The Embassy of Greece in the UK, the Consular Office in London, and the Consulate General in Manchester will remain closed on Wednesday, 25 March, in observance of the National holiday.
The Embassy of Greece in the United Kingdom, the Consular Office in London, and the Consulate General in Manchester are open daily, except on official Greek public holidays.
Depending on the duration and purpose of your journey to Greece, you may apply for a short-term “Schengen visa” or a long-term “national visa” for a stay of longer than 90 days.
To facilitate visa applicants, the Consular Office of the Embassy of Greece in London has outsourced the collection of visa applications and biometric data to Global Visa Center World (GVCW) - https://uk-gr.gvcworld.eu/.
Kindly note that, the applications for Greek Visas must be submitted through the Global Visa Center World Offices.
Please note that Family members of EU/EEA nationals when travelling either alone or don't join the EU citizen in the country of destination, must submit all the required documents as an ordinary applicant and will be subject to the visa fee.
The same applies to holders of UK refugee travel documents (travel document of the 28 July 1951 convention, travel document of the 28 September 194 Convention, Certificate of travel), who need a visa to enter Greece.
Uniform (Schengen) visa for Work in Greece
UK nationals can have access to work in Greece, for a period not longer than 90 days, as creators producing intellectual works, especially authors, writers, directors, painters, sculptors, actors, musicians, singers, choreographers and stage designers, artists and members of audio-visual productions, produced in all or partly in Greece.
In this case, they need a Uniform (Schengen) visa.
Such a Uniform visa is issued to enter Greece for a period of up to 90 days, within any period of 180 days, in order to work exclusively for the purpose or in the field the visa is applied for.
At the time of submission of the first application, the applicant shall be required to appear in person, bringing a photo, their passport and a copy thereof. At that time, the following biometric identifiers of the applicant shall be collected: a photograph and their fingerprints, taken flat and collected digitally.
The applicant should, additionally, submit: • a manually or electronically fully completed and signed application form. • a valid travel document satisfying the following criteria: (a) its validity shall extend at least three months after the intended date of departure; (b) it shall contain at least two blank pages; (c)it shall have been issued within the previous 10 years. • Proof of travel reservations to Greece and of return • Adequate and valid travel medical insurance to cover any expenses which might arise in connection with repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention and/or emergency hospital treatment or death, during their stay in Greece. • A contract of employment or independent services with an enterprise or organisation (not necessarily based in Greece), signed by the applicant. • In case of dependent employment, the Hellenic Labour Inspection Corps (ΣΕΠΕ) should be notified by the employer after the visa has been issued. Furthermore, • A solemn declaration would be required, stating that “the basic working conditions are met in accordance with the national legal framework in Greece”.
The visa fee for each applicant is 80€, the equivalent in GBP
Exemption: Intellectual and artistic creators and members of audiovisual productions, UK passport holders, are exempted from the above Schengen visa requirement, until 31.12.2025, as long as they intend to visit Greece only for one performance, tv show appearance etc., and provided that a) They are not dependently employed in Greece, b) the payment does not come from Greece and c) they are insured for work accident in Greece. Any relevant questions can be addressed to the e-mail address grcon.lon@mfa.gr.
In order to facilitate visa applicants, the Consular Office of the Embassy of Greece in London has outsourced the collection of visa applications and biometric data to Global Visa Centre World (GVCW).
The total cost for each applicant is 80€+ the applicable service fee (according to the monthly rate)
You can apply through Global Visa Center World Offices:
GVCW - London Visa Application Center for Greece:
66 Wilson Street, EC2A 2BT London United Kingdom Website: https://uk-gr.gvcworld.eu/ Email address: info.ukgr@gvc24assist.eu
Visa applications must be submitted in person and by appointment only.
Contact details of the Consular Office of the Greek Embassy are the following:
Visa is an authorization issued by one of the member states of the Schengen area with a view to transit through or an intended stay in the territory of the member states for a duration of up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
A uniform Schengen visa allows the holder a stay of up to 90 days within any 180-day period, and it is valid within the territory of the following countries: Greece, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland (Schengen Area ).
To calculate the length of your stay in the Schengen Area, click here .
Who needs a Schengen visa?
Whether you need a Schengen visa depends on your nationality. See the list of countries the nationals of which need or do not require a Schengen visa for a stay of up to 90-days in the Schengen area.
Airport Transit Visa (ATV)
The nationals of certain third countries may also need an airport transit visa (ATV) when they are to change planes at an airport of a Schengen member state. See the common list and the national list of countries whose nationals require an ATV. See also the exemptions from the ATV requirement.
Prior Consultation
A Schengen member state may require the central authorities of other member states to consult its central authorities during the examination of applications lodged by nationals of specific third countries. This consultation process can take up to seven days. Thus, visa applicants must bear this in mind when they lodge their visa applications. See the list of countries for which consultation is required.
Family members of EU/EEA & Swiss citizens
If you are a family member of a citizen of a member state of the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, you may be eligible • for priority service when you lodge a visa application, • to apply directly at the Consulate, • to submit fewer documents and • for waiving of the visa fee, provided you can respond in the affirmative to all the following questions: A) Is there a citizen of the EU who exercises the right of free movement and from whom the visa applicant derives any rights? B) Does the visa applicant come under the definition of family member? C) Is the visa applicant accompanying or going to meet the EU citizen?
Rights deriving from the issued visa
Mere possession of an entry visa does not automatically confer the holder the right to enter the Schengen area. The border control authorities or other competent authorities can check the purpose of the journey and whether entry conditions are met. During their entry into Greece, citizens of third countries must be able to show that they have the necessary financial resources for their stay. For information, click here. These checks may result in the visa holder not being allowed to enter the country.
Refusal of visa application
If the visa application is refused, the consular authority will notify you in writing of the reasons for refusal. The refusal of a visa application is an individual administrative act that you can appeal. The form notifying you of the refusal of your application contains the necessary information on how you can appeal the decision.
Important Notice:
As of February 28, 2022, by an E.U. Council decision (6622/22/25-02-2022), the E.U. – Russia Visa Facilitation Agreement (VFA) was partially suspended for certain categories of Russian Federation citizens when they apply for a Schengen visa. In particular:
A. Visa exemption has been waived from all diplomatic passport holders, thus all of them should apply for a visa.
B. Applicants, enumerated below, are required to (i) pay a full visa fee (80 Euro) and (ii) submit in full all necessary documents in accordance with the Visa Code (the relevant provision, as for required attachments to their applications, of the VFA was waived too):
Members of the Russian Federation's official delegations who, following an official invitation addressed to the Russian Federation, are to participate in official meetings, consultations, negotiations or exchange programmes, as well as in events held in the territory of one of the Member States by intergovernmental organizations {Article 4 (1), point (a) & Article 5 (2), point (a)};
Members of national and regional Governments and Parliaments, as well as members Russian Federation’s Constitutional and Supreme Courts {Article 5 (1), point (a)};
Business applicants and representatives of business organizations {Article 4 (1), point (b)};
Citizens of the Russian Federation or the Member States holding valid diplomatic passports;
Lodging of Visa Application
The visa application shall, as a rule, be lodged to the consular authority at least 15 days before the intended visit and no earlier than three months before the start of the intended visit.
The decision on the visa application is made, as a rule, within 15 calendar days of the date of the lodging the application which is admissible by the consular authority. This period may be extended to up to 30 days or, in exceptional, specific cases to 60 calendar days. The consular authority will inform you of the decision date when it receives the application.
2. Passport, with at least two blank pages. The passport shall have been issued within the previous ten years. The passport shall be valid for at least three months after the intended date of your departure from the Schengen area or, in the case of multiple trips, until the date on which you plan to depart after your final stay.
4. Fingerprints. The applicant’s fingerprints shall be collected if they have not been registered in the VIS within the previous 59 months, during a previous lodging of a Schengen visa application. Certain categories of applicants are exempt from this obligation.
Applicants shall have travel medical insurance that covers emergency medical care, hospitalization and repatriation (in case of death included). The minimum coverage should be for €30.000. This insurance shall be valid for the entire Schengen area, in the case of a uniform visa, or for the territory of member state(s) concerned in case of a visa of limited territorial validity, and throughout the duration of the stay.
Please note that, during the processing time, the consulate may, in individual cases, ask you to submit additional information or documents, or, if deemed necessary, call the applicant for an interview.
Information on the processing of your personal data - General Data Protection Regulation – information to be provided to visa applicants
Attention! When your passport is returned to you, we ask that you check the affixed visa for any errors. If you find any errors, notify the consular authority immediately. If you do not do so, the consular authority bears no responsibility for any problems you may have carrying out your trip.
See useful information here on the visa you have been issued and on your trip to Greece and the Schengen area.
Entry and residence of third-country nationals in Greece - National Legislation
A long - term visa1 (National visa - D Type Visa) is an authorization issued by the competent Greek authorities for the entry and stay of third - country nationals in Greek territory for a period exceeding 90 and up to 365 days, according to the respective national legislation or European Union law on the residence status of third - country nationals.
Competent authority for issuing a national visa is the Greek diplomatic mission or consular post in whose jurisdiction the applicant is legally located.
