The number that brings most people to Greece is zero: a public bachelor's degree taught in Greek carries no tuition fee at all, for EU and non-EU students alike[1]. That zero is real, and it buys exactly one thing — a seat on a Greek-language programme. What decides whether you can go is everything stacked around it: a year of Greek to B2 before you can follow lectures, the 734 USD per month you must show the migration authority to hold a residence permit[2], rent in Athens or Thessaloniki, and a recognition fee on the certificate you arrive with. This guide sets out what each level costs on the Greek-taught and the English-taught track, how recognition and the one-week July application window work, the visa and permit sequence, and what a Greek degree lets you do afterwards.

Line item Figure or rule
Public tuition, Greek-taught bachelor's USD per year for every nationality, EU and non-EU alike; the exemption covers programmes taught in Greek only[1]
English-taught bachelor's 5,650-16,950 USD per year, and the catalogue is small — the state portal listed 8-9 such programmes when we checked, a number that moves as new ones are approved[3]
Public master's Part of the catalogue stays free; where a fee is charged it averages 3,390-7,910 USD per year[4]
Non-state university branches 10,170-30,510 USD per year, with medicine and law at the top of the band[5]
Language of instruction Greek by default. Greek at B2 is the entry bar for the tuition-free track; admitted undergraduates who lack it get one year at the university to reach it
Degree lengths Bachelor's 4 years; engineering, architecture and pharmacy run as 5-year integrated programmes that award a master's-level qualification, medicine 6 years; master's 1-2 years; doctorate 3 years and up
Where a non-EU applicant applies Bachelor's: the Ministry of Education portal at exams-foreigner.it.minedu.gov.gr, not the university. Master's and doctorate: directly to the department[6]
Main bachelor's deadline One week in early July, results in August. The 2026/27 round ran 2-9 July 2026; the 2027/28 circular was not out when we checked[6]
Credential recognition DOATAP, the Hellenic ENIC-NARIC. 203 USD for a foreign bachelor's, 147 USD for a master's or doctorate, 34 USD for a grade-equivalence certificate[7]; indicative processing 1-2 months for a complete file[8]
Visa National type D visa for a degree programme, converted to a residence permit after arrival. Short courses under 90 days use a Schengen type C visa at 102 USD for adults[9]
Residence permit 169 USD administrative fee, waived for scholarship holders, plus 18 USD for the biometric card[2]
Proof of funds and insurance 734 USD per month as the stated minimum for a student permit and its renewal[2], plus medical cover of at least 33,900 USD for the whole stay
Work during study Up to 20 hours per week in term time and up to 40 hours per week in official holiday periods[10]
After graduation A renewable 1-year residence permit to look for work or start a business, for graduates of recognised Greek institutions[10]
💶 The Greek-taught public track charges no tuition to anyone

Greece does not run a two-tier fee system: a Greek-taught bachelor's at a public university costs 0 USD per year whether you hold an EU passport or not[1]. Very few EU countries extend that to non-EU students without a scholarship attached. Your budget then turns entirely on living costs and paperwork, not on fees.

📄 Admission is decided on your school grades, not an entrance exam

Greek school leavers compete through the Panhellenic examinations. Applicants in the separate category for foreign nationals of non-Greek origin do not sit them: the ranking runs on your certified school-leaving average, converted to the Greek 0-10 scale. A strong transcript, translated and certified in time, does more for you here than any test score.

🏛️ A few fields where Greece is a first-choice destination, not a fallback

The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens sits in the 401-450 band of the THE World University Rankings 2026 and 34th in the world for Classics and Ancient History in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026[11]. Archaeology, classics, medicine, engineering and shipping-related programmes draw on primary material and industry that exist here and almost nowhere else.

🛂 There is now a stay-back permit, which there was not before 2024

Graduates of recognised Greek institutions can now hold a renewable one-year residence permit while they look for work or start a business — a route earlier cohorts did not have. It is not granted automatically: you file for it with your diploma, so the paperwork belongs in your final semester, not after graduation.

🗣️ Free means Greek, and Greek costs you a year

The tuition exemption applies to programmes taught in Greek, so the practical entry bar is B2. Undergraduates admitted without it spend a year on a university language course before degree study begins, which is a year of living costs with no credits at the end. The English-taught alternative is small — 8-9 bachelor's programmes listed on the state portal when we checked — and it is paid[3].

📅 The undergraduate application window is about a week long

Bachelor's applications in the foreign-national category open and close inside a single week in early July — 2 to 9 July for the 2026/27 intake[6]. Every certificate must already be translated, certified and in hand when it opens. Miss it and the next round is a year away.

⚖️ The non-state university sector is legally unsettled

A branch's licence is not a settled fact: three of the four campuses that opened in autumn 2025 lost theirs in August 2026, and only UNIC Athens came through that cohort[12]. Confirm the current licence with the Ministry before you transfer a fee, and read the branch's refund terms first.

📑 Recognition and certification add months and fees before you start

A master's or doctoral applicant needs the previous degree recognised by DOATAP: 203 USD for a bachelor's, 147 USD for a master's or doctorate[7], with an indicative 1-2 months for a clean file and longer where documents are incomplete or the qualification is contested[8]. Every document also has to be translated into Greek and certified before it counts.

💼 A thin graduate labour market and a narrow EU work channel

The national minimum wage rose to 1,040 USD per month gross on 1 April 2026, the sixth increase since 2019, and it is the honest floor to plan entry-level pay against[13]. Greece issued 95 EU Blue Cards in 2024, a fraction of the EU total[14], so treat the Blue Card as a narrow channel here rather than a default exit route.

Studying abroad doesn’t break the bank anymore

  • Universities for any budget
  • Scholarship options
  • Installment plans up to 2 years

Cost and structure of education in Greece

Type of study Age Duration Min. cost Avg. cost Level of language proficiency Exams
Summer camp 6+ 1-3 weeks 452 USD/week 520 USD/week A1 -
Language schools 16+ 1-11 weeks 271 USD/week 362 USD/week A1 -
Secondary education 12+ 3-6 years Free 11,300 USD/year B2 Greek B2 / IELTS 6.5
Bachelor’s 17+ 4 years Free 5,650-16,950 USD/year B2 Greek B2 / IELTS 6.5
Master’s 22+ 1-2 years Free 3,390-7,910 USD/year B2 Greek B2 / IELTS 7.0
MBA 22+ 1-2 years 7,797 USD/year 12,430 USD/year B2 Greek B2 / IELTS 7.0
Doctorate 24+ 3 years Free 1,695 USD/year C1 / C2 Greek C1 / C2 / IELTS 7.5
Additional costs
Exams 90 USD
Accommodation 282-395 USD/month
Utility bill 56-169 USD/month
Meals 124 USD/month
Insurance 34 USD/month or from 169 USD/year
Study materials Free
Transport 34 USD/month

Higher education in Greece is overwhelmingly public and is steered by the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, which since 2024 shares oversight of the new non-state sector with the Hellenic Authority for Higher Education. Teaching at public universities is in Greek; English-taught options exist, but they are concentrated at master's level and in a short list of undergraduate programmes. You can browse institutions, cities and fields in our companion guide to universities in Greece.

Levels of higher education

The levels of higher education in Greece correspond to the universal European system, with one structural quirk worth knowing before you apply:

  • Bachelor's degreeundergraduate. The duration of studies is 4 years, and the qualification is called Ptychio in Greek.
  • Integrated master's. In engineering, architecture, pharmacy, dentistry and agriculture there is no separate bachelor's: you study 5 years for a single indivisible diploma that counts as a master's-level qualification, which matters when a foreign employer or evaluator reads your CV[15]. Medicine runs 6 years on the same logic.
  • Master's degreepostgraduate. The studying lasts from 1 to 2 years.
  • PhD. Programs last 3 years or more.

Non-state universities since the 2024 reform

For decades Article 16 of the Constitution reserved degree-awarding to public institutions, which is why older sources state flatly that every Greek university is public. Law 5094/2024, enacted on 8 March 2024, changed that. It allows non-profit branches of foreign universities to operate as licensed University-Legal Entities under the Ministry of Education with quality oversight from the Hellenic Authority for Higher Education. The parent institution must sit in the EU, the EEA, Switzerland or another WTO member state, teach across all three cycles, and lodge a 2,259,977 USD guarantee. The Council of State upheld the law as constitutional in June 2025.

The rollout has been turbulent. Four branches opened in autumn 2025 charging 10,170-30,510 USD per year, medicine and law at the top of the band[5]. In August 2026 three of those four lost their licences to a Council of State ruling on how they had been licensed, while seven further branches approved in July 2026 for the 2026/27 year were untouched[12]. Either way, verify a branch's licence with the Ministry on the day you apply, and ask what happens to your enrolment if it is contested.

Keep this category apart from the older private colleges, franchises of foreign universities that have operated here for years. They are not Greek higher-education institutions: their graduates receive professional recognition, which allows them to work and apply for public-sector posts, rather than academic recognition equivalent to a Greek degree. The 2024 law does not upgrade a college into a university branch — only licensing does.

Academic grading in Greece
The student's work is evaluated from 0 to 10 points, and the pass is 5. On average, the "excellent" mark starts from 8.5-9 points.

Options for university admission in Greece

Three practical routes lead into a Greek university: the tuition-free Greek-taught track through the Ministry portal, a paid English-taught programme at a public university, and a non-state branch of a foreign university.

Routes into a Greek university for international applicants
Admission routes to higher education in Greece
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Validation of foreign studies and degrees in Greece

Before applying for a higher education program in Greece, an applicant must go through the procedure of recognition of a degree.

For undergraduate studies. Apostille of the following documents is required:

  1. Certificate of complete secondary education;
  2. Birth certificate;
  3. Translation of grades.

The apostille is issued by the competent authority in your own country, and the Greek consulate certifies the translations.

For graduate and doctoral studies. The diploma needs an apostille and then academic recognition, carried out by DOATAP, the Greek member of the ENIC-NARIC network. Recognition costs 203 USD for a foreign bachelor's degree, 147 USD for a master's or doctoral degree and 34 USD for a certificate of grade equivalence, paid through the e-DOATAP platform[7]. DOATAP's own indicative processing time is 1-2 months for a complete, uncontested file[8]; incomplete files and qualifications whose curriculum diverges from the Greek equivalent take longer, and in the latter case you may be asked to sit additional coursework to close the gap. Holders of a three-year bachelor's should expect comparison against the four-year Greek Ptychio, so start the file early.

Preparatory programs in Greece

There are no separate foundation or pathway programs for international students. You can be admitted without knowing Greek, and you then have one year to learn it, usually on a course run by the university itself. Only two institutions are licensed to hold the Greek language exam: the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

The average cost of a language course is 927 USD/year; plus 85 USD for textbooks. After completing the language program, the student is obliged to pass a paid Greek proficiency exam (79-90 USD). Having confirmed the B2 level, they have the right to start studying at the university from the next semester.

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Vocational education in Greece

There are two main types of educational institutions for those wishing to obtain vocational education in Greece:

  • Vocational Lyceums (EPAL; Epagelmatiko Lykio). They are part of the secondary education system. You can enter them after the 9th grade of a Greek or foreign school. There are no admission exams. The standard school curriculum is combined with specialty subjects. The duration of studies is 3 years. After graduating from a vocational lyceum, you can immediately go to work, enter a vocational training institute, a polytechnic university, or a university in a specialized direction.
  • Institutes of vocational training (IEK). These institutions occupy a special niche of afterschool education (post-secondary education). Admission to IEKs is possible only at the age of 18 and with a certificate of complete secondary education. The duration of studies is 2-2.5 years. After graduating from IEK, you can get a job or immediately enroll in the 3rd year of a Bachelor's degree program corresponding to your diploma specialty.

Until 2019, there was another type of vocational education institution in Greece — the Technical Institutes (TEI). During an educational reform, they were all integrated into larger universities and polytechnics.

Vocational Education and Training (VET) is less popular among the Greeks than studying at a higher education institution. About 75% of young people choose to continue their studies at a university, considering vocational education as a fallback option[16]. This is due to the general idea that a university degree is more prestigious and gives more chances to get a job. In reality, graduates of colleges and IEKs find it is easier to get a job in Greece, but their diplomas still have a lower status than university degrees[17].

Bachelor's degree in Greece

Bachelor's degree is the first step in the higher education system. In Greece, Bachelor's programs last 4 years. The exception is some technical and engineering specialties — 5 years, and medical education — 6 years. Upon completing the course, the graduate receives a Bachelor's degree, which is called Ptychio in Greek.

Admission requirements

  • Submission of documents. Documents are submitted not to a specific university, but directly to the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports through its electronic portal for the foreign-national admission category. In the application form students indicate up to 20 academic departments from different universities in order of priority. They will be enrolled in one of them based on the results of the competition.
  • Competition. Admission to a Greek university for international students takes place without examinations. This means that the higher the average score in the applicant’s educational certificate, the more chances they have to get to the desired university and department.
  • Cost. A Greek-taught programme at a public university charges no tuition, whatever your nationality. English-taught undergraduate programmes are paid.

How to time a 2027 application

This is not a rolling admission. The whole non-EU undergraduate intake is decided in one national round run through the Ministry portal at exams-foreigner.it.minedu.gov.gr, and the 2026/27 round opened on 2 July and closed on 9 July 2026, with results published in August[6]. The circular for 2027/28 had not been published when we checked, but the July window with August results has repeated year after year. Plan backwards from it:

  • 12-15 months out. Decide between the tuition-free Greek-taught track and a paid English-taught programme, and pick the field. If Greek is the plan, begin the language now instead of relying on the university language year alone.
  • 9-12 months out. Order every certificate the ministry file needs: the school-leaving certificate, the grade average converted to the Greek scale, confirmation that you attended the final year, the curriculum certificate, proof of eligibility for university at home, and the certificate on parental origin.
  • 4-6 months out. Get the apostilles, then the sworn Greek translations, then the consular certification. The chain is sequential and each step has its own queue — it is where most applicants lose the deadline.
  • June. Register on the portal and assemble your ranked list of up to 20 departments before the window opens, so filing takes an evening rather than a week.
  • August-September. Results are published; then apply for the type D visa, and after arrival convert it into a residence permit and register with your department.
Application requirements
  1. School leaving certificate validated by the competent educational authority of candidate’s country of residence;
  2. A certificate of GPA, translated into Greek grading system and ratified by the competent educational authority of candidate’s home country;
  3. A certificate confirming that candidate fully attended the last year of secondary school;
  4. Certificate of parents’ origin and citizenship to prove the absence of Greek roots;
  5. A certificate of being eligible for admission to higher education institutions in the home country;
  6. A certificate containing information about candidate’s curriculum in the secondary school;
  7. A certificate stating that the applicant has not previously studied at a higher educational institution in Greece and is not a graduate of a Greek school;
  8. Two photos;
  9. A photocopy of the passport and a photocopy of the visa if the applicant is in Greece at the time of application.
All documents must be translated into Greek and certified by a Greek Embassy abroad or by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Greece. Candidates from certain countries do not need special certification from Greek diplomatic authority abroad. All they need is an apostille stamp.

Bachelor’s programs include compulsory disciplines that depend on the field of study, plus electives chosen from the first semester. The class hours are distributed so that more than half of the time is given to students for independent study. Attendance at lectures and seminars is often optional. For each subject taught during the semester, the students receive a certain number of ECTS credits — usually 10 per subject. To graduate, they need to collect at least 240 credits over 4 years of studies.

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Master’s degree in Greece

Master’s program is the next level of education after getting a Bachelor's degree. The standard period of study for a Greek Master's degree is from 1 to 2 years (depending on the university and the program). For some specialties compulsory subjects still exist, but mostly Master's programs consist of electives. The student personally creates the curriculum according to their preferences. Lectures and seminars take up about 20% of the academic hours — the rest of the time is devoted to the independent study of subjects. The last semester is devoted to writing the graduate thesis.

Admission requirements

  • Recognition of a foreign degree. A qualification earned abroad has to be recognised by DOATAP before it counts. Budget 203 USD for a bachelor's-level recognition and an indicative 1-2 months for a clean file[8], and start it well before the department's own deadline.
  • Submission of documents. The application form and all the necessary documents are submitted directly to the university chosen by the student.
  • Competition. As in the case of the Bachelor's degree, the official admission to a Master's program is based on the average score of the diploma, but many universities have additional requirements: a letter of recommendation, essay, motivation letter or a small written exam.
  • Cost. Part of the public master's catalogue charges nothing. Where a fee applies, it averages 3,390-7,910 USD/year[4]; a branch of a foreign university charges considerably more.
  • Language. Universities offer Master's programs both in Greek and in English. Unlike the undergraduate program, where a student can enter without knowing the Greek language and take a year to study it, there is no such opportunity in the Master’s programs. If an applicant wants to study in a Greek program, then at the time of submission of documents they must already have a confirmed language proficiency level of B2.
Application requirements
  1. Passport + a photocopy;
  2. Translation of the Bachelor’s degree validated by the competent educational authority of candidate’s country of residence;
  3. Certificate of recognition of the diploma from DOATAP with the GPA listed;
  4. Language certificate (Greek B2 / IELTS 7.0);
  5. Additional documents depending on the requirements of the university: a personal application, a letter of recommendation, essays, a motivation letter and a portfolio .

Doctorate in Greece — PhD

PhD is the final stage of higher education. It involves full immersion in the academic environment and research activities. Doctoral studies in Greece last 3 years and conclude with the defense of a thesis and obtaining a PhD degree. The main criterion for the successful completion of doctoral studies is the original contribution to a specific area of ​​scientific knowledge. There are two types of doctoral programs in Greece:

  • Classical. Takes 3 to 6 years. All the time of study is devoted to research and writing a thesis.
  • American. Lasts a minimum of 4 to 5 years and is a combination of Master's and Doctoral studies. The student spends the first 3 years of the course attending lectures and seminars. Research activity begins in the second year of study and for some time goes in parallel with attending classes.

Admission requirements

  • Recognition of a foreign diploma. A master's degree earned abroad must be recognised by DOATAP, which charges 147 USD at this level[7].
  • Submission of documents. Documents are submitted to the university to the department where the candidate wishes to study.
  • Competition. The conditions of the competition are determined by the universities themselves. Most often, they require an academic resume, a letter of motivation and letters of recommendation.
  • Cost. Depends on each specific university. Unlike the first and second stages of education, for which more or less common rules apply, universities determine the cost of programs for doctoral studies on their own. The average price is 1,695 USD/year.
  • Language. There are doctoral programs in Greek and in English .
Application requirements
  1. Passport + a photocopy;
  2. Translation of the Master’s degree validated by the competent educational authority of candidate’s country of residence;
  3. Certificate of recognition of the diploma from DOATAP, with the GPA listed;
  4. Language certificate;
  5. Additional documents depending on the requirements of the university: a personal application, an academic resume, a letter of recommendation, essays and a motivation letter.
Academic career
The academic career in Greece consists of four levels:
  • Postdoc position. A kind of a bridge between doctoral studies and an academic career. There are few such positions in Greece. They mainly exist within the framework of projects funded by the EU, and provide a small income[18].
  • Junior professor (Epikouros Kathigitis). To be considered for this position, the candidate must have a PhD degree, teaching or research experience of at least 3 years, as well as a monograph or publications in scientific journals (co-authorship is allowed).
  • Adjunct professor (Anaplirotis Kathigitis). This position can be assumed by a professor with work experience in a higher educational institution or in a research center for at least 4 years. They must have a decent portfolio: academic achievements, publications of monographs, and articles written by the candidate alone.
  • Professor (Kathigitis). The highest position in the academic career. It is assigned to a professor with at least 6 years of teaching experience. At the same time, it is imperative that the candidate has led at least two different programs, taught a Master's course for 3 years, and also served in advisory committees for at least two successfully defended doctoral dissertations. The presence of numerous publications is required.
Career growth in the Greek academic environment can be challenging for two reasons. First, there are few open vacancies at universities. Secondly, some universities maintain a system where they rotate professors from their own network. This applies to large universities with a long history, which have strong traditions. Newer universities are more inclined to hire young specialists[19].
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Scholarships and grants in Greece

Greece has no large national scholarship scheme aimed at incoming international students, and the schemes that exist are narrow. Be careful with the famous names in particular: the main Onassis Foundation programme now requires Greek citizenship, or a Greek degree or school certificate together with legal residence in Greece, so it is closed to an applicant arriving from abroad, and its fellowship track for international scholars is not running in 2026/27. Two routes are worth your time:

  • IKY scholarships for Modern Greek language and culture courses. The State Scholarships Foundation funds an eight-month language and culture course, usually October to May, at a Greek public university. It is open to foreign nationals who already hold a degree in the humanities or social sciences from a non-Greek university and do not live permanently in Greece[20]. Selection is on academic merit. IKY's own page did not state a current stipend or deadline when we checked, so confirm both directly before you plan around them.
  • University hardship and settling-in aid. The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki gives enrolled foreign students one-off emergency support of up to 2,260 USD in urgent cases, up to 1,695 USD towards settling-in costs for newly arrived scholarship holders, and up to 1,695 USD for scholarship holders finishing a doctoral thesis; travel costs are excluded[21]. This is needs-based, case-by-case help applied for after enrolment, not a competitive award you can count on in advance.

Plan to fund yourself. Individual departments and foundations run smaller named awards, but conditions are often published only in Greek and updated late, so treat any scholarship as a bonus rather than a line in your budget. For the wider picture of international funding, see our overview of scholarships for international students.

Student benefits and discounts
  • Insurance and medical care. International students can get free insurance and emergency medical care. They also enjoy discounts when visiting doctors and purchasing prescription drugs.
  • Food. In many universities, undergraduate and graduate students receive a free lunch in university canteens or pay a symbolic amount — 3 USD — for three meals a day.
  • Educational materials. State universities provide the student with all the necessary study materials absolutely free of charge.
  • Transport. All university students receive a discount on different types of transport: bus, train, ferry.
  • Entertainment. Students are entitled to priority entrance to museums, exhibitions, concerts, and theaters.

Student visa to Greece

Students from countries outside the EU need a special visa to study in Greece. There are two types of student visas:

  • Short Stay (Type C). Issued to students who visit Greece for the purpose of studying in preparatory or language courses, as well as for participating in conferences, symposia, and olympiads. The main condition for a type C visa is to stay in the country for no more than 90 days.
  • Long-term (type D). Awarded to those who have been admitted to a Greek university as a full-fledged student in an undergraduate, MBA, graduate, or doctoral program. The visa is issued for one year. The student has the right to extend it in Greece, without returning to home country.

Those who are not citizens of an EU or EEA country , for a long-term stay in Greece, must apply for a residence permit. After submitting the application, the student receives a "ble veveosi" (μπλε βεβαίωση) — a certificate of waiting for a residence permit. It gives the right to live and study in Greece, get a job, as well as fly to other countries. The residence permit for students of higher educational institutions is valid for 1 year and requires regular renewal. The permit itself costs 169 USD, waived for scholarship holders, plus 18 USD for the biometric card, and renewal requires proof of at least 734 USD per month in means[2].

Documents for the type C visa
  1. Application form;
  2. A valid passport with 2 blank pages ;
  3. Two 35x45 ICAO photographs;
  4. Civil passport + all pages’ photocopies;
  5. Receipt for payment of the Schengen visa fee — 102 USD for adults and 51 USD for children aged 6 to 11, the same across all Schengen states since 11 June 2024[9];
  6. Medical insurance policy covering the entire period of study;
  7. Letter of invitation from the Greek side;
  8. Personal solvency certificate or a sponsorship letter with a document confirming the sponsor's solvency.
Documents for the type D visa
  1. Application form;
  2. A valid passport with 2 blank pages ;
  3. Two 35x45 ICAO photographs;
  4. Civil passport + all pages’ photocopies;
  5. Receipt for payment of the national visa fee. This one is set per consulate rather than EU-wide, so check the fee schedule of the Greek consulate handling your file instead of relying on a single published figure;
  6. Medical insurance covering the entire period of study. The minimum coverage is 33,900 USD;
  7. Letter of invitation from Greece;
  8. Personal solvency certificate or a sponsorship letter with a document confirming the sponsor's solvency;
  9. Copies of parents' passports, if they provide financial support, and proof of relationship ;
  10. A document stating the intended place of residence in Greece;
  11. Certificate of good conduct;
  12. Health certificate.
Need help with admission?

Opportunities to work while studying in Greece

For non-EU nationals, a student residence permit gives the right to work up to 20 hours a week during term and up to 40 hours a week during official holiday periods, under the Migration Code, Law 5038/2023[10]. If desired, a student can get a job during studies, but it is not always easy to combine them due to the high academic workload.

The most suitable option for a student is a summer part-time job. The tourist season (May to October) brings with it many temporary job openings. People with knowledge of a foreign language are especially appreciated, as tourists arrive in Greece from different parts of the world. The most common summer part-time jobs for students are: a waiter, entertainer, hotel worker, guide, bartender, or shop assistant.

Documents for employment
  1. Residence permit or veveosi — a certificate of waiting for a residence permit;
  2. Sanitary book made in Greece;
  3. National security (AMKA);
  4. Insurance number (AFM);
  5. Work permit from the local police station.

Job prospects and opportunities in Greece

Staying in Greece after you graduate

Until recently a Greek degree came with no stay-back route: the student permit expired and you had to qualify for a work permit from scratch. Article 119 of the Migration Code, Law 5038/2023, in force since 31 March 2024, introduced a renewable one-year residence permit that lets a graduate of a recognised Greek institution remain to look for work or start a business[10]. It is not automatic: you file an application, submit the diploma as evidence, and meet the conditions attached.

Judge the right and the odds separately. Universities run graduate career offices and job fairs, and demand is steady in customer-facing services and tech support, medicine, logistics, software, agriculture and tourism[22]. But the market is small, entry-level pay sits close to the statutory floor, and foreign graduates most often land in tourism and hospitality, shipping and logistics, IT and language teaching.

Greece participates in the Bologna Process, so degrees from its public universities are read across the European Higher Education Area without a further equivalence step, and a Greek qualification in medicine or engineering travels well. Regulated professions are the exception everywhere: practising medicine or law abroad needs separate licensing wherever the degree came from. Work elsewhere in Europe also means the local language or strong English.

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How Greece compares with the usual alternatives

If you are drawn to Greece for a specific reason — classics, medicine, shipping, family ties to the language — the trade-off answers itself. If you are shopping for an affordable EU degree in general, compare before you commit:

  • Cyprus — a closely related language and culture, with far more programmes taught in English. Tuition is charged rather than waived, so you trade money for time.
  • Italy — low public fees scaled to family income, a large English-taught catalogue, and regional grants that can cover accommodation and meals for lower-income students.
  • Hungary and Czechia — English-taught degrees at moderate fees, plus a government scholarship scheme in Hungary that covers tuition and a stipend.
  • Germany — no tuition at public universities in almost every state, but applicants from 12-year school systems usually need a foundation year, and German carries most bachelor's programmes.

The honest question is whether you are choosing Greece or only choosing "inexpensive". A tuition-free Greek-taught degree with a language year in front of it costs you a year of your life; that is the real price, and it is worth paying when the country, the language and the field are the point.

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