Hire Workers in Greece Through the Metaklisi Procedure
Greece plans its foreign labour intake in advance, by region and by occupation. We recruit from India, Nepal and Bangladesh into those planned positions — seasonal and year-round — and handle the invitation procedure for you.
- Positions are planned, not improvised
If your region and occupation are not in the decision, there is no position to fill.
What You Need to Hire Workers in Greece
Greece runs foreign labour admission on a planning model set out in Law 5038/2023. Rather than assessing each vacancy on its merits, the state fixes in advance how many third-country workers may be admitted, broken down by region and by occupation, through a Joint Ministerial Decision issued every two years. If your region and occupation are in that decision, positions exist. If they are not, there is nothing to apply against.
Employers access those positions through the metaklisi procedure — literally an invitation. You apply to name the workers you want to bring in and the posts you want them for. Once approved, the worker obtains the visa and enters, and applies for the corresponding residence permit.
For agriculture and livestock, and for tourism, the seasonal route allows employment of up to nine months in any twelve-month period, and a worker admitted this way can be brought back under the same arrangement over a period of up to five years — which makes returning crews genuinely practical rather than theoretical. The national seasonal allocation runs to tens of thousands of positions: the ceiling set for 2025 was 45,620 across the country.
One condition is not optional and employers should budget for it up front. An employer inviting a seasonal worker in the agricultural and livestock sector must provide suitable accommodation meeting the required health and safety standards. This is a legal condition of the invitation, not a courtesy.
Who We Are
Hire Across Euro is an independent international recruitment consultancy with an active sourcing network across India, Nepal and Bangladesh. The founder runs every engagement personally, so a Greek employer knows before committing whether positions exist for their region and occupation at all.
What We Handle for Greek Employers
Sourcing and Vetting
We shortlist workers whose training documents and work history stand up to consular scrutiny. Every file is checked for document completeness and practical competence before it reaches you.
- Document verification
- Trade competence check
Position Check and Metaklisi Filing
We check the current decision for positions in your region and occupation, then prepare and file the invitation application naming the workers and the posts.
- Regional position availability
- Invitation file preparation
Accommodation Compliance
For seasonal agricultural invitations we help you document accommodation that meets the health and safety standard the procedure requires, before it becomes a reason for refusal.
Arrival and Residence Permit
We coordinate entry and support the residence permit application, and brief workers on Greek working-time rules and site expectations before they travel.
Sectors Where We Hire Workers in Greece
Four areas where Greek positions are regularly allocated and returning crews work well.
Agriculture and Livestock
Field, orchard, olive and greenhouse workers and livestock staff on the seasonal invitation route.
Tourism and Hospitality
Kitchen, housekeeping and service staff for island and mainland hotels through the season.
Construction
General and skilled construction trades for contractors and infrastructure works.
Food Processing and Packing
Packhouse, processing and cold store operatives supporting the agricultural supply chain.
The Greek Route at a Glance
Greece plans its intake in advance. If there is no position, there is nothing to apply against.
| Legal basis | Law 5038/2023 |
|---|---|
| Procedure | Metaklisi — an employer invitation naming the workers and the posts |
| How positions arise | A Joint Ministerial Decision issued every two years, broken down by region and occupation |
| Seasonal duration | Up to nine months in any twelve-month period |
| Returning crews | The same worker can be brought back under the arrangement over a period of up to five years |
| National seasonal ceiling | 45,620 positions were set for 2025 |
| Employer obligation | Suitable accommodation meeting health and safety standards is a legal condition for seasonal agricultural invitations |
How to Hire Workers in Greece Through Metaklisi
Greek employers who have used the metaklisi procedure before know its rhythm. Employers who have not usually misread it in one specific way: they assume the application is assessed on their need. It is not. Greek admission of third-country workers is planned centrally, by region and occupation, through a Joint Ministerial Decision issued every two years under Law 5038/2023. Your need matters when the decision is being set. Once it is set, what matters is whether a position exists.
That is why the first thing we do with a Greek requirement is check the current decision for your region and your occupation, rather than start looking for candidates. It is a five-minute answer that saves months. Where positions exist, the invitation procedure itself is workable and well-trodden: you name the workers and the posts, approval follows, the worker obtains a visa and enters, and the residence permit is applied for.
For agriculture, livestock and tourism the seasonal route is the workhorse. Employment can run up to nine months in a twelve-month period, and the same worker can be brought back under the arrangement across a period of up to five years. For an employer with a predictable annual peak, that turns recruitment into crew management: the same trained people return, and the second season costs a fraction of the first in supervision and induction.
The accommodation obligation is the condition employers most often underestimate. For seasonal agricultural invitations, providing suitable accommodation meeting health and safety standards is a legal requirement of the invitation rather than a benefit you elect to offer. Budget it in from the first conversation. Our live roles are on the vacancies board, our fee and treatment standards are in ethical recruitment compliant with EU labour law, and employers running Mediterranean seasonal operations often also read Spain, Portugal and Croatia.
How the Process Works
Six steps from the first requirement call to workers on site in Greece.
Requirement Call
We go through headcount, roles, worksite location, contract length and the start date you are working back from.
Shortlist
We present vetted workers from India, Nepal, Bangladesh or Pakistan with their training and work-history evidence attached.
Permit Filing
We file the metaklisi invitation application naming the workers and posts, and track it to approval.
Visa Application
We prepare the consular file and the employer-side documents your HR team is asked to produce, and track it to decision.
Arrival
We coordinate entry and the first days in Greece, including the residence permit application and registrations.
Onboarding
We support induction at the worksite and stay reachable through the first weeks of the placement.
Quick Answers
What is metaklisi?
It is the Greek invitation procedure under which an employer applies to bring named third-country workers in for named posts. It only works where the biennial Joint Ministerial Decision has allocated positions for your region and your occupation, which is why we check that before looking at candidates.
Why is accommodation a legal issue in Greece and not a perk?
Because an employer inviting a seasonal worker in the agricultural and livestock sector must provide suitable accommodation meeting the required health and safety standards. It is a condition of the invitation itself, so it belongs in your budget from the first conversation rather than being treated as an optional benefit.
How long can a seasonal worker stay in Greece?
Up to nine months in any twelve-month period for agriculture, livestock and tourism. Because the same worker can return under the arrangement across a period of up to five years, a predictable annual peak turns into crew management rather than fresh recruitment every season.
Official Sources and Further Reading
Positions are set centrally and revised every two years. These are the ministries that publish them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is metaklisi?
It is the invitation procedure under which a Greek employer applies to bring named third-country workers in for named posts. It is the standard route for the roles we place, and it only works where the biennial Joint Ministerial Decision has allocated positions for your region and occupation.
How long can a seasonal worker stay?
Up to nine months in any twelve-month period for agriculture, livestock and tourism. The same worker can be brought back under the arrangement over a period of up to five years, which makes returning crews practical.
Do we have to provide accommodation?
For seasonal invitations in the agricultural and livestock sector, yes. Suitable accommodation meeting the required health and safety standards is a legal condition of the invitation, not an optional benefit. Budget for it from the outset.
What if there are no positions for our region?
Then there is nothing to apply against until the next decision, and we will tell you that immediately rather than take a fee to find out slowly. Employers in that position often look at neighbouring Mediterranean markets for the same season.
How many seasonal positions does Greece allocate?
It runs into tens of thousands nationally — the ceiling set for 2025 was 45,620 positions. The number that matters to you, though, is the allocation for your specific region and occupation, which is a much smaller figure.
What does a Greek seasonal crew cost beyond wages?
Accommodation is the line employers underestimate, because it is mandatory rather than discretionary for agricultural invitations and it has to meet a standard. Against that, returning crews are the cheapest labour you will run: the second season costs a fraction of the first in induction, supervision and rework, because the same trained people come back.
There are no positions allocated for our region. What are the options?
Then nothing can be filed until the next decision, and we will tell you that immediately rather than take a fee to discover it slowly. Employers in that position usually look at a neighbouring Mediterranean market for the same season, and we will point you at whichever one is genuinely open.
Request Workers for Greece
Tell us the roles, the region and the season you are staffing. A consultant replies within one business day with the position availability and what the invitation will take.
Talk to Us
If your operation in Greece needs seasonal or year-round staff from India, Nepal or Bangladesh, send us the requirement and a consultant replies within one business day with the route, the timeline and a quote.