The deadline for all AFMs to apply for participation in the Public Employment Service (PES) 2026-2027 Worker and Unemployed Social Tourism Program is extended until Monday, April 27, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.

As stated in an announcement, the programme will start on 18 May 2026, earlier than ever before, will run for 13 months and will involve 300,000 vouchers, with a budget of €50 million.

With the voucher, which is a unique number for each beneficiary and beneficiary separately, beneficiaries can spend up to 6 nights in accommodation of their choice from the “register of providers” of the DYPA, upon request, with a small private contribution.

On the islands of Leros, Lesvos, Chios, Kos, Samos and Rhodes, beneficiaries can stay up to 10 nights for free, with zero private contribution, while in the municipalities of Northern Evia and Evros, as well as in Thessaly, except Sporades, they can stay up to 12 nights for free.

The subsidy rates are increased by 20% for the peak month of August, as well as for the Christmas periods (15.12.2026 to 14.01.2027) and Easter (23.04.2027 to 09.05.2027).

The increased subsidy is valid throughout the year for accommodation in North Evia, Evros and Thessaly, except for Sporades.

In addition to accommodation in tourist accommodation, ferry tickets are also subsidised. The private contribution amounts to 25% and, for people with disabilities, the tickets are free of charge.

Beneficiaries are:

– employees with a dependent private employment relationship,

– insured in the e-EFKA, due to a dependent employment relationship, with contributions for the unemployment branch of the DYPA, at any time in the 12 months preceding the deadline for submission of applications or

– unemployed persons registered in the digital register of jobseekers of the DYPA, with a continuous period of unemployment of at least three months on the closing date

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The condition is income up to:

– €16,000 for unmarried people,

– EUR 24,000 for married couples, plus EUR 5,000 for each child,

– €29,000 for single-parent families, plus €5,000 for each child after the first.

Applications are submitted, via gov.gr, at https://www.gov.gr/ipiresies/ergasia-kai-asphalise/apozemioseis-kai-parokhes/koinonikos-tourismos

Specifically, the route is: Home → Work and Insurance → Compensation and Benefits → Social Tourism Programs (STPs)

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The selection of beneficiaries is based on the weighting of specific criteria (disability, single-parent family, number of children, income, first participation or non-selection in the two previous programmes due to weighting), in an objective and transparent manner, through the Integrated Information System (IIS) of the DYPA.

For the first time this year, large parents are exempted from the points allocation process and participate in the programme if they meet the requirements.

According to the announcement, employees and unemployed persons who are subsidized by another agency’s social tourism program for the same period, as well as those who, except for disabled persons and large parents, received a check in the 2025-2026 program, cannot participate.

Programme Providers

Providers are tourist accommodation and ferry companies.

Provider applications are due from 21.04.2026 to 10.05.2026, via gov.gr, at https://www.gov.gr/ipiresies/ergasia-kai-asphalise/apozemioseis-kai-parokhes/parohoi-tourismou

The route is: Home → Work and Insurance → Compensation and Benefits → Social Tourism Providers

Providers from the previous year are automatically included in the register of providers, provided they update their eligibility documents.

For more information: https://www.dypa.gov.gr/koinonikos-toyrismos