Research checked: 29 September 2026. The main route for a third-country national recruited from abroad for dependent employment in Greece is the employer-invitation procedure known as metaklisi. A Greek employer applies for permission to invite a named worker for a specific job, the worker obtains the appropriate national entry visa, and after arrival the worker completes the single residence-and-work permit process.
Not every Greek vacancy can support this procedure. The job must fit the annual allocation of authorised posts, and the employer, contract, salary and worker must meet the Migration Code’s conditions. An invitation approval is not an open permit to work for any employer.
Greece work-route comparison
| Situation | Likely route | Main condition |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary salaried work after overseas recruitment | Metaklisi and E.4 residence permit | Allocated post, qualifying employer and six-month contract |
| Seasonal agriculture or eligible seasonal work | Seasonal invitation and E.5 route | Seasonal allocation, named employer and limited period |
| Highly skilled position | E.1 / EU Blue Card route | High qualifications, salary and allocated skilled post |
| Recruitment through qualifying agency | 2026 TEA metaklisi route | Licensed agency, EUR 1 million capital and named user employer |
| Intra-company transfer | ICT residence route | Qualifying corporate relationship and transfer |
| EU/EEA/Swiss citizen | Free movement | Registration rules, not ordinary metaklisi |
What sponsorship means in Greece
A genuine sponsor is the employer or legally qualifying temporary employment agency that submits the invitation application, signs a compliant contract, accepts the statutory responsibilities and employs the worker under the approved conditions. The Greek authorities decide the invitation, visa and residence stages.
The employer cannot sell a visa or guarantee approval. The worker should know the employer’s legal identity, workplace, occupation, gross remuneration, contract duration and annual-allocation category before providing sensitive documents.
Annual authorised posts
Greece sets the maximum number of third-country posts available for salaried, seasonal and highly skilled employment through an annual Council of Ministers decision. For 2026, Decision 35 of 27 November 2025 governs the allocations described by the Ministry of Labour.
The allocation is based on labour-market consultation and divided by employment type, occupation and region. A shortage in tourism or agriculture does not make every informal offer eligible. The employer must apply against an available post in the correct location and category.
The metaklisi employer invitation
The employer submits electronically to the competent Directorate for Aliens and Immigration of the Decentralised Administration connected to the employer’s registered office, branch or place of work. The application identifies the worker, job and contract.
The employer must satisfy the applicable income, legal-operation and labour-compliance conditions. It also undertakes responsibilities connected with the invitation and, in relevant circumstances, return costs. The worker cannot submit an employer invitation independently without a genuine recruiting employer.
Contract requirements for E.4
Official 2026 guidance requires a lawful employment contract lasting at least six months. The stated remuneration must be at least the monthly wage applicable to an unskilled salaried employee or manual worker under current Greek labour law.
The contract should identify the employer, occupation, worksite, duration, hours and gross salary. Applicants should not accept a lower private contract alongside a higher document prepared only for immigration. Pay, duties and location should remain consistent from invitation to payroll.
Employer eligibility and financial capacity
The inviting employer must demonstrate enough income or business capacity for each worker and comply with the route’s documentary requirements. A household or farm employer and a company can face different evidence rules.
Verify the tax and business identity, actual operation, worksite and person authorised to sign. A company newly created to invite unrelated occupations, or one unwilling to communicate through its official domain, requires stronger scrutiny.
Temporary Employment Agencies in 2026
Law 5275/2026 extended employer-sponsored admission to qualifying Temporary Employment Agencies. The agency becomes the direct employer and may assign the worker to an indirect or user employer named in the process.
Official guidance requires a TEA to operate lawfully under Greek labour law, maintain share or company capital of at least EUR 1,000,000, and satisfy integrity conditions concerning its directors and managers. This is intended to distinguish established agencies from informal brokers.
Before accepting an agency offer, identify both the direct employer and user company, assignment location, guaranteed hours, accommodation and every deduction. The EUR 1 million capital requirement does not itself prove that a messaging account represents the licensed agency.
National visa and entry
After the invitation is approved, the named worker follows the Greek consular instructions for the appropriate national employment visa. The worker must present the required passport, approval, contract and supporting documents to the responsible Greek mission.
A positive invitation is not permission to enter through another purpose or begin work as a visitor. Wait for the formal visa and follow its validity and entry conditions. Verify appointments only through official diplomatic channels.
Residence and work permit after arrival
The E.4 residence permit is the single permit for salaried employment following metaklisi. The worker completes the required residence application and biometrics through the Ministry of Migration and Asylum’s legal-migration services.
Keep evidence of timely filing and every official notice. The invitation, visa and permit are related but distinct. An employer should not retain the worker’s passport or residence card while claiming to “finish activation.”
AFM, AMKA and bank account
Before ordinary employment and payroll can operate correctly, the worker needs a Greek tax identification number, or AFM, and social security registration number, or AMKA. The worker also opens a bank account so wages can be paid through the banking system.
Confirm that the employer registers the employment and social-insurance relationship. Cash-only wages, no payslip and no insurance registration are serious warning signs even when the initial invitation appears genuine.
First-employer obligation
A worker initially admitted through metaklisi for dependent employment is generally required to work for the inviting employer for at least six months. The rule prevents invitations from being used as an immediate gateway to unrelated employment.
Official guidance recognises exceptions, including serious employer labour violations, mutual termination accompanied by a new employer’s notified intention to hire, or unilateral termination by the employer. Changes during the first six months must be notified to the competent one-stop migration service.
Do not leave based only on an oral offer. Obtain termination evidence, the new employer’s documentation and confirmation of the required notification or permit action before starting elsewhere.
Seasonal E.5 employment
Seasonal work uses a separate invitation route, commonly associated with agriculture and other legally designated seasonal activities. The employer applies against an available seasonal allocation for a named worker and job.
The employer portal shows a EUR 100 administrative fee for each invited third-country national in the agricultural seasonal process. That official fee is not a licence for an agent to sell a seasonal permit for thousands of euros.
A seasonal visa and employment authority are tied to the specific employer and period. Seasonal status is not an unrestricted residence route and should not be marketed as an automatic path to year-round work.
Highly skilled employment
Highly qualified applicants can examine the E.1 and EU Blue Card framework. The job must require high qualifications and meet the current contract, salary and annual-allocation conditions.
Do not assume a managerial title or above-average salary is enough. Verify the official threshold in force when applying and complete recognition or licensing for regulated professions.
Jobs with realistic recruitment activity
International hiring is common in agriculture, food production, hospitality, tourism, construction and selected care or service roles. Skilled recruitment can include technology, engineering, healthcare and specialist management.
Seasonal demand is especially location- and timing-dependent. Ask whether the employer already has an authorised post for the occupation and region rather than relying on general news about labour shortages.
Where to find legitimate vacancies
Use DYPA/public employment information, EURES, established Greek employer career pages and licensed recruitment agencies. Search by occupation and region, then ask whether overseas metaklisi is available for that exact vacancy.
A job-board listing is not evidence of an allocated post. Require the legal employer name and application path before paying for translations, medical checks or travel.
Application sequence from abroad
- Find and independently verify a Greek employer or qualifying TEA.
- Confirm an authorised post in the correct category and region.
- Agree a compliant contract, salary and worksite.
- The employer submits the electronic metaklisi application.
- The authorities assess the allocation, employer, job and worker.
- After approval, the worker applies for the national visa.
- The worker enters Greece under the approved purpose.
- The worker obtains AFM, AMKA and a personal bank account.
- The residence-permit and biometric process is completed.
- Employment begins and is registered under the approved conditions.
Documents to prepare
- Valid passport and identity records.
- Signed employment contract matching the invitation.
- Qualification, experience and licensing evidence.
- Criminal-record and medical documents where required.
- National-visa application and photographs.
- Accommodation and insurance evidence for the route.
- Official translations and legalisation where necessary.
- Copies of the invitation decision and employer submissions.
Use the live consular and Ministry checklist. A generic “embassy package” can omit route-specific evidence or contain outdated forms.
Verify the employer or agency
- Check the Greek legal entity and tax details.
- Confirm the vacancy through independently sourced contacts.
- Identify the authorised post, category and region.
- For a TEA, verify licensing, direct employer and user employer.
- Compare contract, invitation, visa and actual job details.
- Confirm housing, transport and deductions in writing.
- Keep official application references and fee receipts.
A genuine company name and tax number can be copied. Verify the sender’s authority, not only the company’s existence.
Salary and contract checks
Review gross and likely net pay, guaranteed hours, overtime, shifts, probation, leave, meals, transport and termination. Seasonal contracts should clearly state the start and end dates.
Ask when the first salary is paid and whether accommodation is tied to continued employment. Keep enough funds for initial living costs and an emergency move or return journey.
Housing and worker records
Obtain the housing address, occupancy, rent, deposit and utilities before travel. Tourist-season housing shortages can make an apparently small deduction important. Do not accept overcrowded accommodation without written terms.
Keep the passport, permit, contract, payslips, bank deposits, schedule and insurance records under personal control. Seek official labour assistance if wages are withheld or the actual job differs materially from the invitation.
Scam warnings
Do not buy a metaklisi approval, allocated post, national visa appointment or residence card. Warning signs include no interview, personal-bank or cryptocurrency payment, tourist-entry instructions, no named employer, impossible salary and refusal to show the contract.
Fraudsters often advertise farms, hotels, cleaners and construction jobs using real business identities. Contact the employer through an independently found number or domain and verify the named recruiter.
Avoidable refusal risks
An invitation can fail when the occupation or region has no available allocation, the employer cannot prove financial capacity, the contract fails the duration or wage test, or the worker’s documents do not support the proposed role. A later visa or residence stage can also fail when identity, criminal-record, insurance or entry conditions are not met.
Compare names, passport numbers, employer details, occupation and salary on every document before filing. Do not allow an intermediary to substitute a different worksite or lower salary after invitation approval. If the authorities request additional evidence, respond through the official channel and keep delivery proof.
A formal refusal should be assessed from the written decision and applicable deadline. Paying the same recruiter to submit unchanged documents is not a remedy. Use qualified Greek legal advice where review or appeal is justified, or correct the underlying eligibility problem before a new application.
Frequently asked questions
Can any Greek job sponsor metaklisi?
No. The role must fit an available authorised post and the employer and contract must satisfy the legal requirements.
How long must the E.4 contract last?
Official 2026 guidance requires at least six months for the ordinary salaried route.
Can I change employer immediately?
The worker generally owes the inviting employer six months, subject to statutory exceptions and notification procedures.
Can a recruitment agency invite workers?
A qualifying Greek TEA can use the 2026 route if it meets licensing, EUR 1 million capital and integrity conditions.
The realistic strategy
Begin by confirming the authorised post, not by paying an agent. Match the role to E.4, seasonal E.5 or a highly skilled route, and verify the employer’s capacity and contract before the invitation is filed.
Maintain a case sheet covering the employer, allocation category, region, application reference, contract, national visa, AFM, AMKA, bank account and residence filing. Reject any offer that skips from a message directly to travel.
For a contrasting 2026 market where new guest-worker applications were closed, read our Hungary permit-rules guide. Hungarian restrictions do not determine Greek metaklisi eligibility.
Compare this process with our Bulgaria Visa Sponsorship Jobs in 2026: Single Permit, Type D Visa and Seasonal Work guide before choosing a destination or paying a recruiter.
