Unemployment Benefits in Greece
DYPA, the Public Employment Service, pays the regular unemployment benefit (basic rate €19.16 a day) for 5 to 12 months to insured workers whose job ended, depending on days worked. Long-term unemployed can keep medical care, and OPEKA runs the means-tested Minimum Guaranteed Income.
✓ From official pages ✓ Each part says when we checked
At a glance
DYPA (Public Employment Service)
The job market in Greece
The International Labour Organization's estimates put Greece 137th lowest of 183 countries for unemployment in 2025; the world's rate was 4.9%.
Greece's unemployment rate over the years · every country, ranked
What to do first
- Apply for Regular (ordinary) unemployment benefit (τακτικό επίδομα ανεργίας): get the Unemployment Card first, then apply within 60 days of the day after the job ended, online through DYPA e-services or gov.gr, or at the local DYPA KPA2 office. Official page
- Keep up with the job-search rule while you claim (below), and keep a record of where you applied.
- See whether you can get Minimum Guaranteed Income (Ελάχιστο Εγγυημένο Εισόδημα). Official page
Regular (ordinary) unemployment benefit (τακτικό επίδομα ανεργίας)
Who can get it. Insured workers whose employment ended or was ended by the employer, able and available for work; for a first claim generally at least 125 days of insured work in the 14 months before the job ended (excluding the last two months).
How much. Based on average gross monthly income of the last 6 months; 19,16€ a day for income of 418,09€ and over (lower bands €14.37 and €9.58), plus 10% per dependent family member.
For how long. From 5 months up to 12, depending on days worked (125–149 days: 5 months; 250 and over: 12 months).
How to claim. Get the Unemployment Card first, then apply within 60 days of the day after the job ended, online through DYPA e-services or gov.gr, or at the local DYPA KPA2 office.
From an official page, read October 25, 2026.
Looking for work while you claim
Claimants must stay able and available for work and make a presence declaration in person in the third month of each quarter to keep their unemployment card renewed; missing two in a row interrupts the benefit.
Reporting. In person, a presence declaration in the third month of each quarter.
From an official page, read October 25, 2026.
Keep my work search record for Greece
Free. It lists where you applied and what else you did to look for work, each line ready to copy into the form you report on. It is your own record: we send nothing to any government.
New jobs in Greece
Every job in Greece, and job alerts emailed as new ones come in.
Minimum Guaranteed Income (Ελάχιστο Εγγυημένο Εισόδημα)
A means-tested welfare programme run by OPEKA for vulnerable households; a single-person household qualifies with six-month income up to 1,296 euros.
From an official page, read October 25, 2026.
Health cover between jobs
Unemployed people up to 29 are covered by the Social Security Institute with a six-month renewable card; those 29 to 55 registered unemployed for at least 12 continuous months get medical care for up to two years; over 55 with 3,000 daily wages are covered until retirement.
From an official page, read October 25, 2026.
Questions
Is there unemployment benefit in Greece?
Yes: Regular (ordinary) unemployment benefit (τακτικό επίδομα ανεργίας), paid by DYPA (Public Employment Service).
How much is unemployment benefit in Greece?
Based on average gross monthly income of the last 6 months; 19,16€ a day for income of 418,09€ and over (lower bands €14.37 and €9.58), plus 10% per dependent family member.
How long does unemployment benefit last in Greece?
From 5 months up to 12, depending on days worked (125–149 days: 5 months; 250 and over: 12 months).
How do I claim unemployment benefit in Greece?
Get the Unemployment Card first, then apply within 60 days of the day after the job ended, online through DYPA e-services or gov.gr, or at the local DYPA KPA2 office.
Do I have to look for work while I claim in Greece?
Claimants must stay able and available for work and make a presence declaration in person in the third month of each quarter to keep their unemployment card renewed; missing two in a row interrupts the benefit.
Nearby countries
Albania
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Croatia
Gibraltar
Italy
Kosovo
Malta
Montenegro
North Macedonia
Portugal
San Marino
Serbia
Slovenia
Spain
Vatican City
Where this comes from
Every part of this page was read on an official website, and each links the page it came from and the day we checked it. Rules and amounts change, so check that page before you rely on a figure. Jobareer is not part of any government and cannot see or change a claim.
See also: unemployment rate by country · Greece's unemployment rate · unemployment in the US, state by state.