Greece · Work
Greece Blue Card
First stay: 3 yrs
EU Blue Card: highly qualified employment residence permit (type E.1)
First checked against official sources on Record corrected 11 Oct 2026Change log
Key facts
Blue Card is a work route for Greece. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Government fees
- €150 ≈ $170
- Processing
- Up to 90 days
- First stay
- 3 yrs
Cost, time and long term
To apply: government fee €150 ≈ $170; decision: up to 90 days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Government fees€150 ≈ $170
- EUR 150 (≈ $170)Residence permit fee (EUR 16 (≈ $18) extra for the card).
RenewalRenewable
The Blue Card is valid up to 3 years and renews for 3 years each time; if the contract is shorter it lasts the contract plus 3 months.
Permanent residenceAfter 5 years of residence
Long-term resident status needs 5 years of continuous legal residence and income at least the annual minimum wage (plus 10% for dependants); absences under 6 consecutive months and 10 months in total are allowed.
CitizenshipAfter 12 years of residence
Naturalisation needs 12 continuous years of legal residence on a permit like this one, but only 7 years once you hold a long-term resident permit or another listed title, plus Greek language and history tests.
Ministry of Interior, National Registry of Administrative Public Services
ProcessingUp to 90 days
The decision is due within 90 days of a complete application, and within 30 days if the employer is recognised under Art. 38.
Where to applyAbroad or in-country
Apply with a national entry visa, or in Greece if you entered visa-free or with a uniform visa and your permitted stay has not ended.
Taxheaven legal text repositoryNational Registry of Administrative Public Services
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Needs a job offer from an employer in Greece
- Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports
What you'll need
Who can apply3
- The applicant is a third-country national.
- Higher professional qualifications evidenced by documents.
- For regulated professions, recognition of qualifications under Presidential Decree 38/2010.
What you must show2
- Gross annual salary of at least 1.6 times the Greek average gross annual salary.
- Permit fee: EUR 150, (≈ $170) plus EUR 16 (≈ $18) for the card.
Documents2
- A valid employment contract for highly qualified employment of at least 6 months in Greece.
- Full sickness insurance.
Steps3
- A national entry visa for that purpose.
- Applicants who entered visa-free or with a uniform visa can also apply in Greece before their permitted stay ends.
- Where the employer is recognised under art. 38, the decision is issued within 30 days of a complete application.
What happens at day 183
How Greece decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
3 years at first, renewable
- Tax residence
- More than 183 days in any 12-month periodPresence in Greece for more than 183 days in total makes a person tax resident from the first day of presence.
- Foreign-source income
Greek tax residents are taxed on worldwide income, including foreign-source income, at progressive rates from 9% to 44% (scale applied from tax year 2026); residence follows the main home, habitual abode or centre of vital interests, or presence over 183 days.
All tax rules for Greece Tax records checked
Full official text
Residence permit for highly qualified employees with a work contract of at least six months and a gross annual salary of at least 1.6 times the Greek average gross annual salary. 1 2 3 4 5
What you must show and pay
- A fee of EUR 150 (≈ $170) · Residence permit fee (EUR 16 (≈ $18) extra for the card). 2 1
- Income · Salary under the contract must be at least 1.6 times the average gross annual salary in Greece. 1
Requirements
- The applicant is a third-country national. 1 2
- Higher professional qualifications evidenced by documents. 1
- For regulated professions, recognition of qualifications under Presidential Decree 38/2010. 1
- Gross annual salary of at least 1.6 times the Greek average gross annual salary. 2 1
- Permit fee: EUR 150, (≈ $170) plus EUR 16 (≈ $18) for the card. 2 1
- A valid employment contract for highly qualified employment of at least 6 months in Greece. 1
- Full sickness insurance. 1
- A national entry visa for that purpose. 1
- Applicants who entered visa-free or with a uniform visa can also apply in Greece before their permitted stay ends. 1 3
- Where the employer is recognised under art. 38, the decision is issued within 30 days of a complete application. 2
Stay
- Blue Card valid 3 years and renewable for 3 years each time; if the contract is shorter, the contract length plus 3 months (never more than 3 years).
- Initial permitted stay: 36 months.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Nationality
Third-country nationals (citizens of non-EU states). Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Work
Right to work in the highly qualified job named on the card; change of employer is regulated by the Code.
Family
Family members can obtain permits under the Blue Card family provisions. Your spouse or partner may work in Greece without a separate permit.
Official sources
- Law 5038/2023, Migration Code (Government Gazette A 81/01.04.2023) · Ethniko Typografeio (Government Gazette) · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2023-04-01
- Residence permit of a highly qualified employee (E.1) following admission with a uniform visa or visa-free regime · National Registry of Administrative Public Services (mitos.gov.gr) · checked 2026-10-10
- Migration Code, art. 34 (grant and validity of the EU Blue Card), consolidated text · Taxheaven legal text repository (consolidated Migration Code, Law 5038/2023) · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2026-02-06
- Law 5275/2026 (Government Gazette A 17/06.02.2026): legal migration policies, amendments to the Migration Code · Taxheaven legal text repository (Law 5275/2026) · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2026-02-06
- Migration Code, art. 42 (family members of EU Blue Card holders), consolidated text · Taxheaven (Law 5038/2023 consolidated text) · checked 2026-10-12
- Migration Code, art. 144 (long-term resident status: conditions), consolidated text · TaxHeaven (consolidated Law 5038/2023) · checked 2026-10-11
- Migration Code, art. 143 (long-term resident status: scope), consolidated text · TaxHeaven (consolidated Law 5038/2023) · checked 2026-10-11
- Naturalisation of non-ethnic-Greek aliens (Politografisi Allogenon Allodapon) · Ministry of Interior, National Registry of Administrative Public Services (mitos.gov.gr) · checked 2026-10-11
Blue Card and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Card | – | 3 yr, renewable | – |
| Intra-company transfer | – | 1 yr, renewable | – |
| Researcher permit | – | – | – |
| Work permit | – | 3 yr, renewable | – |
| Large-company director permit | Needs assets of €4M+ ≈ $4.5M | 5 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Blue Card?
A fee of EUR 150 (≈ $170). Residence permit fee (EUR 16 (≈ $18) extra for the card).
How long can I stay on the Blue Card?
Blue Card valid 3 years and renewable for 3 years each time; if the contract is shorter, the contract length plus 3 months (never more than 3 years).
How long does the Blue Card take to process?
The decision is due within 90 days of a complete application, and within 30 days if the employer is recognised under Art.
Can I work on the Blue Card?
Right to work in the highly qualified job named on the card; change of employer is regulated by the Code.
Can I bring my family on the Blue Card?
Family members can obtain permits under the Blue Card family provisions.
Who can apply for the Blue Card?
Third-country nationals (citizens of non-EU states). Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Does the Blue Card lead to permanent residence in Greece?
Time on the Blue Card counts toward permanent residence in Greece, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. Time on the Blue Card counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 12 years of residence.
How are Blue Card holders taxed in Greece?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Blue Card. The standard rules apply: Greek tax residents are taxed on worldwide income, including foreign-source income, at progressive rates from 9% to 44% (scale applied from tax year 2026); residence follows the main home, habitual abode or centre of vital interests, or presence over 183 days.
More in Greece
Work visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
Ask the AI about this route AI
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 8 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Law 5038/2023, Migration Code (Government Gazette A 81/01.04.2023) · Ethniko Typografeio (Government Gazette) · checked 2026-10-11
- Residence permit of a highly qualified employee (E.1) following admission with a uniform visa or visa-free regime · National Registry of Administrative Public Services (mitos.gov.gr) · checked 2026-10-10
- Migration Code, art. 34 (grant and validity of the EU Blue Card), consolidated text · Taxheaven legal text repository (consolidated Migration Code, Law 5038/2023) · checked 2026-10-11
- Law 5275/2026 (Government Gazette A 17/06.02.2026): legal migration policies, amendments to the Migration Code · Taxheaven legal text repository (Law 5275/2026) · checked 2026-10-11
- Migration Code, art. 42 (family members of EU Blue Card holders), consolidated text · Taxheaven (Law 5038/2023 consolidated text) · checked 2026-10-12
- Migration Code, art. 144 (long-term resident status: conditions), consolidated text · TaxHeaven (consolidated Law 5038/2023) · checked 2026-10-11
- Migration Code, art. 143 (long-term resident status: scope), consolidated text · TaxHeaven (consolidated Law 5038/2023) · checked 2026-10-11
- Naturalisation of non-ethnic-Greek aliens (Politografisi Allogenon Allodapon) · Ministry of Interior, National Registry of Administrative Public Services (mitos.gov.gr) · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.