You have the right to work as a freelance professional or open your own business provided you fulfil the additional requirements in place for the exercise of each separate profession .
If you are an asylum seeker (an applicant for international protection), and you have completed the procedure for lodging your application for international protection, and you possess a valid “applicant for international protection card” or “asylum seeker’s card” then you have the right to access salaried employment or to the provision of services or work.
A third-country national may enter Greece for employment, under a dependent-employment relation, with a specific employer and for a specific type of employment, provided that he has been issued with a relevant visa. A Greek national visa offers employment rights to TCNs.
Within 90 days Ukrainian refugees will be provided by the Asylum Service of the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum with temporary protection of one (1) year with the right of access to the labor market and medical care in accordance with Directive 2001/55 of the Council of the European Union.
*Note: Please make sure you check the official websites with the most up-to date information provided by the Greek government.
a) Residence permits with right to work
b) Certificate of submission of supporting documents for the issue of a residence permit with the right to work
c) Visa with the right to work
d) Beneficiaries of international protection (refugees and beneficiaries of a subsidiary protection status) as well as applicants for international protection (six months after the issue date of the International Protection Applicant’s card. The permit is granted by the Asylum Services.
e)Third country nationals who have been granted a certificate of deferral of removal (Article 24, Law 3907/2011, GG A`7) or a certificate of non-removal for humanitarian reasons (Article 78, Law 3386/2005) by the competent police authority, which is valid, provided that they are holders of a valid work permit, also have access to the labour market. Individuals who hold this specific work permit may work exclusively in the agricultural and livestock farming sector, in the sector of domestic work as well as in the textiles sector and work in the entire territory of the country Except (Evros, Xanthi, Rodopi of Eastern Macedonia & Thrace, North Aegean Region and Kos, Rhodes, Karpathos, Kalymnos and South Aegean region).
f)For third-country nationals who are illegally residing in Greece a work permit exclusively for the agricultural sector can be obtained after the employer applies to the Decentralized Administration of his place of residence for the exceptional employment of third country nationals (TCNs).
Please note that in order to obtain employment in Greece, in addition to the work permit you need to obtain a tax ΙD number (AΦΜ) and insurance number (AΜΚΑ) as well AMA number (you get this number from EOPPY the first time you are employed in Greece)
Contact information of the Department of Greek Workers’ Support Abroad, the Department for Foreigners’ Work in Greece and the Department of Equal Treatment at Work, Directorate for Individual Regulations, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs: phone call: 213 1516 540 / 025 / 080 or sending an email at thstathopoulou@ypakp.gr, margiri@ypakp.gr, mbitha@ypakp.gr.