Greece

Am I eligible to apply for an EU Blue Card?

To apply for an EU Blue Card, the applicant must:

• hold a valid passport and a national visa for the purpose of highly-qualified employment
• present a valid work contract for a highly qualified of at least 1 year, which shall demonstrate that the salary is not less than the minimum salary for highly qualified employment (see below),
• in case of a regulated profession, you should fulfil the relevant prerequisites;
• in case of unregulated professions, you need to present documents attesting the relevant higher professional qualifications or attesting at least five years of professional experience of a level comparable to higher professional qualifications and which is relevant in the occupation or sector specified in the work contract;
• present evidence of having a sickness insurance for all the risks normally covered for nationals;
• not pose a threat to public order and security or public health.

How much do I have to earn to qualify for an EU Blue Card?

The minimum salary shall be at least equal to 1.6 times the average gross annual salary in Greece. For 2024, Greece set the minimum salary threshold at: 31.918,83 EUR.

Are there exceptions to the minimum salary requirement?

By joint ministerial decisions: a) occupations in which there is a particular need for employees from third countries and which are included in ISCO (classes 1 and 2) may be defined and for which a lower minimum salary may be applied, b) in case of third countries who hold a degree in tertiary education, which they have acquired in a period of time not exceeding three (3) years before submitting the application for the granting of the "EU Blue Card", may be defined and applied a lower minimum salary.

Will EU citizens' applications be prioritised over mine?

Greece applies volumes of admission for the EU Blue Card procedure, for the determination of which are taken into consideration, the short-term and medium-term conditions of the Greek economy, taking into account, inter alia, the offer of work from nationals, European citizens or third-country nationals legally residing in the country.

How long will my EU Blue Card be valid?

The standard period of validity in Greece is: Two years.

Specific rules: In Greece, the EU Blue Card is issued for a period of two years and can be renewed for a period of three years. If the employment contract is of shorter duration, the EU Blue Card shall be issued for the duration of the contract plus three months. To renew your EU Blue Card, you should re-apply, before your initial EU Blue Card expires, by submitting the relevant documents, except the ones that concern the type of profession (regulated and not regulated).

How much will it cost?

Initial EU Blue Card fee: 150 EUR.

Renewal: 150 EUR. Replacement: 100 EUR.

Fee of 16 euros for the cost of printing a residence permit as a stand-alone document.

Fee for express issuance: no fees.

How long will it take to get my EU Blue Card?

National law foresees that the maximum processing time for issuing an EU Blue Card in Greece is 90 days, if the relevant file is complete.

Ministry of Migration and Asylum

Migration Code

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