Possible Ways of Acquiring Citizenship of Greece in 2023

The jus sanguinis (right of blood) principle is applied in Greece, which means that you can become a citizen of the country by descent. One more way to acquire citizenship of Greece is by naturalization. Marriage to a Greek person will accelerate the naturalization process. The jus soli (right of soil) principle is not applied in Greece. This means that a child born to foreigners on Greek soil cannot count on becoming a Greek citizen on these grounds.

Grounds for acquiring citizenship of Greece

Greece is an EU member state and becoming a citizen of Greece means becoming a citizen of the European Union. The Greek legislation allows dual citizenship so you would not have to renounce your home country’s citizenship if you obtained the Greek passport. Below we discuss different paths to Greek citizenship.

Citizenship of Greece by descent

The following categories of people can qualify for citizenship of Greece by descent:

• The child born in Greece to a Greek parent. If at least one of the parents is a Greek citizen and the child is born on the territory of Greece, he/ she automatically becomes a citizen of Greece.
• The child born in Greece to legal residents. If the child’s parents are foreign nationals who have legally resided in Greece for at least five years and the child is born in Greece, he/ she can qualify for citizenship for the country.
• The child born outside Greece to legal residents. If the child is born in another country but his/ her parents legally resided in Greece for at least five years some time ago, the child can qualify for citizenship of Greece when he/ she turns six.
• The child born abroad to Greek parents. If the child’s parents are Greek citizens, it does not matter where the child is born: he/ she will be a Greek citizen anyway.
• The child born abroad out of wedlock. A child born out of wedlock automatically becomes a citizen of Greece if his/ her mother is Greek. If the child’s father is Greek and this fact can be proved (with the help of a DNA test, for example), the child can become a citizen of Greece if he/ she files an application for citizenship before turning 18. If the child files an application for citizenship after turning 18, proving his/ her Greek descent can be more difficult. It may be the case that such a person will have to go through the naturalization process before he/ she can become a citizen of Greece.  
• An ethnic Greek born abroad. If an ethnic Greek is a citizen of another country, he/ she can become a citizen of Greece by naturalization unless one of his/ her parents is (was) a Greek citizen (see above). Alternatively, the person can try to prove that one of his/ her grandparents was a citizen of Greece.

Citizenship of Greece by naturalization

How long do you have to live in Greece to acquire citizenship of the country by naturalization? The requirements differ depending on the person’s ethnicity (Greek or not) and some other factors.

• A foreign national claiming that he/ she is an ethnic Greek has to officially proclaim his/ her desire to become a citizen of the country to the head of a Greek municipality in front of two witnesses (citizens of Greece). The proclamation can also be made to a Greek consul in a foreign country who will then pass it on to the Ministry of Interior. In this situation, the person is not obliged to live in Greece at all prior to becoming a citizen of the country.
• A foreign national who is not an ethnic Greek has to legally reside in Greece for at least 7 years before he/ she can apply for citizenship of the country. This means that the foreigner has to have a Greek residence permit. A possible way of acquiring such a permit is by applying for a ‘golden visa’ to Greece. After living in Greece on a golden visa for 7 years, the foreigner can apply for citizenship of the country. He/ she will have to pass a citizenship test (see below).

Children of a naturalized Greek citizen will automatically become citizens of Greece if they are below 18 years of age and are not married.

Citizenship of Greece by marriage

Marriage to a Greek citizen will make the foreigner qualified for Greek citizenship but not instantly qualified. You have to live in marriage for three years or have a child with your Greek spouse before you can apply for citizenship.

Today, marrying a Greek person does not make you a Greek citizen automatically even though until 1984, any foreign woman marrying a Greek man was granted Greek citizenship instantly.

Accelerated naturalization for some other categories of people

The following categories of foreigners can qualify for citizenship of Greece after living in the country for 3 consecutive years:

• Citizens of the EU;
• Custodians of Greek citizens;
• Political refugees.

Citizenship of Greece by army service or monkshood

Ethnic Greeks enrolling in military academies in the country or joining the armed forces obtain Greek citizenship instantly.

In accordance with the Constitution, foreign nationals becoming monks in one of the monasteries of the Holy Mount Athos automatically become Greek citizens.

General requirements to candidates for Greek citizenship

If a foreign national is applying for Greek citizenship not by descent but on some other grounds, he/ she will have to meet the following requirements in all cases:

• Be above 18 years of age;
• Have no criminal past;
• Have basic knowledge of the Greek language;
• Have no history of deportation from Greece of any other EU country;
• Prove integration with the Greek society by passing the citizenship test (see below).

Documents required for obtaining Greek citizenship

The lists of application documents are different depending on the path to Greek citizenship that the foreigner is taking. Besides, some unique requirements may apply in some particular cases. Below we provide a general overview of the documents that different groups of applicants for Greek citizenship need to submit.

Child born to a Greek parent outside Greece

• Application for citizenship;
• The Greek parent’s registration certificate from the Greek municipality where he/ she is registered;
• Parents’ marriage certificate apostilled or certified by a Greek consulate and translated into Greek;
• The applicant’s birth certificate apostilled or certified by a Greek consulate and translated into Greek;
• A copy of the applicant’s passport or residence card translated into Greek;
• A police clearance issued by the police authorities of the country of the applicant’s birth.

Child born out of wedlock and recognized by the Greek father

• Application for citizenship;
• Notarized declaration of child recognition by the Greek farther or a corresponding legal decision by  a Greek or a foreign court of law, certified and translated into Greek;
• The Greek father’s registration certificate;
• The applicant’s birth certificate, notarized and translated into Greek;
• Foreign mother’s marital status certificate issued by an authorized agency or alternatively, a letter of consent from the foreign mother, certified and translated into Greek;
• A copy of the applicant’s passport or residence permit translated into Greek;
• A police clearance issued by the police authorities of the country of the applicant’s birth.

Child born to foreign legal residents of Greece

• Application for citizenship;
• Documents confirming the legal resident status of the parents;
• The applicant’s birth certificate apostilled or certified by a Greek consulate and translated into Greek;
• A copy of the applicant’s passport or residence permit apostilled and translated into Greek
• A police clearance issued by the police authorities.

Naturalized ethnic Greek

• Application for citizenship;
• A copy of the applicant’s passport certified by a Greek consulate;
• The applicant’s birth certificate apostilled or certified and translated into Greek;
• The applicant parents’ marriage certificate apostilled and translated into Greek;
• A police clearance issued by the police authorities.

Naturalized foreigner (including accelerated naturalization in Greece)

• “Naturalization declaration” to be submitted to the city council;
• Registration certificate (or residence permit for citizens of the EU) issued by the Greek immigration authorities;
• Domestic passport (the original: copies are not accepted);
• The applicant’s birth certificate apostilled and translated into Greek;
• Documents certifying the political refugee status (for the relevant category of applicants);
• A document confirming marriage to a Greek citizen/ birth certificate of the child born in marriage with a Greek person (for the relevant category of applicants);
• Tax returns for previous years (to serve as a confirmation of legal residence in Greece);
• Any documents capable of confirming integration of the applicant in the Greek community;
• A police clearance issued by the police authorities of the country of the applicant’s birth.

Test for citizenship of Greece

If the Greek immigration authorities are satisfied with the application documents, the applicant for citizenship of Greece will be invited for an interview and given a written test. The following requirements have to be met (it is not obligatory to meet every single requirement but desirable):

• Basic knowledge of the Greek language;
• Harmonious integration into Greek society;
• Basic knowledge of Greek history, culture, and political system;
• Professional activities carried out in Greece;
• Payment of taxes in Greece;
• Ownership of real estate in Greece;
• Greek relatives.

We recommend reading some books on Greek history, geography, and culture before taking the test. In addition to a written exam, the applicant for Greek citizenship has to pass the oral part of the exam too.

The written test is administered once every two years and it consists of 20 questions broken into several sections. There are questions on Greek history, geography, culture, and political system including questions about the work of the Greek Parliament. Applicants have to demonstrate the B1 level of the Greek language. This concerns both oral and written skills.

Minimum passing grade is 80% of the highest possible score. If you pass the exam, a Certificate of Eligibility for Naturalization will be issued to you.

After the written section of the exam is over, you will have to have an interview at the Department of Citizenship. Two officials are going to interview you. After the interview, the Ministry of Interior together with the security service will have to make the final decision on granting Greek citizenship to you.   

The following categories of people are partially or fully exempt from taking the Greek citizenship test:

• Graduates of Greek schools and universities (the interview is still going to be required but the graduate certificate will substitute the written exam);
• Applicants over 67 years of age or applicants with special needs (an oral exam may be required anyway).

The application processing speed will depend on the region of Greece where the application is filed. Please bear in mind that the process is not fast. On average, the application processing takes about 3 years. After citizenship of Greece has been officially granted to you, the information is published in the official state bulletin.

The cost of acquiring Greek citizenship

Citizenship of Greece does not come for free. If you would like to become a naturalized citizen, for example, you have to have residential accommodations in Greece. In addition to that, there are certain fees and duties that you have to pay for various state services. These include the following ones:

• Citizenship test – 250 euros;
• Initial application for Greek citizenship – 700 euros;
• Application resubmission – 200 euros;
• An application for Greek citizenship from an apatride (a stateless person) or from a refugee – 100 euros (the price is the same no matter if the application is submitted for the first time or resubmitted).

If you have to take a test in the Greek language to qualify for citizenship, you will have to pay 150 euros. Besides, you will have to cover the costs of various legal services and consultations that can improve your chances of acquiring Greek citizenship.

The most comfortable way of acquiring a legal residence permit in Greece is applying for a golden visa. In the framework of this program, legal residence is granted to foreign investors buying real property in Greece that is worth at least 250,000 euros. (Please note that beginning July, 2023, twice as much money is going to be required in you choose to invest in property in some especially popular regions of Greece.) An alternative investment option is making a deposit in a Greek bank, purchasing state bonds, purchasing shares of Greek companies, or investing in a local fund. The minimum required investment amount is 400,000 euros if you choose this path to legal residence in Greece.

The cost of the Greek passport

If your application for Greek citizenship is approved, you will be issued a Greek passport. Obtaining the passport also costs money. The following state duties are payable:

• 84.40 euros if the new Greek citizen is above 14;
• 73.60 euros if the new Greek citizen is below 14.

Requirements to the photograph in the Greek passport

It’s important to have the right photo for the passport or you may find yourself in trouble. The photograph has to meet the following requirements:

• Size — 35 mm х 45 mm;
• You should look straight at the camera;
• Your facial expression should be neutral: no smiles or any other emotions;
• The photo has to be made against a white background: backgrounds of other colors are unacceptable;
• The photo has to be less than 6 months old;
• You shouldn’t be wearing glasses, a hat, a scarf, or any other accessories in the photo.

Advantages of acquiring Greek citizenship

Citizenship of Greece brings multiple advantages and the key ones are as follows:

• The right to enter Greece at any time and stay in the country for as long as you wish even in an extraordinary situation such as a pandemic, for example;
• The right to live and work in any EU country;
• The Greek passport gives an opportunity to travel to 184 jurisdictions without visas;
• Access to an advanced social infrastructure available in Greece including education and healthcare systems;
• An opportunity to use the Greek passport (instead of the passport of your country of origin) when opening foreign bank accounts and participating in international investment projects;
• Accessibility of new tax planning instruments;
• If a Greek citizen finds him / herself in a country, where there is no Greek embassy or consulate, the person is entitled to seek support and protection from the embassy/ consulate/ diplomatic mission of any EU state to be found in the country.

Please note that naturalized citizens of Greece are not granted the right to elect and be elected.

Loss and renouncement of Greek citizenship

Dual citizenship is allowed in Greece. This means that if a Greek citizen acquires citizenship of a foreign country, he/ she does not have to renounce citizenship of Greece unless this is required in the country of his/ her second citizenship. If a male Greek between 19 and 45 years of age wants to renounce his citizenship, he has to have no issues with the military authorities (there is conscription in Greece).

Assistance in acquiring citizenship of Greece

Greece is a popular place for relocation: the climate is superb and life is comfortable in this Mediterranean country. Foreign investors, remote workers, and wealthy pensioners look for opportunities to move to Greece. The local authorities welcome foreigners bringing money to the country. For example, they administer a program that allows financially independent individuals to acquire legal residence in Greece. Would you like to choose the best route to legal residence and citizenship in Greece? Our immigration experts will be delighted to help achieve this goal!