Procedure for the Employment of Foreign Workers

The recruitment of foreign workers in Greece is the process through which employers can hire citizens from countries outside the European Union to fill job positions in the country. This process allows businesses facing labor shortages to hire foreign employees, thereby maintaining their sustainability and growth.

The recruitment mainly concerns two categories of work: the dependent employment and seasonal work. For each category, there are specific procedures and requirements that must be met by both the employer and the employee.

Specifically, the recruitment process consists of the following stages:

1. Application by the employer

The employer submits an application to the competent authorities (the Directorate of Foreigners and Immigration of the Decentralized Administration in the place of employment), stating the need for workforce and the details of the prospective employee. The competent authorities review the application and verify whether the conditions for recruitment (invitation) are met.

2. Approval of the application

Once the application is approved, an email with the approval decision is sent to the employer and to the competent Greek Consulate in the foreign national’s place of residence. The foreign national is then required to appear at the relevant Consulate to submit the necessary documents and undergo an interview in order to proceed with the recruitment (invitation) process. If everything is in order, the Consulate issues a national entry visa for the foreign national to enter Greece. This stage is often the most time-consuming.

3. Arrival of the foreign national in our country

With the approval of the national entry visa, the foreign national travels to our country. Upon arrival, the employer proceeds with issuing a Tax Identification Number (TIN) and Social Security Number (AMKA) for the foreign national in order to complete the hiring process and allow them to start working. Once the employment is formalized, the foreign national submits an application for a residence permit to the locally competent authority (Decentralized Administration).

Upon completion of the three stages, the foreign national is fully authorized to work legally in our country.

The following documents are required for the recruitment (invitation) application process:

For the employer:

Form N (company tax clearance) (a minimum of €60,000 gross revenue is required per recruited employee)
Company articles of association
General Certificate from the General Commercial Registry (GEMI) (valid for three months)
Detailed certificate of Representation (Valid for three months)
Company registry details (NACE code)
Copy of the representative’s ID, phone number, and Tax Identification Number (TIN)

If the business is a sole proprietorship, documents 2 and 4 are not required.

For the appellee:

Photocopy of the appellee’s passport.
Father’s and mother’s name
Certificate of family status or birth certificate

The application for the admission of a migrant worker under dependent employment It concerns employers who need personnel for the entire year (12 months). After the expiration of the twelve-month period, and provided both parties (employer and employee) agree, they can proceed with the renewal of their contract without the need to repeat the aforementioned procedures. For the submission of the application, the payment of a fee of €200 per invitee is required, and for the issuance of a residence permit, a fee of €100 per invitee is also required.

The application for the admission of a migrant worker for seasonal employment It concerns employers who need personnel for work lasting from 3 to 9 months, with the possibility of renewing the contract for up to 5 years without the need to repeat the aforementioned procedures. For the submission of the application, the payment of a fee of €100 per invitee is required, and for the issuance of a residence permit, a fee of €75 per invitee is also required.

In both cases, the employer undertakes to provide accommodation for the stay of the invitee.