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Unemployment Insurance in EU->Greece
Unemployment insurance in Greece
This article explains all you need to know about the benefits to which unemployed persons are entitled in Greece. Any salaried employee who is insured is covered by unemployment insurance.
However, you must meet certain requirements in order to receive unemployment insurance benefits and/or unemployment assistance benefits. If necessary, insurance periods in other European Union member states can also be counted in.
Below you will find information on the following benefits:
- unemployment benefit (ΕΠΊΔΟΜΑ ΑΝΕΡΓΊΑΣ)
- special seasonal allowance (ΕΙΔΙΚΌ ΕΠΟΧΙΚΌ ΕΠΊΔΟΜΑ)
- long-term unemployment benefit (ΕΠΊΔΟΜΑ ΜΑΚΡΟΧΡΟΝΊΩΣ ΑΝΈΡΓΩΝ)
- special assistance of vulnerable groups (Ειδικό Βοήθημα Ευάλωτων Ομάδων)
In what situation can I claim?
Unemployed persons in Greece are mainly aided through unemployment benefit.
Unemployment benefit (ΕΠΊΔΟΜΑ ΑΝΕΡΓΊΑΣ): this benefit is granted by the Public Employment Service (DYPA) to employees with unemployment insurance, who were dismissed or whose employment contracts expired, are registered with an employment office and are both willing and capable of working. The duration of unemployment benefit can be extended for older unemployed. https://www.dypa.gov.gr/anergia-kai-paroxes-asfalishs-misthwtwn?tab=taktiki-epidotisi-anerghias&tab2=koini-anerghoi&tab3=
Special seasonal allowance (ΕΙΔΙΚΌ ΕΠΟΧΙΚΌ ΕΠΊΔΟΜΑ): certain professional activities cannot be exercised throughout the year. For employees coming under the professional categories that are "seasonal" in nature, a special seasonal aid has been established and is paid by the Public Employment Service (DYPA) in the period during which they cannot exercise their professional activity.
Seasonal employees must be insured with the e-National Social Security Fund (e-EFKA) and must provide their services in Greece. Mainly employees in the construction sector, salaried employees in the tourism and food sectors, as well as certain categories of salaried employees in artistic professions are entitled to seasonal aid. The same aid is also provided to salaried shipyard employees, provided they are insured with e-EFKA and provide their services to undertakings which are registered in Greece and operate in one or more European Union member states. For information on the Special Seasonal Allowance visit the DYPA website at https://www.dypa.gov.gr/anergia-kai-paroxes-asfalishs-misthwtwn?tab=boithimata-epidomata&tab2=eidiko-epokhiko-voithima&tab3=
Long-term unemployment benefit (ΕΠΊΔΟΜΑ ΜΑΚΡΟΧΡΟΝΊΩΣ ΑΝΈΡΓΩΝ): for information on the long-term unemployment benefit please visit the DYPA website at: https://www.dypa.gov.gr/anergia-kai-paroxes-asfalishs-misthwtwn?tab=boithimata-epidomata&tab2=epidoma-makrokhronios-anerghon&tab3=
Special assistance of vulnerable groups (Ειδικό Βοήθημα Ευάλωτων Ομάδων): Beneficiaries are unemployed persons registered at D.YP.A. with one of the following characteristics: released from prison, victims of violence - trafficking, people who have recovered from addictive substances, women, victims of gender or domestic violence and parents of a single parent family. For information visit the DYPA website at: https://www.dypa.gov.gr/anergia-kai-paroxes-asfalishs-misthwtwn?tab=boithimata-epidomata&tab2=eidiko-boithima-efaloton-omadon&tab3=
What conditions do I need to meet?
Unemployment benefit: in order to be entitled to this benefit, you are required to have worked for a period of at least 125 days during the 14 months prior to the termination of your employment without taking into account the last 2 months or for a period of at least 200 days within the 2 years prior to the termination of your employment without taking into account the last 2 months.
If you are receiving the benefit for the first time, you will be required to have paid contributions corresponding to 80 insurance days for every year in the two years preceding your benefit.
Special seasonal allowance: this benefit is paid in a lump sum on an annual basis and its amount depends on the professional field to which the beneficiary belongs. In order to receive the seasonal aid, you must prove that you have accumulated at least 50 to 240 insurance days in your sector (the number varies according to the professional field) and no more than 240 daily wages in the calendar year preceding the year of payment of the aid. Special regulations apply to construction workers.
If you have worked in other sectors, you can receive the seasonal aid provided that you did not accumulate more daily wages in other sectors than in the sector of your seasonal job during the previous year.
With the exception of employees in the construction sector, other categories are not entitled to the special seasonal aid if they meet the criteria for the regular benefit (unemployment benefit). For information visit the DYPA website at https://www.dypa.gov.gr/anergia-kai-paroxes-asfalishs-misthwtwn?tab=boithimata-epidomata&tab2=eidiko-epokhiko-voithima&tab3=
Long-term unemployment benefit: for information on the long-term unemployment benefit, please visit the DYPA website at: https://www.dypa.gov.gr/faq Information also available at: https://www.dypa.gov.gr/anergia-kai-paroxes-asfalishs-misthwtwn?tab=boithimata-epidomata&tab2=epidoma-makrokhronios-anerghon&tab3=
Special assistance of vulnerable groups (Ειδικό Βοήθημα Ευάλωτων Ομάδων): You must have 1-75 days of work at any time during the last 24 months before making your application or if you are released from prison before the start of your custodial sentence. You also have to meet specific income levels; not be, at the same time, beneficiary of unemployment benefit or other unemployment assistance from DYPA; and not have received the special assistance with the same or another of the 5 qualities within the two calendar years preceding the submission of your application. For information visit the DYPA website at: https://www.dypa.gov.gr/anergia-kai-paroxes-asfalishs-misthwtwn?tab=boithimata-epidomata&tab2=eidiko-boithima-efaloton-omadon&tab3=
Unemployment benefit and Long-term unemployment benefit are subject to tax in cases where the annual personal income amounts to over EUR 10,000.
Special seasonal allowance and special assistance of vulnerable groups are tax free.
What am I entitled to and how can I claim?
Unemployment benefit: the basic monthly benefit amounts to EUR 479, which increases by 10% for every dependant member of the family.
The duration of the benefit depends on the number of days of employment the insured person has covered in the above-mentioned crucial periods (14 months or 2 years), as presented in the website of the Public Employment Service (DYPA ).
In order to receive the unemployment benefit, you must register with the local Public Employment Service (DYPA) and fill an application for the benefits within 60 days from the day you became unemployed.
Special seasonal allowance: it is paid in a lump sum once a year. The amount depends on the social and professional class of the beneficiary. For information please visit the DYPA website at https://www.dypa.gov.gr/anergia-kai-paroxes-asfalishs-misthwtwn?tab=boithimata-epidomata&tab2=eidiko-epokhiko-voithima&tab3
Long-term unemployment benefit: for information on long-term unemployment benefit, please visit the DYPA website at https://www.dypa.gov.gr/anergia-kai-paroxes-asfalishs-misthwtwn?tab=boithimata-epidomata&tab2=epidoma-makrokhronios-anerghon&tab3=
Special assistance of vulnerable groups: Lump-sum of 37.5 daily unemployment benefits (37.5*19.16=EUR 718.50). It is increased by 10% for each member of the family. For information visit the DYPA website at: https://www.dypa.gov.gr/anergia-kai-paroxes-asfalishs-misthwtwn?tab=boithimata-epidomata&tab2=eidiko-boithima-efaloton-omadon&tab3=
Forms you may need to fill in
Know your rights
The link below provides a legal definition of your rights.
Who do you need to contact?
Public Employment Service (DYPA)
Directorate of Insurance & Social Policies
Department of EU Regulations and Conventions
Εθνικής Αντιστάσεως 8/Ethnikis Antistaseos 8
174 56 Άλιμος/Alimos
ΕΛΛΑΔΑ/GREECE
Website: https://www.dypa.gov.gr/
FAQs: https://www.dypa.gov.gr/faq
1555 - Number for Citizen's communication and service on insurance, labour and social issues www.1555.gov.gr
This page was last updated in 2024.
- Unemployment insurance in Europe →
Unemployment Insurance in Greece
You might also be interested in:
⇒EU social security coordination
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Key points of EU Unemployment Insurance coordination
- Transferring periods of work and insurance between EEA countries As an EU citizen you can transfer acquired rights from Unemployment Insurance when moving between EU/EEA contries. In this way it may be easier to become entitled to unemployment benefit in the country you move to.
In the vast majority of the Member states the aggregation rule become fully applicable as soon as you starts to work in the country. However in Denmark, Belgium and Finland you must work some period there before you can use the aggregation rule.
You need a PD U1 document in the country you leave or if the involved countries use electronically exhange (EESSI) there will be issued a SED U002. The countries who issues the highest number of PD U1 documents are Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands. The countries who receives most PD U1 documents are Lithuania and Italy. - Transferring unemployment benefits Under certain conditions you can go to another EU country to look for work and continue to receive your unemployment benefits from the country where you became unemployed. The period you can export your unemployment benefits varies from 3 to 6 months in the different Member states.
You have to apply for a PD U2 document in the country you leave, or if you haven't done that the institution in the receiving country must request a SED U008 from the competent institution in your last country.
The countries who issues the highest number of PD U2 documents are Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Denmark. Poland is the country who receives by far most PD U2 documents. - Unemployment benefits coverage According to OECD the net replacement of income after 2 months of unemployment, for a single person without children whose previous in-work earnings were 67% of the average wage varies from 33 percent (Ireland) to 91 percent (Belgium). Read more here..
- Having residence in another EU country than where you work? According to EU social security coordination rules you must only be insured against unemployment in one country at a time. As a generel rule this country is where you work.
In Member states who have compulsory insurance, you will automatically be covered when you start working there.
However you may be insured by your country of residence if you are posted to a EU/EEA country or work in two or more EU/EEA countries at a time. In these situations you can not your self decide where to have unemployment Insurance, but you (or your employer) must apply for a PD A1 document which states in which country you are covered by social security, including Unemployment Insurance. Special rule also apply for cross-border workers ("frontier workers"). - Third-country Nationals working in EU/EEANON-EEA citizens are covered by Unemployment Insurance in the EU countries who have compulsory Unemployment Insurance. In countries with voluntary Unemployment Insurance (Denmark, Sweden and Finland) third-country nationals can become member of an Unemployment Insurance Fund.
In the most countries Third-country nationals can also use the EU Coordination rules when moving within EU/EEA (however not in Denmark, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland).
Third-country nationals in short-tem working relations often faces problems with actually get Unemployment benefits, even though they have contributed to the system. This is due to the fact that one normally need a residence permit which allow one to take any job, and also because of a qualifying period in most countries between 6-12 months.