Greece

Information for all students

Students should ensure that their passports are signed and stamped when entering and exiting Border Control. These stamps will prove the duration of your visit and, more importantly, prove to the visa official that you have not overstayed your 90-day visit.

It is important to understand the Schengen 90/180 rule. You are allocated 90 visa-free days to use within the Schengen Zone, however you must remember these are rolling days and are added onto a cumulative total of days in the Schengen region. Leaving and entering does not reset your calculator – only leaving for a period of 90 days in a non-Schengen country will reset your Visa-free 90-day allowance.

Read more about the Schengen rules

Studying for up to 3 months

Non-UK students who do not have their visa waived will need to apply for a Schengen visa type C. This visa allows you to stay up to 3 months in Greece.

Students can travel to countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in a 180-day period. During this time you can compete the following activities:

• Tourism
• Visiting family or friends
• Attending business meetings
• Cultural or sports events
• Short-term studying or training

Gather your documents

To apply for a short-stay Schengen visa C for studies or professional training, you will need to gather the following documents:

• Completed application form.
• ID photo.
• Valid passport.
• Copy of the valid passport.
• UK Residence Permit.
• Copy of the UK Residence Permit.
• Proof of sufficient funds for duration of stay (this is £40 for the Schengen visa).
• Confirmed round trip travel-ticket.
• Proof of accommodation in Greece.
• Travel insurance.
• Proof of current occupation.
• Recent, original, signed letter from relevant school/college/university confirming attendance (addressed to the Mission; no older than 30 days from the date of application).
• Documentation relating to the studies/professional training to be undertaken in Greece.
• Certificate of enrolment at an educational establishment (school, university, college, etc.) for the purposes of attending vocational or theoretical courses for basic and further training.
• Student card or certificate of the intended courses.

Discover the full list of documents.

How to apply

Students must submit their Schengen visa application in person. Appointments can be booked online.

You should submit your visa application at the Visa Application Centres for Greece in London, Edinburgh and Manchester.

Studying for more than 3 months

UK and non-EU students studying for more than 90 days must apply for a long-term visa (National type D visa). This allows third-country nationals to stay in Greece for a period of 90–365 days.

You may be issued a long-term National type D visa if you're a third-country national who is:

• participating in an exchange programme
• under an interstate agreement
• participating in a cooperation project funded by the European Union
• participating in the ERASMUS programme

In order to receive your visa, you must be physically present and undergo a corresponding interview.

A national visa is valid for up to 365 days. You may also be issued a Residence Permit, which is valid until the end of your programme.

The following activities can be conducted under a long-term visa:

• studies
• voluntary work
• temporary work of members of artistic groups/tour leaders residence for financially independent persons
• digital nomad activity

Gather your documents

In order to apply for your long-term National type D visa, you must gather the following documents:

• admissions/acceptance letter
• completed and signed application form for a long-term National visa
• valid passport or other recognised travel document
• criminal record certificate

Residence Permit

Prior to applying for your Residence Permit, employers must request approval from the relevant authority responsible for their profession.

How to apply

If your passport is from a country outside the EU/EEA, you will need to apply for a National type D visa after your admission to Greece for a Residence Permit. EU members must register with the local authorities and obtain an EU registration card. 

You can apply for a national visa at the Greek Embassy or Consulate. 

More information on visas and residence permits can be found:

•  Visa & Residence Permit Guide
•  Visa Guide World

Working for less than 3 months

UK students working in Greece for less than 3 months must apply for a short-stay visa (C visa). This visa type allows you to travel through and stay in the Schengen area for an uninterrupted period of up to 90 days OR for a maximum of 90 days, accumulated in stages within 180 days.

With this visa type, you can complete the following activities in Greece:

• Tourism
• Visiting family
• Business trips (including visiting professional partners, negotiating and concluding contracts, etc.)
• Participating in conferences, exhibitions, fairs or shows
• Participating in general/board of director meetings
• Providing services within the same business group

Gather your documents

In order to apply for your short-stay visa (C visa), you must gather the following documents:

• Completed visa application form
• 2 recent passport-sized photographs
• Passport and a copied version (valid for at least three months after date of return to U.K.)
• Medical insurance
• UK residence permit and a copied version
• Proof of sufficient funds for the duration of your stay (£40 per day)
• Confirmed round-trip ticket
• Proof of accommodation
• Travel insurance 
• Proof of current occupation 
• Invitation letter 

Full list of required documents can be found here.

How to apply

Students should apply via their local Visa Application Centre for Greece in London, Edinburgh or Manchester.

Working for more than 3 months

UK students must apply for a National visa D to work in Greece. The following activities can be permitted under a National visa D:

• Studies
• Voluntary work
• Temporary work of members of artistic groups
• Tour leaders and residence for financially independent persons
• Digital nomad activity

Gather your documents

In order to apply for your National visa D, you must gather the following documents:

• Completed and signed application form for a long-stay national visa
• 1 recent, colour photograph
• Valid passport or other travel document
• Criminal record check, issued within the last 6 months from the date of application submitted at the VAC (ACRO certificate or Enhanced DBS certificate)
• Medical certificate from a recognised state/private body*
• Travel insurance, with a period of validity equal to the visa issued (must cover the potential costs of repatriation for medical reasons/emergency medical care)

*Your completed medical certificate should be printed out, signed and stamped by your doctor. Submit this along with the other required documents at the Visa Application Centre.

In addition, applicants must not be considered a threat to public order, internal security, public health or internation relations and not be registered as a persona non grate (undesirable alien) in public databases, read more here.

Discover the full list of required documents here.

How to apply

You can submit your application for a long-stay visa at the Visa Application Centre, you can find the application form here. You must book an appointment. 

Subsequently, you must also have an in-person interview with the Greek Diplomatic Mission or Consular Post in the jurisdiction where you legally reside, regardless of the national visa category that will be issued. You must establish the purpose of your entry into and stay in Green in order to be interviewed.

To reside in Greece as an employed worker, you must have:

• A national visa for employment
• A Residence Permit for employment

Employers must obtain approval before providing a non-EU National with an employment contract.

Residence Permit

Upon arrival in Greece, UK students must apply for a Residence Permit for an employed worker.

All applications for residence permits should be submitted at the Decentralised Administration. When you apply with all the necessary documents, you will be issued a certificate that is valid for 1 year. During its validity you may reside legally in the country.

Gather your documents

To apply for an initial Residence Permit, you will need:

• Copy of your passport
• Copy of your visa
• Passport photographs
• A fee of €300
• Your employment contract
• Certification proving application to the relevant insurance agency for full health insurance

How to apply

Applicants must lodge their application at the Greek Consulate. 

If your passport is from a country outside the EU/EEA, you will need to apply for a National type D visa after your admission to Greece for a Residence Permit. EU members must register with the local authorities and obtain an EU registration card. 

You can apply for a national visa at the Greek Embassy or Consulate. 

More information on visas and residence permits can be found here.