The online platform for submitting applications for the special seasonal benefit offered by the Greek Public Employment Service ()DYPA) for 2026 opens this Thursday (10/9) at 11:00. Applicants will also be able to submit their applications in person through Citizens’ Service Centers (KEP) starting September 23. The benefit amount ranges from €719 to €1,438, depending on the category to which each eligible recipient belongs. According to DYPA data, approximately 80,000 beneficiaries received this benefit last year.
Read also: Special seasonal benefit 2026: DYPA platform opens Thursday for applications – Who is eligible
As clarified in the official announcement, the special seasonal benefit will not be paid to those who qualify for regular unemployment benefits during the period from September 10 to November 30, 2026. Construction workers are exempt from this restriction and may receive both the special seasonal benefit and regular unemployment benefits simultaneously.
How to submit an application
Applications are submitted electronically through the relevant service on gov.gr:
Special seasonal benefit DYPA – gov.gr
The navigation path is: gov.gr → Employment and Insurance → Unemployment → Special Seasonal Benefit DYPA.
The application deadline is Monday, November 30, 2026, at 14:00.
Who is eligible
Eligible recipients are workers covered by mandatory e-EFKA insurance who work in one of the following professions:
- Construction workers
- Quarry workers
- Lime kiln workers
- Ceramic tile workers
- Brick makers
- Potters
- Forestry workers
- Resin collectors
- Tobacco workers
- Musicians – members of the relevant professional union
- Shoemakers
- Employees in the shipbuilding and ship repair zone
- Operators of excavating, lifting, road-building, or drilling machinery
- Actors
- Film and television technicians
- Cinema projectionists or assistant projectionists
- Cinema and theater inspectors
- Cinema and theater cashiers
- Workers in the tourism and catering sector
- Emery workers
- Theater and cinema ushers
- Dancers – members of the relevant sectoral or trade unions
- Technicians working in live audiovisual events who are members of the relevant sectoral or trade unions
Also eligible are insured individuals who have been seconded by temporary employment agencies to work for indirect employers in the tourism and catering sector. A prerequisite is that this is reflected in the business activity code (KAD) on their individual insurance account and that all other eligibility conditions for the benefit are met.
What eligible recipients need to know
In-person attendance at DYPA’s Employment Promotion Centers (KPA2) is not required.
The decision regarding the granting of the benefit is received through DYPA’s online services.
For detailed information on the terms and conditions, the benefit amount, and required documentation, interested parties can visit the relevant DYPA page: https://www.dypa.gov.gr/anergia-kai-paroxes-asfalishs-misthwtwn?tab=boithimata-epidomata&tab2=eidiko-epokhiko-voithima&tab3=
