How to Apply to Universities in Greece: Requirements, Deadlines and Portals

Two different application routes

If you finished secondary school in Greece, you apply through the Panhellenic Exams (Πανελλήνιες Εξετάσεις), the national entrance exams held in late May and June. After results, you rank universities and programs on a preference form and get placed according to your score and the seats available.

If you completed secondary school outside Greece, in another EU country or beyond, you do not sit the Panhellenic Exams. You apply instead under a special category reserved for foreign and foreign-origin candidates (ειδική κατηγορία αλλοδαπών-αλλογενών), and universities evaluate you on your school record rather than ranking you against Greek exam-takers.

Applying under the special category

You submit your application and preference form online through the Ministry of Education's system. For the 2026-27 academic year, the electronic application window for foreign and foreign-origin candidates ran from July 2 to July 9, 2026, with a final postal deadline of July 10 for any paperwork sent by post instead of online, according to esos.gr's coverage of the Ministry announcement . Check the Ministry of Education site each year for the exact dates before you apply, since the window shifts from year to year.

Read the official guidelines for admission of foreign-origin students, published on the Ministry of Education website under the exams section, before you start. Eligibility rules differ depending on your exact category, such as EU citizen, non-EU citizen, or child of Greek parents living abroad, and each category asks for different supporting documents.

Who counts as "foreign or foreign-origin"

The special category groups together several distinct situations under one application track: EU citizens who finished school outside Greece, non-EU citizens, and people of Greek descent who grew up and studied abroad. Each sub-category has its own supporting evidence, so identify which one applies to you before you gather documents, since a form filled under the wrong sub-category gets rejected rather than reassigned automatically.

Documents you need to prepare

• Secondary school diploma and full transcript, translated and certified

• DOATAP recognition confirming your diploma matches a Greek apolytirio

• Passport or national ID

• Greek language certificate (B2 or higher) for Greek-taught programs, or an English certificate for English-taught programs

• Passport photos and category-specific proof, such as parents' nationality documents for the foreign-origin category

Recognition of your school diploma

DOATAP , the Hellenic National Academic Recognition and Information Center, is Greece's ENIC-NARIC body and confirms that your foreign secondary diploma corresponds to a Greek apolytirio. Start this step early, since document translation and certification take weeks, and universities need the recognition confirmed before they finalize your place.

Language requirements

Greek-taught programs ask for proof of Greek proficiency, typically a certificate at B2 level or higher. If you do not speak Greek yet, look at university-run preparatory language courses, which several public universities offer for a year before formal enrollment. English-taught programs, mostly at postgraduate level, waive the Greek requirement but ask for an English certificate such as IELTS or TOEFL instead.

Postgraduate applications work differently

Master's and doctoral applications go directly to the university department, not through the national portal. Each program sets its own deadline, required documents (transcripts, references, a research proposal for doctoral study) and selection process, which sometimes includes an interview. Deadlines for English-taught master's programs commonly fall in spring and summer for a September start, so check each program page directly since dates vary by faculty.

Visas and residence permits

EU/EEA and Swiss citizens enter and study in Greece on a passport or national ID card without a student visa, though a stay beyond 3 months needs registration for a residence document. Non-EU students need a student visa before travel and a residence permit shortly after arrival, applied for through the Greek consulate in their home country.

After you accept a place

Once a university confirms your place, you enroll in person or online depending on the department, submitting original documents for a final check against the copies you sent earlier. Enrollment usually opens a short window before teaching starts in September, so build travel and accommodation search into the same timeframe rather than leaving it until after classes begin. Ask the international relations office at your university about orientation sessions, since most run a welcome program covering registration for a Greek tax number, opening a bank account and signing up for student health cover.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying under the wrong sub-category of the special category route

• Starting DOATAP recognition too late, after the application window has opened

• Missing the exact document format a university asks for, such as certified rather than plain translations

• Assuming EU citizenship removes the need for diploma recognition, when it does not

Practical timeline

Start the diploma recognition and language certificate process at least 6 months before you plan to apply, since these documents take the longest to prepare. Watch the Ministry of Education website directly for the opening date of the special category window each year, and keep copies of every document you submit in case a university asks for verification later.