Hiring workers from Bangladesh, Egypt and other non-EU countries in Greece: the employer's procedure.

The ceiling on positions for 2026

The maximum number of positions is fixed by an Act of the Cabinet (Πράξη Υπουργικού Συμβουλίου), issued in the last quarter of each year on a proposal of the Minister of Labour and Social Security, after consultation with, among others, the Economic and Social Council, the Public Employment Service, the chambers and the employers' organisations. The Act stays in force after the end of its year until the next one takes effect (art. 26).

For 2026 the Act is No 35 of 27 November 2025 (Gazette Α' 241/29.12.2025). It sets 94,240 positions for the whole country. The positions are allocated by occupation, not by region:

• 44,240 for dependent work (type Ε.4). The largest groups are unskilled workers in agriculture, livestock farming, forestry and fisheries (19,000), workers in manufacturing, transport and storage (7,640), and building workers and craftsmen (4,900). The table also lists, among others, machine operators and assemblers, metal workers and welders, cleaners, cooks, kitchen assistants and waiters, and care services (2,500, for carers of the elderly and of persons with disabilities and for domestic workers).
• 48,000 for seasonal work: 32,000 for unskilled workers in agriculture, livestock farming, forestry and fisheries, 4,000 for fishing workers, and 12,000 for hotels and tourist businesses and for transport and storage work (cleaning, kitchen and service staff, reception and other hotel staff, airport luggage handlers and loaders).
• 2,000 for highly skilled employment.

What the ceiling means for the employer

The competent service approves an application only if the documents are complete and the positions provided for in the Cabinet Act have not been used up (art. 27 par. 2). The 2026 Act allows the ceiling to be increased by up to 10% to cover unforeseen and urgent needs.

For farms, the same Act fixes the minimum cultivated area, or the number of animals, that corresponds to each seasonal worker an employer may invite. The employer may invite only persons over eighteen (art. 26 par. 6).

Up to 9,000 of the seasonal positions for 2026 are reserved for the agreements with Bangladesh and Egypt described in the next section.

Bilateral agreements: Bangladesh and Egypt

Two agreements on the recruitment of workers have been ratified by law and are applied through the 2026 Cabinet Act:

• Bangladesh. Memorandum of Understanding on migration and mobility, signed in Dhaka on 9 February 2022, ratified by Law 4959/2022 (Gazette Α' 144/22.7.2022), in force since 1 September 2022. For the first five years after its entry into force Greece grants up to 4,000 temporary residence permits a year, each of five years, to nationals of Bangladesh who apply for admission for temporary work in agriculture and in other sectors where Greek law allows seasonal work. The holder works for nine months in each period of twelve. The worker needs a contract of at least one year with an employer established in Greece and a travel document valid for at least two more years. The permit gives no right to family reunification or to long-term resident status. The Memorandum was concluded for an initial period of five years and may be extended. The 2026 Act reserves up to 4,000 seasonal positions under it, in agriculture, forestry, livestock farming, fisheries and tourism.
• Egypt. Agreement on the employment of seasonal workers in the agricultural sector, signed in Cairo on 22 November 2022, ratified by Law 5009/2023 (Gazette Α' 7/17.1.2023). It entered into force on 24 January 2023 (notice in Gazette Α' 22/6.2.2023) for an initial three years, extendable by one or two years at a time by exchange of notes. We found no notice of extension in the Gazette up to Α' 185 of 9 November 2026. The 2026 Cabinet Act still reserves up to 5,000 positions under it, for seasonal farm workers. It covers farm workers only. The Egyptian authorities select the workers. The visa allows a stay of up to nine months in any twelve, and the employment lasts at least ninety days. The employer bears the cost of the worker's arrival and departure.
• Egypt, fishing workers. An older agreement, ratified by Law 1453/1984 (Gazette Α' 88), is still referred to in the Code: fishing workers who come under it may receive a seasonal visa of up to eleven months (art. 64 par. 1).
• Albania. Greece has also ratified an agreement with Albania on seasonal employment (Law 2482/1997, Gazette Α' 73/1997). It is renewed tacitly each year unless terminated, and the 2026 Cabinet Act does not refer to it.

Workers from India, Pakistan and other countries

In the Government Gazette from April 2012 up to issue Α' 185 of 9 November 2026 we found no law that ratifies an agreement on labour mobility with India, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Moldova, Georgia or Armenia. An employer may still invite workers from these and other third countries. The general procedure of the Code applies, within the yearly ceiling.

Since February 2026 the Cabinet Act may name the third countries from which invitations are possible and set a number of workers for each country. A separate Cabinet Act may suspend invitations from a specific country, in particular where that country does not cooperate on the return of its nationals (art. 26 pars 1 and 5). The Act for 2026 does not limit the countries of origin.

The invitation procedure for dependent work, step by step

For a position under type Ε.4 the steps are the following (arts 27 and 61):

• The application. The employer applies through the electronic services of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum to the Aliens and Migration Directorate of the Decentralised Administration where the employer has its seat or branch, or where the work will be done. The application states the number of positions, the sector and type of work under the Cabinet Act, the identity and nationality of the workers and the period of employment.
• The documents. A lawful employment contract of at least six months in Greece, with pay at least equal to the statutory minimum wage. A tax assessment notice, or a copy of the company's tax return, showing that the employer can pay the agreed wages. Proof of payment of a state fee of 200 euros for each worker, which is not refunded. Further documents are set by joint ministerial decisions.
• The approval. If the documents are complete and positions remain, the service issues an act approving the employment of the worker by that employer. It sends the act, with the contract signed by the employer, to the competent Greek consulate.
• The visa. The consulate invites the worker, who appears in person, signs the contract and receives a national (long-stay, type D) visa, subject to the general rules on visas.
• The residence permit. Immediately after entry the worker applies online for the Ε.4 residence permit. The worker receives a certificate of application, which shows that the holder stays in Greece lawfully and gives provisionally the rights of the permit applied for (art. 10 par. 8).
• The hiring. The employer makes the filings that apply to every hiring in Greece. See our page on hiring employees in Greece.

Seasonal work

The employer's application covers employment of up to nine months in any twelve and may extend over a total of up to five years, in which case one approval covers all the periods. It is filed with the one-stop service of the Decentralised Administration of the employer's seat (art. 63). The documents include:

• Proof of payment of a state fee of 100 euros, which is not refunded.
• A valid employment contract signed by the employer, stating the type and place of work, the start date and duration, the hours a week or a month, the pay (never below the pay of an unskilled worker), any holiday pay and the social insurance that applies to the sector.
• Evidence that the worker will have suitable accommodation. Where the employer provides it, it must meet the health and safety standards. Any rent must be in proportion to the wage and to the quality of the accommodation, is set out in a written lease, and is not deducted automatically from the wage.
• A solemn declaration by the employer on the costs referred to in art. 80 par. 3 of Law 3386/2005 and on the consulate the worker will attend.
• For farm work, the certificate for the invitation of third-country nationals from the Register of Farmers and Agricultural Holdings.
• The worker receives a national visa of up to nine months, or of one year with a right to stay for nine months, or a Schengen visa for ninety days of seasonal work (art. 64). After entry the worker may apply for the seasonal residence permit (type Ε.6), valid for up to five years and renewable up to a total stay of ten years, with work of up to nine months in any twelve (art. 66). At the end of each period of employment the seasonal worker must leave Greece.

The time limits in the law

The Code sets the following time limits. Where stated below they run from a complete application; for seasonal work they are suspended until the file is complete (art. 63 par. 9).

• Seasonal work: the one-stop service issues the approval within ten working days of the employer's application (art. 63 par. 6). The consulate decides on the visa within sixty days of the complete application (art. 63 par. 7). Under the Agreement with Egypt the consulate decides within thirty days.
• Dependent work (type Ε.4): arts 27 and 61 set no time limit for the approval of the employer's application. The consulate informs the one-stop service of the grant or refusal of the visa within thirty days, and the service informs the employer within fifteen days (art. 27 par. 3).
• Residence permit: the one-stop service decides within ninety days of the complete application. The period may be extended by thirty days in exceptional and complex cases (art. 81Α par. 3).
• Applications for a seasonal visa by a worker who held one in the last five years and complied with its terms are examined with priority (art. 64 par. 1Α).

The employer's obligations after the worker arrives

The worker who is invited is an employee under Greek law. In addition to the general duties of an employer, the Migration Code provides the following:

• Equal treatment. Holders of a single residence and work permit, and seasonal workers, are treated equally with Greek employees as regards pay, dismissal, working time, leave, and health and safety at work (arts 65 and 82Α).
• Social security. The worker is insured with e-ΕΦΚΑ on the basis of the work done, as Greek employees are. Seasonal farm workers are insured through the εργόσημο system (art. 63 par. 5 and art. 66 par. 4).
• Notice to the authority. The employer informs at once the one-stop service that approved the invitation if the worker does not report for work after entering Greece, or leaves the employer before the contract ends (art. 23 par. 8α).
• Accommodation of seasonal workers. The employer informs the Decentralised Administration of any change of the accommodation (art. 23 par. 8).
• Records. The employer keeps the seasonal employment contract, signed by both parties, for five years and shows it on inspection (art. 23 par. 12).
• Change of employer. The holder of a first permit must work for the employer who made the invitation for the period of the first contract, and in any case for no more than six months. The Code allows an earlier change in limited cases, for example where the first employer agrees or dismisses the worker. After that the worker may change employer and notifies the one-stop service, which checks the sector and the occupation (art. 82).

Sanctions

The main sanctions on the employer under the Migration Code are:

• Employing a third-country national who has no right to stay in Greece: the sanctions of Law 4052/2012 apply, in addition to any other sanction (art. 23 pars 1 and 3).
• Employing a third-country national who stays lawfully but whose permit or visa gives no access to the labour market: a fine of 1,500 euros for each worker (art. 23 par. 4).
• Failing to report that an invited worker did not appear or left: a fine of 1,000 euros for each invited worker. On a repeated breach no new invitation by the same employer is approved for five years (art. 23 par. 8α).
• No suitable accommodation for a seasonal worker, or accommodation below the health and safety standards: a fine of 1,500 euros and exclusion from inviting seasonal workers for five years (art. 23 par. 8).
• Breach of the employer's obligations towards invited workers: the approval is revoked and no new application may be filed for three years (art. 23 par. 9, which art. 61 par. 8 applies also to employers under type Ε.4).
• If a seasonal visa is revoked on the grounds of art. 64 par. 8 (αγ, αδ, αζ), the employer owes the worker compensation that covers all outstanding obligations. A main contractor and intermediate subcontractors who took no due care are liable with the subcontractor (art. 23 pars 10 and 11).
• Breach of equal treatment or of labour and social security law: fines by the Labour Inspectorate under art. 572 of the Labour Code and art. 5 of Law 4554/2018 (art. 82Β).

Temporary employment agencies and large projects

Since February 2026 a temporary employment agency (Επιχείρηση Προσωρινής Απασχόλησης) may act as the direct employer in the invitation procedure and place the workers with user undertakings. The agency must be a legal entity that operates lawfully in Greece under the Labour Code, with share capital of at least 1,000,000 euros, whose managers are not prosecuted for migrant smuggling (art. 27 par. 4). Joint ministerial decision 17834/23.6.2026 (Gazette Β' 4135/8.7.2026) allows such agencies to invite workers for dependent work in all sectors and for seasonal work in tourism and agriculture. It also sets the documents. For dependent work, the user undertaking must show gross annual income of at least 60,000 euros for each invited worker, or 22,000 euros where the user is a natural person.

Outside the yearly ceiling, a company or investment vehicle that carries out a strategic investment under Law 4864/2021, a public works contract under Law 4412/2016 or another project of particular importance may invite up to 500 third-country nationals for each project. The application is examined with priority, and the state fee is 400 euros for each worker (art. 61 par. 7).

Specialised technical staff of a company established in a third country, who come to build a production unit for a Greek company in technology, pharmaceuticals or industry under a contract for an investment above 10,000,000 euros, may receive a national visa for work of up to twelve months (art. 72Α).

What changed in 2026

Law 5275/2026 (Gazette Α' 17/6.2.2026) transposed Directive (EU) 2024/1233 on the single permit and rewrote the provisions on invitation. For employers the main changes are:

• The Cabinet Act may now name the countries from which workers may be invited and set numbers for each country, and may provide for an increase of the ceiling of up to 15% (art. 26).
• Time limits were added for the consulate and the one-stop service to report on the visa (art. 27 par. 3).
• Temporary employment agencies were admitted to the procedure as direct employers (art. 27 pars 4 and 5).
• The residence permit for work is a single permit: one act covers residence and work, the decision is due within ninety days, and the holder has a right to change employer and to equal treatment (arts 81Α, 82 and 82Α).

How L+A works with employers

L+A acts for employers. We check whether the position falls within the Cabinet Act in force and which route applies. We prepare the employment contract and the employer's file for the application, and follow the application before the Decentralised Administration and the consulate. We advise on the contract between a temporary employment agency and the user undertaking, on accommodation terms for seasonal staff, and on the employer's duties after the worker arrives. We represent the employer before the authorities and the Greek courts where an approval is refused or revoked or a sanction is imposed.

The work is led by senior lawyers of the firm, which has its seat in Piraeus and a presence in Alimos, Athens, in English and Greek, by email. This page is general information, not legal advice. It does not deal with the EU Blue Card, intra-corporate transfers, residence permits for investors, payroll or tax. The numbers of positions change every year, and the documents are set by ministerial decisions that are amended often. Reviewed on 11 November 2026.

Sources

Statutes and official sources for the facts on this page:

• Migration Code, Law 5038/2023 (Gazette Α' 81/1.4.2023), as in force on 11 November 2026 (last amended by Law 5307/2026, Gazette Α' 90/11.6.2026): art. 4 (definitions of invitation and of seasonal work), art. 10 par. 8 (certificate of application), art. 23 (obligations of employers and sanctions, as replaced by art. 190 of Law 5078/2023, Gazette Α' 211/20.12.2023), arts 26 and 27 (ceiling and procedure, as replaced by arts 17 and 18 of Law 5275/2026), arts 61 and 62 (type Ε.4; art. 61 as replaced by art. 21 of Law 5275/2026), arts 63 to 66 (seasonal work; arts 64 and 65 as amended by arts 48 and 49 of Law 5130/2024, Gazette Α' 127/1.8.2024), art. 72Α (added by art. 22 of Law 5275/2026), arts 81, 81Α, 82, 82Α and 82Β (single permit, as replaced or added by arts 4 to 8 of Law 5275/2026), art. 176 pars 1, 29 and 29Α (ministerial decisions).
• Law 5275/2026 (Gazette Α' 17/6.2.2026), transposing Directive (EU) 2024/1233; art. 69 (entry into force on publication).
• Act of the Cabinet 35/27.11.2025, maximum number of positions for dependent work, seasonal work and highly skilled employment of third-country nationals for 2026 (Gazette Α' 241/29.12.2025): arts 1 to 4.
• Law 4959/2022 (Gazette Α' 144/22.7.2022), ratification of the Memorandum of Understanding between Greece and Bangladesh on migration and mobility: arts 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 14 and 16 of the Memorandum. Entry into force on 1 September 2022, as stated in art. 4 of Cabinet Act 35/27.11.2025.
• Law 5009/2023 (Gazette Α' 7/17.1.2023), ratification of the Agreement between Greece and Egypt on the employment of seasonal workers in the agricultural sector: arts 1, 3, 5, 6 and 13 of the Agreement and arts 3, 6 and 9 of its Annex. Notice of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on entry into force on 24 January 2023 (Gazette Α' 22/6.2.2023).
• Law 1453/1984 (Gazette Α' 88), as referred to in art. 64 of the Migration Code.
• Law 2482/1997 (Gazette Α' 73/1997), ratification of the Agreement between Greece and Albania on seasonal employment.
• Joint ministerial decision 17834/23.6.2026 on temporary employment agencies in the invitation procedure (Gazette Β' 4135/8.7.2026): arts 1, 2 and 4.
• Law 4052/2012 (Gazette Α' 41), Law 4554/2018 (Gazette Α' 130), art. 5, and Labour Code (Presidential Decree 62/2025, Gazette Α' 121/11.7.2025), arts 141, 141Α and 572, as referred to in the Migration Code.
• Directive 2014/36/EU on seasonal workers and Directive (EU) 2024/1233 on the single permit, as transposed by the Migration Code.