Internet Archive capture of 4 October 2026, read on 15 October 2026. Ecuador is not on the list of agreements in force.
8. Greece in Canada: home page with the list of Greek missions, Internet Archive copy of 17 June 2026, Hellenic Republic, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Embassy of Greece in Ottawa). Checked 15 October 2026. Lists the embassy in Ottawa, the consulates general in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver and an honorary consulate in Winnipeg; the link to the consulates' areas of jurisdiction did not open.
9. Visas (Greece in Canada), Internet Archive copy of 25 September 2026, Hellenic Republic, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Embassy of Greece in Ottawa and its consulates general). Checked 15 October 2026. Long-stay national visa from a mission in Canada: appear in person before the mission covering where you legally live, be interviewed, file the general documents; prices in euros converted monthly; cash in Canadian dollars only (Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal also take debit cards); no digital nomad or I.8 checklist on the page.
10. Greece: pensions and benefits (Canada-Greece social security agreement), Government of Canada (Service Canada). Checked 15 October 2026. Agreement in force since 1 May 1983, replaced by a revised agreement in force since 1 December 1997; covers CPP and OAS, not the QPP; Greek schemes named.
11. Entry into force of the tax convention between Canada and the Hellenic Republic (notice), Department of Finance Canada. Checked 15 October 2026. Entered into force on 16 December 2010; applies to withholding on or after 1 January 2011 and to other taxes for taxation years beginning on or after 1 January 2011; archived notice.
12. Criminal record checks: processing times and fees, Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Checked 16 October 2026. Federal fee 25 Canadian dollars per check (waived for Canadian immigration applicants, not for a Greek visa), collected with any local fingerprinting charge; 3 business days or less with no match, up to 120 business days if manual processing is needed.
13. Consular Section, Embassy of Greece in Canberra, Internet Archive copy of 24 August 2025, Hellenic Republic, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Embassy of Greece in Canberra). Checked 15 October 2026. Address 9 Turrana Street, Yarralumla ACT; public hours Monday to Wednesday 09:30 to 14:30; an appointment is mandatory.
14. Joint ministerial decision 225679/2024: amount and proof of sufficient means (Government Gazette B 5223, 17 September 2024), Ministry of Migration and Asylum (published in the Government Gazette). Checked 17 October 2026. Opened 17 October 2026. Article 1(1)(ι): at least EUR 3,500 a month for the type I.8 permit and the matching national visa, plus 20% for a spouse and 15% for each child, shown by a foreign pension, a bank account or own funds of lawful origin, assessed monthly for periodic income and yearly for other income; article 1(1)(β): Australian work and holiday participants EUR 3,000; article 2: income test for family reunification (the yearly net pay of a minimum-wage worker, monthly pay times 14); article 3: income test for long-term resident status.
15. National police checks, Australian Federal Police. Checked 16 October 2026. Fee 57 Australian dollars (114 with fingerprints); most checks posted within 48 hours, fingerprint checks 15 to 30 business days; lists visa applications for some countries and working overseas as purposes.
16. Australia and Greece: Social Security Agreement (press release of 1 October 2008), Internet Archive copy of 20 November 2025, Australian Embassy, Athens. Checked 15 October 2026. Says the agreement was signed on 23 May 2007 and entered into force on 1 October 2008.
17. Income tax treaties: treaties in force (Australia), Australian Treasury. Checked 15 October 2026. Table last updated 24 March 2026: the only Greece entry is an Airline Profits Agreement signed 5 May 1977, in force from 7 April 1981; there is no double tax agreement with Greece.
18. Greece and New Zealand (bilateral relations), Internet Archive copy of 16 May 2026, Hellenic Republic, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Checked 15 October 2026. The Embassy of Greece in Canberra is accredited to and represents Greece in New Zealand; a Greek embassy in Wellington operated from 1999 to 2015; the Honorary Consulate in Wellington (3-5 Hania Street, Mount Victoria) names the Embassy in Canberra as its competent authority.
19. New Zealand's social security agreement with Greece, Work and Income (Ministry of Social Development). Checked 15 October 2026. Page updated 23 June 2026: covers New Zealand Super, Veteran's Pension, Supported Living Payment, Sole Parent Support for widows and widowers, Orphan's Benefit and Funeral Grant, and Greek old age, invalidity, survivors and funeral benefits; residence periods can be added together; it describes payments, not contributions.
20. Double tax agreements (New Zealand tax treaties), Inland Revenue (New Zealand), Tax Policy. Checked 15 October 2026. 41 agreements in force, signed or under negotiation: Greece is on none of the lists.
21. Criminal records: request your own record, New Zealand Ministry of Justice. Checked 16 October 2026. Online request through the criminal records service; the Ministry aims to answer within 20 working days; the page gives no fee and does not mention overseas visas or apostilles.
22. Residence permit following approval of an invitation for dependent employment: initial granting (E.4), Hellenic Republic, National Registry of Administrative Public Services (mitos.gov.gr). Checked 17 October 2026. Opened 17 October 2026; last update shown 31 July 2026. Online application after entry on the national visa; fee EUR 150 plus EUR 16 for the printed permit; 50 to 80 days estimated; documents listed by joint ministerial decision 7/95931/2024. The page still says an employment contract of at least one year, while article 61 as amended by Law 5275/2026 says six months.
23. Minimum wage, Hellenic Republic, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. Checked 17 October 2026. From 1 April 2026, by ministerial decision 8934/27.3.2026 (Government Gazette B 1759): statutory minimum monthly salary 920 euros for employees and a daily wage of 41.09 euros for manual workers.
24. Residence permit following approval of an invitation for dependent employment: renewal (E.4), Hellenic Republic, National Registry of Administrative Public Services (mitos.gov.gr). Checked 17 October 2026. Opened 17 October 2026; last update shown 31 July 2026. Apply within two months before expiry; proof of tax compliance and of insurance capacity; fee EUR 150 plus EUR 16; 50 to 80 days estimated.
25. Tax residence for natural persons (Income Tax Code, article 4), Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE). Checked 17 October 2026. Greek tax resident if the permanent or main home, habitual abode or centre of vital interests is in Greece, or if present in Greece more than 183 days in any twelve-month period; the 183-day test is not applied to people there only for tourism, medical, therapeutic or similar private reasons for no more than 365 days.
26. Taxation of non-Greek-sourced income obtained by Greek tax residents (as recorded by the Atlas Tax Map), Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE). Checked 30 May 2026. As recorded by the Atlas Tax Map: Greek tax residents are taxed on worldwide income (checked 30 May 2026).
27. Income taxation (Tax Guide), Hellenic Republic, Ministry of National Economy and Finance. Checked 17 October 2026. Greek tax residents are taxed on income arising in Greece and abroad; scale for employment, pension and business income from tax year 2026: 9%, 20%, 26%, 34%, 39% and 44%, with lower rates in the second and third bands for dependent children; the guide also notes that incentives exist for foreign tax residents who transfer their tax residence to Greece, under conditions (articles 5A, 5B and 5C of the Income Tax Code).
28. Tax incentives for attracting new tax residents under articles 5A, 5B and 5C of the Income Tax Code (guide of 12 November 2025), Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE). Checked 17 October 2026. 5A: not Greek tax resident in 7 of the previous 8 years, investment of at least 500,000 euros within three years, 100,000 euros a year for 15 years; 5B: pension from abroad, not Greek tax resident in 5 of the previous 6 years, move from a state with a tax administrative cooperation agreement, 7% on foreign income, 15 tax years; 5C: 50% exemption for 7 tax years on employment or business income earned in Greece, not Greek tax resident in 5 of the previous 6 years, stay at least two years.