NEW RESIDENCE PERMIT CATEGORY “SECOND CHANCE” IN GREECE
- Apr 30
- 2 min read
Under Law No. 5275/2026, Greece has introduced a major reform of its immigration legislation, which also addresses the status of third-country nationals who have lost their legal right to stay in the country.
One of the most important changes is the introduction of a new residence permit category known as the “Second Chance” permit. This permit is designed for third-country nationals who previously lived legally in Greece for at least five years but later lost their residence status.
It applies to individuals whose residence permit expired and was not renewed, was revoked, or whose renewal application was rejected by the competent administrative authority. These situations must have occurred within one year before the law entered into force, specifically between 6 February 2025 and 6 February 2026.
Requirements for the “Second Chance” Residence Permit in Greece
To be eligible for the “Second Chance” residence permit, the applicant must meet the following conditions:
have completed at least five years of continuous lawful residence in Greece on the basis of a residence permit that has subsequently expired;
be physically present in Greece at the time of submission of the application;
not have been absent from Greece for a total period exceeding six months between the expiry of the previous residence permit and the submission of the new application;
not pose a threat to public order or national security;
not be subject to the five-year ban on obtaining a residence permit under Article 20(4) of Law No. 5038/2023.
Practical aspects
In cases where a third-country national has been imposed a five-year sanction in the form of a ban on obtaining a residence permit, provided for in paragraph 4 of Article 20 of Law No. 5038/2023, this is taken into account only where the decision of the competent administrative authority explicitly states that the applicant used forged or misleading information. At the same time, if this measure is subsequently annulled by a court, the applicant retains the right to apply for a residence permit under the “second chance” procedure.
The right to submit an application is granted only to individuals who lost their legal status within one year prior to the entry into force of Law No. 5275/2026 (6 February 2026). At the same time, the law does not explicitly limit the submission period, provided that the decision on rejection or revocation was issued within the aforementioned timeframe.
The six-month permissible absence period is calculated exclusively from the moment of loss of the previous residence permit up to the submission of the new application. Periods of absence during the validity of the previous residence permit are not taken into account, as during that time the applicant was lawfully present in the country.
In cases where the applicant does not have valid state health insurance coverage, they are required to provide a private insurance policy that complies with the requirements of applicable legislation.
It should be noted that, at present, the possibility to submit applications for the “second chance” residence permit category has already been opened on the electronic platform of the Ministry of Migration and Asylum of Greece.
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