GreeceVisits and short stays

Greece family and friends visit visa

Schengen short-stay visa (type C) for visiting family or friends

In short

If you stay with relatives or friends in Greece for up to 90 days, you apply for a Schengen C visa in the family-visit category. Besides the standard documents you show an invitation from your host and, for relatives, proof of the family link.

checked 23 October 2026

Key facts

Maximum stay
Up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the whole Schengen area.
Validity
Single, double or multiple entry; regular travellers with a good visa history can receive multiple-entry visas of longer validity (for Turkish citizens, a 2025 EU cascade leads from 6 months up to 5 years).
Fee
€90Standard adult Schengen fee. Children and some groups (e.g. pupils on study trips, researchers) pay less or nothing, as listed in the fee table of the Greek missions. An external service provider, where the mission uses one, adds its own service fee.
Funds required
€50 per dayReference amount set by Greece for border checks and visa decisions: EUR 50 per person per day, minimum EUR 300 for stays up to 5 days; half for minors.
Processing time
Decision normally within 15 calendar days of an admissible application; longer in individual cases that need more checks (the Visa Code allows up to 45 days).
Work
No paid work.
Family
Each family member applies separately with their own form and fee; children can be included in one appointment.
Where to apply
At the Greek embassy or consulate responsible for your place of legal residence, or the external service provider it uses.

Who uses this category

Applicants whose stay is hosted by a person living legally in Greece, whether a Greek or EU citizen or a third-country national with a residence permit. If you stay in a hotel, the tourist category fits better. Spouses and children of EU citizens exercising free movement can benefit from priority handling, fewer documents and no visa fee.

Invitation and proof of ties

The host writes an invitation stating the length of stay, your relationship and their address, and attaches a copy of their Greek ID card, passport or residence permit. For relatives, official civil-status documents show the family link.

If the host pays your costs, add proof of their income. Your own ties to your country of residence (job, studies, pension) are still required.

Required documents

Identity

  • Schengen application form, completed and signed (minors: signed by both parents or the guardian).
  • Passport issued within the last 10 years, valid at least 3 months beyond the planned exit from the Schengen area, with two blank pages; copies of earlier visas.
  • One recent ICAO-compliant photo; fingerprints are taken unless stored in the VIS within the last 59 months.

Travel

  • Return or round-trip reservation (flight, ferry or bus) and proof of accommodation for the whole stay.

Money

  • Bank statements for the last 3 months and proof of regular income; Greece expects means of EUR 50 per person per day (at least EUR 300 in total).

Work

  • Proof of your situation in your country of residence: employer letter and proof of employment for employees, business registration and tax documents for business owners, student certificate for students, pension certificate for retirees.

Family

  • Invitation from the host in Greece with their address, the dates and your relationship, plus a copy of the host’s ID or residence permit.

Insurance

  • Travel medical insurance valid in all Schengen states for the whole stay, at least EUR 30,000 cover for emergency care, hospital treatment and repatriation.

Supporting documents (where they apply)

Money

  • If the host covers your costs: the host’s income proof or a signed sponsorship statement.

Family members of EU citizens

If you are the spouse, child or dependent parent of an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen and travel with them or to join them in Greece, the Greek missions apply facilitations: priority appointment, the right to apply directly at the consulate, fewer documents and no visa fee.

If the visa is refused

The written refusal explains the reasons and the appeal route. A new application with stronger evidence is also possible.

How to apply, step by step

  1. Find the Greek embassy or consulate responsible for your place of legal residence; Greece should be the main destination of your trip.
  2. Book an appointment with the competent Greek mission or its external service provider, choosing the category that matches a family or friends visit. Apply at least 15 days before travel; the Visa Code allows lodging up to six months ahead.
  3. Prepare the standard Schengen documents plus the purpose-specific papers listed by your mission; bring originals and copies.
  4. Attend in person, give fingerprints if needed and pay the EUR 90 visa fee plus any service fee.
  5. Wait for the decision (normally 15 days); the consulate may ask for more documents or an interview.
  6. Check the visa sticker as soon as you collect your passport and report any error to the consulate immediately.

Frequently asked questions

Does the invitation have to be notarised in Greece?

Missions ask for an invitation from the host and proof of their legal stay in Greece. Ask the competent Greek mission or its service provider whether a particular format is wanted; the consulate can also request more in individual cases.

My host is my brother who lives in Greece with a residence permit. Is that enough?

Yes, a sibling with a valid Greek residence permit can invite you. Attach a copy of the permit and show the family link with civil-status documents.

Do children pay the full fee?

No. Children pay a reduced fee or nothing according to the fee table of the Greek missions; adults pay EUR 90.

Official sources

Summarised from the official sources above. Rules, fees and processing times change: confirm with the embassy or the official portal before you apply.

Other visa types for Greece

Visits and short stays

  • Tourist visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the whole Schengen area.
  • Transit visa Maximum stay: Only the days needed for the transit, within the 90/180-day limit.
  • Medical treatment visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the whole Schengen area.
  • Culture, sports and events visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the whole Schengen area.

Business and self-employment

  • Business visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period in the whole Schengen area.
  • Investor visa Validity: Five years, renewable for the same period while the investment continues or operates.

Study and training

Work

  • Work visa Maximum stay: Long stay; the visa is converted into the residence permit.
  • EU Blue Card Maximum stay: Long stay; the card allows residence and work in Greece.
  • Intra-company transfer visa Maximum stay: Total transfer period across the EU: up to 3 years for managers and specialists, 1 year for trainees.
  • Seasonal work visa Maximum stay: Up to nine months of residence and work in any 12-month period on the E.6 permit; leave Greece for the remaining three months.
  • Digital nomad visa Maximum stay: Visa for up to 12 months; residence permit afterwards.

Family

Residence

  • Golden visa and residence by investment Maximum stay: Permanent residence right while the investment is held; the card is renewed every five years.
  • Retirement visa Validity: Under the Migration Code initial permits are, as a rule, issued for three years and renewed for the same period; the exact validity is printed on the permit.
  • Permanent residence Validity: M.1: five years, renewable for five years. M.2: ten years, then automatic conversion to M.1 if absences were limited.

Protection

Greece visa guide