Daniel Okafor

Daniel had completed a bachelor's degree in Lagos and wanted a European master's in international business. The binding constraint was timing — waiting for the following September would have meant a fourteen-month gap.

Most of the European programmes on the original shortlist ran a single September intake. Those that admitted in February were harder to identify and their deadlines were less publicised.

Greek document requirements were the second issue: certified translations plus apostille, which takes time in Nigeria and cannot be rushed at the end.

We filtered the shortlist by intake first rather than by ranking, which narrowed it quickly to institutions genuinely admitting for February.

We listed exactly which documents needed apostille and which needed only certified translation, so nothing was paid for twice, and started that process before the applications went in rather than after the offer.

We also flagged the real constraint early: consulate appointment availability for the national visa, which in practice determines whether a February start is achievable at all.

The application was submitted in September for the February intake, with the offer issued in early October. Documents had already been apostilled by then, so acceptance and deposit were completed within a fortnight.

The type D visa application was lodged in November, in the first appointment slot available. The visa was issued in mid-January, and Daniel arrived in Athens two weeks before teaching began and applied for the residence permit in the first month.

Daniel started the MSc International Business programme in February 2025, ten months earlier than a September-only route would have allowed.