Tell us which countries and hospitality roles your agency covers, and we will reply in writing.
Corfu (Kerkyra) is the capital of the Ionian Islands region, and its old town sits on the UNESCO World Heritage List. For a recruitment agency abroad, tourism is a major employer on the island: hotels, kitchens, bars, laundries and passenger transport need many more hands in the warm months than in winter. AtoZ Serwis Plus would work with partner agencies that can find, prepare and support non-EU candidates for such employers, once a real Greek employer has been checked and a written request exists.
The division of work is simple. The Greek employer decides who to hire, signs the contract, and files the invitation. The partner agency abroad sources candidates, checks their skills and prepares them for island life. AtoZ Serwis Plus sits between the two: it checks the employer, translates the request into a clear candidate profile, reviews shortlists, and keeps both sides informed. AtoZ Serwis Plus is not a Greek private employment agency or a temporary work agency, and it has no office in Greece. If a Greek agency is involved, it must be lawfully notified to the Ministry of Labour of its activity.
No open position is implied. Cooperation for Corfu starts only when a named employer has passed the checks described below and has put its needs in writing. Partners interested in that model can register their agency and say which hospitality or service skills they recruit for.
The island has three municipalities: Central Corfu and Diapontian Islands, which includes Corfu town and the small Diapontian islands to the northwest; North Corfu, with its seat at Acharavi; and South Corfu, with its seat at Lefkimmi. A resort hotel in the north or south of the island is therefore in North Corfu or South Corfu, not in the municipality that contains Corfu town, and the address on the contract decides which local services the worker will use.
Demand on the island follows the holiday calendar. The Ministry of Citizen Protection has told Parliament that the Corfu police directorate is reinforced for the tourist season, alongside airports and other areas of tourist interest. Recruitment follows the same curve. The work that partners are most likely to be asked about falls into a few groups:
For sourcing, this means candidates who accept long summer days, rotating shifts, guest contact in English, and a contract that may end in autumn. A cook who has only worked in a factory canteen, or a room attendant who has never worked to hotel checklists, may struggle in the first weeks of a busy season. Partners should ask the employer early whether the role is seasonal or year-round, which shifts apply, and whether the employer expects the same person to return the following season. ELSTAT (statistics.gr) publishes labour figures for those who need numbers.
Seasonal hiring rewards early and honest preparation. The partner agency would build a pool of candidates with verifiable hospitality experience, then screen them against the Corfu employer's agreed written profile rather than a general idea of hotel work.
At first screening, ng the partner collects only a CV and evidence of the core skill: references from previous hotels or restaurants, a training certificate, photos of plated dishes for a cook, or a short video of a practical task. Identity documents are not needed at this stage. They come later, and only those on the written list supplied by the employer or the Greek agency.
Useful screening questions for island tourism roles include:
Candidates on the island may be housed outside the main town, and some resorts are a long drive from Corfu town. Honest information at screening helps reduce early resignations, which are harder to cover on an island mid-season.
Before putting forward any candidate, AtoZ Serwis Plus and the partner would confirm that the employer exists, is active, and has the legal standing to invite workers.
For a hotel or restaurant, partners can also ask whether the business is open all year or only in season, how many seasons it has operated, and who on site will supervise new arrivals. A request that cannot name the workplace, refuses to put pay in writing or asks candidates to pay anything should stop the process. Set these out in a written agreement between the partner and AtoZ Serwis Plus before any sourcing begins.
Nationals of EU member states, the EEA and Switzerland may work on Corfu without a work permit. Those staying beyond three months must report to the police service for foreign nationals and receive a registration certificate. The employer still declares the hire and provides written terms, as with any employee.
Non-EU candidates need a route that allows work. Greece is in the Schengen area, so a tourist visa or visa-free entry covers up to 90 days in any 180-day period for visits, never for work. A summer visitor to the island cannot simply switch to work in a hotel. Greece also has no general regularisation programme, so employers should recruit through the invitation procedure or hire people who already hold a Greek work permit.
Each year the Council of Ministers sets a ceiling on admissions by sector, and that act may list the countries from which workers may be invited. Within the ceiling, Greece has two bilateral arrangements: one with Egypt for seasonal farm workers and one with Bangladesh on migration and mobility. Other nationalities use the general procedure. AtoZ Serwis Plus cannot assume that every nationality is eligible in a given round, so partners should confirm the position for that round before building a pool from one country.
A Greek permit is valid only for work in Greece. Holders can visit other Schengen states for short stays, but cannot take a job there.
The employer leads the process. A candidate abroad cannot apply for a Greek work permit on their own initiative.
For the single permit, the rules set 90 days to decide a complete application. That is a statutory deadline, not a promise about any one file. The dependent work permit is valid for several years and renewable, provided you request renewal before expiry. You can cYou can change employers after an initial period, or earlier in cases of serious breach or dismissal. Seasonal invitations are tied to the named employer and season, so candidates should understand that a summer contract on Corfu is not an open-ended right to stay.
Island tourism concentrates work into a few months, so clear written terms matter more, not less. A hotel must hand each new starter the core terms of the job, whether printed, by email or in the MyErgani app, and must log the hire in ERGANI before the first shift. Hotels and food service are among the sectors where digital work card records start and finish times in real time.
The legal framework partners should explain to candidates:
Deductions need particular care. For seasonal invitees, any rent for housing the employer provides must be agreed in writing, be proportionate to pay and housing quality, and must not be taken automatically from wages. Partners should ask the employer how meals, uniforms and transport to the workplace are handled and should see the answer in the draft contract. Partners should also ask how wages will be paid and confirm the payslip format in writing.
Housing is a major practical issue for a placement on Corfu. In a holiday destination, rooms that might house workers are also the rooms that earn the most from visitors in summer. Rental options near resorts can be scarce and costly at the height of the season, so a placement should not depend on a worker finding a room after arrival.
For seasonal invitations, the employer must show that each worker will have suitable accommodation. If the employer provides it, the housing must meet health and safety standards, be inspectable, and require notification of any address changes. Partners would ask for:
Partners should not call a staff room cost-free until the hotel says so in writing. Transport matters too. Resorts are spread along the coast and in the north and south of the island, and late restaurant finishes may fall after local buses stop. Partners should ask whether the employer runs a staff shuttle or expects workers to walk, cycle, or share lifts. Arrival is by air or by sea; partners should check routes and timings when planning travel rather than relying on a summer schedule for a spring arrival.
The EU General Data Protection Regulation, the Greek law that implements it, and the oversight of the Hellenic Data Protection Authority protect every CV that passes between an agency abroad, AtoZ Serwis Plus, and an island hotel. The partner agency and AtoZ Serwis Plus would each need a lawful basis for what they hold and would keep only what the next step requires.
When candidate files move from the EU side to a partner outside the EU, GDPR requires a transfer safeguard, for example,, standard contractual clauses signed by both parties.Deleted orreturn filesd when a request ends without selection, andlet candidatesd know who holds their data and why.
Hospitality skills are easier to test than to describe. The Corfu employer makes the final choice, but a short, structured process helps both sides avoid mismatches before they seek visas.
Interviews can run by video, with the partner arranging a quiet room and an interpreter where needed. Questions should relate to the job only. Partners should not screen on age, religion, marital status or similar grounds.
Hypothetical example: a hotel innorthernf Corfuneedsr kitchen assistants for one season, with shared staff rooms. Before any sourcing, the parties would confirm the seasonal invitation filing, review the room photos and written rent terms, and agree a short practical test for candidates to complete on video.
Before travel, the partner would brief each worker on:
On arrival, the worker will need a tax number (AFM) and a social insurance number (AMKA) and will be insured with e-EFKA. For seasonal invitees, the application issues AFM and AMKA electronically. Non-EU permit holders must declare address changes through the Ministry of Migration and Asylum’s online services. The worker should also know when to attend in person for biometrics, which may require a trip off the island.
Partners should arrange a check-in call in the first days and again after the first pay date. If the worker reports housing or hours problems, the partner should raise them with AtoZ Serwis Plus and the employer immediately.
Under Greek rules for private employment agencies, the worker pays nothing for placement; the employer pays the agency’s fee. Temporary work agencies may not charge workers for being assigned to a user company. Cooperation with AtoZ Serwis Plus never charges candidates, whether described as a fee, deposit, training cost, or visa help.
Workers on the island have the same routes to help as anywhere in Greece:
Warning signs include job offers for Corfu hotels sold through social media for a fee, promises of a permit without an employer invitation, contracts that differ from the job order, or housing that turns out to be a crowded room with rent taken at source. Trafficking for labour exploitation is a serious crime in Greece. Partners should report suspected cases, not handle them privately.
The following public sources explain the rules referred to above.
The Greek overview for partners is at the AtoZ Serwis Plus Greece page.
If your agency recruits experienced hotel, kitchen, cleanin,g or transport staff and canhonestly prepare candidates for a summer season on a Greek island, we would welcome a message. Say where your candidates come from, the roles you fill and whether you have handled seasonal returns.
Register as a recruitment partner and describe your agency. We would reply in writing with the checksrequirede before any cooperation for Corfu, andwe would contact you if a verified employer request matched your candidates.
Register your agency and tell us which hotel, kitchen or service skills you recruit for. We would reply with the checks that come before any cooperation for Corfu.
Tourism is a major employer on the island, with roles such as housekeeping, reception support, cooking, kitchen work, waiting and bar staff, laundry and cleaning, coach driving and seasonal maintenance. Each request is defined in writing by a named employer, so a partner should wait for the written profile rather than recruit for general hotel work.
Much of it can be. Tourism is a major employer on Corfu, as the seasonal reinforcement of policing on the island shows. Some hotels and services stay open year-round, so partners should ask each employer whether the role is seasonal or year-round before sourcing.
Corfu town lies in the Municipality of Central Corfu and Diapontian Islands, which also includes the small Diapontian islands to the northwest. Partners should check that the workplace address in the contract really falls in this municipality.
Corfu is the seat of the Ionian Islands region and sits in the regional unit of Corfu. For migration matters, it falls under the Decentralised Administration based in Patras on the mainland, which also covers the Peloponnese and Western Greece.
The employer files online with the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, addressed to the Aliens and Migration Directorate of the Decentralised Administration based in Patras. A Ministry of Interior reply to Parliament refers to a permits department for the Corfu regional unit within that administration.
Yes, if it fits the rules. Tourism is one of the sectors listed for seasonal work. The employer applies for named workers, shows suitable accommodation and registers them for social insurance, all within the annual ceiling set by the Government.
A seasonal approval covers up to nine months in any twelve-month period. A summer contract on Corfu may be shorter, matching the hotel’s operating months. The worker leaves when the approved period ends unless another lawful basis to stay exists.
Yes, that is possible. Greek rules allow an approval to cover several seasons, so a worker who performed well can return to the same employer in later seasons. Partners should ask whether the Corfu employer intends to use a multi-season approval.
No. AtoZ Serwis Plus has no office in Greece and is not a Greek private employment agency or temporary work agency. It cooperates with partner agencies abroad. Nothing here implies a vacancy, a job order or an existing employer on the island.
The Greek employer, or a Greek temporary work agency acting as employer where one is lawfully involved. AtoZ Serwis Plus does not employ the worker or sign the contract. The partner agency helps the candidate understand the terms before signing.
Search the General Commercial Registry (GEMI) by company name or tax number to see its legal form, seat, status and managers. Cross-check the AFM with AADE registry details. Do not proceed with a hotel that cannot provide its legal name, tax number, and workplace address.
The job title, workplace address on the island, number of workers, start and end dates, weekly hours and shifts, gross pay at least at the statutory minimum, the housing arrangement and any rent. A draft contract matching those terms should follow before candidates commit.
Licensed temporary work agencies that meet capital and other conditions can employ invited staff directly and assign them to a hotel as the user company, including for seasonal tourism work. The agency is jointly liable with the user company for pay and insurance.
Request evidence of its notification to the Ministry of Labour, and check it in GEMI and with AADE. The Labour Inspectorate supervises private employment agencies, and agencies report their activity through ERGANI.
No. A Schengen visit visa or visa-free entry allows short stays for visits only and does not allow employment. A worker needs an employer invitation, a national visa, and then a residence permit, or must already hold a Greek permit that allows work.
No. People holding EU, EEA or Swiss citizenship may work there without a work permit. After three months on the island, they must register with the police and obtain a registration certificate.
That depends on ththe Government’snnual act, which sets sector-specific ceilings and may list eligible countries. Greece has arrangements with Egypt for seasonal farm work and with Bangladesh on migration and mobility; other nationalities use the general procedure. Partners should confirm the country list for that round before sourcing.
Greek rules set 90 days for deciding a complete single-permit application. This is a statutory deadline, not a forecast for any file, and incomplete applications take longer. AtoZ Serwis Plus does not promise processing times.
Greek law gives priority to strategic investments, public works, and projects of special national importance. Whether a particular Corfu project qualifies is for the developer and the competent ministry to confirm. Ordinary hotel staffing uses the standard or seasonal routes.
A worker holding a dependent work permit may change employer after an initial period with the first employer, or earlier if the employer seriously breaches labour law or dismisses the worker. A named employer invites seasonal workers, so any change requires the proper procedure.
No. A Greek residence permit for work allows work only in Greece. It allows short visits to other Schengen states, but working elsewhere in the EU requires that country’s own authorisation.
Not lawfully. Greece has no general regularisation programme, and employing someone without a work permit is an offence. Corfu employers should use the invitation procedure or hire people who already hold a suitable permit.
Full-time is 40 hours a week. Extra work and overtime carry premiums; you must record overtime in ERGANI in advance, and daily and annual limits apply. The special sixth-day option for businesses on a five-day week has exclusions, including hotels and food service, so check rotas with the employer.
Hotels and food service are among the sectors covered by the digital work card, which records start and finish times in real time and links to ERGANI. Partners should tell candidates that clocking in and out is part of the job.
Invited workers must be paid at least the statutory minimum wage, set by ministerial decision after annual consultation. Use the exact figure from the official decision in force and the draft contract, not secondary material.
Not for seasonal invitees. Any rent must be agreed in writing, be proportionate to pay and the quality of housing, and may not be deducted automatically. Partners should check the draft contract and the housing terms before candidates accept.
It varies by employer and cannot be assumed. For seasonal invitees, the hotel must provide proper housing that meets health and safety rules and is open to inspection. Partners should ask for the address, photos, people per room, bathroom and kitchen access, distance to the workplace and any rent, all in writing.
North Corfu, with its seat at Acharavi, and South Corfu, with its seat at Lefkimmi. A resort there is in a different municipality from Corfu town, so the contract addressdeterminess which local services the workerusese.
That depends on where the housing is. Resorts are spread along the coast, and late restaurant finishes may fall after local buses stop running. Partners should ask whether the Corfu employer runs a staff shuttle and how workers reach split shifts.
Partners can reach the island by air or by sea. Routes and timings vary with the season, so partners should check them when booking rather than relying on a summer timetable for an early spring arrival.
Only a CV and evidence of the core skill, such as references from previous hotels, a training certificate or a short practical video. Identity documents come later, and only those on the employer’s written list.
Only after selection, when the employer or the Greek agency gives a written list of what the invitation and the consulate require. Collecting identity papers at the screening stage adds risk without helping the decision.
Candidate files fall under the GDPR and the Greek law implementing it, with the Hellenic Data Protection Authority as supervisor. Each party needs a lawful basis for the data it holds and should keep only what the next step requires.
Files passed from the EU side to a partner outside the EU need a GDPR transfer safeguard, for example, signed standard contractual clauses. Each party also needs a lawful basis, and candidates should know who receives their data and why.
A timed practical task or video can show knife skills, hygiene habits and plating. Questions about cooking for large numbers at a buffet help, because summer occupancy on the island can be high. The employer makes the final decision.
A walk-through of a room-cleaning checklist, questions about linen and lost property, and an honest discussion about the pace of turnover on changeover days. A short video of the candidate preparing a room can be useful.
They can be, with the partner arranging a quiet room an,r if neede, an interpreterd. Questions should relate to the job only. Some employers may want a second interview or a practical test before making an offer.
Guest-facing roles may need working English, while back-of-house roles may need less. Partners should ask the employer which language level each role requires and test it during the interview.
Only once the Greek licence rules are met. Bus drivers need the right licence category,, the Certificate of Professional Competence (PEI, shown by code 95), and a driver card for the tachograph; they need;the latter requires a Greek licence and normal residence in Greece.
Only licences from a limited list of countries can be exchanged without a full test. Drivers from other countries take the Greek tests. Partners should check with the regional transport service and should never promise an exchange.
The worker needs a tax number (AFM), a social insurance number (AMKA) and registration with e-EFK, forr seasonal invitees, AFM and AMKA are issued electronically from the application. Non-EU workers then complete the permit stage, includingin-person biometricsn.
Possibly. The competent service needs fingerprints, a photo, and a signature sample taken in person. The employer should confirm where the worker will attend and plan any journey from Corfu in advance.
ERGANI is the Ministry of Labour’s digital system. Partners must declare every hire there before work starts, and also declare changes and terminations. A worker who starts before the declaration is working undeclared, which partners should never accept.
Yes. Paid annual leave builds up from the start of employment in proportion to time worked, so seasonal workers earn leave too. Confirm with the employer in writing how unused leave is handled at the end of a contract.
No. A private employment agency in Greece may bill only the employer, never the person placed, and temporary work agencies may not charge workers for assignment. Cooperation with AtoZ Serwis Plus never charges candidates.
The Labour Inspectorate takes complaints online, named or anonymous, and on the citizens’ line 1555. A worker on a single permit can complain on the same terms as Greek colleagues. The partner should also be told so it can raise the issue.
The national trafficking line 1109, the police on 100, or the European emergency number 112. Victims can receive protection, accommodation, medical and legal support through the National Referral Mechanism, and may be granted a residence permit.
Warning signs include requests for payment, social media offers with no named employer, promises of a permit without an invitation, and contracts that differ from the job order. Check the employer in GEMI and raise any doubts with AtoZ Serwis Plus.
The Municipality of Central Corfu and Diapontian Islands runs a community centre offering social support and referrals to other services. The Labour Centre of Corfu also represents workers on the island. For labour law breaches, the Labour Inspectorate is the competent authority.
Yes. DYPA, the public employment service, runs an employment promotion centre on the island. Its service finder shows which centre covers a given address. Employers may also use DYPA services for local recruitment.
No. The employer decides, and a shortlist is not an offer. Partners should explain this to candidates from the outset and avoid any wording that promises a job, visa or permit.
Through the partner registration form, giving your agency name, the countries you recruit in, the roles you fill and any seasonal experience. AtoZ Serwis Plus would reply in writing with the next questions.
The country overviewont the AtoZ Serwis Plus Greece page explains the national framework, with links to the other city pages.
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