Working in Greece from Pakistan: Visa & Permit Guide (2026)

The short version for Pakistani applicants

As a Pakistani citizen you are a third-country national, so working in Greece takes three things: a job offer from a Greek employer, a Greece work permit obtained under its national rules, and a long-stay (type D) visa to enter. A tourist Schengen visa never allows work.

In short, how Greece's system works: the main route is quota-based dependent employment: a Greek employer secures a position within the annual admissions quota, the worker obtains a national (type D) work visa, then a single residence-and-work permit under the Migration Code (Law 5038/2023, in force 31 Mar 2024). The full Greece detail — routes, the EU Blue Card floor (≈ €31,919 gross/year (2024 EU portal figure), equal to 1.6× the national average and updated yearly; confirm the current amount with the Ministry), language and quotas — is on the Greece country guide linked below. This page focuses on the part that is specific to applying from Pakistan.

Applying from Pakistan: where and how

Long-stay visas are filed at the destination country's mission in Islamabad or Karachi where present, or a regional hub otherwise — commonly through Gerry's or a VFS Global centre.

• Emigration clearance: pakistan requires legal emigration through the BEOE and the Protector of Emigrants — recruitment must go through a licensed Overseas Employment Promoter (OEP), and the Protectorate's clearance is your legal safeguard.
• Documents: documents are attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Pakistan is now a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so many public documents can be apostilled for use abroad. Keep certified translations ready.
• Recognition: get your qualification assessed through DOATAP — Hellenic Academic Recognition Center — start this early, as it often takes weeks or months.

The Pakistani–Greece route: which jobs, realistically

Greece hires Pakistani workers mainly in agriculture and construction on quota-based and seasonal permits.

In almost all cases you need the signed offer before the permit process can begin — Greece has no general job-seeker visa.

Avoiding recruitment fraud on the Pakistan–Greece route

Deal only with BEOE-licensed OEPs and insist on Protectorate clearance. Unlicensed agents promising a 'guaranteed' EU job for a large upfront fee are the classic fraud pattern in this corridor.

• The employer — not you — normally drives and pays for the work-permit process.
• A visa is decided by a government, never by a broker: no legitimate route sells a guaranteed visa.
• Verify the employer, the vacancy and the permit with the Ministry of Migration and Asylum before paying anyone.