Greece · Visa guide
Greece · Visa guideGreece Study & Research Visa
A visa for study, research or an internship in Greece — short stays use a Schengen visa; longer study needs a residence permit.
- ProcessingUsually about 15 calendar days from submission
- Visa categoryStudy & Research Visa
- Your guideOne consultant
Your offer letter is only the start. Funds, SOP and the interview decide the visa. Call us with your course and intake. We tell you if the money and the story hold up.
Monday–Saturday, 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM IST
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Documents mapped
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Steps explained
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Questions answered
Usually about 15 calendar days from submission
Typical processing
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Greece Study & Research Visa — overview
The Greece Study & Research Visa is for study, research or an internship in Greece. Short stays of up to 90 days use a Schengen Type C visa; longer study requires a national long-stay visa or residence permit.
Beyond the standard Schengen documents, the embassy expects a certificate of admission or registration at an educational establishment in Greece, or a cover letter from the inviting institution.
Lifeset Overseas confirms whether your stay needs a short-stay visa or a residence permit and builds the file so your study or research purpose is clearly evidenced.
Studying in Greece costs less than you expect, if you can find the English course
Greece is not the first country Indian students think of for Europe. It should be on the list for two reasons: the living-cost bar for the visa is one of the lowest in the Schengen area, and the English-taught medical programmes at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Patras and Crete have opened a route that did not exist a few years ago. The catch is that outside medicine and a handful of master's programmes, most Greek degrees are taught in Greek.
This page sets out the student visa for Greece, with the verified figures and the mistakes we see.
The visa you need
A degree needs a national long-stay visa, known as a type D visa. It is Greece's own visa, applied for at the Greek consulate through VFS Global. On arrival, you apply for a residence permit for studies.
Greece's VFS centres in India are in Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi. Students from Punjab use New Delhi. You attend once for biometrics (fingerprints and a photo) and to submit the passport.
Money, with the figures we verified
For living costs, Greece asks you to show €400 a month. That is the figure on the consular visa information page, checked on 27 August 2026. Our confidence in it is medium, meaning the second research pass confirmed the source but the figure is one that consulates can adjust, so we re-check it before every filing.
Tuition at Greek public universities for a non-EU student runs from about €3,000 to €15,000 a year. Greek-taught degrees are free at public universities, but English-taught programmes carry a fee set by each department. To give a sense of the spread: the English-taught medical degrees at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and Patras are listed at €12,000 a year; the International Program in Medicine at the University of Crete at €15,000 a year; master's programmes at International Hellenic University, the Athens University of Economics and Business and the University of the Aegean are priced for the whole programme in the low thousands of euros. National Technical University of Athens sets fees per master's programme. Each figure is on the university's page and changes by intake, so we confirm it with you.
Language
English-taught programmes are available but not everywhere. Medicine at Thessaloniki, Patras and Crete, and selected master's programmes at Athens, Thessaloniki and the islands, are the main options. Each university sets its own English requirement; Patras, for example, asks for B2 level or a TOEFL score. There is no single national test standard.
What goes in the file
- Admission letter from the Greek university, naming the programme and its language.
- Proof of tuition payment or a receipt for the first instalment.
- Proof of €400 a month for the period of the visa, from your or your sponsor's account.
- Accommodation in Greece.
- Health insurance valid in Greece.
- Passport, photos, the type D form.
- Academic certificates, with translations as required.
- A police clearance certificate and a medical certificate, which the Greek consulate requests for long stays.
We prepare the file end to end and book the appointment. You attend for biometrics.
Where files from India go wrong for Greece
Applying to a Greek-taught programme without Greek. Some agents push admissions into programmes the student cannot follow. The consulate can ask how you will study in Greek. If you have no Greek, the answer is not good.
Medical certificate and police clearance left to the last week. These take time in India. Start them the day you accept the offer.
Showing exactly €400 a month and nothing more. The figure is a floor. A balance that scrapes the floor, with no history, does not convince.
Confusing the short-stay Greece visa with the study visa. Families who have had a tourist visa for Santorini think the study visa will be similar. It is a different visa with different rules.
Medical seat via a third party with no university admission letter. Only the university's own letter counts.
If Greece refused the visa
A national visa refusal comes with a written reason. You may appeal to the Greek authorities within the stated period, or apply again. For a student facing a semester date, a repaired reapplication is usually the practical path. We read the decision, find the exact gap, and rebuild the file. If the reason was funds, we fix the money story; if it was purpose, we strengthen the academic case.
After graduation: information only
Greece has rules on staying after study for work. We describe them on the call, but we do not file work-related visas. That needs a separate licence, and we do not hold it.
Talk to us
One call settles: whether your programme is truly English-taught, your real yearly cost, what documents need to be started now, and whether your funds story will satisfy the consulate. Try the visa readiness score, and read our Study in Europe hub for the comparison across countries.
Lifeset Overseas, Patiala. Punjab Licence No. 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024. Call or WhatsApp +91 91155 80911, Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 7 PM.
Verified figures for Greece
What a year in Greece costs — and what you must prove
- Public-university tuition, non-EU student, per year
- €3,000 – €15,000
- Funds the visa authority asks you to show
- €400 a month
English-taught courses: widely available. varies by university
Read on the official pages below on 27 Aug 2026. Figures change every academic year — check them before you pay anything.
8 items
Documents you need
Schengen application form
Completely filled and signed by the applicant.
Valid passport
Issued within 10 years, valid 3 months beyond return, with 2 empty pages.
Admission / registration certificate
A certificate of admission or registration at an educational establishment in Greece, or a cover letter from the inviting institution.
Student status proof
For pupils and students, certificates of enrolment and a student ID card.
Travel medical insurance
Schengen-wide cover of at least EUR 30,000 for the trip.
Transport & accommodation
Proof of itinerary, travel booking and confirmed accommodation, including campus residence where applicable.
Financial means
Bank statements for the last 3 months, income-tax returns, or sponsor and scholarship evidence.
Cover letter
Stating the purpose and duration of the study, research or internship.
5 steps
How the process works
Typical processing: Usually about 15 calendar days from submission — may extend up to 45 calendar days. Apply at least 2-3 weeks before travel.
Step 1
Free eligibility review
We assess your profile and build a document checklist matched to the embassy's requirements.
Step 2
Build the file & cover letter
Every document — finances, bookings, insurance and the cover letter — is prepared and verified.
Step 3
Book the VFS Global appointment
Applications in India are submitted through VFS Global — we schedule your slot.
Step 4
Submit & give biometrics
You attend the VFS centre to submit the file and provide fingerprints and a photograph.
Step 5
Decision & passport return
The embassy decides the application and your passport is returned through VFS.
Transparent
Costs & fees
Item
Amount
Schengen visa fee (adult)
EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 11; under 6 exempt. Payable in INR.
EUR 90
VFS Global service charge
Plus optional add-ons such as courier.
Confirmed at booking
Government and third-party fees change often — we confirm the exact current amounts for your case before you pay anything.
3 answers
Frequently asked questions
Short study, research or internship stays of up to 90 days use a Schengen visa. Longer study requires a national long-stay visa or residence permit — we confirm the right route for your case.
A certificate of admission or registration at an educational establishment in Greece, or a cover letter from the inviting institution.
This short-stay route allows up to 90 days. Full courses are handled through the long-stay route.
Why it matters
Going it alone vs filing with us
On your own
- Guessing the document list — one missing or wrongly formatted paper triggers a refusal.
- Generic cover letters copied from the internet that officers recognise and flag.
- No read on peak rejection windows or what this visa post is strict about.
- Government and VFS fees are non-refundable — money lost if you are refused.
- A refusal stamp follows you and weakens every future visa application.
With Lifeset Overseas
- An honest case assessment before you spend a rupee on government fees.
- A file built to the embassy's exact checklist and in the exact order.
- Weak finances, ties or purpose identified and fixed before submission.
- Previously refused? We can rescue and rebuild the file.
- Every case handled by one consultant, end to end.
Refused before?
A refusal isn't the end
A refusal is not a permanent bar — but it only improves if the actual reason is found and answered, and nobody can tell you a second application will succeed. If a Greece visa has been refused, we:
- Read the actual refusal letter and pinpoint the real gaps.
- Advise whether to pull the officer's notes (CAIPS / GCMS) for the true reason.
- Identify which part was weak — funds, employment, purpose or ties.
- Tell you honestly whether to reapply now or strengthen the file first.
- Refused? Your fee back, or a rebuilt application free — your choice.
Other Greece visas
Greece Tourist Visa
A short-stay Schengen visa for tourism and holidays in Greece — up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
Greece Business Visa
A short-stay Schengen visa for business meetings, conferences and training in Greece.
Greece Family & Friends Visit Visa
A short-stay Schengen visa to visit family or friends living in Greece — up to 90 days.
Greece Cultural, Sports & Religious Visa
A short-stay Schengen visa for cultural, sporting and religious events and film crews in Greece.
Start here · One message away
Greece study visa: do not send a weak file. Call first.
- Honest assessment
- Fixed all-in fees
- No handovers between staff
- Licensed in Patiala
Let’s discuss your case
Send your offer letter and sponsor details on WhatsApp. We tell you plainly if the funds and the SOP are strong enough, and what is missing.