Job Opportunities in Corfu for Non-Greek Speakers

Corfu is one of Greece’s busiest tourism islands, and every year hotels, restaurants, bars, travel companies, marinas and other tourism businesses recruit thousands of seasonal workers.

Speaking Greek is always an advantage, but it is not essential for every job. In many tourism-related positions, good English is more important, while German, Italian, French, Dutch or other European languages can make an applicant particularly attractive to employers dealing with international visitors.

The largest number of opportunities appears during the tourism season, although Corfu Town and some larger businesses also offer year-round employment.

Main Employment Areas in Corfu

• Hotels & Resorts — reception, guest relations, housekeeping, food and beverage, maintenance and entertainment.

• Restaurants & Bars — waiters, bartenders, kitchen staff, cooks and supervisors.

• Tourism & Excursions — customer service, reservations, excursion sales, boat-trip staff and representatives.

• Yachting & Marinas — charter operations, customer service, boat cleaning, maintenance and selected marine roles.

• Car Rental & Transfers — airport representatives, drivers, reservations and customer service.

• Retail — tourist shops, boutiques, supermarkets and seasonal stores.

• Office & Digital Roles — reservations, social media, marketing, administration and IT-related work.

Corfu Town — The Best Choice for Year-Round Work

Corfu Town offers the widest variety of employment and is generally the best place to look if you want something that may continue beyond the summer season.

Hotels, restaurants, cafés, shops, travel agencies, car-rental companies, airport-related businesses and professional offices all employ staff in and around the town.

Foreign languages can be particularly useful for hotel reception, guest relations, reservations, tourism sales and customer-service positions.

My tip: If you want to live in Corfu throughout the year rather than only for one summer, start your search in or close to Corfu Town. Most beach resorts become considerably quieter during winter.

Gouvia & the Marina

Gouvia is one of the most internationally oriented parts of Corfu because of its large marina and concentration of hotels, restaurants, yacht-charter companies and tourism businesses.

Possible jobs include reservations, customer service, yacht preparation, cleaning, marina services, hospitality and administrative positions.

People with previous sailing, marine, mechanical or yacht-charter experience may find the area especially interesting.

Dassia & Ipsos

Dassia and neighboring Ipsos have a large concentration of hotels, restaurants, beach businesses and bars.

Seasonal opportunities can include hotel reception, waiting staff, bartending, housekeeping, kitchen work, entertainment, guest relations and watersports-related employment.

Because these resorts have frequent public transport connections with Corfu Town, they can also be practical for workers who do not have their own vehicle.

Sidari & North Corfu

Sidari is one of northern Corfu’s busiest summer resorts and has substantial seasonal demand for hotel, restaurant, bar and tourism staff.

The wider north of Corfu — including Acharavi, Roda and Kassiopi — also has hotels, villas, restaurants, boat-rental businesses and excursion companies that employ seasonal workers.

English is widely used in these resorts because a large proportion of customers come from outside Greece.

Paleokastritsa & West Corfu

Paleokastritsa is another major seasonal tourism area, particularly for restaurants, accommodation, boat trips and small tourist businesses.

Jobs are naturally concentrated in the warmer months because tourism activity falls sharply during winter.

See our Paleokastritsa guide if you are considering living and working in this part of Corfu.

South Corfu

Moraitika, Messonghi, Kavos and other southern resorts also generate significant seasonal employment.

Kavos has particularly strong demand for hospitality, bar, restaurant and entertainment staff during the main summer months, while Moraitika and Messonghi have a broader mix of hotels, restaurants and family tourism businesses.

What Jobs Can You Find Without Speaking Greek?

Hotel Reception & Guest Relations: Strong English is usually essential, and an additional European language can be a major advantage.

Waiting & Bartending: English may be sufficient in highly tourist-oriented resorts, although learning basic Greek makes daily work easier.

Housekeeping: Many hotels employ international teams, and advanced Greek is not normally required for every position.

Kitchen Work: Experience can matter more than language ability for certain roles.

Tourism Sales & Reservations: Languages are particularly valuable for excursions, travel agencies, boat trips, hotels and rental businesses.

Entertainment: Resorts may employ entertainers, activity staff, children’s-club staff and performers during the summer.

Yachting: English is widely used within the international sailing industry, although technical qualifications may be required for specialized positions.

Drivers & Transfers: Tourism companies recruit drivers and airport-transfer staff, but the appropriate driving licence and legal employment requirements must be met.

When Is the Best Time to Look for Seasonal Work?

Many large hotels and tourism companies begin recruiting well before the summer season starts, so applying early gives you a better choice of positions.

Recruitment continues through spring, and additional vacancies often appear during summer when businesses need replacement or extra staff.

The busiest employment period is generally from approximately April or May through October, although exact opening and closing dates vary considerably between businesses.

My tip: Do not wait until July if you want a position that includes staff accommodation. Accommodation is one of the biggest challenges for seasonal workers in Corfu, and the best employer-provided rooms can be allocated early.

How Much Can You Earn in Corfu?

Pay varies considerably according to the job, experience, working hours, responsibilities and whether accommodation or meals are included.

As of 1 April 2026, Greece’s statutory minimum monthly salary for employees is €920 gross, while the statutory minimum daily wage for workers is €41.09.

Some jobs and sectors may be covered by collective agreements or employment terms that result in higher minimum remuneration.

Experienced chefs, receptionists with several languages, supervisors, specialized tourism employees and other skilled workers can earn substantially more than entry-level staff.

Important: When comparing job offers, ask whether the quoted salary is gross or net, how many hours and days per week are expected, whether overtime is paid and whether accommodation and meals are included.

Staff Accommodation

Accommodation can sometimes be more important than a small difference in salary.

Many seasonal hotels provide staff rooms, shared apartments or accommodation close to the workplace. Others may provide meals during working shifts.

However, never assume these benefits are included.

Before accepting a job, ask:

• Is accommodation included?

• Is it free or deducted from the salary?

• Is the room private or shared?

• Are electricity, water and internet included?

• How far is it from the workplace?

• Are meals provided during working days?

During the summer, long-term rental accommodation near major resorts can be difficult and expensive to find, so this should be discussed before you travel.

EU, EEA & Swiss Citizens

Citizens of the European Union generally have the right to work in Greece without obtaining a separate work permit.

This also applies under the relevant free-movement arrangements to EEA and Swiss nationals. Other registration, tax and social-security requirements may still apply depending on the length and nature of the stay.

Non-EU Citizens — Check Before Accepting a Job

If you are a citizen of a country outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland, do not assume that entering Greece as a tourist automatically gives you the right to work.

Third-country nationals generally need an appropriate visa and/or residence permit that includes the right to work.

For ordinary salaried employment, the employer may need to complete an employment authorization procedure before the worker can obtain the relevant visa and residence status.

Important: Greece also has a legal category called “seasonal employment”, but the official seasonal-worker procedure is not simply a general visa for hotel and restaurant jobs. Different rules apply according to the type of employment.

If you are non-EU, confirm your legal right to work before travelling to Corfu specifically for a job.

Digital Nomads & Remote Workers

Remote work is a separate category from finding a local job in Corfu.

If you already work online for an employer or clients outside Greece, living temporarily in Corfu can be attractive because Corfu Town and several nearby areas have reliable internet, cafés and year-round services.

A digital nomad should not, however, assume that remote-working status automatically allows employment by a local Greek hotel, restaurant or company. Immigration, tax and employment rules depend on your nationality and circumstances.

If you are considering living here outside summer, our guide to getting around Corfu can also help you decide whether you need a car or can rely on public transport.

Be Careful with “Work Exchange” Offers

Websites sometimes advertise accommodation in return for helping at farms, guesthouses or other properties.

Do not automatically assume that describing something as “volunteering” or a “work exchange” removes normal employment, tax or immigration requirements.

This is particularly important for non-EU visitors. If an arrangement involves regular duties or work for a commercial business, make sure you understand its legal status before agreeing to it.

Where to Look for Jobs

EURES: The European Employment Services network is particularly useful for EU/EEA workers looking for employment in Greece. EURES Greece also runs recruitment initiatives aimed at tourism and hospitality workers.

DYPA: Greece’s Public Employment Service provides vacancies, employment services and guidance for jobseekers.

Hotel Websites: Large hotel groups often advertise directly through their career pages.

LinkedIn & Job Platforms: Search using both “Corfu” and “Kerkyra”, since employers use both names.

Local Facebook Groups: Corfu employment and community groups can be useful for smaller businesses advertising seasonal positions.

Direct Applications: Sending a CV directly to hotels, restaurants, marinas and tourism businesses can still work very well in Corfu.

EURES specifically supports EU/EEA jobseekers looking for tourism and hospitality work in Greece and provides information in English about working conditions and employment rights.

What to Ask Before Saying Yes

Do not accept a seasonal job based only on a WhatsApp conversation saying “€1,200 plus room”. Ask for the details.

• What is the exact salary — gross or net?

• How many working days per week?

• How many hours per day?

• How is overtime handled?

• Is accommodation included?

• Is the accommodation shared?

• Are meals included?

• Will you be formally registered as an employee?

• What is the exact start and finish date?

• Do you need your own transport?

Getting to Work

Transport is another important consideration. A job that looks attractive can become difficult if the hotel is 20 km from your accommodation and your shift ends after the last bus.

Blue and Green buses connect many major resorts with Corfu Town, but schedules become less frequent outside the main season and do not suit every working shift.

Workers in remote hotels, villas and restaurants may find a car or scooter useful, although this adds another cost to the season.

Working in Corfu During Winter

Winter employment is more limited but does exist.

Corfu Town continues to operate as a normal working city throughout the year, with shops, offices, restaurants, supermarkets, healthcare, education and public services.

There is also work connected with construction, maintenance, agriculture, professional services and businesses serving permanent residents.

Tourist resorts, however, can become extremely quiet between approximately November and March.

If you are considering staying permanently, read our Winter in Corfu guide before deciding where to live.

Local Advice

Knowing even a little Greek helps. You do not need to speak perfectly, but simple greetings, numbers and everyday workplace phrases make communication easier and show respect for the people you work with.

Corfu is also a relatively small community. Tourism businesses know each other, employees move between hotels and restaurants, and reputation matters. Being reliable and professional can lead to another job the following season.

At the same time, do not accept poor working conditions simply because you are a foreign seasonal worker. Make sure the employment is declared correctly, understand your salary and hours and keep copies of your employment documents.

Final Thoughts

For non-Greek speakers, Corfu can offer genuine employment opportunities, particularly in tourism, hospitality, yachting and international customer service.

English can get you through the door, but experience, reliability and additional languages can make a major difference. The strongest opportunities are naturally concentrated between spring and autumn, while Corfu Town offers the best chance of finding work that continues throughout the year.

Find the job carefully, understand exactly what you are being offered and sort out your legal right to work before you arrive. A summer season in Corfu can be an enjoyable experience — but it should also be a properly organized job, not just an informal promise made before the season starts.

Employment, immigration and minimum-wage rules can change. This guide was reviewed in August 2026. For official employment and immigration requirements, check the Greek authorities or EURES before accepting a position.