Work & Career in Greece - Study in Greece

Work & Career in Greece

Greece offers a workable balance for international students: EU/EEA students work freely, non-EU students can work up to 20 hours per week during term (with permission) and full-time in the holidays, and the country's distinctive economy — tourism, world-leading shipping/maritime, food and agriculture, and a growing Athens tech scene — opens real career paths. Wages are modest but matched by a low cost of living. This guide covers the real rules, the AFM and AMKA you need before starting, the sectors where Greece is genuinely strong, and how to build a career here.

Working During Your Studies

The rules

• EU/EEA students: no work restrictions — work as much as you like alongside your studies
• Non-EU/EEA students: up to 20 hours per week during term time, with the appropriate work permission
• During official holidays: non-EU students can work full-time
• No formal sector restriction — tourism, retail, tutoring, campus roles, and more

Always confirm the current work-permission rules tied to your residence permit, as conditions can change.

What you can actually earn

Wages are modest by Northern European standards but matched by Greece's low cost of living:

• Hospitality (cafés, restaurants, bars): entry-level, plus tips (more common in tourism)
• Seasonal tourism (islands, summer): often the best-paying student work, with long hours
• Retail and customer service: steady, Greek usually needed
• English-language tutoring: in demand and flexible
• Skilled or tech work: higher pay with relevant skills, mostly in Athens

Treat earnings as a supplement to your proof of funds, not the foundation. Your studies must stay the focus. See our costs and funding guide and the cost-of-study calculator.

The AFM and AMKA

Before you can be legally employed you need two numbers:

• AFM (tax number) — from the local tax office (DOY / ΔΟΥ), with your passport and residence documents
• AMKA (social security number) — through the social security office or a KEP centre

Your employer uses the AFM for tax and the AMKA for social insurance (EFKA). Without both, you cannot be put on the payroll legally — so sort them in your first weeks.

Internships and Industrial Placements

Course-linked internships (praktikí áskisi) are part of many Greek degree programmes, especially in business, engineering, tourism, and shipping-related fields.

• They count as study-linked activity, building local references and a network — both critical for graduate hiring
• Many internships convert to graduate offers
• Shipping, tourism, food/agribusiness, and tech companies routinely take interns
• Internships in the Piraeus maritime cluster are especially valuable for business, law, and engineering students

Ask your programme coordinator which companies partner with your department, and apply a semester ahead. A strong internship does more for your career than any number of part-time hours.

After You Graduate — The Honest Picture

Greece's post-study route is less formalised than some Northern European countries, but real opportunities exist, especially in the country's standout sectors.

Staying on to work

• EU/EEA graduates can stay and work freely — no permit conversion needed
• Non-EU/EEA graduates can apply to convert their student permit into a work-based residence permit once they secure employment
• Confirm current post-study options with the immigration authorities before you graduate, as rules evolve

Greece actively wants to retain talent in its growing sectors. Graduates with Greek language skills or specialist expertise (maritime, tech, food science) have the strongest hand.

What this means in practice

You generally need a job offer to transition to a work permit as a non-EU graduate, so start job-hunting before graduation. Internships, networking, and a clear specialism are your best routes in. Once on a work-based permit, you continue on the path toward long-term residence and, eventually, potential citizenship — confirm current timelines with the authorities.

What the Greek Job Market Wants

Greece's economy has distinctive strengths that play to specific graduates:

Tourism and hospitality

Tourism is a huge share of the Greek economy — hotels, resorts, travel operators, restaurants, and the entire island ecosystem. Roles span management, marketing, events, and seasonal operations. English (and other languages) are valuable, and the sector is the largest employer of students during summer.

Shipping and maritime

Greece is a world leader in shipping — Greek owners control one of the largest merchant fleets on the planet, and the cluster around Piraeus and Athens is globally significant.

• Ship management, chartering, maritime law, marine insurance, logistics, naval architecture
• English is often the working language — strong for international graduates
• Actively recruits graduates in business, law, engineering, and maritime studies

This is one of Greece's most distinctive and rewarding career paths.

Agriculture, food, and exports

• Olive oil, wine, dairy, and food exports are major industries
• Agribusiness, food science, and supply chain roles are steady and growing
• Greece's food brand is strong internationally — opportunities in export and marketing

Tech and startups (Athens)

• The Athens tech and startup scene is growing fast, with rising international investment
• Demand for software, data, and engineering is increasing as the ecosystem matures
• International companies are expanding operations in Athens and Thessaloniki
• English-friendly roles are more common here than in most other sectors

Energy and professional services

• Renewable energy (solar, wind) is expanding across Greece
• Steady demand in logistics, real estate, and professional services

Athens dominates white-collar and tech employment; Piraeus anchors shipping; Thessaloniki is the strong northern hub; tourism roles are everywhere, especially the islands.

How to Land a Graduate Job

Start before you graduate:

1. Do a course-linked internship — the single best move for references and offers, especially in shipping, tourism, and tech
2. Use your university career service and student career fairs
3. Build LinkedIn in English — and add Greek if possible
4. Main job portals: Kariera.gr, Skywalker.gr, LinkedIn
5. Tech and startups: LinkedIn, company sites, and the Athens startup community
6. Shipping: maritime-specific channels and networking around Piraeus
7. Network actively — Greek hiring is relationship-driven, so build connections through internships and events

The Greek language question

• English is enough for many roles in tourism, shipping, tech, and international companies
• Greek is a real advantage for customer-facing, public-sector, and most SME roles
• Even basic Greek signals commitment to staying, which employers value
• Take university Greek courses from year one

Long-Term Residence and Citizenship

• Long-term residence: typically eligible after a continuous period of legal residence on qualifying permits — confirm the current timeline with the immigration authorities
• Citizenship: available after a longer continuous period, with Greek language and integration requirements
• EU mobility: as an EU member, time and qualifications gained in Greece travel well across the EU/EEA
• Always confirm current rules with the Greek authorities, as conditions evolve

A Realistic Take

Greece rewards students who engage with the country and its distinctive economy:

• Work rules are workable — use the 20 hours (or unlimited, for EU students) wisely
• Internships are your career engine, especially in shipping, tourism, and tech
• Standout sectors — tourism, world-leading shipping, food/agribusiness, growing Athens tech — offer real paths
• Some Greek dramatically widens your options outside English-friendly sectors
• Stay open to Thessaloniki, Patras, and the islands — not just Athens
• Networking matters: Greek hiring runs on relationships

Greece offers a genuinely distinctive career start, particularly in maritime and tourism — sectors where it is a global player, not a follower.

Building a Mediterranean and EU Career

A Greek degree and work experience travel well across the EU and the wider Mediterranean. As an EU member, Greece gives you mobility across the EU/EEA, and experience in shipping in particular is globally portable — the Greek maritime network reaches every major port. Many graduates use Greece as a launchpad into international shipping, tourism, or tech careers — and many stay, because once you've settled into the climate, the food, and the rhythm, the quality of life is genuinely high.

Next Steps

1. Living in Greece — housing, banking, and daily life
2. Visa and arrival — the D visa, residence permit, and renewals
3. Costs and funding — budgets and scholarships
4. Admissions and application — if you have not applied yet