Greek Citizenship

Under Greek law, the terms “citizenship” and “nationality” are identical in terms of the process required to become a Greek citizen. The process of acquiring Greek nationality is very bureaucratic, as it requires filing a petition along with a number of supporting documents and appearing before various Greek authorities (or having legal representation appear on your behalf). If one document is incomplete, it can cause serious delays in processing your application for Greek nationality. There have been many cases that remain pending for years due to one clerical error that is never brought to the applicant’s attention. It is, therefore, crucial that you retain an experienced lawyer in Greece to handle your application.

Greek Law provides for five routes to acquiring Greek nationality:

• Acquisition of Greek Nationality by birth to a Greek parent (Art. 1 par. 1 Law 3284/2004);
• Acquisition of Greek Nationality by legal declaration of recognition, by the Greek father, of his biological child born out of wedlock (Art. 2 Law 3284/2004);
• By naturalization (this refers to foreign Nationals who have continuously and lawfully resided in Greece for a minimum of 7 years);
• By a declaration from a child born before May 8, 1984 to a Greek mother or by a child that was born to a Greek father before Law 1250/1982 came into effect; or
• By adoption (applicable only for minors).

Acquiring Greek nationality will allow you, among other things, to obtain a Greek passport. An obligation to serve in the Greek military may exist for men who acquire Greek citizenship, in the event that they intend to reside within Greece for more than six consecutive months.

We can assist you by evaluating your file, helping you collect all required documentation and filing it before the competent Greek authorities on your behalf. We will monitor your case closely and ensure it is being processed, without a need for you to be present. You will only need to travel to Greece to apply for your Greek ID card.

If you have a minor child who has Greek citizenship, you are entitled to a residence permit in Greece. Please contact our office to find out more.