Greece Work Visa 2026: Metaklisi Rules, Fees, Timing

Greece hires workers from outside the EU through the employer-invitation procedure, known in Greek as metaklisi, set out in the Migration Code, Law 5038/2023, as amended by Law 5275/2026. The employer applies online and pays a fee per worker, the worker obtains a national visa at a Greek consulate, and after arriving applies for a residence permit for dependent employment, type E.4. This guide sets out each step, the yearly cap on posts, the fees, the processing times and what Indian and Pakistani applicants should know, as published by Greece's Ministry of Labour and Ministry of Migration and Asylum and read on 14 October 2026.

How the employer invitation works

• The law: the Migration Code, Law 5038/2023, as partially amended by Law 5275/2026, governs the entry of non-EU nationals for work. The admission procedure for salaried employment is in Article 27.
• The yearly cap: under Article 26, a Decision of the Council of Ministers sets the maximum number of posts each year for salaried, seasonal and highly skilled employment. For 2026 it is Decision No. 35 of 27 November 2025.
• Approval: the authority approves the employment only if the documents are complete and the cap has not been reached.
• Permit types: E.4 for salaried employment through metaklisi, E.5 for seasonal work and E.1 for highly skilled employment.

Step 1: what the employer submits

The application goes through the Ministry of Migration and Asylum's electronic services to the Directorate for Aliens and Immigration of the Decentralised Administration for the employer's office or the place of work. It states the number of vacancies, the worker's identity and nationality, the occupation and sector, and the period of employment, with:

• A lawful employment contract of at least six (6) months in Greece, with pay at least equal to the monthly wage of an unskilled salaried employee or manual worker under the Labour Code.
• A tax statement or tax return showing the employer can pay that wage.
• Proof of payment of a fee of EUR 200 for each worker, which is non-refundable.

Under Law 5275/2026, temporary employment agencies can also act as employers, if they meet conditions that include share capital of at least EUR 1,000,000.

Step 2: the national visa

The national visa for employment is issued by the competent Greek consular authority in your country of origin or lawful residence. The pages we read do not publish the consular visa fee, so check with the consulate where you apply.

Step 3: the E.4 residence permit

• When: after you enter Greece and before your national visa expires. The application is digital only, through the Ministry's immigration portal.
• Conditions: a valid travel document, the national visa, no risk to public policy or public health.
• Fees: EUR 150 for the residence permit and EUR 16 for printing it, 166 € in total.
• Time: an estimated 50 to 80 days.
• While you wait: within forty (40) days of submission, the authority issues a certificate, known as the "Blue Certificate", confirming you reside lawfully and enjoy the rights of the permit applied for until a final decision.

A refusal can be challenged within two (2) months, for a fee of EUR fifty (50), and the authority decides within thirty (30) days.

Highly skilled work: the E.1 permit

For highly qualified jobs, the employer obtains a separate approval for a highly qualified worker, also online. The worker then enters on a national visa and applies for the E.1 permit. Where the employer is recognised under Article 38 of Law 5038/2023, a decision on an EU Blue Card is issued within thirty (30) days of a complete application.

Indian and Pakistani applicants

The same procedure applies whatever your nationality: an approved employer invitation, a national visa from the Greek consulate in your country, and the E.4 permit after arrival. Indian and Pakistani ordinary passports are not on the Schengen visa-free list, so the national visa is needed to enter. The fees above apply to everyone, and the yearly cap on posts is set for all nationalities together in the Council of Ministers' decision.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• Ministry of Labour and Social Security — Work for third-country nationals in Greece
• National Registry of Administrative Public Services — E.4 residence permit, initial granting
• National Registry of Administrative Public Services — E.1 highly qualified permit
• Schengen visa-free nationalities (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia)

All procedures, fees and time frames verified against the official sources above on 14 October 2026. Information, not legal advice.