\n<\/p>\n
Around 1,100 Greeks work in Iceland during the summer tourist season, mainly in bars, restaurants and other tourism-related businesses. The number falls to around 400-500 during the winter.<\/p>\n
Their experiences vary widely. Some praise the high wages, respectful working conditions and quality of life, while others say Iceland\u2019s high living costs, limited career opportunities and workplace culture can challenge the image of an ideal destination.<\/p>\n
Greeks find work in Iceland\u2019s tourism industry<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n In H\u00f6fn, a small fishing town in southeastern Iceland, 26-year-old Katerina Karaiskou arrived in June last year after wanting to experience life and work abroad.<\/p>\n \u201cI always wanted to see what life and work abroad were like. I also wanted stability and financial security,\u201d she told Ta Nea<\/em>.<\/p>\n She learned about Iceland through a friend of her boyfriend who had previously moved there for work. Finding a job, however, proved difficult.<\/p>\n \u201cIt requires a lot of patience and persistence. After months of trying and sending many emails, we finally received the answer we had been waiting for,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Most Greek migrants work in tourism, particularly after Iceland\u2019s tourism industry began expanding rapidly from 2022 and businesses needed additional workers.<\/p>\n Karaiskou describes her experience positively. She found work in a local business despite having no previous experience in service.<\/p>\n \u201cThe environment is healthy, there is respect, politeness and education. You have your rights, breaks to rest and eat, free meals and quite a few days off. The financial rewards are very high,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Life in H\u00f6fn, however, can become quiet.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is a small place and there aren\u2019t many new things for someone to do, so it can become boring,\u201d she said. At the same time, she appreciates having enough free time to explore nature, exercise, walk and learn the language.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are given the time, and therefore the opportunity, to do things for yourself. This is how you calm down, mature and develop,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Personal time matters more than money<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Among the Greeks enjoying a day off at a nearby table was Karaiskou\u2019s 27-year-old boyfriend, Stelios-Athanasios Trimis.<\/p>\n He currently works at a local tavern after previously working at a petrol station, where he had less free time.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe personal time is more valuable than money,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Supermarkets represent one of Iceland\u2019s biggest expenses, although he noted that some basic foods can cost roughly the same as in Greece.<\/p>\n He also described generally positive working conditions.<\/p>\n \u201cIn most cases, the employee works without shouting and without stress. Employers respect your rights. In general, they don\u2019t like tensions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The couple plan to remain in Iceland for several years while returning to Greece for holidays.<\/p>\n Karaiskou encourages others considering a move abroad to take the opportunity.<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to tell those thinking about going abroad to take the leap. Otherwise, the thought \u2018what if\u2026?\u2019 will always trouble them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Greek workers appear across Iceland<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n The Greek presence extends beyond H\u00f6fn.<\/p>\n In H\u00fasav\u00edk, another fishing town, visitors encountered two Greek women, Kleio and Margarita, working at a fish-and-chips shop on the waterfront.<\/p>\n In Akureyri, Iceland\u2019s fourth-largest city, Greeks have also brought a distinctly Greek business to the local scene.<\/p>\n George Charakopoulos and his 23-year-old son, 23-year-old Alexandros, run a food truck decorated with images of the Parthenon and the Icelandic flag and carrying the slogan \u201cIcelandic meat the Greek way\u201d.<\/p>\n The business first operated last summer. Alongside its permanent location in Akureyri, the father and son take their food truck to festivals around Iceland, including a major Christmas festival in Reykjavik planned for December.<\/p>\n Their souvlaki, which they prepare themselves using local ingredients, has proved popular with Icelanders.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are the first in the city to do something Greek,\u201d Alexandros said. \u201cThey have loved it. They come back again and again. We have received a lot of positive feedback.\u201d<\/p>\n High wages come with a high cost of living<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n In Reykjavik, Greek filmmaker Nikos Skoulidas offers a more critical perspective.<\/p>\n Skoulidas has lived in Iceland for almost five years. Although he works in hotel service, his profession is filmmaking.<\/p>\n He moved to Iceland after previously living in Germany, believing Iceland would offer a more open-minded society and greater opportunities to work.<\/p>\n \u201cEventually, it turned out that it isn\u2019t exactly like that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Skoulidas estimates that around 80% of the young Greeks who arrive for seasonal work have university degrees. However, he says they generally do not work in the fields they studied and often struggle to find opportunities to do so.<\/p>\n He also points to the country\u2019s high cost of living.<\/p>\n \u201cThe money they earn here is, say, three times what they would earn in Greece. But the cost of living is 3.5 times higher,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Many seasonal workers manage their expenses by sharing accommodation, rarely going out and limiting their shopping. During the 15 or 16 days they typically work each month, they often eat at the restaurant or bar where they work.<\/p>\n Skoulidas also challenges some perceptions about Iceland\u2019s workplace culture and organisation.<\/p>\n He argues that the country is \u201cvery overrated\u201d in terms of organisation and says workers may face indirect rather than openly confrontational management.<\/p>\n He also questions claims that Iceland offers widespread four-day working weeks, saying such arrangements do not exist in the way some people believe.<\/p>\n Greek community regains momentum<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Despite the mixed experiences, the Greek community in Iceland has become more active again over the past two years and has been doing substantial work to connect Greeks living on the island.<\/p>\n The community\u2019s presence can even appear in unexpected places.<\/p>\n At Keflav\u00edk Airport, a young ground-handling employee surprised departing passengers by wishing them \u201cHave a good trip\u201d in fluent Greek.<\/p>\n For the hundreds of Greeks who live and work across Iceland, such encounters reflect a community that has established itself far from Greece while continuing to maintain a strong connection with home.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n