According to Article 5, paragraph 7 of Act 4251/2014, national visas are issued based on the respective residence permit regulations and their duration is related, as the case may be, to that of intended stay. Additionally, Foreign Affairs Minister Decree F3497.3/AP24245/2014 (Government Gazette No. 1820, issue B’) determines the general supporting documents and the issuing procedure for national long - term entry visas². Finally, Joint Ministerial Decree No. 30825/14 (Government Gazette No. 1528, issue B’,) specifies the documents required for issuing national entry visas and the issuing and renewing of residence permits pursuant to Act 4251/2014³ .

National entry visas are issued regardless of whether or not the applicant, third - country national, is subject to an entry visa obligation, pursuant to Regulation (EC) No. 539/2001 of the European Union Council of March 15, 2001, as amended and in force, and does not grant its holder an irrevocable right of entry.

Meeting the requirements of the Joint Ministerial Decree provided by paragraph 1, Article 136 of Act 4245/2014 does not prejudge the issuance of a national long - term visa, which falls under the exclusive competence of the diplomatic mission or consular post.

National visas are issued based on the respective residence permit regulations and their duration is related, as the case may be, to that of the intended stay. National visas are not extended. (Article 5, paragraph 7 of Act 4251/2014).

In addition, national visas issued to third - country nationals are generally valid for one year (365 days), with the exception of persons provided by Article 18 of Act 4251/2014, who enter the country for a specific purpose and for a specific stay period, not exceeding one year, and the period of stay is related to achieving the purpose. In these cases, the competent consular post issues, without prejudice to the general and specific provisions on visas, national entry visas for periods not exceeding 365 days, without requiring the issuance of a residence permit by the jointly competent authorities. These categories are:
B1. Seasonal employees (up to 6 months).
B2. Fishworkers (up to 11 months).
B3. Members of artistic groups (up to 1 year).
B4. Employees legally employed by an undertaking established in a Member State of the European Union, who travel to provide a specific service under a contractual obligation (up to 1 year).
B5. Qualified technical staff employed by an undertaking established in a third country, under a procurement contract, to provide specific services (up to 6 months).
B5. Leaders of organized tourist groups (up to 8 months).
B6. Sportspersons, coaches and other specialized personnel for training purposes (up to 6 months).
B7. Students participating in a traineeship program (up to 6 months).

When issuing national entry visas, consular posts must inform the applicants that the possession of an entry visa does not exempt them from the obligation to file, immediately upon arrival in Greece, an application and the required supporting documents to the competent Aliens and Immigration Department of the Decentralized Administration of their place of residence or stay, to be provided with the corresponding residence permits (Article 7, paragraph 1 of Act 4251/2014).

An entry visa does not automatically confer further rights (e.g. possibility to work), but should be accompanied by a relevant certificate proving the lodging of an application to issue a residence permit. A residence permit is the legal document providing the necessary certification from the competent Greek authorities, based on which the third - country national is allowed to legally stay in Greek territory and have all rights provided for in the national immigration legislation⁴.

Since April 5, 2010, when the Visa Code and Regulation 265/2010 entered into force⁵, the principle of equivalence has been introduced between residence permits and long - term visas, as regards the free movement of their holders in the single Schengen area and, therefore, any third - country national holding a long - term visa issued by a Member State and having a period of validity of up to one year, may travel to other Member States for 90 days, within any period of 180 days, under the same terms applying to holders of residence permits, provided that he/she meets the requirements of Article 5, paragraph 1, points a), c), d) and e) of Regulation (EC) 562/2006⁶ (Schengen Borders Code).

Third - country nationals wishing to receive a national long - term entry visa must present themselves in person before the Greek diplomatic mission or consular post in the jurisdiction of which they legally reside and regardless of the national visa category to be issued, in order to:

• be interviewed, to establish the purpose of their entry and stay in Greece,
• file the general supporting documents provided by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Decree F3497.3/AP24245/2014 (Government Gazette No. 1820, issue B’) and the specific supporting documents (see. Chapters A - H, as appropriate) provided by the Joint Ministerial Decree No. 30825/2014 (Government Gazette No. 1528, issue B’,).
  Note: The Greek diplomatic mission or consular posts who have signed a contract of cooperation with an external service provider, pursuant to Article 43 and Annex X to the Visa Code (Regulation 810/2009/EU), may delegate to it the performance of one or more duties set out in paragraph 6, Article 43 of Regulation 810/2009/EU, for selected, at their discretion, types of national entry visas.
  
• pay the required fees, as specified in the applicable national legislation.
  

The long - term visa (national visa - D Type Visa) may be issued under the following general conditions and as long as the applicant, third - country national, produces to the competent diplomatic mission or consular post:

• a fully completed and signed application form for a long - term national visa, accompanied by a recent colour photograph of the applicant, which must meet the relevant standards provided by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The application form stands for the statutory declaration, provided by paragraph 6, Article 22 of Act 1599/1986, that the data reported are true and the supporting documents are not forged or falsified.
• a passport or any other travel document recognized by the competent Greek authorities meeting the following criteria: a) its validity exceeds by at least three months the intended date of departure from the territory of the Enhanced Schengen Cooperation Member - States or, in case of more than one visits, after the last intended date of departure from the territory of the Member - States; however, under reasoned urgent circumstances, this obligation may be lifted; b) it has at least two blank pages; c) it has been issued within the previous decade⁷.
• criminal record certificate issued by the foreign authorities, certifying the criminal status of the applicant in the country of his/her residence. In cases where the applicant demonstrably lives in a country different from that of his/her origin, for more than a year before lodging the entry visa application, the consular post may, additionally, request the presentation of a criminal record certificate issued by the country of nationality of the third - country national, as long as the country of his/her residence does not require a criminal record certificate issued by the country of nationality, to issue a residence permit.
  In cases where there is a final court judgment, irrespective of the sentence, and in order to prove the relevance of the offence with reasons that may constitute a danger to public order and security, specific reasons are sought and individual parameters are weighed, such as the severity of the offence, recidivism and, in general, the unlawful conduct of the third - country national.
  
• medical certificate issued by a recognized state or private institution, showing that the person concerned does not suffer from a disease which may constitute a risk to public health, according to the international data of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Union acquis, as well as other infectious, contagious or parasitic diseases, imposing the taking of measures to protect public health;
  

Furthermore,

• the person concerned is not considered a threat to public order, internal security, public health or international relations and is not registered as undesirable in national databases,
• has travel insurance, with a duration equal to, at minimum, that of the visa issued, covering the costs which may arise in case of repatriation for medical reasons, for urgent medical care and/or for emergency hospital care.
  

In order to establish that there are no grounds for refusing entry under paragraph 2, Article 4 of Act 4251/2014, the competent diplomatic mission and consular post may require that additional supporting documents are filed.

Translation of the General Supporting Documents for National Visas