Employers who want to hire foreign workers in Greece from outside the EU must, in most cases, use the metaklisi (μετάκληση, invitation) procedure under the Migration Code. The employer files an online application with the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, the one-stop service of the Decentralised Administration issues an employment approval if positions remain under the annual labour needs caps, the Greek consulate issues the worker a national D visa, and the worker applies for a residence permit for employment straight after arrival. Workers from the EU, EEA and Switzerland need none of this, and foreign nationals already living in Greece can be hired directly if their permit gives access to the labour market. Every route ends with the same labour law duties as for any Greek employee: a lawful written contract, pay at or above the legal minimum and any applicable collective agreement, registration in ERGANI, social insurance with e-EFKA, and openness to labour inspection.

Who needs the metaklisi procedure and who does not

The first question for any employer is not how to hire, but whether a hiring procedure is needed at all. The answer depends on the worker's nationality and current status.

• EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can be hired like Greek nationals. They do not need a work permit. If they stay in Greece for more than three months they must register with the police and obtain a registration certificate, as described on the EURES guide to living and working in Greece.
• Third-country nationals already living legally in Greece can be hired directly if their residence permit gives access to the labour market. Examples include holders of a residence permit for dependent employment, long term residents and many family permit holders. The employer must check the permit before the person starts work.
• Third-country nationals living abroad generally need an employment approval obtained by the employer through metaklisi, followed by a national D visa and a residence permit. This is the main subject of this guide.

Digital nomad and investor permits are not routes for a Greek company to hire staff, so they are mentioned here only as context.

The legal framework employers work under

The Migration Code is the main law. It sets the residence permit categories, the procedure for inviting workers from abroad, the annual planning of admissions and the obligations and sanctions that apply to employers. It has been amended several times since adoption. The most significant recent amendment is the law promoting legal migration policies, which also transposed the recast EU Single Permit Directive. According to a Ministry of Migration and Asylum reply to Parliament on metaklisi and farm labour, that amending law is in force and introduced several changes that matter directly to employers:

• the employment contract required for an invited worker now needs to run for at least six months, instead of the previous one year requirement;
• invited workers have more flexibility to change employer, with the one-stop service notified in parallel;
• the consultation behind the annual labour needs decision was broadened, and the extra margin above the caps was raised to up to 15%;
• temporary work agencies may act as the direct employer in the metaklisi procedure under strict conditions.

The same reply says the Ministry, together with the Ministries of Labour and Foreign Affairs, is considering further reform of metaklisi, faster visa issuance, a revised method for setting labour needs and a stricter compliance framework for employers and workers. Those plans are proposals, not rules in force, so employers should check the Ministry of Migration and Asylum before relying on any announced change.

Alongside the Migration Code, the Greek Labour Code governs the employment relationship itself: contracts, working time, pay, leave and dismissal. A third-country worker hired through metaklisi is an employee under Greek labour law with the same core protections as a Greek colleague.

Labour needs caps and how they limit hiring foreign workers in Greece

Greece does not let employers invite unlimited numbers of workers. A Cabinet Act (Πράξη Υπουργικού Συμβουλίου) issued under the Migration Code, on the proposal of the Minister of Labour, sets the maximum number of positions for dependent employment, seasonal work and highly skilled employment. The positions are grouped by sector and occupation, using the European ESCO classification of occupations. The act can also set numbers by country of origin and can list the third countries from which invitations are allowed. Separately, the government can suspend invitations from specific countries, for example where a country does not cooperate with Greece on returns.

The Ministry reply to Parliament on seasonal agricultural workers confirms that the consultation for the Cabinet Act was broadened, that the margin for unforeseen needs was raised from 10% to 15%, and that a decision of the Minister of Labour sets out how the consultation works. Under that consultation, employer bodies submit estimates of the workers they need, and the Public Employment Service DYPA supplies data on available domestic, EU and legally resident labour and registered unemployment. The ministry then reports to the Minister, who proposes the caps.

For an individual employer the practical consequences are simple:

• the job must fall within a sector and occupation for which positions exist in the Cabinet Act currently in force;
• an approval can be issued only while positions in that category have not run out;
• the metaklisi article of the Migration Code does not add a separate case by case vacancy test by DYPA, because the labour market assessment happens upstream when the caps are set;
• workers must be over 18.

A high cap for a sector shows demand, not eligibility. A worker is not entitled to a permit because their occupation appears in the act, and an employer is not entitled to approval because it has a real need. Our separate guide on labour shortages in Greece explains the sectors and the annual planning in more detail.

Which hiring route fits the job

The Ministry's online system groups employer applications into categories that match residence permit types. A Ministry circular on online filing for all work categories lists them:

• E1, highly skilled employment. This is the EU Blue Card track, for workers with high qualifications and a salary above a threshold linked to average pay. The threshold is revised periodically, so employers should check the current figure with the Ministry rather than rely on an older amount.
• E2, intra-corporate transfer. For managers, specialists and trainees moved from a group company outside the EU.
• E3, special purpose employment. Narrow categories such as staff for energy and hydrocarbon projects, technical staff for mines, staff of strategic investments, teachers, religious workers and members of foreign archaeological schools.
• E4, dependent employment. The general metaklisi route for ordinary salaried jobs, with a separate strand for agriculture.
• E5, seasonal work. Seasonal jobs in agriculture, fishing and tourism.

Two further channels sit beside these. Strategic investments, public works contracts and other projects of special importance can apply for workers per project through a priority procedure, with a ministerial certificate and a fee per worker. Bilateral agreements, such as the agreement between Greece and Egypt for seasonal agricultural workers, run through their own electronic channel and matching process. Our separate guide on seasonal work in Greece covers the seasonal and bilateral routes in depth.

Choosing the right category matters. Seasonal permits are time limited and tied to the season, while the dependent employment permit is designed for ongoing jobs.

Employer conditions before applying

Before opening an application, the employer should confirm that it meets the basic conditions. These come from the Migration Code, the ministerial decisions issued under it and the documents required by the online platform.

• A business established and registered in Greece. The employer logs in with its Taxisnet credentials, so it must have a Greek tax number (AFM) and be registered with the tax authority AADE.
• The ability to pay the wages offered. For dependent employment, the employer must show from its tax assessment or tax return that it can pay the stated wages. The Ministry has told Parliament, in its reply on recruiting farm workers from third countries, that income criteria apply to dependent employment and to seasonal work in tourism, but not to seasonal work in agriculture and fishing.
• A job within the caps. The occupation and sector must match available positions under the Cabinet Act.
• Accommodation where required. Seasonal workers need suitable accommodation, and the employer must declare it and report any change.
• No current ban. Employers who breached their obligations in earlier invitations can be barred from new applications for a set period.

An employer can file the application itself or authorise a lawyer to file on its behalf. Authorisation works through the lawyers' registry system: the employer enters the lawyer's registry number, and the lawyer then accesses the application with the employer's tax number. The employer can withdraw or change the authorisation at any time. Using a lawyer is optional. Whoever files, the employer remains legally responsible for the contents.

Documents and guarantees for a metaklisi application

The exact document list depends on the category and is displayed by the platform when the employer selects it. Ministerial decisions issued under the Migration Code set the official lists. For a standard dependent employment application (E4), the core requirements are:

• The application details: number of positions, sector and type of work, each worker's identity and nationality details, and the period of employment.
• A lawful employment contract for work in Greece lasting at least six months, with pay at least equal to the statutory minimum for an unskilled worker or labourer. The employer signs first, and the worker signs at the consulate.
• Proof of financial capacity, normally the employer's tax assessment or a legal entity's tax return.
• A copy of each worker's passport data pages.
• Proof of payment of the fee per worker. The fee is paid to the State, is non-refundable and covers the processing of the employment approval only. It does not cover the visa fee, the residence permit fee or travel.
• Solemn declarations where the platform asks for them, for example on accommodation for seasonal workers or on costs the employer must cover.
• For a temporary work agency, its contract with the business where the worker will actually work and that business's tax proof.

Fee amounts are set in the Migration Code and the platform shows the payable code and amount when the application is prepared. Employers should rely on the amount displayed there when filing, because fees and categories have changed with amendments.

Documents issued abroad generally need an official translation into Greek and legalisation or an apostille.

The metaklisi procedure step by step

The procedure has four stages, run by three different authorities.

Filing the online application

Employer applications are filed through the electronic services of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, also reachable through gov.gr. The Ministry circular on electronic employer applications describes the steps:

1. Log in with Taxisnet credentials, or have the authorised lawyer log in, and choose the category.
2. Complete the fields and save the draft, which appears under provisional applications.
3. Upload the required documents and pay any fees due.
4. Select final submission. After this, the application cannot be edited, and the status and proof of submission appear under final applications.

Check every field before final submission: errors can lead to rejection, and the fee is not refunded.

Employment approval by the Decentralised Administration

The application goes to the Aliens and Migration Directorate, the one-stop service, of the Decentralised Administration covering the employer's seat or branch, or the place where the work will be done. The service issues an approval for employment with that specific employer only if the file is complete and positions remain in the relevant category. In a reply to Parliament, the Ministry reported that most metaklisi applications were completed within 30 days of submission according to its system data. That is a past average, not a promised deadline for any single case.

Consulate and national D visa

The approval and the employer-signed contract are sent to the competent Greek consulate electronically. The consulate invites the worker, who appears in person, signs the contract and applies for the national D visa for employment. General visa rules still apply, so the consulate can refuse a visa even after the employment approval, for example on security or document grounds. Under the amended Code, the consulate must tell the one-stop service of its decision within 30 days, and the one-stop service must then inform the employer within 15 days, according to the Ministry reply to Parliament on simplifying worker recruitment.

Arrival and residence permit

After entering Greece on the D visa, the worker must apply electronically for the residence permit for dependent employment without delay. If the job is located outside the area of the service that issued the approval, the application goes to the one-stop service for the work location. Seasonal workers follow a lighter sequence: they can start work immediately after entry and apply for a residence permit once work has started and social insurance is active. Our separate guide on applying for a work permit in Greece covers the worker's side, including biometrics, permit fees, validity and renewal.

Timelines employers should plan around

Greek law sets some deadlines but not all, so planning should include margins. The fixed points are:

• Caps: the Cabinet Act sets positions for a calendar year and stays in force until replaced, so early filing reduces the risk that positions in a popular category run out.
• Consulate to one-stop service: within 30 days of the visa decision.
• One-stop service to employer: within 15 days of receiving the consulate's notice.
• Single permit decisions: the recast Single Permit Directive requires a decision within 90 days of a complete application, with a possible 30 day extension in exceptional cases, according to the European Parliament summary of the recast Single Permit Directive.

Consulate appointments, legalisation abroad and travel vary by country, so avoid promising a start date until the visa is issued.

Seasonal workers and the employer's extra duties

A seasonal employment approval can cover one or more periods, with a maximum of nine months in any twelve month period. Under the Migration Code, a seasonal worker can receive a multi-entry permit for up to five years on a single approval, so the same worker can return for several seasons. Workers who held a seasonal visa in the previous five years and fully complied with their obligations get priority at consulates.

Seasonal employers carry extra duties. They must provide or arrange suitable accommodation, declare its address and report any change to the Decentralised Administration. Under the Greece and Egypt agreement, the Ministry's circular states that the employer pays the worker's ticket to Greece at the start of work and signs an individual written contract with each approved worker. Breaches can lead to fines and to a ban on future seasonal invitations. Our separate guide on seasonal work in Greece explains sectors, maximum duration and the bilateral schemes.

Hiring through a temporary work agency

The amended Migration Code allows a temporary work agency to be the direct employer in the metaklisi procedure and to place invited workers with a client business, the indirect employer. The conditions are strict:

• the agency must operate lawfully in Greece under the Labour Code provisions on temporary work agencies;
• it must meet a minimum share capital requirement set in the Code;
• its directors must not be prosecuted or convicted for trafficking third-country nationals;
• it must already have a cooperation contract with the indirect employer before applying;
• it can only operate in the sectors and under the criteria set by a joint ministerial decision on agencies in the metaklisi procedure.

For the client business, using an agency does not remove all responsibility. Under Greek labour law, client and agency share obligations on pay and safety, and the Migration Code extends sanctions to main contractors who fail to carry out due diligence on subcontractors. A business that relies on an agency should still check that every worker on its premises holds a valid permit and is declared in ERGANI.

Employment contracts, pay and collective agreements

The metaklisi contract must meet both the Migration Code and the Labour Code. In practice the employer should make sure the contract states, at a minimum:

• the parties, the place of work and the start date;
• the job and its link to the sector in the application;
• the duration, at least six months for dependent employment;
• working hours and rest periods;
• gross pay, the pay interval and any allowances;
• paid leave and the collective agreement that applies, if any;
• social insurance with e-EFKA.

The EURES guide notes that Greek employers must give employees the material terms of employment in writing, including working hours, paid leave and any applicable collective agreement, and that failure to do so can lead to a fine. For invited workers, the signed contract is part of the immigration file, so it must be complete from the start.

Pay. The Greek statutory minimum wage and minimum daily wage are gross amounts set by decision of the Minister of Labour and revised periodically. Where a sectoral or company collective agreement applies, its rates and allowances must be paid if they are higher. Employers should take the current minimum figures from the Ministry of Labour rather than from older documents, and should state pay as gross in the contract to avoid disputes over deductions.

Equal treatment. The amended Migration Code, transposing the recast Single Permit Directive, gives single permit holders equal treatment with Greek nationals on pay, working time, leave, dismissal, health and safety, freedom of association and social security. A General Accounting Office report on the legal migration bill confirms that the Labour Inspectorate is tasked with inspections, complaints and sanctions where employers breach these rights. Paying a foreign worker less than a Greek colleague doing the same job under the same agreement is unlawful.

Keeping records. The employer must keep the signed contract of an invited worker for five years and show it to inspectors on request.

ERGANI declarations, AMKA and AFM

Once the worker is in Greece and allowed to work, the employer must complete the same registrations as for any employee. The order matters, because each number depends on the one before.

1. Tax number (AFM). The worker obtains a personal tax registration number from the tax authority AADE, through the competent tax office or its digital services.
2. Social security number (AMKA). According to the official procedure for issuing AMKA to third-country nationals, adults apply in person at an e-EFKA office or a Citizen Service Centre (KEP), with a valid passport, a residence permit giving access to the labour market and proof of their AFM. The service is free. Where the worker holds only the D visa or a permit application receipt, the employer should confirm with e-EFKA which document it accepts at that stage.
3. ERGANI hiring declaration. The employer declares the hiring in the Ministry of Labour's ERGANI system before the worker starts work, with working hours and pay. Changes to hours, conversions and terminations are also declared in ERGANI within set deadlines. Termination declarations, for example, have a short deadline after notice is given.
4. Digital work card. In sectors where the digital work card applies, the worker's actual start and finish times are recorded electronically, and inspectors can compare them with the declared schedule.
5. Social insurance. Contributions to e-EFKA are paid through the employer's periodic declarations. Active insurance is also a condition for a seasonal worker's residence permit.

Obligations after the worker starts

The employer's duties under the Migration Code continue after arrival. The most important are:

• Reporting no-shows and early departures. If an invited worker does not report for work after entering Greece, or leaves before the contract ends, the employer must promptly inform the one-stop service that approved the invitation. Failure to report carries a fine per worker and, for repeat breaches, a ban on new invitations.
• Reporting accommodation changes for seasonal workers.
• Employing only people with the right to work. The Code forbids employing a third-country national without legal residence, or whose permit or visa does not give access to the labour market.
• Respecting the first six months. Under the amended Code, an invited worker is expected to stay with the first employer for the first six months unless an exception applies, such as a serious breach of the contract by the employer, a termination agreed by both sides with the required declarations, or a termination by the employer under the Labour Code. If the employer never starts the employment, the worker can change employer and may claim compensation under labour law.

Our separate guides on changing employers on a work permit and on job loss on a work permit in Greece explain the worker's side of these rules, including what happens to the permit and what must be notified.

Hiring foreign workers already living in Greece

Many employers fill jobs with third-country nationals who are already in Greece. This avoids the consulate stage and the caps, but it does not remove the duty to check status. Before the first working day, the employer should:

• see the original residence permit and check its category, expiry date and whether it gives access to the labour market;
• keep a copy on file;
• check whether a permit under renewal is covered by a valid certificate of application, and whether that certificate allows work, because some receipts do not;
• confirm that the worker has an AFM and AMKA before declaring the hiring in ERGANI.

Some permit holders can switch to the dependent employment category at renewal, and students can work only limited hours. If in doubt, ask the Aliens and Migration Directorate before signing.

Labour inspection and penalties for illegal employment

Two sets of sanctions apply to employers of foreign workers: those in the Migration Code and those in labour and social security law.

Under the Migration Code, employing a legally resident third-country national who has no right to work carries a fine per worker, imposed by the Labour Inspectorate or the Decentralised Administration. Employing someone without legal residence triggers heavier penalties under the separate law on illegal employment of third-country nationals. Breaching seasonal housing rules or failing to report a worker's absence leads to fines and to bans on future invitations, and an employer who breached its obligations in a seasonal invitation cannot file a new request for three years. Where a visa is revoked because of the employer's conduct, the employer must compensate the worker for what it would have owed. Main contractors can share liability for subcontractors' breaches if they failed to carry out due diligence.

Under labour law, the Hellenic Labour Inspectorate checks workplaces for undeclared work, pay below the legal minimum, working time breaches and health and safety failures. A worker who is on the premises but not declared in ERGANI is treated as undeclared, which carries a high fine per worker. Foreign workers can file complaints with the Labour Inspectorate in the same way as Greek workers.

The fine amounts are set in law and revised by amendment, so this guide does not quote them. The Ministry has also told Parliament it is considering a stricter compliance framework.

Warning signs and common mistakes

• Filing in the wrong category, for example a year-round job filed as seasonal work.
• Offering a contract below the legal minimum, or one that omits hours or the applicable collective agreement.
• Letting a worker start before the permit stage allows it. A dependent employment worker should not start until the employer has confirmed the right to work and declared the hiring in ERGANI.
• Paying intermediaries for promises. No intermediary can guarantee an approval, a visa or a permit, because these depend on caps and official decisions. Employers and workers should be wary of anyone asking for large fees in exchange for a guaranteed outcome, and should check any official fee against the platform.
• Not reporting absences. An employer who does not tell the one-stop service when an invited worker fails to appear can face fines and lose access to future invitations.

Practical checklist for employers

1. Confirm the worker's nationality and status: EU citizen, resident with work rights, or third-country national abroad.
2. Check that the job's sector and occupation have positions under the Cabinet Act in force.
3. Choose the right category: E1, E2, E3, E4, E5 or a project or bilateral channel.
4. Prepare a contract of at least six months for dependent employment, with gross pay at or above the minimum and any collective agreement rate.
5. Gather proof of financial capacity, passport copies and any declarations the platform requires.
6. File online with Taxisnet credentials or through an authorised lawyer, pay the fee shown and make the final submission.
7. Follow the approval, then support the worker through the consulate appointment and D visa.
8. After arrival, help the worker apply for the residence permit and obtain AFM and AMKA.
9. Declare the hiring in ERGANI before work starts and register insurance with e-EFKA.
10. Keep the contract for five years, report absences and accommodation changes, and keep pay and hours compliant.

Check the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, the Decentralised Administration and the Ministry of Labour for new circulars before each recruitment round.

Sources and References

• Circular on electronic submission of employer applications, Ministry of Migration and Asylum
• Circular on online filing for all work approval categories, Ministry of Migration and Asylum
• Circular on the Greece and Egypt seasonal worker agreement, Ministry of Migration and Asylum
• Ministry reply on metaklisi and farm labour, Hellenic Parliament
• Ministry reply on simplifying worker recruitment, Hellenic Parliament
• Ministry reply on seasonal agricultural workers, Hellenic Parliament
• Ministry reply on recruiting farm workers from third countries, Hellenic Parliament
• General Accounting Office report on the legal migration bill, Hellenic Parliament
• Issuing AMKA to third-country nationals, National Registry of Administrative Procedures
• Living and working conditions in Greece, EURES
• Recast Single Permit Directive summary, European Parliament