Greece Visa from Dubai: VFS, Fees, Bank Statements and Timing

The short answer: Emiratis don't need a visa for Greece: they can stay up to 90 days in any 180. Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan nationals living in the UAE need a Schengen visa. The Embassy of Greece in Abu Dhabi decides every application from the UAE. You hand in your documents at VFS Global in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, depending on the emirate on your Emirates ID. The visa fee is EUR 90 for adults, about AED 360, plus the VFS service charge. The embassy says processing takes about 15 working days, and it wants six months of stamped bank statements.

Athens, Santorini, Mykonos and Crete are about five hours' flight from the UAE, and in summer there are flights from the UAE straight to the islands. Greece issues Schengen visas, so a Greek visa covers the other Schengen countries too, as long as Greece is your main destination.

Greece visa for UAE residents at a glance

Question	Answer (October 2026)
Emirati passport	No visa, up to 90 days in any 180
India, Pakistan, Philippines, Egypt, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka	Schengen visa before travel
Who decides	Embassy of Greece in Abu Dhabi
Where to apply	VFS Global Dubai (Dubai and the northern emirates) or Abu Dhabi (Abu Dhabi and Al Ain)
Visa fee	EUR 90 adults (about AED 360), plus the VFS service charge
Processing	About 15 working days
Bank statements	Last 6 months, stamped by the bank
UAE residence visa	Valid at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area

Who needs a visa for Greece

Whether you need a visa depends on your passport. UAE citizens have been able to visit Greece and the rest of the Schengen area without a visa since May 2015. They will need the EU's ETIAS travel authorisation once it starts; it hasn't yet, and the EU says it will announce the date several months ahead.

Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan nationals need a Schengen visa. Your UAE residence decides where you apply: EU rules say you apply in the country where you legally live, so you apply in the UAE, not at home.

Apply to Greece if it is your main destination, where you spend the most nights. If the nights are split evenly, apply to the country you enter first. See our Schengen visa guide for how the rule works.

VFS, not GVCW

If you have applied for a Greek visa in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka, you may know Greece's visa centre there, GVCW. In the UAE, Greek visa applications go through VFS Global; the embassy's own checklist is a VFS form. There is also no Greek consulate in Dubai: the Hellenic trade office in Dubai Marina doesn't handle visas.

How to apply from Dubai or Abu Dhabi

1. Book an appointment on VFS Global's Greece site for the UAE. Use the centre for the emirate on your Emirates ID: Dubai, at Wafi Mall, if you live in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah or Fujairah; Abu Dhabi if you live in Abu Dhabi or Al Ain.
2. Fill in the application form in English or Greek and sign it. A child's form is signed by both parents in front of the visa officer.
3. Attend your appointment, hand in your documents, give fingerprints and pay the fees.
4. Wait about 15 working days for the embassy's decision, then collect your passport or pay for courier return.

You can apply up to six months before you travel. Slots are hardest to find before the summer, so book early for June to September trips.

Documents

The embassy's checklist for tourism and family visits asks for:

• Passport valid at least three months after you leave the Schengen area, issued within the last ten years, with at least two blank pages next to each other
• UAE residence visa valid at least three months after you leave the Schengen area, with copies of your passport, residence visa and previous Schengen visas
• One recent colour photo, 3.5 × 4 cm on a white background, taken within the last six months
• The signed application form
• Travel medical insurance with at least EUR 30,000 of cover for the whole stay and every Schengen country, including repatriation. Bring the full policy: a copy of an insurance card isn't accepted.
• Return flight reservation, and an itinerary if you are visiting more than one Schengen country
• Bank statements for the last six months, stamped by your bank. The checklist says internet printouts without a stamp are not accepted. Salary slips for the same period can help.
• An original NOC from your employer or sponsor, stating when you joined, your position, contract length and salary. If you are self-employed, a copy of your trade licence, translated into English or Greek.
• Proof of accommodation: a hotel booking, a rental contract or proof that you own property, for every Schengen country you visit

Greece doesn't publish a minimum bank balance. Your statements should show a steady income and enough money for the trip.

Family, spouses and children

• Visiting family or friends: an original invitation letter from your host covering your whole stay, and proof of your relationship, such as a birth or marriage certificate.
• Sponsored by a spouse or parent: the sponsor's NOC, passport copy and UAE residence visa copy, with your marriage or birth certificate translated into English or Greek.
• Children: a birth certificate and the notarised consent of both parents, or both parents signing in front of the visa officer, with copies of both parents' passports. A child listed in a parent's passport still needs their own application form.

Fees and processing time

• Visa fee: EUR 90 for adults, the same across the Schengen area since June 2024. VFS's Greece page for the UAE reportedly lists it as AED 360; the dirham amount moves with the exchange rate.
• Children: under 6 pay nothing. Published rates for 6 to 11-year-olds differ, so confirm with VFS before you pay.
• VFS service charge: reported at AED 88 per application. Premium lounge, SMS updates and courier return of your passport cost extra.
• Processing: about 15 working days, the embassy says. It can ask for more documents or an interview, which takes longer.

Fees aren't refunded if you are refused. An incomplete file can be refused outright, so check every document against the current checklist before your appointment.

Is Greece the easiest Schengen visa from Dubai?

There is no easiest country. Greece doesn't publish approval rates for UAE applicants, and the general figures reported for Greece, around 86% of applications approved, cover every country it receives applications from. What changes from one country to another is how easy it is to get an appointment, and that changes from month to month.

Applying to Greece only makes sense if Greece is genuinely your main destination. Consulates check your bookings against your application, and applying to one country for a trip mainly spent in another is a common reason for refusal. If you love the islands, build the trip around them: a week split between Athens and Santorini is a straightforward Greek application.

At the border

Since April 2026, every Schengen country registers non-EU visitors in the EU's Entry/Exit System. On your first trip since it started, you give fingerprints and a photo at passport control instead of getting a stamp.

Flights from the UAE

• Emirates flies non-stop from Dubai to Athens in about five and a half hours.
• Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Athens all year, and in summer 2026 added flights to Mykonos, Santorini and Heraklion on Crete; check whether yours stops in Athens.
• Air Arabia flies from Sharjah to Athens, and flydubai flies to Mykonos and Santorini in summer.
• Aegean, the Greek airline, paused its Athens–Dubai flights in 2026 and is reported to restart them in late October 2026.

Flights between the UAE and Europe were disrupted for much of 2026, so check your flight with the airline before you book, and make sure the reservation you submit matches your application dates.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I apply for a Greece visa in Dubai?

At VFS Global's Greece visa centre, at Wafi Mall, if you live in Dubai or the northern emirates. Abu Dhabi and Al Ain residents use the VFS centre in Abu Dhabi. The Embassy of Greece in Abu Dhabi decides every application.

How much is the Greece visa fee from Dubai?

EUR 90 for adults, reported as AED 360 on VFS's page, plus a VFS service charge reported at AED 88. Children under 6 pay no visa fee; confirm the rate for older children with VFS.

How long does a Greece visa take from Dubai?

About 15 working days from your appointment, according to the embassy. Apply as early as you can, up to six months before you travel, especially for summer.

How many months of bank statements do I need for a Greece visa?

Six months, stamped by your bank. The embassy's checklist says internet printouts without a stamp are not accepted.

Is Greece the easiest Schengen visa from Dubai?

No country approves weak applications, and Greece doesn't publish approval rates for UAE applicants. Apply to Greece only if you will spend most of your nights there.

Do Emiratis need a visa for Greece?

No. UAE citizens can visit Greece without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180. They will need an ETIAS travel authorisation once the EU starts it.

Planning a trip to Greece

A week covers Athens and one island; ten days lets you add a second island by ferry. May, June and September are warm without the August crowds, and island flights from the UAE run only in summer. See our Schengen visa services for help preparing your Greece application, browse holiday packages, or talk to us about flights, ferries and hotels.

Related guides

• Schengen visa for UAE residents
• Italy visa from Dubai
• Cyprus visa for UAE residents
• Turkey visa from Dubai

Last checked 9 October 2026 against the Embassy of Greece in Abu Dhabi's tourism and family visit checklist, VFS Global's Greece pages for the UAE, Greece's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the EU Visa Code and fee regulation, the European Commission's ETIAS page, eu-LISA on the Entry/Exit System and airline schedules. The VFS fee figures are as reported, as VFS's own page could not be checked directly. This guide is general information, not immigration advice. Confirm the current requirements with VFS Global or the Embassy of Greece in Abu Dhabi before you apply.