Obtaining Greek Citizenship

Greek citizenship, due to the country’s EU membership, grants the right to reside, work, conduct business, or study in any European Union member state. A Greek passport can be obtained by birth, recognition, adoption, through naturalization, military service, and in special circumstances. To become a citizen of the country, one must live in the state for 3 or 7 years, depending on the individual situation of the applicant, learn the national language, and demonstrate good character. The procedure is regulated by the Citizenship Law of July 16, 1982.

What a Greek Passport Provides

The Greek passport ranks fourth in the world in terms of strength and provides great freedom of movement. Document holders can travel visa-free to many countries worldwide and enjoy numerous privileges for building a future in an economically developed, politically stable, and attractive tourist destination. Among the advantages that Greek Republic citizenship provides:

• Visa-free travel to 173 countries worldwide, including the USA, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
• Free residence in EU territory after completing the registration procedure.
• Employment in the Greek and European labor market without obtaining permits and with higher wages than migrants.
• Opening and developing business in the EU’s unified logistics environment with government support.
• Obtaining education in Greek universities or other EU countries on a free basis where available, under preferential conditions.
• Medical care in leading European clinics through insurance policies.
• Holding public office and participating in the electoral process with the ability to run for candidacy.
• Receiving social benefits from the state (unemployment benefits, maternity leave payments, pensions, assistance for low-income individuals).

Who Can Apply for Greek Citizenship

Requirements for applicants depend on the method of obtaining Greek citizenship. A foreign national intending to naturalize in the state must be of legal age and have resided in Greece for at least 7 years prior to the application date. Some categories of migrants may be eligible for citizenship after 3 years of legal residence in the country. The applicant must not have criminal convictions during the 10 years preceding the application. Special requirements are also imposed regarding the type of residence permit – this must be a long-term residence permit, EU residence card, family member card for EU or Greek passport holders, or so-called second-generation residence permit (issued to persons born in the country or studying in local schools).

To become a Greek citizen, the applicant must demonstrate knowledge of the national language, history, culture, and geographical features of the state. The person should also be sufficiently integrated into the economic and social life of the country. This fact can be confirmed by having stable professional employment and income, timely tax payments, participation in public events, and having family or friendly ties with Greeks.

According to the Citizenship Law, several categories of persons can be identified who are entitled to claim status:

• children born to Greeks, recognized or adopted by them;
• armed forces personnel;
• persons who have undergone naturalization;
• children studying in Greek schools;
• applicants who meet the conditions for status assignment under special procedures.

Methods of Obtaining Greek Citizenship

The choice of an appropriate option for acquiring Greek citizenship depends on the individual situation of the applicant. It should be noted that for foreigners, a limited number of solutions are available – naturalization or military service in the state’s armed forces. The country operates an investment residence program. According to the Golden Visa investment plan conditions, an applicant can bypass the residence permit stage and immediately acquire permanent resident status with numerous rights, but citizenship acquisition still occurs under normal procedures – immediate passport purchase is not possible.

Birth and Origin

All children born to one or two Greek parents automatically receive citizenship of the republic. Regarding foreign newborns, there are several scenarios under which a child is entitled to claim a Greek passport:

• one parent was born in this state and permanently resides in its territory;
• there is no possibility of obtaining status from parents due to laws of their country of origin or other circumstances;
• children have unknown citizenship and establishing their origin is impossible.

For children of Greeks, a birth certificate is issued based on parents’ passports and medical records. Foreigners must documentarily confirm their stateless status or the impossibility of the newborn obtaining other citizenship.

Recognition and Adoption

If a child is born out of wedlock to a foreign mother and Greek father and is recognized by him, they receive citizenship of the republic, but only until reaching the age of majority. Children under 18 adopted by Greek citizens can obtain status after a guardianship decision is issued. The main document based on which the child receives a passport is the court decision on adoption.

Military Service

Automatic acquisition of Greek citizenship is possible in the following cases:

• Upon a foreigner’s enrollment in officer or non-commissioned officer school or voluntary joining of the country’s armed forces.
• Upon recognition of a person from abroad as a volunteer during conscription or war.
• Upon the applicant from one of the two previous categories receiving the rank of officer, permanent serviceman, or reservist.

Military oath replaces the ceremony that citizenship candidates undergo during naturalization. Children of these persons can also obtain status upon submitting the appropriate application, but exclusively before reaching the age of majority and entering marriage. When undergoing the citizenship acquisition procedure, applicants must documentarily confirm military service under the conditions described above.

Naturalization

This concept refers to a foreign national’s long-term residence in the state’s territory with language learning, cultural and national traditions study, stable employment, and having a center of life interests in Greece. Naturalization in the country lasts 7 years but can be reduced to 3 years for certain categories of persons, provided other requirements are met – EU passport holders, spouses of Greeks with a common child, persons raising Greek children, and stateless applicants. A foreigner’s path begins with obtaining a visa and residence permit on one of the grounds (work, business, family reunification, education, and other purposes of stay that must be documentarily confirmed).

After 5 years of legal residence in Greece, the person receives the right to long-term residency, acquisition of which is mandatory for the possibility of claiming citizenship. After the full naturalization period, having ensured compliance with established conditions, the applicant can request status according to legal procedure norms. On the day the parent receives citizenship, their minor child also becomes Greek if they have not entered marriage and permanently live in the state.

Education in Greek Schools

Receiving education in Greek educational institutions is considered an additional privilege for simplified citizenship acquisition. According to the law, two options for status registration in connection with these grounds are specified:

• A minor foreign national legally and permanently residing in the state has completed nine grades of primary and secondary education or six grades of secondary education, as confirmed by the appropriate certificate (kindergarten attendance years are not counted).
• A legally and continuously residing applicant is a graduate of a Greek university faculty or TEI (technical educational institution) with a certificate of secondary education received in a local school.

The applicant must prepare supporting documents and submit an application to the competent Regional Citizenship Management service. Foreigners who are graduates are given 3 years after university graduation to file a request. Persons who received secondary education in Greece must submit an application after reaching the age of majority but before turning 23. The case is reviewed for six months, after which the person is registered in the municipal census and the decision is published in the Government Gazette. An obstacle to application approval may be the person’s criminal record or threat to Greece’s national security. If the applicant has a minor and unmarried child, they also simultaneously acquire status.

Special Cases of Citizenship Assignment

Without fulfilling additional formalities, children can obtain status by decision of the general secretary if they:

• Were born to a Greek mother before August 5, 1984 (before this period, the rule of inheriting citizenship from a woman was not in effect).
• Were born to a Greek father and foreign mother before the current Citizenship Law of July 16, 1982, came into force.

In both cases, persons can claim status until reaching the age of majority and entering marriage.

How to Obtain Greek Citizenship

There are 5 steps to obtaining Greek citizenship:

Visa and Residence Permit Processing

The applicant must request a long-term type D visa at a diplomatic mission and immediately after arriving in the state, contact the Ministry of Internal Affairs authorities to obtain a residence permit on the same grounds. The permit is issued for 2 years and then extended for another 3. After 5 years, the person can request permanent residence, and after the entire naturalization period expires, prepare for citizenship processing.

Testing

The General Secretary for Citizenship determines the place and date of the examination. During testing, the applicant must confirm language proficiency at B1 level, as well as knowledge of geography, history, culture, and political institutions. The exam is considered successfully passed if the foreigner gives 70% correct answers, resulting in receiving a PEEGP certificate from the General Secretariat for Citizenship.

Application Submission and Decision Receipt

The request with a document package is submitted to the competent regional citizenship management. Authorized persons assess the completeness of the dossier and the person’s compliance with requirements, and if there are doubts about economic or social integration, may invite the applicant for an interview. Approximate decision-making timeframes are not established, but it is possible to check case status on the official website of the Greek Ministry of Internal Affairs. In the provided form, personal data and file number must be entered to track what stage the citizenship application is at, and estimate waiting times. The decision is published in the Government Gazette.

Taking the Oath

The ceremony must be conducted within a year after the decision’s publication in the gazette; otherwise, status assignment may be canceled. The applicant must recite several lines before the regional director or consul about readiness to fulfill citizen duties of Greece and observe state laws.

Identity Document Processing

Citizens receive an internal Greek passport in ID card format with photo and holder data, as well as an international passport that looks like a booklet with a burgundy cover. Identity documents for domestic use can be made at a police station, and for travel abroad – at the local passport office. The applicant needs to submit applications and confirm identity; other data is extracted by the authorized body from the Integrated Information System of the National Census of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Document Collection for Citizenship

Document package that the applicant must prepare for Greek citizen status processing:

• completed citizenship application form;
• valid international passport or other identity document;
• current residence permit;
• certificate of sufficient knowledge of Greek language, history, and culture (PEEGP);
• birth certificate;
• calculation receipts and acts on tax payments for previous years of residence in the country;
• social insurance registration number;
• receipt for application fee payment;
• documents proving the applicant’s economic and social integration.

The birth certificate is submitted in original, officially translated and legally certified form, and the passport as a copy. By providing a naturalization application, the foreigner automatically gives permission for collection and processing of personal data by the authorized body.

Processing Costs and Timeframes

Greek citizenship processing costs 550 EUR, but for certain categories of persons, a smaller fee is provided – 100 EUR for EU citizens, refugees, and stateless persons. If the request is resubmitted, an additional 200 EUR must be paid. Expense items include document translation and legalization costs, testing participation (150 EUR), and specialist services if necessary. Identity documents are issued free of charge, and the cost of producing an international passport valid for 10 years is 84.40 EUR.

Expenses during naturalization for processing authorization documents (visa – 150 EUR, residence permits – from 150 to 500 EUR, depending on validity period), housing, food, and other needs will also be required.

The citizenship case review period is not established, as it depends on the number of requests and the applicant’s individual situation. However, there is an option to check application status on the authorized body’s website and learn the approximate decision release date.

Dual Citizenship in Greece

According to current legislation, republic citizens are entitled to hold multiple passports. Foreigners intending to naturalize in Greece are not required to renounce their current status in their home state. Local authorities do not notify competent organs of the person’s country of origin about granting them second citizenship. Upon receiving national identity documents in Greece, the person will be considered only their own citizen in each state. Foreigner rights and obligations are not replaced, as in the case of dual status, but this does not limit the privileges they receive. The person can, at their discretion, use all opportunities provided by the second passport when traveling, choosing a country for temporary or permanent residence, work, or business conduct.

Reasons for Citizenship Denial

Rejection of a Greek citizenship application is possible if the applicant does not meet at least one of the established requirements. Having a criminal record or posing a threat to the country’s national security or public order also provokes application denial. These biographical facts are thoroughly checked by the authorized body independently with data requests from appropriate databases. Grounds for negative decisions may include incompleteness of the provided dossier or inaccuracy of indicated information. If the applicant did not permanently reside in the country after submitting the request and before being called for subsequent procedure stages, the application is rejected. If circumstances are discovered confirming that the person has been outside Greece for more than 18 months but maintains ties with the state (has housing, registration), stays in another country for education or due to force majeure reasons, case consideration is suspended. Resubmission of a request is possible one year after the previous denial.

The applicant should also be attentive regarding the legality of their stay throughout the entire naturalization period in the country. Documents should be renewed on time, as otherwise deportation and future inability to claim any status threatens. Reviews from migrants who received citizenship indicate that seeking help from immigration lawyers helps avoid application rejection. Learning about optimal EU passport acquisition options is available through free specialist consultation.

How to Quickly Obtain All Rights of Greek Citizens

Due to the fact that in most cases naturalization in Greece lasts a long 7 years, many wishing to relocate to the country seek faster alternative solutions. For example, one can obtain EU citizenship in another union country and immigrate to the republic, freely work, study, or conduct business in the state’s territory, as well as receive social assistance and other privileges in various life spheres. If desired, after 3 years of residence in the country, one can also process a Greek citizen passport.