Job Seeker Visa in Greece: Ultimate Guide

On the hunt for your next big career move—in Greece, no less? You’re going to need a Job Seeker Visa, and perhaps a little divine intervention. Don’t Worry! We’ve got you covered!

This guide serves as both, helping you untangle Greek bureaucracy like Hercules wrestling the Nemean Lion.

Let’s dive in!

What Are Different Types Of Visas Offered By Greece?

Greece, like other countries, has its immigration policies. It also has designed its policies to invite more people into the country to boost its economic revenues through tourism.

According to the formed policies, it offers various kinds of visas to people of all nationalities. Some of the particular visas have been given below:

Schengen Tourist Visa

Schengen Tourist Visa is a short-term visa. People with access to this Visa can stay in Greece for 90 days. It can be a continuous stay or separate visits, but 90 days should stay within the 180-day mark.

This Visa allows one to visit Greece and other Schengen countries for various purposes. Those purposes can be:

Tourism
Meeting Family
For Business
For Seeking A Job

As Greece does not have any specific “Job Seeker Visa”. So, Schengen Tourist Visa is considered to be the appropriate Visa for job seekers.

National Long-Stay Visa

National Long-Stay Visa is different from the Schengen Tourist Visa, as this Visa is issued for extended stays. People with this type of Visa can stay in Greece for longer than 90 days.

This Visa is issued to those who have either employment requirements or want to visit Greece to establish a business or reunite with their families.

Student Visa

Education crosses global barriers. Like many other countries, Greece also issues student visas for students who want to study in the Greek Institutions of Higher Education.

Access to the students is only given if they have acceptance letters from recognized universities in Greece.

Employment Visa

An employment visa is a work permit. IA long-term visa allows one to stay and work in Greece.

Primarily, the employer of the applicant of the Visa initiates the whole process of applying for the employment visa.

Family Reunification Visa

This Visa also falls under the category of long-term Visa. It is for those with families living in Greece as legal residents.

This Visa gives access to foreign nationals to meet their families without much hassle of the repeated application of Visa.

Investor Visa

Many countries grant visas to those who invest in their country. The investment can be in the form of buying real estate, establishing a business, or any other monetary investment that enhances their economy.

Greece also allows investors to be granted Investor visas for ease of travel in Greece.

Researcher Visa

The road map of progress for any country in today’s industrialized and globalized world has research and human resources development as its key components.

So, Greece also ensures its progress by granting researcher visas to people of other nationalities who have been accepted into Greek institutions under research degrees and programs.

Health Visa

Greece has good medical facilities, and if people want to get treated under the supervision of Greek medical professionals, then they can apply for Health or Medical Visa in Greece and get prompt treatment.

Cultural And Artistic Visa:

Being a hub of cultural exchange for centuries, Greece continues its legacy of cultural progression by hosting people who have artistic endeavors. Foreigners get access to cultural activities in Greece through Cultural and Artistic Visa.

Transit Visa

One can apply for a transit visa in Greece while passing through it to your destination. It is always better to apply for a transit visa in Greece and take advantage of the chance to explore the historic country, even for a few hours or days.

Humanitarian Visa

People look for asylums when their own countries are usually in a worn-torn state and cannot live there. Greece also grants people visas based on humanitarian crises.

Are The Job-Seeker Visa And Employment Visa Same In Greece?

The job and employment visa visas that Greece is both different and different.

In a job-seeker visa, the applicant needs a secured source of employment in Greece. In contrast, in an employment visa, the applicant’s visa process is initiated by one’s employer, who’s a legal Greek resident.

Also, there is no specific category for job-seeker visas in Greece. It falls under the Short-Stay Type C Visa of Greece. This type of Visa dictates that:

One may stay or transit in Schengen Area for a continuous period of 90 days within 180 days.
One can get granted this Visa for various reasons. These include family visits, tourism, business meetings, job-seeking, and other reasons.
The application needs to be lodged before 15 days of arrival and can only be applied after 3 months of the intended visit.
The Visa will have a validity period of 6 months.
The applicant must also have an approved and signed application for a Schengen Visa or Job Seeking Visa.

Which Authority Provides Or Assigns Job Seeker Visa For Greece?

It is usually the Ministry of foreign affairs that approves the visas of other countries. The Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece is thus the authority presiding over the approval of visas.

To apply for a Job-seeker visa in Greece, one would submit one’s application in the offices of the Greek embassy and consulates present in one’s country. The assigned diplomatic officers have the authority to approve one’s application for a Job-seeker visa.

What Are The Features Of Job-Seeker Visa In Greece?

Every type of Visa has its perks, but its features also include different limitations. So, one needs to be sure before applying for the Visa that it must fulfill the purpose or need one has.

When one has been granted access to a Job-seeker visa in Greece, one will have access to the following features:

Allows Job-search: It will allow one to fulfill the purpose of a job search in Greece. Thus, with this Visa, one can be on the grounds of the job market of Greece and also attend interviews with potential employers.
This visa type falls under the short-stay Type C of Greece visa, so the duration of the job-seeker visa is uninterrupted 90 days or 90 days in the span of 180 days.
Work Limitation: The job-seeker visa allows one to look for work in Greece but does not allow one to start work as an Employee to any legal Greek resident.
Extension to Work Permit: The Job-seeker visa does not allow one to work but to look for work. If one can secure a job for oneself, then the job seeker visa can be converted to an Employment visa or a work permit.
Eligibility: There are specific requirements that the applicant of the job-seeker visa needs to fulfill, like the required qualification, financial means, health insurance, language proficiency, and other factors.

What Are The Requirements For Eligibility For Job-Seeker Visa In Greece?

The different requirements for ensuring eligibility for the Greek Job-seeking visa have been listed below:

Eligible Nationality

Greece allows some residents of European states to visit visa-free, and they do not need to apply for Job-Seeker Greek Visa.

However, all other nationalities, especially the listed residents of 103 countries of the third world, need to apply for Job-Seeker Visa before coming on transit or staying in Greece for Job-hunting.

Fitting Qualification

One must prove through documentation that one has the qualifications required for the job one wants to go to Greece for. With the suitable qualification, an application for a visa might be accepted.

Appropriate Financial Revenues

When one needs to have enough savings to finance one’s trips and be able to take care of one’s food, accommodation, and transport, one even needs to have some revenue in case of emergencies.

Medically Insured

Health insurance is a must when it comes to the requirements of any application for a visa.

The required health insurance should be able to take care of one’s health during the stay in Greece and should also be able to cover any charges of repatriation if needed.

Accommodation

One also needs to provide proof of one’s arrangement of accommodation in one’s application for a Job-seeker.

It can be a rent agreement or even a letter from the one’s hosting the applicant.

Intent Of Job Search

It might be the need of the visa application for one to demonstrate a genuine and clear intention of needing a job in Greece.

It can be shown through a well-devised plan and search of Greece’s job market.

Proficiency In Language

Language proficiency is not a mandatory aspect of a job-seeker visa application.

Nonetheless, having a specific proficiency in the Greek language will not just help one to communicate during the stay in Greece. However, it will also reflect the serious intention of the applicant to acquire a job.

No Repeated Stay For the Same Purpose

If one has already stayed in Greece for job-seeking and now has to apply again for the same Visa, then one needs to prove that one’s circumstances this time are different.

Knowledge Of Local Laws

Knowing the laws of the country one wants to visit or stay in is always a plus point. Demonstrating one’s knowledge of the other country’s laws will ensure the Visa approving authority of one’s righteous standing in society.

It will also reflect the clear intentions of the purpose of one’s application, that is, to seek a job legally.

Authorized Travel Documents

One can only travel with legal travel documents like a passport. One needs to ensure that one’s passport has remained valid at the time of visa application.

What Are The Required Documents For Job-Seeker Greek Visa Application?

Every visa application requires one to recognize that authorities will look at these documents, whol be looked at by the recognized authorities that will then approve or disapprove one’s application.

For a Greek Job-seeker application, one needs to have all the required documents in English or Greek; if there are any documents in any other language, then those need to be translated into either of these two languages.

Also, the documents need approval from the home country’s Foreign Ministry. The essential required documents for Greek Visa Application are given below:

Valid Passport
Two Passport Sized Photos
Application Form
Biometric Data
Medical Insurance
Visa Fee
Material Related to One’s Trip.
Reason For Visit
Accommodation Verifying Papers.
Finances Documents
Proof Of Return

What Is The Required Fee For Job-seeker Greek Visa?

As the Greek Job-seeker visa falls under the category of Greek Schengen Visa, the standard fee for different applicants is:

80 Euros is the fee for an Adult.
No fees for Children under the age of 6

There is also some service payment fee that is separate from the visa processing fee.

What Is The Process To Apply For A Job-Seeker Greek Visa?

The process to apply for the job-seeker visa to Greece has been broken down into the following steps:

Step 1: Identify the purpose of traveling. One first needs to determine one’s purpose for traveling to Greece, which will determine the type of Visa one can apply for.

It can fall in Type C (short-term stay) or Type D (Long-term stay). For a Job-seeker visa in Greece, it’s Type C.

Step 2: Determine the number of entries in Greece and the Schengen area one

needs. Identifying this would help one to ensure how extended one’s stay will be and whether it would be consecutive or divided into separate visits.

Step 3: Collect the required documents that need to be attached to the visa application.

Step 4: Set an appointment at the Greek Consulate/embassy. One needs to visit the consulate to appear for the interview, but that is a later step.

First, one needs to set an appointment to submit the applications. The earlier it is done, the better.

Step 5: Fill out the applications and attach the documents. One can quickly fill out the applicating according to the online given instructions.

Step 6: Pay the required application fee. The required fee is 80 Euros for adults, and exemption is given to children under six.

Step 7:Attend the interview. After submitting a visa application, one might be called in for a personal interview to verify the information and materials attached to one’s application.

What Is The Processing Time For Greek Job-Seeker Visa?

The Greek Schengen visa or Job-seeker visa processing time is generally 15 days, although it can sometimes take up to 60 days.

What To Do Next If One’s Greek Job-Seeker Visa Has Been Approved?

One must immediately collect one’s Visa and ensure all the information authorities complete. If there have been any changes, then the authorities need to be informed of those changes.

What To Do Next If One’s Job-Seeker Greek Visa Has Been Denied?

If one gets stuck in a case where one’s Visa has been denied, when can one appeal against it?

One must also look for the form that has the answers for the rejection of the Visa. If one has resolved the reason for rejection, one must submit the appeal within 3 weeks of rejection.

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Job-Seeker Visa In Greece?

The Job-seeker visa has its advantages as well as some disadvantages. One needs to be aware of both before applying for this Visa. Some of the pros and cons have been listed below:

Pros	Cons
A chance to explore and get familiar with the culture of Greece.	The limited duration of stay on the Job-seeker visa is only 90 days.
It allows one to see the historical monuments.	The outcome is still being determined if one will be able to get the job in 90n days or not.
It allows one to have a test trial of the interviews and job-hunting process.	The transition of the Visa from job-seeker to employment is required when one secures the job, which can be a hassle.
It makes one aware of the ground realities of the job market in Greece	One is not allowed to work on this Visa.
It allows one to visit family and friends settled in Greece.	As it Greek is primarily a tourist country, the applicant might have to bear higher expenses on his end.

Conclusion

You’ve now been guided through the labyrinthine process of getting a Job Seeker Visa in Greece, making you practically a Minotaur of paperwork. Take a breath and get ready to seize your next opportunity in the land of gods and gyros.

Happy Applying!

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