Cross-Border Talent: How to Hire Skilled Staff From Abroad

More and more Greek employers are recruiting outside the country, particularly in engineering, IT and tourism.

How that works depends entirely on whether the candidate holds an EU passport or comes from outside the bloc.

Here is what applies in each case.

When Hiring Abroad Makes Sense

This isn’t just a Greek problem. Across the EU, 46% of SMEs report difficulty finding staff with the right skills, and among those that hired in the past year the figure rises to 70%.

Recruiting internationally takes time, money and paperwork. Those resources aren’t justified for every open role. So when is it worth it?

1. The role has been open for more than three months. If you’ve worked through the usual channels and the applicants still fall short, another job ad won’t fix it.

2. The skills are scarce in the Greek market. Specialist technicians, engineers in specific disciplines such as mechanical or electrical engineering, or developers skilled in newer technologies are relatively hard to find..

3. The role can be done remotely. Location stops being a constraint and the whole process gets considerably simpler.

4. You’re expanding into a foreign market. Someone who knows the language, the regulations and how business actually works there is worth more than the cost of relocating them.

The Legal Framework: EU and Non-EU Nationals

Citizens of EU and EEA member states don’t need a work permit. You hire them exactly as you would a Greek employee, with one extra step: an EU citizen registration certificate if they stay longer than three months.

For non-EU nationals the route is different and it starts with you, not the candidate. You file the application, the employee receives a national entry visa and then a residence permit for employment. The rules sit in the Greek Immigration Code (Law 5038/2023), which requires, among other things, an available slot for that occupation in that region.

Highly skilled roles have a separate route. The EU Blue Card requires a higher education qualification or equivalent professional experience, plus a contract paying above a set salary threshold. It moves faster than the standard permit route and lets the employee work in other member states later on.

What It Costs and How Long It Takes

Time is the first thing companies underestimate in an international hire. For a non-EU hire, several months typically pass between filing the application and the employee’s first day. For an EU hire, the only real variable is when they can move.

Costs fall into three parts:

• Administrative: fees, translations, certifications, legal support.
• Relocation: flights, temporary accommodation and often a contribution towards moving expenses.
• Salary itself, which for scarce skills is set by the international market rather than the Greek one.

All three are manageable once you’ve budgeted for them. The trouble starts when you begin the process having costed the salary alone and left everything above out.

Finding and Assessing Candidates

Within the EU, EURES is the official European employment network, linked to the public employment services of every member state. For more specialised roles, international job boards and sector-specific professional communities tend to work better. For non-EU hires, you can save time by working with a staffing partner who knows both the local market and the permit process.

Two things need checking before you make an offer. The first is recognition of qualifications. In regulated professions such as engineering or nursing, without it the person simply cannot practise in Greece. The second is language. Plenty of roles run perfectly well in English. Others, particularly those dealing with customers or suppliers, need Greek.

Settling In

Your job isn’t finished when the employee lands. Three things need sorting, each at a different office:

• Social security number (AMKA). Issued at a KEP citizen service centre or e-EFKA with a passport and residence permit. Activating it requires proof of actual residence in Greece, and an employment contract counts.
• Tax number (AFM). Non-EU nationals need a valid passport and residence permit. The process can now be completed online through myAADE.
• Bank account. Requires the tax number and proof of address, so it comes last.

A list of the documents and the order they’re needed in, handed over on day one, saves weeks of delay.

Housing is the next hurdle. Landlords usually ask for proof of income, which someone who just arrived doesn’t have. An employment contract helps, as does covering temporary accommodation for the first few weeks.

The part most companies neglect is integration into the team. Someone arriving from another country doesn’t know how the company works, who to ask about what, or what everyone else takes for granted. Ideally, assign an onboarding buddy to field those questions for the first few months.

Conclusion

Over time, hiring outside Greece will keep becoming more common, because the shortages in certain occupations aren’t going to be filled domestically any time soon.

Your part is to plan the timeline realistically and know what each stage of the process demands.

If you’d like support with any part of it, INGROUP handles the search and placement of specialist staff, in Greece and abroad. Get in touch and we’ll look at how your open role can be filled.