Effective June 5, 2024, foreign nationals who enter Greece under visa-exempt status or on a C visa can now apply for an EU Blue Card. Previously, only D visa holders could apply for an EU Blue Card. Additionally, EU Blue Card applicants may now choose whether to undergo a ‘pre-screening’ process, whereas previously this step was required in all cases. The pre-screening process requires an employer to submit a request for approval to hire a foreign national to the Ministry of Immigration prior to the arrival of the applicant in Greece. After passing this pre-screening stage, applicants still need to submit an EU Blue Card application. Although this pre-screening process can add an additional eight weeks (or more) to the entire processing time, it can also reduce the risk that applicants at the EU Blue Card application stage will be rejected or required to provide additional documentation. Additionally, Greek authorities have noted that pre-screened applicants may be subject to shorter processing times. Accordingly, employers may therefore prefer to continue the ‘pre-screening’ process for low-urgency onboarding situations; while opting for non pre-screened applications where urgency requires it or where the business is confident about the high prospects of application success.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
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