Greece Dependent Employment and EU Blue Card Timeline and Documents

Greece’s first residence-permit filings are digital. The route still depends on the right pre-entry and employer sequence: E.4 starts with an approved invitation and national visa, while E.1 Blue Card files start with a highly qualified employment file and qualifying legal entry.

For route choice, see Greece Dependent Employment vs EU Blue Card.

Timeline Summary

Stage	E.4 Dependent Employment	E.1 EU Blue Card
Employer screening	Employer invitation approval before the worker applies for the national visa	Employer capacity, highly qualified role, salary threshold, and qualification evidence
Entry basis	National visa for dependent employment	Uniform visa or visa-free entry under the current Mitos E.1 record; check consular route where national visa is required
Application filing	Online on the Ministry of Migration and Asylum platform after entry and before national visa expiry	Online on the Ministry platform before the permitted legal stay expires
Fee	EUR 150 residence permit fee plus EUR 16 card-printing fee	EUR 150 residence permit fee plus EUR 16 card-printing fee
Proof of submission	Digital proof/certificate after online application	Digital proof/certificate after online application
Processing	Estimated 50 to 80 days	90-day deadline; 30 days for recognized employers under Article 38 of Law 5038/2023
Outcome	Residence permit or rejection decision	Residence permit or rejection decision

Core Documents

Document Area	Why It Matters
Travel document and entry evidence	Passport with required national visa, uniform visa, or entry stamp depending on route
Employment contract	E.4 requires at least 1 year full-time; E.1 requires at least 6 months highly qualified employment
Recruitment announcement	Listed in both E.4 and E.1 service records
Health insurance evidence	Application/certificate for full health coverage for risks covered for Greek citizens
Qualification evidence	Essential for E.1; non-regulated and regulated professions have different evidence paths
Employer tax or company evidence	Shows employer capacity and legal identity
Photograph	Residence-card photo in Greek passport-compatible format and digital format
Mobile phone and email	Required to submit the digital application
Paid fee code	Required for the online filing where applicable

Blue Certificate

Gov.gr says that after a successful initial residence-permit filing, the applicant receives proof of submission and a certificate often called the “Blue certificate.” That certificate ceases to be valid when the residence permit or rejection decision is issued.

Practical Sequencing

For E.4, do not start with the online residence-permit form. The employer invitation and national visa sequence must already be in place. For E.1, do not treat the Blue Card as a salary-only file: the contract, qualification evidence, employer capacity, insurance, and Greek entry basis all need to align.

Editorial Status

This article was checked against Mitos and gov.gr sources on July 22, 2026. It is informational only and is not legal, immigration, employment, payroll, recruitment, or relocation advice.