Greece · Work
Greece Work permit
First stay: 3 yrs
Residence permit for dependent employment after an approved invitation (type E.4)
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Work permit is a work route for Greece. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Government fees
- €150 ≈ $170 · €200 ≈ $220
- First stay
- 3 yrs
Cost, time and long term
Government fees€150 ≈ $170 · €200 ≈ $220
- EUR 150 (≈ $170)Residence permit fee (EUR 16 (≈ $18) extra for the card).
- EUR 200 (≈ $220)Non-refundable fee paid by the employer with the invitation application, per third-country worker.
RenewalRenewable
The first permit is valid 3 years and renews for 5 years each time while the conditions are met.
Taxheaven legal text repositoryTaxheaven legal text repository
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
Where to applyFrom abroad
The employer's invitation is approved first, then the worker enters on a national visa and applies for the E.4 permit right after entry.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Applications are made from outside Greece, not after arriving
- Needs a job offer from an employer in Greece
- Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- The applicant is a third-country national.
- The position is within the quota of jobs set by Council of Ministers act under art. 26.
What you must show3
- Pay of at least the monthly wage of an unskilled employee or manual worker set under arts. 141 and 141A of the Labour Code.
- The employer pays a non-refundable fee of EUR 200 (≈ $220) per worker with the invitation application (EUR 400 (≈ $450) for strategic-investment and public-project employers).
- Permit fee: EUR 150, (≈ $170) plus EUR 16 (≈ $18) for the card.
Documents2
- A legal employment contract of at least 6 months in Greece.
- Proof from the employer's tax records that it can pay the wage.
Steps3
- The employer applies online for an invitation to the Decentralised Administration immigration directorate.
- The worker enters on a national visa after the invitation is approved.
- The worker applies for the type E.4 permit immediately after entry.
After you arrive1
- The permit is valid for 3 years and renewed for 5 years each time while the conditions are met.
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
Employer-sponsored permit: the employer applies for an invitation for a position in the Council of Ministers quota, the worker receives a national visa and then the residence permit. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
What you must show and pay
- A fee of EUR 150 (≈ $170) · Residence permit fee (EUR 16 (≈ $18) extra for the card). 2 1
- A fee of EUR 200 (≈ $220) · Non-refundable fee paid by the employer with the invitation application, per third-country worker. 1
- Income · Pay under the contract must be at least the monthly wage of an unskilled worker. 1
Requirements
- The applicant is a third-country national. 1 2
- The position is within the quota of jobs set by Council of Ministers act under art. 26. 3
- Pay of at least the monthly wage of an unskilled employee or manual worker set under arts. 141 and 141A of the Labour Code. 3 4
- The employer pays a non-refundable fee of EUR 200 (≈ $220) per worker with the invitation application (EUR 400 (≈ $450) for strategic-investment and public-project employers). 3 4
- Permit fee: EUR 150, (≈ $170) plus EUR 16 (≈ $18) for the card. 2 5
- A legal employment contract of at least 6 months in Greece. 3 4
- Proof from the employer's tax records that it can pay the wage. 3
- The employer applies online for an invitation to the Decentralised Administration immigration directorate. 3 2
- The worker enters on a national visa after the invitation is approved. 3
- The worker applies for the type E.4 permit immediately after entry. 3
- The permit is valid for 3 years and renewed for 5 years each time while the conditions are met. 3 4
Stay
- Initial permit valid 3 years; renewals of 5 years each while the conditions are met.
- 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
Work for the inviting employer under the contract.
Family
Family reunification is available once the holder has lived legally in Greece for two years, with income of at least the annual net minimum wage plus 20% for a spouse and 15% per child. 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 following approval of an invitation for dependent employment (E.4) · National Registry of Administrative Public Services (mitos.gov.gr) · checked 2026-10-10
- Migration Code, art. 61 (invitation and dependent-employment permit, type E.4), 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. 171 (permit fees), consolidated text · Taxheaven legal text repository (consolidated Migration Code, Law 5038/2023) · checked 2026-10-11
- Migration Code, art. 84 (conditions for family reunification), consolidated text · Taxheaven (Law 5038/2023 consolidated text) · checked 2026-10-12
- Migration Code, art. 89 (rights and obligations of family members: access to dependent employment), 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
Work permit and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work permit | – | 3 yr, renewable | – |
| Blue Card | – | 3 yr, renewable | – |
| Intra-company transfer | – | 1 yr, renewable | – |
| Researcher permit | – | – | – |
| Large-company director permit | Needs assets of €4M+ ≈ $4.5M | 5 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Work permit?
A fee of EUR 150 (≈ $170). Residence permit fee (EUR 16 (≈ $18) extra for the card). A fee of EUR 200 (≈ $220). Non-refundable fee paid by the employer with the invitation application, per third-country worker.
How long can I stay on the Work permit?
Initial permit valid 3 years; renewals of 5 years each while the conditions are met.
Can I work on the Work permit?
Work for the inviting employer under the contract.
Can I bring my family on the Work permit?
Family reunification is available once the holder has lived legally in Greece for two years, with income of at least the annual net minimum wage plus 20% for a spouse and 15% per child.
Who can apply for the Work permit?
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 Work permit lead to permanent residence in Greece?
Time on the Work permit counts toward permanent residence in Greece, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. Time on the Work permit counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 12 years of residence.
How are Work permit holders taxed in Greece?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Work permit. 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.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 10 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 following approval of an invitation for dependent employment (E.4) · National Registry of Administrative Public Services (mitos.gov.gr) · checked 2026-10-10
- Migration Code, art. 61 (invitation and dependent-employment permit, type E.4), 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. 171 (permit fees), consolidated text · Taxheaven legal text repository (consolidated Migration Code, Law 5038/2023) · checked 2026-10-11
- Migration Code, art. 84 (conditions for family reunification), consolidated text · Taxheaven (Law 5038/2023 consolidated text) · checked 2026-10-12
- Migration Code, art. 89 (rights and obligations of family members: access to dependent employment), 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.