Greek Work Permit (Single Permit) and e-EFKA Registration

Step-by-Step

1. 1

   Employer Initiates the Application

   1. The employer applies to the Decentralized Administration with a valid employment contract of at least one year.
   2. The employer also supplies a tax certificate proving ability to pay at least unskilled-worker rates.
   3. Admission to employment is subject to sectoral and regional admission volumes set by joint ministerial decision, which are revised periodically.

   💡 Tip: The worker's route starts with the employer: there is no path where you obtain a standalone work permit on your own and then find an employer. The contract and the employer's tax certificate are what feed the single application.

2. 2

   Apply for the National (D) Visa at the Consulate

   εθνική θεώρηση

   1. On employer approval, apply for the national (D) visa at the Greek embassy or consulate in your country of origin.
   2. Submit your passport, the signed employment contract, and a criminal-record copy.
   3. For most work categories this consular visa must be obtained before entry — it is the standard path.

   ⚠️ Watch out: Do not plan to enter on a tourist or short-stay visa and convert it to a work permit inside Greece. For most work categories the national (D) visa must be issued at the consulate first; arriving without it can leave you unable to lodge the residence-permit file lawfully.

3. 3

   Enter Greece and Apply for the Residence Permit

   1. Travel to Greece on the national (D) visa.
   2. Lodge the residence-permit application at a one-stop-shop of the Decentralized Administration.
   3. Bring the passport copy and visa, photographs, proof of the residence-permit fee payment, the employment contract, and the health-insurance application certificate.

   ⚠️ Watch out: The official guidance is explicit on timing: "Upon arrival, and before your visa expires, you must apply for a residence permit." Letting the national (D) visa lapse before you lodge the file puts your lawful stay at risk — apply within its validity.

4. 4

   Receive the Interim Certificate

   1. On submission of a complete application you receive a certificate valid for one year while the file is examined.
   2. This certificate allows you to stay lawfully during processing.
   3. If the file is still pending after one year, a new certificate is issued.

   💡 Tip: Treat the interim certificate as your proof of lawful stay while the permit is decided. Keep it with your passport — it is what evidences your right to remain before the permit card itself is issued.

5. 5

   Permit Issued and Renewal

   1. The Decentralized Administration issues the single residence-and-work permit.
   2. Permits for employed work are valid for two years and can be renewed for three years.
   3. Submit a renewal two months before expiry; a renewal lodged up to one month after expiry is accepted with a fine.

   💡 Tip: The single permit is one document for both residence and work — there is no second card to collect. Diarise the renewal two months ahead of expiry to avoid the late-renewal fine.

6. 6

   Complete the e-EFKA Social-Security Leg

   e-ΕΦΚΑ

   1. Your employer registers in the Employers' Register with the *e-ΕΦΚΑ* (Electronic National Social Security Entity): identity via TAXISnet, AMKA verification, business data retrieved from the tax authority, then employee data entry and submission, after which an Employer Register Number is assigned.
   2. Once you are on the e-EFKA insured register, log in via your TAXISnet codes; the system identifies you by your AMKA and the registration certificate prints with a digital stamp and signature.
   3. The certificate is available via gov.gr, a KEP, or myKEPlive.

   💡 Tip: The certificate confirms your insured status and is self-issued — you do not need to visit an office for it. If the online employer-registration service cannot be used, the employer may apply at the regional e-EFKA office instead.