Greece Seasonal Work Visa 2026: 9-Month Stays, Big Quotas — and How Pakistanis Actually Apply
Greece needs workers. For 2026 the government has approved more than 94,000 seasonal work positions, concentrated in tourism, hospitality and agriculture — olive and citrus harvests, strawberries, tomatoes, hotels and island resorts. Pakistanis are already among the largest groups of seasonal workers arriving in Greece, and the updated framework allows stays of up to nine months in any twelve-month period.
How the seasonal route works
Like most legal European labour routes, Greece's system is employer-led. A Greek farm, hotel or company must request you by name through the Greek authorities (the "metaklisi" invitation process) within the approved quota. Once the invitation is approved, you apply for the seasonal work visa at the Greek Embassy with your passport, the approval documents, insurance and supporting papers. You cannot self-apply for a "Greece seasonal visa" without an employer — anyone selling one without a named Greek employer is selling fraud.
What Pakistani applicants should prepare
- A genuine employer connection — through relatives working in Greece, previous employers, or verified recruiters.
- Passport with ample validity, photographs and a clean record.
- Experience documents for farm, kitchen, hotel or trade work, with certified translations where they are in Urdu.
- Patience: quota approvals and embassy appointments both take time, and the visa is tied to the season you are hired for.
Rights, limits and the fraud problem
Seasonal status is temporary by design: it does not convert automatically into permanent residence, and you are expected to leave when the season and permitted stay end. Workers who complete a season lawfully and keep a clean record, however, are far better placed to be invited back the following year — many Greek employers rehire the same crews season after season. Wages in agriculture are modest by European standards but paid under Greek labour law, with accommodation often arranged by the employer. The route's popularity has made it a magnet for fake "Greece scheme" agents across Pakistan charging lakhs for non-existent quota places — verify every offer, insist on seeing the approval documents, and never hand over your passport against a verbal promise. Our team can check offers and prepare complete files through our visa services; travellers headed elsewhere in Europe can compare options in our Schengen guide.
Hijrat verifies Greek employer invitations, prepares your embassy file and handles translation and attestation — from our Aabpara Market office in Islamabad, serving Rawalpindi and overseas Pakistanis. Fees always itemised before you pay.
Greek quotas, procedures and bilateral arrangements change from season to season; figures reflect information available on the date of publication. Always confirm current requirements with Hijrat or the Greek authorities before paying anyone; every visa decision rests with Greece.