What do you need for greek dual citizenship?

Contents

Types of Greek Dual Citizenship

Most people seeking citizenship are ethnic Greeks and their family members. Greece is also a popular retirement destination for foreigners from Germany, Canada, UK, and other countries. They are attracted by the warm climate, affordable property, numerous prominent universities, and excellent healthcare. Additionally, some refugees from the war-torn Middle East also come to Greece seeking for employment.

There are five ways to become a Greek citizen:

• by descent and ancestry, if one of your parents is a Greek citizen,

• by declaration, if you have Greek heritage or a Greek adoptive parent,

• by marriage to a Greek citizen,

• through investment,

• by naturalisation.

Read more:

• How to obtain Greek citizenship?
• How to obtain a Greek National Identity Card?
• How to obtain Greek citizenship for the purchase of real estate?
• Taxes in Greece for Foreigners
• Mortgages in Greece for Foreigners

Requirements for Becoming a Greek Citizen

Greece is a great country to live and work in. However, while getting even a long-term visa is relatively easy, becoming a citizen can be tiring, time-consuming, and complicated, with potential pitfalls. Greek authorities are trying their best to simplify the application process. Still, the Hellenic Republic is not the easiest EU country for naturalisation. Basic application requirements for immigration include:

Basic application requirements for immigration include:

• being 18 or older;

• having no criminal convictions in Greece or other countries;

• not facing deportation;

• living and working in Greece for at least 7 years;

• having a legal residence permit;

• being able to speak Greek;

• being involved in the economic and social life of the country. It includes working, studying, paying taxes and owning real estate. Having family relationships with other citizens also helps.

Certain conditions can speed up the application process. Greece aims to attract ethnic Greeks and their family members. It also abides by the EU norms, making naturalisation faster for other Europeans, which is one of the potential benefits. Length of the legal residence is reduced to 3 years if you are:

Length of the legal residence is reduced to 3 years if you are:

• a citizen of another European Union country,

• married to a Greek citizen and raising a child with them,

• have parental custody of a Greek citizen,

• a political refugee or a stateless person,recognized by the Greek authorities.

Greek Dual Citizenship for Minors

Children under 18 become Greek citizens if:

• their legal parents are Greek citizens,

• their mother is Greek (for children born out of wedlock),

• their father is Greek, as proven by a paternity test,

• their parents have been living in Greece for 5 years,

• they have completed 9 years of elementary and secondary education or 6 years of secondary school in Greece. (The school can be anywhere in the country: from Athens to Rhodes.)

How to Apply for Greek Citizenship

If you’re serious about moving to Greece, you have to find out if the laws of your country prohibit you from becoming a dual citizen. You should check with the country's embassy or consulate if you are staying abroad. Then it is recommended to check other eligibility requirements. Afterwards, it is necessary to prepare the Greek dual citizenship application form and other documents.

Mandatory documents for naturalisation include

• your application,

• a legal residence permit,

• recent personal tax statements,

• a passport,

• a marriage certificate,

• a birth certificate.

Ensure the documents are translated into Greek and authenticated. You will have to pay an application fee. The fee for first-time applicants from non-EU countries is €700. The fee for the second and following applications is €200, in case you need an application renewal.

If you are a non-Greek from the UK, this is the only way to get British and Greek dual citizenship after Brexit.

EU nationals enjoy special privileges. For example, Greek and Albanian dual citizenship requires 3 years of living in Greece, according to the law, and a low fee of €100. Ethnic Greeks from South Albania can become citizens in one year after applying.

Greek Dual Citizenship for US Citizens

During the pandemic, the idea of migration and dual citizenship has attracted many Americans. Most of them have Greek heritage. American and Greek dual citizenship is also popular with celebrities. For instance, Tom Hanks has became a Greek citizen in 2020.

A Greek passport allows its holders to travel across 188 countries without a visa. That's a big advantage over having only a US passport. Americans with Greek citizenship can enter Greece even during lockdowns. They and their families can live and work in most of Europe or get access to public health services of excellent quality. Getting a job or starting a business are also among the perks.

Americans of Greek origin can enjoy faster citizenship approval. Besides naturalisation documents, they need proof of relation to a Greek ancestor: a great-grandparent, for instance. They can apply at the Greek embassy or consulate in their home state. It costs €120 plus consular fees.

If you have a Greek parent, you need to provide a birth record from your parent's home municipality in Greece. Your male ancestors may also have records in the Greek Army registry going as far back as the 19th century.

For other foreigners, residency for investment can be a good option. The Greek Golden Visa programme is the most affordable in Europe. It requires a minimal investment amount of €250,000 in real estate. This way, you get a residence permit which allows you to legally reside in Greece and apply for Greek citizenship after 7 years.

Easy Ways to Obtain Greek Dual Citizenship

In the following sections, we will describe the most convenient ways to obtain Greek citizenship in terms of their cost-effectiveness, processing time and the ease of required paperwork. However, the following eligibility requirements will apply anyway:

1. permanent residency as a necessary preliminary status.

2. age of at least 18.

3. clean police certificate.

4. no deportation history in Greece.

5. greek language proficiency at the B1 level or higher.

Citizenship by Descent

You are entitled to citizenship if one of your ancestors, including your grandparents and great-grandparents, is or was a Greek national. The eligibility criteria for this option are quite complicated, and we strongly recommend a consultation with a relevant professional or Greek government official. The required documents include:

• your ID and police clearance;

• your birth, baptism and marriage certificates;

• identical certificates of your spouse, children and the ancestor in question;

• your ancestor's registration record in his municipality in Greece;

• receipt for the application fee of €150.

Naturalisation by Ethnicity

If you do not qualify for citizenship by descent, but you are an ethnic Greek, you can still apply for a Greek passport by ethnicity. The required paperwork will differ slightly in this case, and you will also need to make a declaration, co-signed by two Greek citizens, and submit it to the nearest Greek Consulate or directly to the Greek Home Affairs. 

Naturalisation by Marriage

Being married to a Greek national no longer entitles you to citizenship, a permanent resident status being the best you can hope for. The exception is if you got married before 1984, when citizenship by marriage was granted automatically.

This exception may also be significant if any of your ancestors got married to a Greek national before the specified date. In this case, the ancestor in question was, and still is, eligible to obtain citizenship, even if they never actually applied for it himself at that time, or are no longer alive. And as his descendant, you can apply for a Greek passport by descent. 

Naturalisation by Military Service

Another way, if you are an ethnic Greek, is to enlist in the Hellenic Army, even as a volunteer, or enter a military academy in the country. In this case, you will automatically be granted citizenship on the day of your official enrollment or enlistment.

Passport by Investment

To boost the economy, Greece is attracting potential investors. It’s not about buying state’s bonds, however. You can acquire permanent residency in Greece by investing in the local real estate sector, which is known as a Golden Visa. This is probably the most convenient path to citizenship, even if you are an ethnic Greek, provided you have enough money to purchase a house or apartment — no need to cash out for luxury villas on Santorini — in the country.

The minimum investment required for the purpose is €250,000, and you will only have to wait two-three months to get a permanent residence permit. Next, you will need to stay in the country for seven years before you can apply for citizenship. The documents required for the visa include:

• your identity document;

• confirmation of any type of income;

• local tax number, bank account and SIM-card;

• medical insurance;

• police certificate;

• purchase contract for your Greek real estate. 

Multiple Citizenship

Greece allows dual and multiple citizenship, but you will have to double-check whether the other countries where you hold passports permit it as well. And the Greek government will only treat you as its subject when you are in Greece or travelling abroad. For instance, if you are a citizen of the USA, Greece and Australia, the Greek Embassy will accept you as an American or an Australian when you are in those countries respectively. 

Application Paperwork

Unless you are a citizen of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland or any EU state, you will first have to apply for a type D visa in any case. The required documents include:

• your passport or ID;

• passport-size photos;

• confirmation of income of any type, e.g. a salary, pension fund, dividends, etc.;

• proof of your residential address;

• documentation of your family relationships, if applicable;

• medical insurance;

• police certificates from all countries where you have citizenship, as well as from the EU. 

The next step will be to apply for permanent residency, the required documentation for which will depend on the grounds for your application, e.g. by descent, investments, etc. And when it comes to applying for the actual citizenship, you will need your:

• Identity document;

• Permanent residence permit;

• Account statement from a Greek bank;

• Updated police certificate;

• Greek tax number;

• Receipt for the application fee (up to €700), unless you are an EU resident. 

If the Application Is Rejected

If your application is declined, you can appeal within a certain time limit. Contact the Greek Consulate abroad, the relevant government department in the country or your legal agent to find out what this period currently is.

In most cases, there is little cause for concern, though; most likely, they will ask you to submit some additional documents or point out what you have done wrong during the application procedure, and explain to you the best course of action to rectify the situation.

However, your case will be more difficult if:

1. The evidence you provided of your Greek origin was deemed insufficient to obtain citizenship by descent.

2. Your police certificate shows a bad criminal record, in which case you will most likely not even be allowed to appeal.

Residence-Greece provides investors with access to a large property database, assists with the registration of the purchase, and provides advice and legal support at all stages of obtaining Greek residency.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Manuals on dual citizenship in other countries:

• Portugal Dual Citizenship
• Spain Dual Citizenship