Around 5,000 people from third-country nationals have applied for the new residence permit of Greece that allows successful applicants to take up jobs in the country, SchengenVisaInfo reported.

The European country started offering the new permit, which is valid for three years, to offer legal employment to those who meet the conditions.

When such rules came into effect, a total of 4,790 people from developing nationals sent their applications

Around 828, out of the total, have received a residence permit and 3,952 applications are yet to be processed.

The number of applications is expected to spike in the next months, with the authorities saying that over 10,000 people have visited the digital application platform since February 9 when the digital platform for submitting applications was activated.

The applicants must prove that they had been residing in Greece without a residence permit until November 30, 2023, and that they continue to reside in the country.

Those applying for the new residence permit for employment are required to pay a €300 fee and €16 for the printing of the residence permit.