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It’s amazing to walk and think that  Plato, Pythagoras, Socrates, and Aristotle were walking on this land and say the quotes you have read from them; Greece. The country is full of wonders and amazing architecture with pleasant weather. You might need a Greece visa to visit the country.

Who needs a Greece visa?

Greece is part of the EU and Schengen Area. The EU nationals and Switzerland nationals do not need a Greece visa, and they can move to the country with their passport.

Whether the non-EU nationals need a visa or not is up to:

  • Duration of stay
  • Purpose of visit
  • Nationality

First things first, the duration of stay in Greece is divided into two parts:

  • Short-stay
  • Long-stay

If you stay in Greece for up to 90 days, your residence is a short stay. However, if you stay for longer than 90 days, your residence becomes a long-stay one.

The short-stay visit is for tourism, business, or taking part in meetings and conferences. But the long-stay visa is for working, studying, joining relatives, or starting a business in Greece.

Some of the non-EU nationals do not need a Greece short-stay visa. They can visit the country and stay for up to 90 days; The list is as follows:

Asia

Brunei DarussalamHong KongMalaysia
GeorgiaIsraelSingapore
The United Arab EmiratesJapanSouth Korea

North America

Antigua And BarbudaGrenada
BahamasGuatemala
BarbadosHonduras
CanadaMexico
Costa RicaNicaragua
DominicaPanama
El SalvadorUnited States Of America

South America

ArgentinaParaguay
BrazilPeru
ChileUruguay
ColombiaVenezuela

Oceania

AustraliaPalau
KiribatiSamoa
Marshall IslandsSolomon Islands
MicronesiaTuvalu
New ZealandVanuatu

Europe

AlbaniaMonaco
AndorraMontenegro
Bosnia And HerzegovinaSan Marino
EEA countriesSerbia
North MacedoniaUkraine
Vatican City StateUnited Kingdom
MoldovaEU

Africa

AngolaGhana
CameroonGuinea
CongoNigeria
EritreaSierra Leone
EthiopiaSomalia
MauritiusSeychelles

If your nationality is not among the above list, you need to apply for a Greece short-stay visa. Ut the above nationalities need a Greece long-stay visa if they want to work or study in the country.

Greece visa requirements

The list of Greece visa requirements is up to the visa type you apply for and a few other conditions.

But a general list of requirements that you can find in almost every type of Greece visa could be like this:

  • Application form
  • Passport
  • Health insurance
  • Medical health certificate
  • Clean record certificate
  • Proof to have enough funds
  • Photo
  • Accommodation proof
  • Biometrics
  • Educational certificates
  • Cover letter
  • Paid deposit proof
  • Covid-19 requirements
  • language proficiency
  • Translated form of documents

Greece visa application process

The way you need to apply for a Greece is visa is as follows. However, you have to go through a different route by the visa type you apply for:

Step 1. Do you need a Greece visa to move to the country?

The article explained that Greece is a member of the EU and Schengen Area. So the countries that are members of these two unions do not need a Greece visa.

Some of the non-EU countries also are exempt from a Greece short-stay visa. Before you apply for a visa, determine if you need one or not.

You might be able to visit the country with your passport and do not need a visa.

Step 2. Find the appropriate type of Greece visa to apply for

There are various types of Greece visas. You need to find out the appropriate one. It must be compatible with the purpose of your stay.

Go through the above section and get familiar with different types of Greece visas.

Read the explanations and find out which one is right for you. In case you need further explanation, go through the left sidebar.

Step 3. Are you qualified to apply for the visa?

There are eligibility principles for each Greece visa that you need to fulfill. Determine if your conditions fit the visa type you have picked or not.
If not, your application might get rejected, and you can do fewer things about it. So do your homework well and find out what you should do about it.

Read the requirements and qualification principles of each visa and find out what you should do.

Step 4. Gather the required supporting documents by the embassy

Each visa has a list of supporting documents that get called requirements. The Greek embassy requires all of them to prove that you are eligible for the visa.

Collecting the list could take time, so you would begin it a bit early. Bear in mind that the embassy could require further documents, and it prolongs the application.

Step 5. A visa meeting with the Greek embassy

You have to schedule and take part in a visa meeting with the Greek embassy in your home country or a visa center.

Find out where you should apply and reserve a meeting with them.

Go to the embassy on the exact date and bring the requirements. Then pay the fees and answer the questions if asked any.

Step 6. Visa processing and issuance

It takes time until the embassy works on your application and decides to issue you a visa or not. The processing time is different for each Greece visa, and you might have to wait for up to 3-4 months.

When the visa is ready, the embassy informs you how to pick up your visa. In case the answer is negative and they reject your visa, you will receive a letter and explain the reason for rejection.

Step 7. Applying for a residence permit

When you arrive in Greece and want to stay for longer than 90 days, you have to apply for a residence permit.

Applications have to do it within the first month of arrival; otherwise their residence is illegal.

Greece visa types

The types of Greece visas are as follows; you can pick the one appropriate to your conditions:

Greece work visa

Non-EU nationals who want to work in Greece need a work visa and work permit. They have to look for a job offer in the country and then begin the visa procedures.

The employer applies for a work permit, and if the Greek government agrees, the applicant can apply for a work visa from his/her home country.

It is impossible to apply for a work visa without a Greek employer. So the first step is to find a job offer from an employer inside the country.

You can find one through employment agencies or the internet.

Greece tourist visa

Non-EU nationals who want to visit Greece for tourism or to visit a friend or family memes need a tourist visa. In case you are a national of the countries listed in the above table of countries, you do not need a tourist visa. You may visit the country with your passport.

But if you are not, you need a visa, and the duration of your stay doesn’t matter.

Greece student

International students who continue their education in Greece have to apply for a student visa. They need to receive admission from a Greek university or education center first.

When applicants receive the admission letter, they may apply for a visa.

Each Greek university has its requirements and eligibility principles. Visit the university’s website and find them out.

Then you need to apply to the Greek embassy in your home county and submit the supporting documents.

Greece retirement visa

The retired people who have a passive income can move to Greece for the long term. They may not work in the country, and the source of income must be passive.

For example, if you have a retirement plan and get more than 2.500 EUR per month, you may move to Greece.

Greece golden visa

Greece is one of the countries that provide residency through investment or golden visa. You can invest a particular amount of money, move to the country and receive a residency. The program is different from the retirement visa.

You can buy real estate, invest in a company, or start a new one. The choice is up to your conditions and preference.

Greece digital nomad visa

Remote workers, writers, developers, website designers, etc. who can work from home are eligible to apply for a Greece digital nomad visa. They can live in the country and work for a non-Greek employer.

Applicants have no permission to work in the country, and the source of their income must be from outside.

Greece is a beautiful country with pleasantly warm weather. The internet speed is good in the EU and such people will enjoy working and living in the country.

Let’s sum up…

The article explained who needs a Greece visa and who doesn’t, the requirements, the application, and visa types.

You can find the visa type appropriate to your conditions and find out more about them from the left sidebar.

Write down your questions regarding the Greece visa in the comment section. The Visa Library team will respond to them right away.

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4 Comments

  1. i need greece work visa please help us

    • B Rajabali says:

      We do not provide visa services at the moment. Follow the steps explained in the work visa article.

  2. Hedy says:

    Hi,
    Regarding the retirement visa application, is that ok to apply directly just Visa type D from the Greek embassy? Or first Visa type C is required to go to Greece and open bank account and then applying for Visa type D?
    Thanks in advance.