Greek citizenship is obtained mainly by persons who were born from Greek parents or who are descendants of Greek ancestors. In these cases, the application for a Greek citizenship (where such citizenship is not granted automatically) consists mainly in establishing the connection with the Greek parent or ancestor and proving the Greek origins.
If a person is not of Greek descent, or cannot establish his Greek origins, there is a procedure to apply for a citizenship. It is the procedure of “naturalization”, where a person meeting certain criteria, applies for Greek citizenship based on the fact that he/she resides in Greece for a certain number of years and is integrated in the Greek economic and social life.
The main ways to obtain the Greek citizenship are:
- by birth
- by descent ( Greek origins)
- by naturalization
- by declaration in case of attendance of school in Greece
- by recognition
- by adoption
A. Greek citizenship by birth
A person born from a Greek parent (mother or father) obtains, as of the moment of his/ her birth, the Greek citizenship.
The process is automatic, especially for persons born of Greek parents in Greece. Regarding person however born abroad from a Greek mother of father, it is important for the parent to declare such birth with the Greek authorities.
A person born on Greek territory obtains the citizenship, only under the following conditions:
- One of his/ her parents was born in Greece and resides in Greece permanently as of the time of his/ her birth, or
- He/ she does not obtain a foreign citizenship by birth and is not able to obtain a foreign citizenship through a relevant declaration of his/ her parents to the competent foreign authorities, if the applicable foreign law requires such statement, or
- He/ she is of unknown citizenship, provided that the inability to obtain the foreign citizenship is not due to a refusal of the parent to comply.
B. Greek Citizenship by Descent ( Greek origins)
- Persons living abroad and who have Greek origins (co-ethnic Greeks / Greek omogenia), may apply for citizenship at the Greek Consulate of their place of residence abroad.
The applicants must prove their Greek origins, by providing documents and evidence that their ancestors were Greek citizens registered at a Greek municipality.
- Persons who have Greek origins (co-ethnic Greeks / Greek omogenia) coming from countries of the former USSR or persons coming from those countries but who now live in Greece legally.
- Persons who have Greek origins (co-ethnic Greeks / Greek omogenia) coming from countries of the former USSR, Albania or Turkey, and who hold a Special Identity Card for co- ethnic Greeks.
A special procedure is reserved to persons who were born before 1984 from a mother who was Greek, either at the time of her pregnancy or at the time of her marriage from which the applicant was born. In this case, the applicant may obtain the Greek citizenship by filing a relevant declaration. Similarly, a person who was born from a Greek father and non- Greek mother before the entrance into force of law 1250/1982.
This is a simplified procedure, which is processed by the authorities much faster than the other citizenship applications.
In cases of applications for Greek citizenship by descent, the most important (and sometimes challenging) part is to establish the sequence of your Greek ancestry. This entails locating the ancestor’s registration at a Greek municipality and proving the connection with you.
Our office has often assisted with this process, especially in locating documents of our clients’ ancestors in Greece. We also advise on the procedure and the preparation of the application documents, liaise with the competent local Greek and Consular authorities and translate the necessary documents.
C. Greek Citizenship by Naturalization (politografisi)
Non- EU citizens, wishing to obtain the Greek citizenship, may file a relevant application provided that:
- The applicant has resided continuously and legally in Greece for 7 years,
- The applicant has resided continuously and legally in Greece for 3 years, in case a) he/ she is married to a Greek citizen and they have a child together or b) in case he/ she has a child that was born in Greece, has the Greek citizenship and is under 18 years old and c) he/she is a stateless person.
EU citizens, may also apply for Greek citizenship by naturalization, provided that they have resided in Greece legally and continuously for 3 years.
In order to qualify to apply for a Greek citizenship by naturalization, the applicant must be an adult. He/she must not have been convicted into a sentence of 6 months or 1 year (depending on the crime) and must reside in Greece legally under specific types of residence permits.
Additionally, the applicant must speak Greek, and have a good understanding of the Greek history, geography, civilization, the habits of the Greek people, as well as the operation of the Greek state institutions. He/ she must be integrated to the Greek financial and social life. These requirements are proved by passing a specific test.
D. Greek Citizenship by Declaration in case of attendance of a Greek school
1. A person born in Greece, whose parents are foreigners, may apply for a Greek citizenship provided he/ she fulfills the following criteria:
- The person is enrolled in the 1st grade of a Greek elementary school or a school following the compulsory Greek education program
- The person’s parents have resided in Greece continuously for at least 5 years before the applicant’s birth
- The person’s parents reside legally in Greece by virtue of specific Greek residence permits.
2. A foreigner residing legally in Greece may apply for a Greek residence permit provided he/she has:
- Successfully completed 9 school years of elementary and secondary education at a Greek school or a school following the compulsory Greek education program, or
- Successfully completed 6 school years of secondary education at a Greek school or a school following the compulsory Greek education program
- Graduated both from a Greek university and a Greek High School.
In this case, the application for Greek citizenship must be filed within strict deadlines. For the persons who have graduated from a Greek university, the deadline is 3 years from such graduation. For the persons who have successfully completed 6 or 9 years of Greek school, the application must be filed before the applicant’s 21st birthday. In case the right to apply for the Greek citizenship is established after the interested person’s 18th birthday, and provided that the person continues to reside in Greece legally, such person may apply for the Greek citizenship within 3 years from the date of completion of the 6 or 9 years of attendance of a Greek school, and in any case, before such person becomes 23 years old.
It is also important to note that a person born from non- Greek parents, obtains the Greek citizenship in case, where he/ she is still a minor and unmarried, his/ her parent becomes a Greek citizen.
E. Greek Citizenship by Recognition
A person born from parents who are not married to each other, may obtain the Greek citizenship in case such person is legally recognized by a Greek parent, provided that at the time of recognition such person is under 18 years old.
F. Greek Citizenship by adoption
A foreigner who is adopted before reaching 18 years old, by a Greek parent, becomes a Greek citizen.
How we may assist you:
Our legal team is experienced in Greek Citizenship applications and is ready to assist you.
We often advise clients of the Greek Omogeneia (descendants of Greeks living abroad) on the most suitable procedure for their citizenship application. We assist them in registering with the Greek authorities births and marriages occurring abroad. We also assist them in locating documents proving their Greek ancestry, such as documents showing that their parents or grandparents were registered as Greek citizens with the Greek authorities. We advise in the preparation of the application file establishing the sequence of their ancestry, translate documents to/ from Greek, liaise with the local and Consular Greek authorities and monitor the progress of the applications.
We also advise persons living permanently in Greece regarding their options as regards Greek citizenship, and assist them in preparing and applying for Greek Citizenship.
Where a person does not qualify for citizenship, we may assist in examining other options allowing him/ her to reside permanently and legally in Greece.
For additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
*The above is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
