Work in Greece: there are vacancies even during the crisis

There is work in Greece even during a crisis. A Russian emigrant can get a job in the tourism sector, the agricultural sector, the construction field, or in a large international company if he has a special education.

The salary level will depend on your qualifications, as well as knowledge of foreign languages.

The Greek city of Zakynthos on the island of the same name Zakynthos

You can work in Greece only with a work visa or special permit. Illegal employment threatens not only a fine, but also deportation from the country.

Meanwhile, every year our compatriots go to Greece to work. 2021, although post-crisis, was no exception in this regard. For some, it ends only with seasonal part-time work or internship, while others are seriously thinking about changing their place of residence after excellent career prospects.

And the issue of employment is really acute for those citizens who are going to immigrate to Greece on the basis of a work visa.

Ways to find a job

Today, you can find a job in Greece in several ways: contact a recruiting agency or independently look for a place of employment through specialized websites.

Through the company

A recruiting agency is a company that searches and selects the vacancy a person needs based on requirements and education. Such agencies can be legal or illegal. Legitimate companies do not require money for their services; they first enter into an agreement with the employer.

After a person is hired, the employer pays a commission to the agency from the employee's first salary.

Illegal recruiting agencies operate in a slightly different area. In such companies, for the selection of a vacancy you will initially need to pay from 50 euros. Such agencies accompany a person to employment. But it is worth remembering that there are a lot of similar agencies on the market, so there is a chance of getting scammed.

Therefore, before selecting a vacancy, it is better to conclude an agreement and check all the company’s documentation so as not to lose your own money.

A list of verified recruiting agencies is presented on the website https://www.xo.gr/. Some of the most popular recruitment agencies are the agencies https://mirviz.com/ and https://cac-ua.com/.

Through the Internet

Independent search via the Internet is possible only on specialized sites. Website for finding jobs in the public sector – https://www.asep.gr/asep/site/home.csp

It is better for people with higher education and qualifications to use the website https://www.manpowergroup.gr/, and for doctors, lawyers, and teachers it is better to visit the portal https://www.proslipsis.gr/cmCat_index.php?cm_catid=2. English teachers can easily find vacancies on the website https://www.tefl.com/.

Other sites:

• https://www.xe.gr/.
• https://www.diorismos.gr/.
• https://www.learn4good.com/jobs/language/english/list/country/greece/.
• https://www.monster.com/geo/siteselection/.

Features of working in Greece

Finding a job in Greece is not an easy task. During the crisis of the 2010s, many enterprises here closed and unemployment reached 27.5%; in February 2021 this figure is 18.5%. But there are enough vacancies in the country for which employers are willing to hire employees from abroad.

Working in Greece has the following advantages:

• Greek labor law is in line with EU law and provides foreigners with a sufficient level of social protection.
• There are many vacancies in the field of unskilled labor, where special education and training are not required.
• There are types of jobs that do not require knowledge of Greek or English.
• In many cases, workers are provided with housing and food.
• There are local and international companies in the country where qualified specialists are in demand.
• Mild climate.

Popular specialties

There is a shortage of service sector workers in Greece. In this country, it is quite difficult for highly qualified specialists to find work, but people with such professions as:

• Animator.
• Guide.
• Governess.
• Manager.
• Nanny.
• Waiter.

Contrary to popular belief, a man can also work as a tutor

Most vacancies are concentrated in the tourism industry, since Greece is a favorite holiday destination for many foreigners. Immigrants can find work in hotels; most often, such employment is seasonal, but workers are provided with housing and food at the expense of the employer.

Shipbuilding and maritime transportation are well developed in this country, so the country needs experienced engineers, mechanics, programmers and other technical specialties.

It is also easy to find work for builders, painters, plasterers, plumbers, electricians and roofers.

In small towns there is a shortage of lawyers, medical workers and economists. Work in the above specialties requires confirmation of a diploma.

Agricultural work in Greece

Greece is considered to be a largely agricultural country, so the demand for representatives of agricultural specialties is high.

The crisis, of course, affected the economic situation in the country, however, the harvests did not decrease as a result. This means that people who will work on plantations are still in demand today.

In 2021, foreigners are traditionally offered to collect citrus fruits: tangerines, oranges, lemons, as well as olives.

Working outdoors requires good physical fitness and stamina, and brings in relatively little money. The hot season is considered to be from October to April. That is, you can have time to travel to Greece twice in a year. This will require a work visa allowing seasonal work.

The rest of the time, that is, in our summer, you can also work in the agricultural sector, however, not at harvesting, but caring for poultry and livestock. The salary level is slightly higher, but far from sufficient. The undeniable advantage of such unskilled work is that knowledge of foreign languages ​​is not required.

Service personnel in Greece

One of Greece's main sources of income is tourism. The country welcomes almost 20 million visitors annually. Accordingly, in order to be able to serve all visitors at the proper level, a significant number of specialists who work in this area are also required.

An excellent climate and a varied leisure program make Greece popular all year round, so 12 months a year, waiters, bartenders, hostesses, hotel and inn administrators, animators, guides are required to work - in a word, everyone who helps organize tourists’ holidays at the proper level.

Such work in Greece is available to everyone without exception, and this is one of the best ways to go live abroad. Moreover, they are willing to accept both temporary, seasonal work and permanent ones. You can find a vacancy where knowledge of languages ​​is not required, or you can find a job for a Russian polyglot who is fluent in English, German and Greek, along with his own native language.

Internship at a Greek hotel

Of course, the level of your salaries will depend on your qualifications, experience and ability to communicate with tourists and local residents. From 350 euros for an unqualified specialist without knowledge of languages ​​to 2000 euros for a trained worker.

An undeniable advantage of employment in this field is the provision of free housing and food abroad.

But you should understand that in the summer, during peak periods, you will have to work without breaks and weekends, 12 hours a day.

An alternative to such work in a hotel, boarding house or large company is private employment. For example, you can work as a personal guide or translator. Serve not organized groups of tourists, but exclusive clients who book individual tours.

Such work as a guide is paid much higher, however, and the requirements for applicants increase accordingly. You can also receive tourists from Russia in Greece and arrange excursions for them if desired.

Women who know how to care for the sick and elderly, help around the house, clean up, cook, take care of clothes and do other everyday work are constantly in demand. Moreover, there are a lot of people willing to employ such workers, even illegally, with the provision of housing and food.

To work in the tourism sector, you need to obtain a special visa. For seasonal work, a short-term visa is suitable, and to live in Greece and work like ordinary citizens, an annual work visa, on the basis of which a residence permit in Greece will be issued.

If you engage in personal activities without formalization and registration with the relevant authorities of Greece at your own peril and risk, then you can have any type of Greek visa or residence permit that allows you to legally stay in the country.

Map of administrative divisions of Greece

Construction trades in Greece

Specialists with hands and head are in demand in Greece, as this state is constantly being built, growing, and changing. While Greece itself trains technical engineers in sufficient numbers, there is a categorical shortage of specialists who have practical skills in working with materials and machines.

Such work is also in demand in Greece in 2021: although the crisis froze a significant part of the facilities, it did not completely stop activities.

Again, the salary will depend on qualifications and language skills. English alone is clearly not enough; it will be in demand paired with spoken Greek, and even better, German.

Without this knowledge, only highly specialized professionals, who are difficult to find not only in Greece, but throughout the European Union, can get a well-paid job.

Specialists with higher education

Whether in summer or winter, work in Greece is available for people with specialized higher education. Our specialists in the field of computer technology, programming and development are in good standing. Russian scientists are valued.

Medical specialists and teachers are almost always in demand. The salary level for Greece is quite decent, although in 2016 there was a decrease in earnings throughout the country, and not just for visiting specialists.

Foreign specialists have a better chance of getting high-paying jobs in large international companies located in Greece.

Such employers are more willing to employ Russian specialists than Greeks. This is explained by the temperament of local residents, their innate slowness and little desire to work. Therefore, here, even in a crisis, a Russian emigrant has an undeniable advantage over local residents and other citizens of the European Union.

Where to look?

There are many ways to find work in Greece. One of the easiest options is to search for vacancies on the Internet. To find out about available jobs, applicants can go to the following sites:

• justjobs.gr
• mycarriera.gr
• greece.hh.ru
• kariera.gr
• careerjet.gr
• gr.indeed.com
• skywalker.gr
• randstad.gr
• naftemporiki.gr/careeronline/
• learn4good.com
• jobinathens.com
• jobsearch.monster.com and others.

Information on vacancies on most of the listed sites is presented in Greek. To study the information and find worthwhile offers from the employer, the applicant will need a dictionary or translator program.

In addition to specialized sites, citizens looking for work abroad can access various social networks (for example, Facebook, etc.). Groups are constantly being created on social networks where vacancies in a particular country are posted. There will also be work in Greece for Belarusians, Russians, etc.

People who do not want to look for work online can try to find a job by coming to Greece. To do this they need:

• contact the Greek Employment Committee (civil service specialists will not only provide lists of available vacancies, but will also talk about the peculiarities of employment in the country, social support measures, etc.);
• visit recruitment agencies (these organizations recruit personnel and can offer visitors permanent, temporary or seasonal work, as well as employ students in Greece);
• buy a local newspaper with advertisements (a large number of vacancies are published in such print publications as “Ergasia”, “Elevpherotype”, “Aggeliophoros”);
• contact your friends living in Greece (the surest way to find a good job is to get a job through patronage; for those who have friends or relatives abroad, it will be much easier to get a job with the help of connections).

Salaries by specialty

The minimum wage in the state in 2021 is 540 euros.

Table: average salary by profession

Low paid professions

The lowest salaries are received by representatives of such professions as:

• Journalist (annual salary – 5,800 euros).
• Waiter (annual salary – 7,000 euros).
• Bus driver (annual salary – 8,000 euros).
• Cleaner (annual salary – 10,000 euros).
• Window cleaner (annual salary – 10,300 euros).

Highly paid professions

The highest salaries go to:

• Dentists (47,700 euros per year).
• Doctors (47,500 euros per year).
• HR managers (36,800 euros per year).
• Marketing managers (30,600 euros per year).
• Pharmacologists (27,800 euros per year).

Salaries in Greece

The average salary in Greece in 2021 was €1,092.01 per month before taxes. At the same time, qualified specialists receive 1,370 euros, and workers without qualifications receive 786 euros.

In terms of net average wages with an indicator of 943 euros, Greece ranks 18th among 28 EU countries. The country's population is about 11.2 million people, while about 3.7 million are officially employed, and the number of unemployed exceeds 1 million. Every fifth Greek works part-time, and more than 30 thousand work only up to 4 hours a week or 16 hours a month . Accordingly, this greatly affects the average income level of Greek citizens in the country as a whole.

By profession

Employment

The first stage of employment is finding a job. After a foreign resident has found the desired place of employment, he should sign an employment contract with the employer, on the basis of which a work visa to Greece will be issued.

This is what a Greek residence permit looks like

After signing the contract, you need to obtain a work permit, and only after receiving it can you apply for a visa. After arriving in the country, the immigrant is required to obtain a residence permit.

Required documents

In order for Russians, Ukrainians and residents of other countries to work in Greece legally, visitors must obtain a work visa of category D (usually it is issued for 12 months and then extended for up to 5 years). To obtain such a visa, you must prepare and submit the following documents to the Greek consulate or visa center:

• a valid passport with a copy of the page with the photo;
• copy of civil passport;
• completed application form;
• 2 photographs (photos must be color, size – 3.5x4.5);
• a copy of the concluded employment contract with the employer.

In some cases, migrants are required to collect additional documents:

• certificate of no criminal record;
• health certificate (medical examination report);
• a certificate from the employer indicating the vacancy and expected salary;
• a document confirming the change of surname (marriage certificate, birth certificate, etc.).

Once a worker with an open visa enters Greece, he will need to obtain a work permit within one month. To do this, you will need to fill out a statement and submit it to the police or local municipality. The finished permit is a small sticker that is pasted into the passport. To obtain it, the following package of documents is required:

• a certificate of health of the employee (must be issued by Greek doctors);
• open work visa;
• a certificate from the employer confirming that he undertakes to employ the newcomer, pay him a salary and pay all living expenses before issuing a work permit.

Those who decide to work illegally in Greece face severe penalties. An employee who has not completed all the required documents will be required to pay a fine of 1.2 thousand euros or spend a year and a half in prison. After this, the offender will be deported from the country, prohibiting him from entering for the next five years. The employer who hires an illegal immigrant will also bear responsibility: he will face a large fine or arrest for up to 3 years.

Work Visa

The employer is responsible for issuing a work visa for an employee. He is required to submit an application to the Ministry of Labor. After receiving a positive response from the ministry, the employer will need to visit the local police station and obtain approval for a work visa.

The next step is to contact the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is responsible for issuing work visas.

A foreign resident enters Greece on a tourist visa (Schengen visa for Russians). Ukrainians can enter for 90 years without a visa. After crossing the Greek border, the employee is issued a work visa for 1 year, which can be extended up to 5 times.

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A work visa is issued during the period when the employee has already arrived in Greece. Without his presence, it is impossible to issue this document, since you will need the original passport.

Basic documents for obtaining a work visa:

• Application form.
• International passport.
• Photograph.
• Documents confirming the financial solvency of a foreign resident, that is, you will need to prove that the employee has the funds to live in that country.
• Labor contract.

Extension of a work visa is carried out by submitting an application to the local prefecture and migration policy authorities. To renew you will need to pay 140 euros.

Consequences for trying to get a job illegally

It is no secret that many foreigners work in Greece illegally on a tourist visa. Many employment agencies claim that this practice is quite normal. However, such workers receive incomparably lower wages, and their labor rights are not protected at all.

In 2010, the EU passed a law under which illegal immigrants can be sentenced to a prison term of 1.5 years, and after serving it, deported. The EU border control agency Frontex has also opened an office in Athens. Since then, illegal migration has decreased by 40%.

If a foreign citizen worked illegally in Greece, he is obliged to return to his home country and pay a fine of 1200 €. Upon departure, a note is placed in the passport stating that entry into the EU countries is prohibited for 5 years.

Work permit

The employer is also responsible for obtaining a work permit. He is obliged to submit an application to the OAED and to the employment department of the relevant Greek prefecture at the location of his company.

To obtain a work permit you will need to provide the following documents:

• Statement on the marital status of the employee. The application must be certified by the Embassy of the Hellenic Republic.
• Diploma.
• Employment contract.
• A photocopy of the work book.
• Certificate of payment of taxes by the employer.
• A certificate confirming that the employer's annual profit is 3 times or more greater than the annual profit of the potential foreign employee.
• A medical certificate confirming the absence of life-threatening diseases. The certificate must be issued only by accredited public medical institutions in Greece.
• A statement confirming that all expenses, including medical care, will be borne by the employer.
• A certificate from the OAED confirming that within 90 days from the opening (publication) of a vacant vacancy, no Greek citizens or residents of European Union countries applied for it.

Illegal employment

There are several types of “punishment” for illegal employment in Greece. Illegal immigrants face imprisonment for up to 1.5 years for violation. He can also be fined 1,200 euros and deported from the country, followed by a ban on entry into Greece and EU countries for 5 years.

Employment mechanism in Greece

The process of moving to Greece for official employment is the same as in most EU countries. It is strongly recommended to work legally, otherwise there is a high risk of running into a large fine, deportation, or even receiving a prison sentence. Typically, citizens of Russia and Ukraine go through the following stages:

1. Search for a vacancy in a Greek company and sign an employment contract.
2. Approval of a workplace (work permit) for a foreigner by the Greek Labor Administration (hereinafter referred to as the HLA). This stage is carried out by the employer.
3. Applying for a long-term visa at the Greek Consulate in your country (type D).
4. Entry into Greece and obtaining a residence permit with the right to work.

As can be seen from the list, the first and perhaps the most difficult stage is the search for a Greek employer (see below). After all, you will have to compete not only with more than 10 million Greek citizens, of whom about 4.8 million are potential labor force, but also with residents of other EU countries. Only the absence of applicants for a job among these persons will allow the company to obtain approval from the UTG to fill a vacancy with a foreigner from third countries.

After this, you can apply to the Greek Consulate for a visa, which will allow you to stay on Greek territory for more than 90 days. As a rule, department employees require a valid passport, employment contract, certificate of no criminal record and health insurance. The list of documents is specified directly at the diplomatic institution.

Upon arrival in Greece, you need to obtain a personal identification code and social security number, then, no later than 1 month, contact the local police department or municipality with an application for a residence permit. It’s better not to delay this, as the process can take up to 6-12 months .

Depending on the circumstances, the document is issued for a period of 1 to 5 years. The opportunity to change employer appears no earlier than after 12 months of continuous work. It is worth noting that the procedure for obtaining Greek citizenship by naturalization is one of the longest in Europe; in the absence of real estate ownership or large investments in the local economy, 12 years of permanent residence on Greek territory is required.

The crisis is going away, unemployment remains

Getting a job in Greece has become difficult even for native residents, not to mention foreign applicants. Citizens of Ukraine, Russia and other CIS countries, despite the crisis, continue to look abroad in the hope of snatching a tasty morsel. You can get a job, but the salary will be far from the desired ideal, as well as working conditions.

To earn a decent salary, and this is from 2000 euros per month, you must have not only exceptional knowledge, special education, but also have various certificates confirming your advanced training and completed courses. Experience in similar and related fields, as well as knowledge of languages, is what will make you superior to competitors - applicants for the same position - with European citizenship.

Going to a foreign country and not knowing its language is unreasonable. Moreover, it is impossible to get a good job without this. English must be mastered at a confident, fluent conversational level, but this is not enough. Knowledge of Greek significantly increases your chances, as does knowledge of other foreign languages ​​- German, French, Italian and Spanish.

Working in restaurants on the Greek coast

It is almost impossible to get a job without knowing the language; even laborers, crop cleaners and domestic service personnel must understand what they want from them and be able to express themselves. A minimum knowledge of English is required for hotel room cleaners. Waiters and bartenders must speak well and understand visitors; the level of customer service and tip percentage depend on this.

What vacancies are in demand in the country?

It is worth noting that to get a well-paid job in this country, you need to learn Greek . Knowledge of German and English will be a plus, but without speaking the national language you won’t be able to find a good job .

Athens is the main business and financial center of the country. Some foreigners can even get a management position in one of the large companies, but this is more the exception than the rule.

The main direction of work in Athens is tourism . Working in Crete is more suitable for people traveling to Greece only for a season, without planning to stay for more than six months. Let's take a closer look at what vacancies there are in this country.

Skilled work

Specialists with higher education can try to find work in the following vacancies:

• pharmacist;
• doctor;
• nurse;
• technologist;
• agronomist;
• System Administrator;
• programmer;
• software developer, etc.

Qualifications and work experience here will be mandatory requirements for the candidate.

Unskilled work

In Greece, for many years, the most in demand are seasonal jobs related to the agricultural and tourism sectors:

• hotel manager;
• bartender, waiter;
• cook;
• guide, tour guide;
• harvester (tangerines, olives, etc.);
• driver;
• poultry farm worker;
• animator;
• cleaner, etc.

There will be the following mandatory requirements for the candidate: at least one year of work experience in the same position, the opportunity to obtain a work permit in the EU.

As a rule, employers provide seasonal workers with housing, food and can pay for flights .