How to immigrate and work in Greece as a pharmacist?

Greece visa for pharmacist

There are three Greece visas that help you move there. They serve different purposes, and it’s up to your conditions to use the right one.

Greece student visa

If you want to get a pharmacy degree in Greece, you need a student visa. First, you must find a university and get admission. Then you must gather the supporting documents and apply for a student visa.

You can find more information about Greece tourist visa from the Visa Library article or watch the prepared video on our YouTube channel.

Greece work visa

After you get your license and are allowed to work as a pharmacist in Greece, you must get a work permit to work there. First, you must find an employer who is ready to hire you. Then you must sign a contract with him/her and then the employer for a work permit. Then you can apply for a work visa.

You can find more information about Greece’s work visa from the Visa Library article or watch the prepared video on our YouTube channel.

Greece tourist visa

You might need to visit Greece during the recognition process. You must visit the local officials in person and submit your documents. If you are not among the countries that can visit Greece with their passport, you need a tourist visa to enter the country.

You can find more information about Greece’s student visa from the Visa Library article or watch the prepared video on our YouTube channel.

How long does it take me to immigrate to Greece as a pharmacist?

There are two ways to immigrate to Greece as a pharmacist. The first one is to get your license from the KET in the province or city you want to work for. If you have all the requirements and documents ready, you might be able to complete the process in one year. You must visit the KET in person, so you might need a visa to enter Greece. If you are not among the visa-waiver countries, you need a tourist visa to enter Greece. Tourist visa application and receiving could take some time.

The second way to immigrate to Greece as a pharmacist is to study for a degree there. It takes 5 years to complete it.  You should consider admission to the university and student visa processing.

Language fluency to immigrate to Greece as a pharmacist

The language fluency to immigrate to Greece as a pharmacist is up to the KET you apply to. But you are likely to need Greek language fluency to work as a pharmacist there.

You’d better begin working on your fluency skills and improve them as much as you can. English is common in Greece, and millions of tourists visit this ancient country. But the majority of people speak Greek.

Eligibility principles to immigrate to Greece as a pharmacist

You must have a valid pharmacy degree to immigrate to Greece as a pharmacist. You must get the license from your home country or where you get your degree from. If you have work experience, it’s an advantage for your application.

If you get your degree from a foreign country, you must get a license from the local KET in the province you want to work in. You must be able to gather the supporting documents required by the Greek officials. Look at the above section to know these requirements.

Then, you must get a work permit to work there if you are a non-EU national. Only a Greek employer can apply for a work permit, so you must be able to find a job offer. Look at the above section to learn how to find a job offer. You can also learn more about Greece’s work visa from the Visa Library article. Go through the menu of this site to find the related articles.

Is it hard to immigrate to Greece as a pharmacist?

Charles Duhigg has written an amazing book in the field of self-development named “Faster, Smarter, Better.” There is a section that explains how people manage to get things done, especially recruits in the Army. He says the officers remind these people of the “why,” and it keeps them going. If you are determined to immigrate to Greece as Pharmacist, remind yourself of the why, and you can stand all the hardships.

The process can be a bit long and tedious. You must work on your Greek language fluency. Then you must get your degree recognized in Greece with the KET or study for a degree there. After that, you must find a job, apply, and receive a work permit.

There are a few stages that you must pass. It’s up to your hard work and determination to pass them.

How to immigrate to Greece as a pharmacist?

You must get a license if you want to work in Greece as a pharmacist. You must visit the Free Citizens Movement (Κίνημα Ελευθέρων Πολιτών) or KEP of the province or area you want to work in to get a license. You must submit the required supporting documents to the KEP to receive a license. This is a list of the documents you must gather: 

1. Application form.
2. Bill of Deposits and Loans Fund
3. Work experience certificate for at least two years in Greece or a foreign country.
4. A copy of your passport.
5. Degree recognition certificate
6. Translation of documents into English or Greek.

The above list is a sample of the documents; you might have to submit further documents. You’d better gather as much as a certificate of documents you have.

You must find the KET in the area you want to work in and visit them in person.

When you visit them, submit the supporting documents and your application. They check your application to know whether it’s complete or not. If one part is missing or they require further documents, they tell you to complete your application.

Then they give you a request submission certificate in which the number of the requested file is written.

Then, the application file is sent to the Competent Entity in one of the following ways: 

• email,
• fax,
• courier,
• post,

The Competent Entity assesses the documents and application and then sends them back to the KET. Then you will receive a response about whether you are accepted as a pharmacist in Greece. A negative answer means you may not work in Greece, and a positive response means you get the license and can work there. The KET informs you of the further stages you must follow.

Look for a job offer and apply for a work permit.

If you are from a non-EU country, you need a work permit to work in Greece. A Greek employer can only apply for a work permit. So you must find an employer who needs your skills and is ready to hire you and apply for a work permit.

After the work permit is issued, you can apply for a visa to the Greek embassy in your home country.

You can find more information about Greece’s work visa from the Visa Library article or watch the prepared video on our YouTube channel.

Related occupations for immigrated pharmacists in Greece

If you can get a pharmacy license and are qualified, you can get a job in Greece. It’s up to your skills and hard work to try and seize the opportunity.

In your journey, there are different job positions related to a pharmacy that you can work in. This section brings you some of these related occupations.

• Clinical Data Manager
• Drug Safety Specialist
• Medical Advisor
• Medical/Pharmaceutical Sales Representative
• Pharmacist assistant
• Pharmaceutical Products Manager
• Regulatory Affairs Manager
• Regulatory Affairs Specialist
• Pharmaceutical Laboratory Technician
• Head Pharmacist
• Clinical Research Associate

While you are looking for a job offer, try to focus on the related jobs and determine what the requirements are. If you know them, you are aware that they are appropriate for you, and you can work with them; knowledge is power. Try to think of other related occupations or find other items.

Pharmacists’ salary in Greece

You must be wondering how much do I get as a pharmacist in Greece. Your salary as a pharmacist in Greece depends on various factors that are in your control, and some are not:

• Work experience
• Language fluency
• The Greek company you work with.
• The Greek city you work with.
• Education.
• Tasks and responsibilities.
• The position you have.

According to Glassdoor, the average salary of a pharmacist in Greece is about €2,000 per month.

Salary Explorer indicates that the average income is about 2,860 EUR. while the lowest salary is about 1,400 EUR, it says the highest earning is about 4,470 EUR.

Payscale says the average income of a pharmacist is about 14,700 EUR per year.

World Salaries gives the figures for pharmacists’ salaries: 

• Average annual salary, 33,520 EUR
• Lowest annual salary, 15,300 EUR
• Highest annual salary 54,140 EUR

Salary Experts say the average income is about 49.387€.

Where to work as a pharmacist in Greece?

When you have a pharmacy degree and knowledge, a wide range of job positions in various locations will open for you. You can work in different places in the health sector and related companies. These are some of the places you can work in Greece as a pharmacist:

• Ambulatory care pharmacy
• Pharmacy informatics
• Homecare and hospice pharmacy
• Medication distribution center
• Hospital pharmacy
• Retail pharmacy
• Pharmacies and Drug Stores
• Supermarkets and Grocery Stores
• Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
• Offices of Physicians

Are pharmacists in demand in Greece?

You can not say pharmacists are in high demand in Greece, but skilled workers are needed. After the Covid-19 pandemic, the world needs skilled workers to get out of recession and work toward a better economy. It requires skilled people to move the economy.

Europe needs skilled workers like the UK, US, Canada, and other countries that are well known to welcome immigrants more than others.

If you can get a job offer and a pharmacy license, you can work there.

Pharmacy degree types in Greece

One way to immigrate to Greece as Pharmacist is to study for a degree there. First, you must find a Greek university or school that offers a Pharmacy course to international students. Then you must determine the requirements and fulfill them to get an admission letter. After you receive the letter, you may apply for a Greece student visa.

These are some of the degrees you can study in Greece to work in the job positions:

• Pharmacology
• Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Pharmacy
• Forensic Toxicology by Research
• Pharmaceutical Engineering Advanced Training
• I.A.S. Pharmacy — Medical Biochemistry

Best cities to immigrate to Greece as a pharmacist

You are the right person to determine the best city to work as a pharmacist in Greece. Each city has its pros and cons, no matter the country. You should determine your priorities and find out where you want to work.

One thing you should do is to find as much information about the country you are moving to. Knowing about cities and their features is an essential step. If you have always lived in a large city, you might find it difficult to live in a small city with 5.300 people.

It is on the list of the largest cities in Greece. There are always higher job positions in larger cities as big companies are located there: 

1. Athens
2. Thessaloniki
3. Patras
4. Piraeus
5. Larissa
6. Heraklion

There is another list that you’d better know about. It’s the most popular city in Greece. People like them for a reason. Visitors like to visit them and people prefer living in them, not the large cities. This is the list of these cities and determine whether you like to work in them and can find a job in one of them. 

1. Athens
2. Thessaloniki
3. Chania
4. Nafplio
5. Heraklion
6. Rhodes Town
7. Patras

How to find a job in Greece as a pharmacist?

You can use different ways to find a job in Greece. It’s up to your conditions to use one or all of the ways to find a job.

If you are from a non-EU country, it’s essential to find a job as you need a work permit to work in Greece. The Greek employer can only apply for a work permit, so you must find one willing to hire you.

The first way to find a job is through the websites that advertise job positions in Greece. This is a list of these websites: 

• Kariera
• Jobfind.gr – Career Portal
• skywalker.gr
• kariera.gr
• jobsite.gr
• randstad.gr
• justjobs.gr/find/ (KPMG)
• neuvoo.gr
• gr.jooble.org
• cosmosjobs.com
• cosmos-jobs.gr

The other way is to find a job with recruiters or employment agencies. They connect employees and employees or introduce them to each other.

• Randstad
• Adecco
• ManpowerGroup
• ICAP
• LMW
• Optimal HR Group
• Jobfind.gr

If you know a famous Greek company that works in your field, you can reach them to know if they have a vacancy or not.

What do pharmacists do in Greece?

The work you will do in Greece is up to the position you will get and the company you will work with. But there are some tasks and responsibilities.

Your primary task is filling prescriptions for patients, but there are other tasks.

You should check the patient’s history to know the prescribed medicine doesn’t interfere with their background. You might have to give vaccines or other injections.

Checking a customer’s blood pressure, cholesterol level, and blood sugar might be among them.

When you prescribe a medicine, you should teach how to use it and the safety instructions. If you find one item wrong with a patient, you might have to consult with a doctor or health expert to ensure the patient is safe.

If you have a better position, you might have to manage the pharmacy. Keeping the customer’s record and keeping their file organized might be involved. If there is a recruit, you might have to train him/her. Some subjects need general information and experience, like stress management, nutrition, etc. and you can consult clients about them.

Required Personal Skills for Pharmacists in Greece

The skills you need to work as a pharmacist in Greece are up to various factors;

• Your job
• The position you have
• Tasks and responsibilities
• The company you work with
• Etc.

But there are some general requirements that you should have to work as a pharmacist in any country, including Greece.

Your main responsibility is to supply medicine effectively. But the details of your job vary by the position you have.

You need good communication skills. Your job includes working with people from all walks of life and even people from foreign countries. So you must be able to deal with them. Knowing about people will stand you out and make you excellent in your work. You can read books or take a course on online platforms like Udemy to improve it.

As explained, you should complete your tasks effectively, so you need to think outside of the box and work creatively. Try to look at the problem from a different perspective and find a brilliant answer for it.

You will face so many problems, and one of the essential skills is problem-solving.

When you enter your new job, you’d better see things carefully and determine how things work. You should have observation skills and try to find out the pattern in the new place.

There are some details that matter, and they are effective factors. So you must pay attention to details and grasp them.

You will order and store medicine in large numbers. So you need excellent numerical skills.

How can you immigrate to Greece as a pharmacist?

There are two ways to immigrate to Greece as a pharmacist. The first way is to study for a pharmacy degree there. You must find a university that offers the course to foreign students and get admission. Then you must apply for a Greece student visa.

The second way is to get your degree from a foreign country and then apply for recognition. You must send your degree and the required documents to Greek officials, and they will decide whether you can work as a pharmacist there.

How to increase your income as a pharmacist in Greece?

There are various ways to increase your salary as a pharmacist in Greece. The one thing that helps you is the book Mastery by Robert Green. It’s a useful guideline for improving your career and can provide you with tips that you can not find anywhere. One point I learned from it is careful observation. You should investigate and observe carefully and determine what is the procedure in your work. Who is the most important person, the decision maker, the boss, and the person who handles most of the process?

The more information you get about your position and career, the better you will be able to improve it. You know what is essential in your job.

You can also use these strategies to increase your income as a pharmacist in Greece:

• Reduce mistakes and errors in your work.
• Learn about the salary incentives with the company.
• Work on big accomplishments.
• Get more qualifications.
• Keep the steady well performance.
• Take responsibility for your actions.
• Get feedback for improvements.

Is it worth getting a job in Greece as a pharmacist?

Greece is a beautiful country with so many things to do, see and enjoy. The economy is stable, and you can have a good life there. If you get a residence permit there, the Europe and Schengen Area opens, and you can visit them without getting a visa.

There are so many benefits to living in Greece. The decision is with you whether it’s worth getting a job in Greece as a pharmacist.

There are always new opportunities and risks with moving to a foreign country. You should decide that you want to stick with the current status and not move forward or build a better future by moving to a place with new possibilities.

How to become a pharmacist in Greece?

This article explained how you can do it. The first way is that you get your degree from a foreign country and apply for recognition. If you are qualified, the Greek officials will grant you a license.

The second way is to study for a pharmacy degree there. You must get admission to a Greek university, then apply for a student visa.

You can learn about the two ways and their detail in the section above.

Let’s sum up…

This Visa Library article explained how to immigrate and work in Greece as a pharmacist. This is your ultimate guide to becoming a pharmacist in Greece.

If you have any questions, write them down in the comment section. The Visa Library team will answer them. You can learn about Greece visas from the menu of watching the videos on our YouTube channel.

Frequently asked questions about immigration to Greece as a pharmacist