Costs & visa
Two things decide whether a plan to study in Greece survives contact with reality: the money, and the paperwork. Both are below, with numbers you can adjust and a document list you can start collecting this week.
Build your estimate
Move the controls. Everything recalculates live. These are indicative figures based on published 2026 institutional fees and current Greek cost-of-living data — a planning tool, not a quotation.
Adjusts food, utilities, transport, phone and personal spending. Rent is set by city and housing type above.
Your estimate
First-year total: tuition + 12 months’ living
€18,534Rough guide for proof-of-funds planning
€6,481The consulate sets the required amount annually against Greek living standards. Show more than the minimum, not the exact amount. This figure is a planning prompt only — get the current requirement from your consulate.
Line by line
Monthly ranges for a student living normally — not austerely, and not expensively. Athens sits at the top of each range; Thessaloniki, Patras and the island cities sit below it.
€300–€450 for a room in a shared flat in a regional city.
€450–€700 for a shared flat or small studio in Athens.
Rent and utilities together are what separate a €700 month from a €1,400 month. Everything else is comparatively stable.
€180–€280 groceries.
€60–€150 eating out and coffee.
Greek supermarkets and local markets are inexpensive by western European standards. The social coffee culture is real, and it belongs in your budget.
€15–€35 a month for a student pass, after the student discount of up to 50%.
Athens has metro, bus, tram and suburban rail. Most students in central districts walk more than they ride.
€60–€130 for electricity, water and heating.
Winter heating is the spike. Older Athenian apartments can be poorly insulated — ask about heating type before you sign.
€20–€35 combined.
Cheap and straightforward. You will need a Greek number for almost every administrative step, so arrange it in week one.
€60–€150 for books, clothes, going out and travel.
Budget it deliberately. Students who plan zero social spending are the ones who quietly overspend and then panic in March.
Add tuition on top. These are the ranges published across current Greek student cost-of-living data and they match what students report.
Rental deposit (commonly one to two months), health insurance, residence permit fee, document translation and apostille, flights, and a first-month buffer before any income starts. Budget €1,500–€2,500 on top of month one.
Living here
Where you study can change your monthly budget by several hundred euros. Most students arrive in short-term accommodation and find a permanent room within two or three weeks — never pay for a flat that neither you nor someone you trust has seen; rental scams target arriving international students every September.
The most programmes, the most international cohorts, the best flight connections — and the highest rents.
Greece's student city: a large young population, a compact waterfront centre, colder winters and noticeably lower costs.
The lowest costs, mildest winters and most seasonal tourism work; a narrower programme choice and a quiet off-season.
The national D visa
Student visa applications are rarely refused on academic grounds. They are refused for incomplete files, weak proof of funds, and documents that were never translated or apostilled. Start early and be pedantic.
Nothing else in this process can begin without a formal offer from the institution. Everything downstream — funds, insurance, appointment — references it.
Issued by your home authority, legalised with an apostille, then officially translated. In several countries this alone takes four to eight weeks. It is the most common reason a file misses an intake.
The required monthly amount is set annually against Greek living standards, separate from tuition. Acceptable evidence includes personal bank statements, a scholarship award (IKY, Onassis or institutional), or a sponsor letter with full supporting documentation. Show a balance comfortably above the minimum. Do not move a large sum into the account the week before — consulates read statement history, not just balances.
It must cover hospital and medical treatment for the entire duration of the visa and the subsequent residence permit. Check the wording of the policy against the consulate's requirement, not against what the broker tells you it covers.
Passport valid for the whole study period, photographs to the stated specification, proof of accommodation in Greece, and the completed application lodged at the Greek consulate with jurisdiction over where you live.
From a complete application, plan for one to three months to a decision. Do not book non-refundable travel before approval. Every year some students do, and some of them lose the money.
Apply for the ádeia diamonís at the local Aliens and Immigration Department soon after arrival, with your passport, D visa, acceptance letter, proof of funds, insurance and accommodation evidence. Then register for AFM (tax number) and AMKA (social security) — you cannot legally work, and often cannot rent properly, without them.
Up to 20 hours per week during term time, with a valid residence permit, AFM and AMKA, in formally registered employment. Undeclared work puts both your permit and your wage protection at risk. Full-time work may be possible during official holidays — confirm with the Migration Office. Migration authorities do monitor academic progress at renewal, so work that visibly delays your degree creates a problem later.
Residence permits are renewed against continued enrolment and demonstrated academic progress. Greece does not operate a long post-study work route comparable to the UK Graduate Route. Remaining after graduation generally requires a job offer with a corresponding permit, or progression to further study. Build that into your plan in year one, not in your final semester.
Tuition: published international fee schedules from Mediterranean College and the University of Nicosia for 2026–27. Living costs: current published Greek student cost-of-living data. Visa requirements and the 20-hour work allowance: Greek national D visa and residence permit guidance. All figures are indicative and change between intakes. Before you commit money, confirm tuition with the institution and funds requirements with the Greek consulate holding jurisdiction where you live. Ask us to check a specific figure