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Employ Candidates Compliantly in Greece

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  1. Overview: Greece
  2. Global HR Compliance
  3. Global PEO and Payroll
  4. Work permit for hiring expats via PEO
  5. Convert Freelancers to Full-time Employees
  6. Expand without an Entity Set Up
  7. Global Payroll Calculator
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Immigration support for hiring ex-pats in Greece via Global PEO 

Global expansion is often linked with foreign hiring. In the last decade, several technological innovations have come together to create a new opportunity for hybrid talent (local and foreign workforce) to work around the clock, anywhere in the world.

This may require knowing the labor code of a foreign country, in-country incorporation peculiarities, or immigration procedures in case of ex-pats hiring.
If you are already hiring or planning to onboard expatriates for your international projects in Greece, there is a range of things that you need to consider:

  • HR Compliance
  • How to get a work permit or visa so that foreigners are eligible to work in Greece
  • Timelines to get a permit or visa
  • How to payroll ex-pats after the permits have been received
  • Whether it makes sense to open and keep your business entity to employ ex-pats directly

A global PEO or Employer of Record solution with immigration support might be a viable alternative to the direct hiring of ex-pats in your own company in Greece. This solution gives companies freedom from the need to keep the entity in the country while employing ex-pats in full compliance with Greece’s labor legislation. Immigration support is part of a PEO service that precedes employment. As a PEO service provider, Acumen International can sponsor a work permit and employ an ex-pat in Greece on the client’s behalf.

Note: having one provider that sponsors a work permit or visa on your behalf and then employs ex-pats in Greece minimizes the risks of visa rejection and takes the hassle associated with immigration procedures off your head.

Attention: we are not an immigration service! We do not provide a work permit and immigration support as a standalone solution to individuals willing to work overseas.

Visa, Work Permit for and Ongoing Immigration Support for Your Employees in Greece

Our ‘work permit and hiring ex-pats through a Global PEO’ solution is designed for employer companies that want to transfer selected ex-pats to Greece or individuals whose employers are ready to finance their immigration and foreign employment. The service is mainly used by companies hiring highly skilled personnel and willing to retain them by offering employee status and providing employee benefits.

Unlike other global Professional Employer Organizations, Acumen International can provide extra benefits in addition to work permits and employment of ex-pats in Greece. This includes medical insurance, housing, office rent, mobile phone and car provision to meet-and-greet, dependents relocation, etc.

Focus on your primary business goals, and let us take care of the work permit and immigration in Greece for you. Use our all-in-one solution:

  1. For long-term assignments in Greece, allowing payroll and management ex-pats with full legal compliance without establishing a legal entity
  2. As an interim solution before incorporating it into the country.

Global Mobility Solutions for International Talent in Greece

Acumen International will guide you through a grueling immigration procedure and will help you immediately onboard and payroll expats after they have received a work permit or visa. Use our global mobility and PEO solution to staff any international assignments in Greece without the pitfalls and financial risks associated with hiring expatriate personnel there.

With our expertise in expats immigration and employment, we offer a comprehensive solution to ensure that your international employees get their work permits within the standard duration of the immigration service in Greece. Learn more about the timelines requirements for getting a work permit in Greece below.

Estimated time for work permit issuance

Typically, the procedure of work permit issuance in Greece takes from 1 to 5 months until entry to Greece, and a further 1 month before the whole process is completed.


Major steps to get a work permit in Greece

  1. Visa Type D Application
  2. Entry to Greece
  3. Residence Permit for Employment Application
  4. Temporary Residence Registration
  5. Work Permit Application
  6. Work-Type Residence Permit Application

Documents for work permit in Greece, main applicant

Name Notes Copies
Evidence of legal immigration status Evidence of legal residency in the applicant’s country of residence, where the application is being made (if he/she holds a passport from a different country) One original
2 Passport Photographs 3.5cm x 4.5cm 3.5cm x 4.5cm, in color, with a white background. Face forward, mouth closed, eyes open. Two originals
Insurance Policy Valid for all Schengen countries with a minimum coverage of 30,000 Euro. The insurance must cover all risks e.g. accident, illness, need of repatriation etc. The policy must clearly specify the period of validity which should be longer than the duration of the visa. One notarized copy; one clear copy
Police Clearance Certificate Must be legalized/Apostilled. From any country in which the applicant has lived for more than 6 months in the 5 years immediately preceding the D Visa application. Translation into Greek by a translator accredited with Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs may be required. One legalized original; one certified and translated copy
Medical Certificate Should be checked with the consular post in advance as each consulate/embassy has different requirements for the issuing doctor and document processing. It must state that the applicant does not suffer from cholera, tuberculosis, yellow fever, plague or any other infectious disease dangerous to the public health as defined by the World Health Organization, issued on the standard form (found in the link) and may require an Apostille/legalization. One legalized original; one clear and translated copy
Valid Passport One original
National D Visa Application Form Completed and signed. Two originals
Proof of Travel Printed airline tickets. One clear copy
Lease contract for residence in host country Signed by all parties. Copy acceptable, but original may be requested at the discretion of the authorities. One clear copy
Copy of all pages of passport valid for 3 months beyond intended date of departure Passport must have been issued within the last ten years. One clear copy
Proof of local bank account One clear copy
Complete, notarized copy of all pages of passport Notarized by a lawyer in Greece, of all pages of passport, including the page containing the Visa Type D. Passport must be valid for at least three months beyond the expected date of departure from Greece. One notarized copy; one original
Social Security Registration Proof of registration with the Greek social security system for all applicants. One original
Residence Permit Application Form One original
3 Passport Photographs (Greece) 4cm x 6cm, on a white background, face forward, eyes open, mouth closed, any head covering worn for religious reasons must leave face clearly visible. Three originals
Stamp Duty (Applicant) (Code 4762) €16. To be paid by each applicant One original
Birth Certificates If the applicants’ passports do not include the place of birth in Latin characters, it is recommended to submit a birth certificate translated into Greek and have the place of birth in Latin characters as well in order to avoid any issues/delays with the application. One translated original
Power of Attorney (Personal) Signed power of attorney if using a third party for application filing and collection. One original

If you need to have your expat personnel legally work for you in Greece without having to set up your own business entity for that, trust us to assist you with work permit and immigration support, and then employ your expats locally on your behalf.

Contact our team to let us take up your foreign employees’ immigration matters and relieve you of the responsibility of getting work permit by working with our local partners to organize and obtain all the necessary permits, as well as provide you with a detailed update on the progress of the process.

Contact us for more details about how you can get a work permit for your expatriate staff and employ them through Acumen International in Greece.

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