Working in Greece from Pakistan: Visa, Permit, Costs (2026)

If you live in Pakistan and have experience in trades like construction, welding, agriculture, driving, or hospitality, Greece is actively looking for your skills. The Greek economy has a growing demand for manual and skilled labor. Greece and Pakistan have established legal frameworks to bring documented workers to Greece safely.

Getting a legal job in Greece requires a specific process called Metaklisi. You cannot simply buy a work visa from an agent or travel on a tourist visa expecting to convert it to a work permit. Your journey starts with a genuine Greek employer who applies for your approval inside Greece before you ever step into an embassy. This guide explains how the legal process works, what it costs on the Pakistan side, and how to protect yourself from scams.

The legal work permit route: Metaklisi and National Visa D

The only valid legal pathway for a Pakistani trade worker to start working in Greece from overseas is through the official employer invitation procedure known in Greece as Metaklisi (Μετάκληση). This applies to both long-term dependent employment (National Visa Type D.1) and seasonal work permits (National Visa Type D.4).

Who applies first? The employer in Greece must start the process. The Greek employer submits an application to the regional Decentralized Administration (Apokentromeni Dioikisi) in Greece, showing that they have a job vacancy they want to fill with a specific worker from Pakistan.

Once the local authorities in Greece review and approve the employer request, they send an official approval directly to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Greek diplomatic mission in Pakistan. Only after this approval arrives in Pakistan can you apply for your National Work Visa (Type D).

Where to submit your visa application in Pakistan

Once your Greek employer completes the Metaklisi approval and sends you the official authorization documents, you must lodge your visa application in Pakistan. You cannot apply without this prior approval from Greece.

You will submit your passport, application forms, and required paperwork at one of the following official locations:

• Embassy of Greece in Islamabad: Located in the Diplomatic Enclave, Islamabad. The embassy conducts official visa interviews and issues the National Visa D stamp.
• VFS Global Greece Visa Application Centres: Located in major cities including Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore. These authorized centers collect your biometrics (fingerprints and photo) and physical documents on behalf of the embassy.

Never submit your documents to unregistered consultancy shops or street agents. Only official VFS Global centers and the Embassy of Greece in Islamabad are authorized to process Greek visa applications in Pakistan.

Required documents and legalisation in Pakistan

Preparing clean, genuine, and properly legalised paperwork is essential. Greek authorities inspect all documents strictly. If a single document is fake or missing an official stamp, your visa will be refused immediately.

Here are the standard documents you must gather in Pakistan:

• Valid Passport: Must have at least two blank pages and remain valid for at least 3 to 6 months beyond your intended visa duration.
• Signed Work Contract: An official, binding employment contract signed by your Greek employer, specifying your job role, monthly wage, working hours, and workplace location in Greece.
• Police Character Certificate: Issued by your local police station or Police Khidmat Markaz in Pakistan, showing you have no criminal record.
• Medical Fitness Certificate: Issued by a recognized medical centre in Pakistan, confirming you do not carry any contagious diseases specified by international health regulations.
• Experience and Trade Certificates: Trade diplomas, NAVTTC/TEVTA certificates, or written letters from former employers proving your trade skills.
• Travel Medical Insurance: Covering emergency medical treatment and repatriation during your initial arrival period in Greece.
• Biometrics: Fingerprints and passport photographs taken in person at the visa application centre.

Document Legalisation (Apostille): Pakistan is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention. Your official Pakistani documents, such as your Police Character Certificate, must be attested and stamped with an Apostille by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in Pakistan before submission. Official documents must also be translated into English or Greek by an approved translation service.

Official fees, processing times, and real costs

Moving abroad for work requires financial planning. It is important to separate official government fees from the personal costs you pay for document preparation in Pakistan.

Official government visa and administrative fees are set directly by Greek law:

• National Visa (Type D) Fee: Set by Greece, typically approximately €150 (payable in Pakistani Rupees at the official embassy exchange rate).
• VFS Service Fee: Standard administrative collection fee, approximately €20 to €30 equivalent in PKR.
• Official Processing Time: Once your employer receives Metaklisi approval in Greece, the visa processing at the embassy in Pakistan usually takes approximately 1 to 3 months. However, the entire process from the employer's initial application in Greece to visa issuance can take approximately 3 to 6 months total.

On the Pakistan side, you will incur personal operational expenses. These costs are rough estimates and will vary depending on your location and service providers:

• Police Character Certificate: Approximately 3,000 to 5,000 PKR (approx. €10 - €15).
• MOFA Apostille / Legalisation: Approximately 5,000 to 12,000 PKR (approx. €15 - €35) depending on document count.
• Medical Examination: Approximately 10,000 to 20,000 PKR (approx. €30 - €60).
• Document Translation: Approximately 4,000 to 8,000 PKR (approx. €12 - €25).
• Travel Insurance: Approximately 15,000 to 30,000 PKR (approx. €45 - €90).
• Flight Ticket to Greece: Approximately 120,000 to 250,000 PKR (approx. €350 - €750), depending on season and airline.

Warning on Placement Fees: Under Greek and European Union regulations, it is illegal for employers or recruitment agencies to charge job seekers a fee for providing a job contract. Your employer in Greece pays for the administrative approval fees inside Greece. Never pay thousands of Euros to illegal visa agents or brokers in Pakistan who claim they are selling you a Greek work permit. These illegal fees are part of widespread scams targeting Pakistani workers.

In-demand trades in Greece right now

Greece actively recruits foreign workers across specific industries where local labor shortages exist. Three key sectors frequently recruit skilled and manual trade workers:

• Agricultural and Farm Labor: Greek farms hire thousands of workers each year for fruit picking, olive harvesting, vegetable cultivation, and greenhouse maintenance.
• Construction and Technical Trades: The expanding infrastructure and renovation sectors in Greece require skilled welders, masons, carpenters, rebar fixers, and heavy equipment operators.
• Tourism and Hospitality: Hotels and resorts on the Greek islands and mainland require seasonal staff, kitchen helpers, maintenance technicians, and cleaners during the peak travel months.

Myths vs facts

• Myth: You can enter Greece on a visit visa and convert it into a legal work permit inside the country.
  Fact: Greece requires work permit approval (Metaklisi) and a National Visa D issued in your home country before you travel. Working on a tourist visa is illegal and leads to deportation.
• Myth: Paying 15 to 20 Lakh PKR to an agent in Pakistan guarantees you a valid work permit and a guaranteed job in Athens.
  Fact: Work visas cannot be bought from agents. Genuine jobs come directly from registered Greek employers, and demanding large illegal placement fees is a major warning sign of fraud.
• Myth: You do not need any official trade proof or police clearance as long as the employer wants you.
  Fact: The Embassy of Greece in Islamabad requires a MOFA-certified police clearance and valid trade experience documents before approving any work visa.
• Myth: You must speak fluent Greek before you can get a work visa for Greece.
  Fact: Basic trade jobs do not require fluent Greek to get a initial visa, though basic English or conversational Greek helps immensely on the job site.

Before you sign

Before you sign an employment agreement or transfer any money for document preparation, double check this safety checklist:

• Verify the employer: Confirm that the job offer comes from an active company registered in Greece with a valid Greek tax number (AFM).
• Check the contract details: Ensure your contract explicitly states your specific trade role, working hours, basic monthly salary, accommodation arrangements, and workplace address in Greece.
• Confirm Metaklisi approval: Make sure your employer has received the official permit approval from the Greek Decentralized Administration before you submit your passport to the embassy.
• Apostille your documents: Ensure your Pakistani police clearance certificate is attested with an Apostille stamp by MOFA Pakistan.
• Never hand over original documents to agents: Keep your original passport, educational certificates, and identity documents in your own possession at all times.
• Verify official payment receipts: Pay only official, published fees directly to VFS Global or the Greek Embassy, and keep all official receipts.

Build your Workuro profile today

If you are ready to seek legal employment opportunities in Greece, start by creating a complete and professional profile on Workuro. Fill out your profile thoroughly with your specific trade skills, verified experience in welding, construction, farming, or driving, and your passport readiness. Mention your language skills, including your level of English or basic Greek, and list any formal vocational training certificates you hold from NAVTTC or TEVTA.

A clear profile allows verified European employers who are looking for trade workers to review your qualifications directly, saving you from fake agents and illegal fees. Workuro is free for workers - employers pay to search the register, and nobody may charge you for a job.