Greece Metaklisi Work Permit Timeline: Every Stage

The three stages: who files, and how long

Stage one: the employer's work approval

• The employer files through the Ministry of Migration and Asylum's electronic services with TAXISnet credentials; the file goes to the one-stop service of the Decentralised Administration where the business has its seat. Farm work goes by the location of the holding, domestic work by the home where the service is provided.
• The application states the number of posts, the workers' details and nationality, their specialty and the period of employment.
• It depends on the quota not being exhausted: each year the Council of Ministers sets the maximum number of salaried, seasonal and highly skilled posts that may be filled by invitation. For 2026 that is Decision 35 of 27 November 2025.
• The employment contract: full time, with pay at least the monthly wage of an unskilled worker. On the minimum length the two official pages differ: the Ministry of Labour gives six months (after the 2026 amendment), while Mitos still gives one year and is marked as under revision. The authority's list on the day of filing decides.
• The employer's ability to pay: Mitos lists gross annual income of at least €22,000 per invited worker for an employer who is a natural person, gross annual revenue of at least €60,000 per invited worker for a sole trader or a legal entity, and €22,000 for agricultural posts, shown from the previous year's tax documents.
• A sole trader or legal entity also shows that the worker's specialty is relevant to the business.
• Once approved, the approval and the employer's signed contract are emailed by the authority to the competent Greek consulate.

Stage two: the consulate's national D visa

• Filed at the Greek consulate with jurisdiction over where you lawfully live, with an interview in person.
• Prepared to that consulate's current list, which usually includes a criminal-record certificate, a medical certificate, insurance and certified translations.
• No official estimate exists for this stage: the appointment queue and the examination are the consulate's, which makes it the hardest of the three to predict.

Stage three: the work residence permit after entry

• Filed by you on the Ministry of Migration and Asylum's electronic platform, after entering Greece and before the D visa expires.
• Documents: the passport with the D visa, the employment contract, the employer's notice of hiring (αναγγελία πρόσληψης), a certificate that full sickness insurance has been applied for with the insurance fund, and a recent photograph.
• Fees: €150 for the application and €16 for the card.
• A proof of submission is issued first; the completeness check and biometrics follow, then the permit card.
• Before starting work you need a tax number (AFM), a social security number (AMKA) and a bank account for wages.
• The holder of a first permit must in principle work for the inviting employer for at least six months, with exceptions listed in the law.

Why everyone quotes a different timeline

You will see anything from ten weeks to half a year. The differences come from three places: whether the quota and the employer's file are in order at stage one; the consulate's appointment queue at stage two; and whether the figure counts to entry or to the card. Adding the two Mitos estimates gives 100 to 140 days before the consulate stage is counted at all.

So the practical question is not "how long in total" but "is my employer's file complete and is there quota left" and "how far ahead is my consulate booking". Both can be checked at a consultation.

Two permits that get confused with this one

• Seasonal work: up to nine months of work in any twelve, for up to five years in total, with accommodation meeting health and safety standards provided by the employer. It is a different permit with rules of its own.
• The EU Blue Card: for highly qualified, higher-paid roles, with its own salary threshold and procedure.

If it is refused

Against a refused approval or a refused residence permit, an application for reconsideration (αίτηση θεραπείας) can be filed with the service that made the decision within 2 months of being served; the fee is €50 and that service must decide within 30 days.

Our service and fee

The work visa and residence service we run with our Greek partner office is €15,000 including VAT, in two bank transfers: €5,000 after the service agreement is signed and €10,000 once the D visa is issued. A free consultation comes first, and the agreement is signed only after the employer, the role and the consulate are confirmed. Government fees, the visa fee, insurance, the medical, translations, legalisation and travel are separate and itemised.