Roles below the highly qualified thresholds
Where the EU Blue Card doesn't apply, metaklisi is the standard employment route for bringing a third-country national into a Greek payroll.
← All servicesMetaklisi (employer invitation)
Metaklisi, the invitation route, without the guesswork
Metaklisi is the procedure through which a Greek employer invites a third-country national to come and work in Greece. The authorities approve the invitation against the annual quota set by Cabinet act; the worker then gets a national visa at the Greek consulate and a residence permit after arrival. Plan for several months end to end.
- Quota-driven: positions are set each year by Cabinet act, per sector and occupation
- Paperwork-heavy and unforgiving of sequencing mistakes
- Mazi prepares the file; licensed Greek immigration counsel handles the legal work and filing where required
Before you commit, you get the scope and a fixed fee in writing. Licensed Greek counsel handles the legal work wherever the law requires it, and one team stays with the case from the permit to settling in, with every step visible in your HR dashboard.
When metaklisi is the right route
Seasonal and sector hiring
Tourism, agriculture, food and construction employers use the invitation procedure to staff roles the local labour market has not filled.
Volume hiring against a quota
The number of positions is set each year by Cabinet act, per sector and occupation. Filing inside the right window matters more than filing fast.
The candidate is abroad
Metaklisi assumes the worker is outside Greece and enters on a national visa issued after the invitation is approved.
Not for people already in Greece
Someone already legally residing in Greece usually needs a status change, not an invitation. We check this first, because filing the wrong one loses months.
Not for EU nationals
EU/EEA and Swiss citizens need no invitation — only registration, a tax number (AFM) and a social security number (AMKA) once they arrive.
State fees: €546 per worker for dependent work, €266 for seasonal work. Our own fee is fixed per worker, in a written quote. See the breakdown →
How the process runs
- 01Days 1–5
Quota and eligibility check
We confirm that the region, occupation and available positions match the hire, and that the company's tax and insurance standing supports the filing.
- 02Weeks 1–3
Employer application
The invitation application is filed with the competent authority, with the job description, terms, accommodation evidence and company documentation.
- 03Varies by consulate
Approval and consular stage
Once approved, the worker applies for the national entry visa at the Greek consulate in their country of residence, using the approved invitation.
- 04First weeks after arrival
Arrival and residence permit
After entry, the residence permit for employment is filed at the migration office, with biometrics and the blue receipt covering lawful stay.
- 05Ongoing
Registration and payroll
Tax number (AFM), social security (AMKA) registration, bank account and — if you want it — housing and settling-in support for the worker.
Season planner
When do your workers need to start?
Pick the start date and see when to prepare the file, file the application and plan the consulate stage.
Typical document pack
6 documents · click to open the list
- Employer application with the role, terms and duration of employment
- Company registration, tax clearance and insurance clearance documents
- Evidence of accommodation arrangements where required
- Worker's passport valid for the requested period
- Criminal record certificate and, where required, medical certificate
- Officially translated and, where required, apostilled personal documents
Exact requirements depend on nationality, role and the consulate or migration office handling the case. We confirm your list before anything is filed.
Questions we get asked
What exactly is metaklisi?
It is the invitation procedure: a Greek employer formally invites a specific third-country national to fill a position, the authorities approve it against the published quota, and the worker then obtains an entry visa and a residence permit for employment.
How does the quota work?
The maximum number of positions is set each year by Cabinet act (ΠΥΣ), per sector and occupation. Once the positions for your role are used up, new applications are not accepted until the next act — so timing is part of the strategy.
How long does the whole process take?
Plan on several months end to end. Once the consulate decides on the visa, it has a strict 30 calendar days to notify the one-stop-shop service, which then has 15 calendar days to notify you — the employer filing and in-country permit stages add further time on top. We confirm a dated timeline once we've checked your sector's quota and region.
When should we start for next season?
As early as you can. Each year's maximum number of positions is set by a Cabinet act (ΠΥΣ) issued in the last quarter of the previous year, per sector and occupation — and once the positions are used up, new applications are not accepted. The 2026 ministry circular recommends that the contract start roughly 60–90 days after the application is filed, and the consular stage comes on top of that. For a season that opens in spring, the file usually needs to be ready during the winter.
Which countries can we hire from?
Third countries (outside the EU), on the terms of that year's Cabinet act. The act can name specific countries and a number of workers per country, and invitations from a given country can be suspended. Seasonal farm work from Egypt runs through a separate bilateral procedure: candidates come through ETHEAS and the employer does not choose them freely. In every case the worker must be over 18. We check the country you have in mind before you start recruiting.
Another question? See all our FAQs
Planning a metaklisi hire?
Send us the role, the region and the candidate's nationality. We'll tell you whether the quota supports it and what the timeline looks like.