Greece Immigration Services

Newland Chase offers full support with all aspects of corporate immigration to Greece. Please find an overview of the typical corporate immigration processes below. Every situation is unique, so please do get in touch, either through your usual Newland Chase contact or using the details on the right hand side of the page. Our immigration experts will be glad to discuss your needs in greater detail.

Immigration Summary

Please note: Newland Chase is awaiting the implementation details of the new immigration law that came into effect in January 2024. The Ministerial decision published on March 20 2024 in application of the law contains some discrepancies and requires clarifications. At this point, please note that a pre-screening process is added to the following permits: ICT, Special Purpose (such as companies engaged in hydrocarbon extraction, shipping companies) and Blue card. The Blue card is significantly reformed. More updates should be expected in the coming months.

The Local Hire Work Permit for Senior Employees (under Article 17) is for senior managerial-level employees, shareholders and/or members of the board who will work in Greece on a local contract. After the initial validity of up to two years, renewals may be granted in increments of three years.

The Intra-Company Transfer Permit (EU Directive 2014/66) is only applicable to assignees falling into management/specialist or trainee categories sent to Greece for over 90 days from outside the EU and has a maximum total duration of stay of three years for managers/specialists and one year for trainees, after which time the assignee must exit Greece. The applicant must have worked for their sending company continuously for at least twelve months (six months for trainees).

A holder of an EU ICT permit under 2014/66/EU, issued in Greece, will be able to work in another EU member state for a company of the same group, for stays of up to 90 days in a 180-day period, without a separate work permit, although the host country may require a notification. For stays of more than 90 days, a 'mobile ICT permit' for that country may be required.

A holder of an EU ICT permit issued in another EU member state can work at a company of the same group in Greece on the basis of that permit for stays up to 90 days, or over 90 days. In these cases, only a notification must be filed with both the Greek immigration and labour authorities before the transfer to Greece begins.

The Short-Term Assignment for Technical Staff (under Article 18, Paragraph 1E) is for assignees going to Greece for short-term assignments, specifically to fulfil contractual obligations to a client company. The applicant must remain on foreign payroll and a service agreement should be in place. The applicant should be a specialised technical worker who is to provide services exclusively related to the installation, test operation and maintenance of the supplied items. The authorisation is valid for a maximum of six months.

According to Van der Elst case law a non-EEA national who is employed and contracted by a home entity in the EEA country and sent on short-term assignment to another EEA country no longer requires a work permit. For assignments up to 3 months, a valid Schengen residence permit will be enough. However, a Schengen visa would be required for EU non-Schengen permit visa holders, or a D visa should be applied for prior to entry for stays over three months.

EU/EEA/Swiss nationals on assignment to or employed in Greece do not need a work permit. However, if the stay in Greece will be longer than 90 days, an EU Registration Certificate should be applied for. Note that EU/EEA/Swiss nationals on foreign payroll may be subject to additional requirements.

Although Greek law does provide for Blue Card applications in theory through Ministerial Decision 24990/2015, the criteria are so limited and specific (both in terms of location and job title) that the category is not used in practice. If highly skilled applicants are being sent to the municipality of Piraeus, this route may be an option. There are also provisions made for companies working for 'public interest' and it is recommended to contact a listed supplier to discuss the options if these situations apply.