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Greece intra-company transfer permit

Residence permit for intra-corporate transfer (E.2)

In short

Managers, specialists and trainee employees of a company outside the EU can be seconded to a group company in Greece. After the Ministry approves the transfer you get a national visa (consular fee EUR 180) and, in Greece, the E.2 permit, issued within 90 days for EUR 150 plus EUR 16.

Apply on Ministry of Migration and Asylum – electronic applications checked 23 October 2026

Key facts

Maximum stay
Total transfer period across the EU: up to 3 years for managers and specialists, 1 year for trainees.
Validity
The permit is issued for the duration of the transfer within those maximums.
Fee
€166Residence permit EUR 150 plus EUR 16 card (Mitos); the national visa costs EUR 180 (EU Immigration Portal).
Processing time
About 90 days for the residence permit after a complete application.
Work
Only for the Greek host entity of the group, in the approved role.
Family
Family members can join under family reunification rules, without the two-year residence requirement; applications filed together are examined together.
Path to permanent residence
Managers and specialists can move to the EU Blue Card if they meet its conditions; otherwise they leave when the transfer ends.
Where to apply
In person at the Greek embassy or consulate where you legally reside, by appointment with the mission.

Conditions

You must hold a position as manager, specialist or trainee employee in the non-EU group company and have worked there for at least 12 months (six months for trainees) before the transfer. You keep your employment contract with the company abroad, which pays you, and receive an assignment letter detailing the transfer period and place. Insurance from a Greek private insurer, or a foreign policy explicitly covering your stay in Greece, is required.

Approval, visa and permit

The legal representative of the Greek company applies to the Ministry of Migration and Asylum for approval of the transfer, proving that both companies belong to the same group. The Ministry sends the approval to the consulate, where you apply for the national visa. After entry, apply online for the E.2 permit before the visa expires.

  1. The Greek group company requests the transfer approval from the Ministry of Migration and Asylum.
  2. Book a national visa appointment at the competent Greek mission and pay the EUR 180 consular fee.
  3. Enter Greece and apply online for the E.2 permit before the visa expires (EUR 150 + EUR 16).
  4. Give biometrics and collect the permit; relatives can apply at the same time.

Forms

Rights and mobility

ICT holders enjoy equal treatment with Greek nationals in diploma recognition, social security under conditions and access to goods and services. Transferees holding an ICT permit from another EU state can work in Greece: short-term mobility up to 90 days in 180 needs only a notification by the host.

Refusal and appeal

Rejections are delivered electronically. You can file an administrative appeal within two months (EUR 50 fee) or go to the administrative court.

Documents

Required documents

Identity

  • Signed national visa application form with a recent ICAO-standard colour photo; it doubles as a solemn declaration that the data are true.
  • Passport issued within the last 10 years, valid at least 3 months after the planned departure, with at least two blank pages.

Work

  • Ministry approval of the intra-corporate transfer (requested by the Greek host).
  • Employment contract with the company abroad and assignment letter stating period, place, role and pay.
  • Proof of at least 12 months of group employment (6 for trainees) and of qualifications.

Insurance

  • Travel insurance for at least the length of the visa, covering emergency care, hospitalisation and medical repatriation.
  • Insurance from a Greek private insurer or a foreign policy explicitly covering residence in Greece.

Other

  • Criminal record certificate from the country of residence; the consulate may also ask for one from the country of nationality.
  • Medical certificate on the official model (Annex II) from a recognised public or private institution, confirming no disease that threatens public health.

Frequently asked questions

Can I be paid by the Greek company instead?

Under the ICT rules you remain employed and paid by the company abroad. A local Greek contract points to another permit, such as E.4 or the Blue Card.

What happens at the end of the three years?

You must leave Greece unless you qualify for another permit, notably the EU Blue Card.

Can my family come with me?

Yes, with family permits that do not require the usual two years of prior residence.

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

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.
  • 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