Greece Visa from the UK: Appointments, Checklist & Fees

Do UK residents need a visa for Greece?

It depends on your passport, not where you live. British, Irish and EU citizens can visit Greece without a visa, while most UK residents who hold another nationality’s passport need a Schengen short-stay visa, even with indefinite leave to remain.

Common examples are Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Nigerian, Ghanaian, Chinese, Filipino and South African nationals living in the UK on a Skilled Worker, Student, Graduate or family visa. If you are only in the UK on a Standard Visitor visa, you cannot use GVCW’s UK centres: its checklists state that a UK C-type visitor visa is not accepted, and under the Schengen rules you normally apply in the country where you legally live. Our guide to applying on a UK visitor visa explains why.

You prove UK residence with an eVisa and share code, not a BRP: see our eVisa share code guide. Greece also requires your UK permission to run for at least 1 month after you leave the Schengen area. ETIAS, the €20 travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers such as British citizens, has no launch date yet and does not replace a visa.

Note: Non-EU travellers now register a facial image and, from age 12, fingerprints in the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) on first entry, so allow extra time at the Greek border. See our EES and ETIAS guide.

Greece visa appointments in the UK

Greece appointments in the UK are handled by GVCW (Global Visa Center World), not VFS Global or TLScontact, at centres in London, Manchester and Edinburgh. Every file is decided by the Consular Office of the Embassy of Greece in London; GVCW only collects applications and plays no part in the decision.

Applications are accepted in person and by online appointment only. Every applicant, including children and infants, must attend in person, and for anyone under 18 both parents are normally expected to be present. Applicants aged 12 and over give 10 fingerprints and a digital photo.

Addresses and hours are as listed by GVCW in October 2026. Always check your confirmation, as details can change and centres close on UK bank holidays.

London

The London centre is on Wilson Street, a short walk from Liverpool Street and Moorgate. It is the only centre where you can collect your passport in person, and files go straight to the consulate, so it is usually the better choice if your trip is close. Demand is heaviest around Easter, from May to August and before Christmas.

Manchester

The Manchester centre is in Ardwick, a short walk or bus ride from Manchester Piccadilly. Files are sent to the London centre and then to the consulate the next day, so GVCW tells applicants to add 5 days. Passports are returned only by courier, so budget for the courier charge.

Edinburgh

The Edinburgh centre is at Rennie’s Isle in Leith, near The Shore. It works like Manchester: add about 5 days for the transfer to London, and expect your passport back by courier rather than collection.

Which centre can you use?

When you register, GVCW’s system asks you to select a centre based on your residence address, and its pages direct you to “your region’s” centre. GVCW does not publish a postcode list. If you hope to use a centre other than the one nearest your home, call GVCW on +44 203 7938 626 (08:30-17:30, Monday to Friday) before you book.

How booking works

1. Register on GVCW’s appointment portal with your own email address, verify it and set a password.
2. Select your centre and book a slot for each applicant, with names exactly as in their passports.
3. Complete the application form; GVCW encourages the online form, which you then print and sign, and offers a paid form-filling service at the centre if you cannot do it online.
4. Print GVCW’s Data Protection Information document, which GVCW says must be submitted as part of the file.

Booking is free and made in your own name. GVCW warns that appointments go quickly around Easter, from May to August and at Christmas, so book as soon as you know your dates. If you cannot find a slot, GVCW asks you to contact its call centre.

Schengen Visa Support does not book, hold or supply appointments. We explain the GVCW system, help you complete the booking correctly in your name and make sure your file is ready for the day.

On the day

Arrive a little early with your passport and full file: originals plus one photocopy of everything. You pay the visa fee and GVCW’s service fee at the centre, in pounds only. The consulate can ask for more documents or invite you to an interview in London, which can add time.

GVCW also sells optional extras, listed in October 2026 as: Premium Lounge (£75 per application), courier return (£21 standard within 3 days, £25 next day), Premium Passback in London (£25), SMS updates (£2.95), a photo booth (£15) and printouts or photocopies (£1). GVCW states that optional services do not guarantee a visa, and that the Premium Lounge does not mean faster processing by the consulate.

Greece visa document checklist for UK residents

Greece’s checklist follows the Schengen rules, but GVCW’s UK checklists are more detailed than most: originals plus one photocopy of every document, supporting documents no older than 1 month, a minimum bank balance per day, and fully paid flights. Book the appointment first, then request letters and print statements.

The passport must have been issued within the last 10 years and be valid at least 3 months beyond your last day in the Schengen area, with 2 adjacent blank pages, so check the issue date, not just the expiry. Copy the photo page (and the signature page if it is separate) and any Schengen visas from the last 3 years. Photos are two recent colour 3.5 x 4 cm prints on a white or off-white background, no older than 6 months.

Your UK eVisa copy and share code must show permission valid at least 1 month (30 days) beyond your trip, which is shorter than the 3 months some other Schengen states ask for. Without it, GVCW says the consulate cannot process the application.

Flights must be fully paid return tickets in your name, with a booking reference and a receipt showing nothing left to pay. GVCW accepts tickets bought from airlines or from Europe-based travel agencies, and agency receipts should be in English. If you travel by car or yacht, the checklist asks for vehicle or vessel documents instead.

Insurance must give at least €30,000 cover across all Schengen states for the whole stay, in your full name. If your cover comes through a bank account, bring a bank letter dated within 30 days, because a statement alone is not enough. Our travel insurance guide explains what qualifies.

Accommodation must cover every night and show your name. If a booking is in someone else’s name, add a signed joint-travel letter from that person with a copy of their passport. For island-hopping trips, the nights across your bookings should add up exactly to the trip length, with ferry bookings or a route plan between islands.

Employed

An employer letter (GVCW wants a letter, not your contract), stamped and signed by HR and addressed to the Embassy, confirming your position and start date, plus your last 3 months’ payslips. GVCW’s website says documents should be no older than 1 month, while its PDF checklist allows 90 days for this letter, so get it dated within 1 month to be safe. Our employer letter guide covers the wording.

Self-employed

Your latest tax return, plus a signed self-employment letter addressed to the Embassy from your accountant (giving their registration number), your solicitor or your bank manager, or your Companies House certificate of incorporation with proof of your link to the company. Business statements can be added; if your name is not on the account, include proof that you have signing powers. See our self-employed guide.

Students

An original letter from your school, college or university, addressed to the Embassy, signed and dated within 30 days, confirming attendance. Add your own statements or a family sponsor’s documents. Our students guide covers parents paying from abroad.

Retired

An original letter from the Pension Service dated within 30 days, plus 3 months of UK personal current account statements meeting the same £40-a-day minimum.

Sponsored

GVCW says only immediate family members can sponsor each other. The sponsor gives a signed letter stating the exact travel dates, their passport, 3 months of UK current account statements meeting the same £40-a-day minimum, an employer letter and 3 payslips (or self-employment evidence), and proof of relationship such as a marriage or birth certificate. You still provide your own personal statements.

Children

Each child needs a separate form signed by both parents, photos and a full document set, plus a full unabridged birth certificate showing both parents (with a certified UK translation if it is not in English or Greek) and both parents’ passports. Both parents are normally expected at the appointment. GVCW’s checklists ask for a parental consent form signed by both parents in every case, but the certification differs by checklist and situation: some accept a UK public authority, notary or solicitor when the child travels with one parent, while others ask for certification by the Embassy of Greece dated within 30 days. Follow the checklist for your visa type, and bring court papers or a death certificate if only one parent has parental responsibility. If one parent lives abroad, their passport copy must be stamped and certified by the Greek embassy in their country, dated within 30 days. Children under 12 pay no visa fee and give no fingerprints. See our children’s guide.

Staying with a host in Greece

The host’s invitation letter must be certified by a Greek authority: the police, an Honorary Consulate or a Citizens Service Centre (KEP). It must be dated within 30 days of your application and identify both host and guest (name, address, date of birth, ID number, occupation and permanent residence), the purpose, the dates, where you will stay and who pays. Add a cover letter from the host addressed to the Embassy explaining your relationship, the host’s proof of residence (utility bill, tenancy agreement or deeds) and, if the host is not an EU citizen, their Greek residence permit. Our invitation letter guide has a structure.

How much money do you need for a Greece visa?

GVCW’s UK checklists set a minimum: your UK personal current account must show a balance in pounds of at least £40 for each day you will spend in the Schengen area. A 10-day trip therefore needs at least £400, and a fortnight at least £560.

The statements must cover the last 3 months (at least 90 days of transactions), show your name, come from the account your salary is paid into, and have a closing balance no older than 30 days on the day you apply. This applies even if a company or organisation is paying for the trip. Savings, business or credit card statements can be added, but they do not replace the current account.

The £40 figure is a floor, not a target. An island-hopping fortnight in August costs far more than a week in Athens in March, and the consulate looks for a balance and income pattern that fits the trip on top of your normal outgoings. Large deposits shortly before you apply draw scrutiny, so explain any one-off payment such as a bonus or a transfer from family. Our bank statements guide explains what consulates check.

Greece visa fees from the UK

The Greece visa fee is €90 for applicants aged 12 and over, charged in pounds at the centre (GVCW listed £79.20 when we checked in October 2026; the figure follows the exchange rate). Children under 12 pay no visa fee. GVCW adds a €30 service fee, including VAT, per application.

Some nationalities pay a reduced visa fee under EU facilitation agreements, and some groups are exempt, such as spouses and children of EU citizens travelling with them, or school and student groups with a formal invitation from a Greek educational institution. Check GVCW’s fee table for your case. The visa fee is not refunded if you are refused, and the amounts can change without notice.

How long does a Greece visa take from the UK?

The Greek Consular Office usually decides within 15 calendar days of submission, and some applications take up to 45 days. Nationalities that need prior consultation with other Schengen states should allow at least 3 weeks, and Manchester or Edinburgh files take about 5 days longer.

You can apply up to 6 months before travel and no later than 15 calendar days before. GVCW warns that demand for Greece is very high, that decisions can take longer than 15 days, and that applying within 15 days of departure risks the visa not being ready. For a summer trip, aim to attend 6 to 8 weeks ahead.

Track progress online through GVCW. Our processing time guide compares other countries.

Greece visa types for UK residents

Most UK residents apply for a Type C short-stay visa as a tourist, family visitor or business traveller, valid for up to 90 days in any 180-day period across all 29 Schengen states.

• Tourist: holidays on the mainland or islands. Show bookings for every night and how you move between islands.
• Family or friends visit: add the host’s certified invitation letter, their cover letter and proof of residence in Greece. If a close family member pays for you, add their sponsorship documents.
• Business: an invitation on the Greek company’s letterhead, stamped and signed, giving its full address, the name and position of the signatory, the purpose and duration of the trip, plus a letter from your UK employer. Trade fair tickets or registrations help.
• Seafarer: common for Greece because of its shipping industry. Crew need a recent, signed letter from the recruiting company giving their name and rank, the vessel’s name, its arrival date in port and the joining date, plus a seaman’s book if they have one.
• Cultural, sports or study visit: confirmation from the organiser or Greek institution. Organised school or student groups travelling with teachers can qualify for a free visa, but only with a formal invitation from a Greek educational institution.
• Medical treatment: documents from the Greek hospital or clinic and proof of how costs will be paid; GVCW has a separate checklist for this category.

Students in the UK travelling on holiday apply as tourists with a college or university letter. Anyone staying more than 90 days, for work, study or retirement, needs a Greek national (Type D) visa, which follows a separate process and an in-person interview at the consulate in London. Ask for multiple entries if you will leave and re-enter Schengen; our multiple-entry guide explains how repeat travellers can qualify for longer visas.

Greece-specific tips

What trips up UK applicants with Greece is rarely the core file; it is the GVCW house rules and the shape of a Greek holiday.

• Do not assume VFS. Applicants searching for “Greece VFS” end up on the wrong site. The official UK provider is GVCW, at uk-gr.gvcworld.eu.
• Watch the 1-month rule. Statements and letters printed before you booked can be out of date by your appointment.
• Check the £40 a day. Count every night in Schengen, not just in Greece, and make sure your current account clears the minimum.
• Certify the invitation early. The host has to visit a police station, Honorary Consulate or KEP in Greece, and the letter must still be under 30 days old when you apply.
• Island gaps. A night on a ferry or an unbooked night between Naxos and Paros raises questions. Make every night visible.
• Turkey day trips. Excursions from Rhodes, Kos or Lesvos take you out of Schengen. A single-entry visa ends at the first exit, so request multiple entries and show the trip in your itinerary.
• Cyprus is not Schengen. It may accept a double- or multiple-entry Schengen visa for short stays. Check the current rules for your nationality with the Cypriot authorities and make sure you have an entry left to return to Greece.
• Choose the right country. Apply to Greece only if it is your main destination. A week in Rome then four nights in Athens means an Italy visa.

Why Greece visas are refused (and how to avoid it)

Greek refusals usually come down to doubt about the trip or your return to the UK, rather than one missing page. Most are avoidable with a consistent, well-evidenced file.

• Unclear purpose or itinerary, especially multi-island trips with nights unaccounted for. Fix: a day-by-day plan matching every booking.
• Insufficient or unexplained funds, including a balance below £40 a day or large recent deposits. Fix: 3 months of steady statements and an explanation for one-offs.
• Weak ties to the UK, such as no clear job, studies or home to return to. Fix: a current employer or university letter and payslips. If your UK permission ends less than 1 month after the trip, GVCW says the application cannot be processed at all.
• Unpaid or unverifiable travel, such as a flight hold rather than a paid ticket. Fix: a receipt showing nothing left to pay.
• Insurance that falls short of €30,000, does not name you or does not cover the full stay.
• Wrong country of application, when more nights are spent elsewhere in Schengen.

If you are refused, the standard refusal form states the reasons and how to appeal. Appeals are made against Greece under Greek law, through the route and deadline printed on your form; deadlines can be short, so act quickly and confirm the details with the Consular Office in London. Often a stronger new application, addressing every reason, is the faster route, but the visa fee is not refunded. Read our refusal guide before deciding.