Are you considering acquiring Greek citizenship? Who qualifies for it and what steps must be followed?
There are four primary routes to attain Greek nationality.
**Greek Citizenship by Birth: Under the Greek Nationality Law, any individual born to at least one Greek parent is eligible for citizenship. If the child resides in Greece, the process is straightforward. However, when born abroad and holding another nationality from birth, additional procedures are necessary. Crucially, the parent must be officially recorded in the Greek municipal registry. Required documents include: the parent’s Greek birth certificate, the child's birth certificate, proof of registration in Greek municipal records, and evidence of citizenship status.
**Greek Citizenship via Descent: Citizenship can also be inherited from parents or grandparents who are Greek citizens. For grandparent lineage, their registration with a Greek municipality is essential. To receive a Certificate of Registration—applicable for Greeks living permanently in the USA—the application should be submitted through local Greek Consular Authorities, which forward it to appropriate municipal offices that issue the certificate. Prior to this, marriage registrations of parents and birth registration of the applicant must be completed. All non-Greek documents require translation into Greek and need to be apostilled.
**Greek Naturalization: This pathway applies to individuals with an extended residence in Greece. Applicants need to submit a form along with proof of legal residence such as permits and passports, a birth certificate, tax documentation, criminal record clearance, and pass both language and cultural examinations; payment receipts for government fees are also required.
**Greek Marriage-Based Citizenship: Foreign spouses married to Greeks may apply after three years of marriage and residing together in Greece. The application process involves submitting required documents including an application form, passing language and culture assessments, providing proof of residency and marriage certification along with a clean criminal record and identity documentation.
Please bear in mind that while Greek consulates do not directly grant citizenship cases themselves—they support your registration process within municipal records—your journey towards becoming a citizen ultimately involves following these outlined procedures.
Kindly reach out to us to obtain information on how to get in touch with the different municipalities within Messinia for verification of your parent’s or grandparent’s registration status.