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Applying to Greek Universities in 2026–2027: The Foreign-Applicant Quota, English-Taught Programmes and a Step-by-Step Plan

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StudyU editorial team

International students enter Greek public universities in one of two ways. The first is the Ministry of Education's centralised quota for applicants of non-Greek origin: a one-week online window in July, no entrance exams, selection by school-leaving grade, tuition-free Greek-taught study, and a mandatory B2 Greek certificate before enrolment. The second is a direct application to an English-taught programme, with its own deadline, requirements and fees.

In 2026 the quota form was open from 2 to 9 July, and the paper file had to be sent by express courier to the ministry with a postmark no later than 10 July. Most of the work — apostilles, Greek translations, converting your grade to the 0–20 scale, school certificates — has to be done before that window opens. This guide covers who is eligible for the quota, the full document list, the calendar, the language year and the separate procedure for English-taught programmes. For the overall picture of institutions, see universities in Greece.

Neoclassical façade with a portico and marble staircase between pine trees
The Averof building, the historic home of the National Technical University of Athens. Photo: Yair-haklai / source, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Two admission procedures compared

Ministry quota for foreign applicants English-taught programme
Where you apply ministry portal exams-foreigner.it.minedu.gov.gr plus a paper file by courier the university's platform or the Study in Greece portal
When one week in early July, once a year each programme's own window, usually winter to summer
Exams none some programmes test or interview
Criterion school-leaving grade on a 0–20 scale documents, grades, English, motivation
Choices several departments ranked in one form one programme, one application
Language of study Greek; B2 certificate before enrolment English; B2 or above
Tuition none $5,110–19,300 (€4,500–17,000) a year
Decision a decision of the Minister of Education the programme committee

Who can apply through the quota

The ministry's 2026 instructions define two categories of foreign graduates from schools outside the EU:

  • A.2 — neither the applicant nor either parent is of Greek origin. This is the standard case for most international applicants.
  • A.1 — at least one parent is of non-Greek origin.

Both categories must meet the same conditions:

  • the last two school years were completed in full, in person, in the country that issued the certificate;
  • the certificate gives access to university in that country;
  • it was not obtained by correspondence or distance learning;
  • the applicant did not complete two school years within one year on an accelerated programme;
  • the applicant did not graduate from a Greek school in Greece;
  • the applicant has not already earned a Greek degree after entering through this quota.

For students who were home-schooled or sat their final exams as external candidates, this is the critical risk. Before paying for translations, make sure your school can confirm in-person attendance in the final two years, with the school years stated.

Documents for the quota and where to get them

Every document issued by a foreign authority needs an apostille or consular legalisation and an official Greek translation. The ministry receives legible photocopies of lawyer-certified copies; the originals are checked by the department secretariat at enrolment.

  1. School-leaving certificate with transcript — apostilled by the issuing education authority, then officially translated into Greek.
  2. Certificate of correspondence (βεβαίωση αντιστοιχίας) — issued on the Greek side by the Ministry of Education, a regional directorate of secondary education or the education coordinator at a Greek embassy. If your average is not on the 0–20 scale, the same body issues a certificate converting it. This converted grade decides the outcome.
  3. A certificate from your country's education or diplomatic authority confirming three points: full, in-person attendance of the last two years (with the years and grades named); the country and curriculum of the school; and that the certificate gives access to university. The instructions include a model text. If your country's embassy or consulate in Greece issues it, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs must validate it.
  4. Proof of the applicant's and parents' origin. Where no such certificate exists, the ministry accepts a family-status certificate with parents' birth details, birth certificates of the applicant and parents, or copies of their passports.
  5. Two photographs and a passport copy.
  6. The official statement generated by the system after you submit the form.

A vocational diploma (college or technical school) also needs a certificate of equivalence from EOPPEP, the Greek qualifications organisation.

Apostille or consular legalisation?

Country that issued the document What is required
Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Tajikistan, Ukraine and most Hague Convention states an apostille; no Greek consular validation needed
Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Algeria, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tunisia, Bangladesh the apostille is not enough, because Greece objected to their accession; a Greek consulate must validate the signature on the original

Who can translate into Greek

  • the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs translation service;
  • your country's embassy or consulate in Greece;
  • a Greek lawyer who certifies knowledge of both languages;
  • graduate translators of the Ionian University certified by their professional union.

A translation agency in your home country is not on this list, so ordering one there and redoing it later wastes time.

The quota calendar

The 2026 dates are a benchmark; the ministry announces each year's dates in a press release, typically a few days before the portal opens.

Stage When What to do
Documents from spring of the final school year apostilles, school certificates, translation, certificate of correspondence and grade conversion
Online form 2 July 2026, 13:00 – 9 July 2026, 23:59 (Greek time) complete the form at exams-foreigner.it.minedu.gov.gr, rank departments, print and sign two copies of the form and the statement
Paper file postmarked by 10 July 2026, express courier only signed form and statement, copy of the certificate with translation, copy of the certificate of correspondence and grade conversion, photo, passport copy
Results usually late August published on the ministry website; log in with your candidate code and initials
Enrolment after results contact the department secretariat, present originals, take the medical check required by the department

The courier address is given in the press release: Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, Directorate of Examinations and Certifications, Department B΄, office 0091, 37 Andrea Papandreou Street, 15122 Marousi, Athens, for the attention of the committee for foreign applicants' forms. Once the portal closes, no application is accepted in any form.

You do not need to travel to Greece to apply: the form is completed from abroad and the file travels by courier.

Greek: getting to B2 without losing your place

There are no entrance exams, but registration requires a Greek language certificate. Three options are accepted:

  • the certificate from examinations at NKUA, held in Athens twice a year, around May and September;
  • the certificate from Aristotle University's School of Modern Greek, with exams in Thessaloniki in June and October;
  • a B2 certificate from the Centre for the Greek Language, examined in May.

Without a certificate, an admitted applicant can only register the following academic year, and only after passing. Otherwise the place is lost. Graduates of Cypriot schools and of foreign schools that taught and examined in Greek are exempt.

NKUA's language centre runs a course specifically for students admitted through the ministry: 5 October 2026 to 14 May 2027, 20 hours a week, beginners only, at $1,120 (€985) for 2026/27, with registration between 24 August and 16 September 2026. It targets B2.1 and prepares for the May exam. For students on the course, a first attempt at NKUA's B2 exam costs $79 (€70). You will need a national D visa for this year; Greek law adds one year for language learning to the student residence permit if the university requests it.

English-taught programmes: applying directly

The 20 English-taught bachelor's degrees at public universities do not use the ministry quota. You apply to the programme itself, through its website or the @SiG platform on Study in Greece. A typical file includes:

  • your school certificate and transcripts for the last two years, in the original and in official English translation;
  • an apostille or consular legalisation on those documents;
  • an English certificate (IELTS, TOEFL or Cambridge), usually waived for English-medium school graduates;
  • a CV and a personal statement, sometimes references;
  • an online interview if you pass the first screening;
  • for medicine, an entrance test or an international qualification.

Where the programme allows it, as NKUA and the University of Crete do, current final-year students can apply before graduating, using the previous year's transcript and a proof of enrolment, and receive a conditional offer. A non-refundable deposit usually follows. Requirements and calendars for the five medical programmes are in our guide to medicine in Greece.

Applying for a master's

Since 2022, graduates of foreign universities no longer need DOATAP recognition before applying for a master's: Law 4957/2022 moved the assessment to the universities themselves. The university checks whether your institution and degree type appear in the national registers of recognised foreign institutions on the DOATAP website and consults DOATAP only if they do not. Applications go straight to the department under its own rules — details in master's in Greece.

After admission: visa, residence permit and first weeks

The ministry states plainly that it does not issue visas or residence permits. After results you:

  1. Request the visa documents from the department secretariat.
  2. Apply for a national D visa at the consular section of the Greek embassy.
  3. After arrival, while the visa is still valid, apply online for the student residence permit.

The same instructions warn that a study residence permit is not granted to a student who changes department more than once. Candidates admitted for 2025/26 could reapply, with two attempts in total. Visa steps, required funds and timing are in our Greece student visa guide; budgeting is in the cost of studying in Greece.

Common mistakes

  • A certificate obtained externally or by distance learning. The ministry does not accept it, and no translation can fix that.
  • No certificate of correspondence or grade conversion. The file is incomplete without it, and the converted grade is what you compete on.
  • The wrong translator. Translations outside the ministry's list are rejected at the checking stage.
  • Sending the file on the last day. The postmark must be no later than 10 July, and only express courier counts.
  • No plan for Greek. Without B2 the place is deferred a year and then lost.
  • Changing department twice. A second change makes you ineligible for a study residence permit under the ministry's instructions.
  • Reading "no exams" as "no competition". Places are allocated by grade, and popular departments fill with higher scores.

FAQ

Yes, through the foreign-applicant quota: the ministry selects on your school-leaving grade converted to the 0–20 scale. You still need a B2 Greek certificate to register, and English-taught programmes may test or interview you.

For the quota, in July — in 2026 the form was open from 2 to 9 July and files were couriered by 10 July. English-taught programmes set their own windows, often from winter to spring or summer.

For the quota, yes — but not at the application stage: the B2 certificate is needed at registration, and without it enrolment is postponed by a year. English-taught programmes do not require Greek.

The quota form lets you rank several departments; the available list appears only in that year's form. English-taught programmes need separate applications.

The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs translation service, a Greek lawyer, your country's embassy or consulate in Greece, or certified Ionian University translators.

Yes, but a vocational diploma needs a certificate of equivalence from EOPPEP, and the same competition rules apply.

Sources

Checking quota eligibility, preparing and translating documents, submitting the form and ranking departments are provided under an agreement with StudyU. Quota admission is decided by the Greek Ministry of Education and English-taught admission by the university; visas are issued by the consulate.

During the free initial consultation, we clarify your goal, profile, timing, and budget and identify the next realistic step.

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