How to get Greek citizenship by descent in 2021

How to get Greek citizenship by descent in 2021 – that will be the topic of today’s article.

If you are looking to invest in expat-specialised solutions or have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me, email (advice@adamfayed.com) or use the WhatsApp function below.

It is usually better to sort out residencies, new citizenships and tax-efficient investments at the same time, because many of the opportunities available in your home country or current jurisdiction won’t be available in the next destination. 

Introduction

Greece is a European state which borders are open for all. Obtaining Greek citizenship opens the door not only to the ancient land of Hellas, but also to all countries of the European Union and the Schengen area. 

Greece has comfortable living conditions, European level wages and high social security. Nevertheless, Greek immigration law imposes rather strict requirements for those wishing to obtain citizenship of this country.

The Greek passport opens free access to 174 countries of the world. Its owner gets the opportunity to live, work, travel, and study, buy real estate and do business in any country of the European Union without any restrictions.

Greek citizenship can be obtained under the same conditions as in other countries – members of the Schengen agreement. A Greek passport opens up endless prospects for foreigners for work, study and travel throughout the European Union.

Greece is one of the most loyal countries in the Schengen area, which is very generous in distributing long-term multi-visa. To get the opportunity, thanks to a long-term Greek visa, to spend three months every six months on the islands and the mainland for 5 years is a very tempting prospect. 

It can only be compared with the registration of a residence permit, permanent residence and citizenship. Moreover, Greek citizenship automatically opens the door to all European countries.

Greek citizenship can be obtained by birth: for example, if one of the child’s parents is a Greek citizen, or if the child was born in Greece to foreign parents who have lived in Greece for at least five years and enrolled in a Greek school. 

A child who has completed six grades in a Greek school or graduated in Greece has the same opportunity. Foreigners with Greek roots can obtain a Greek passport. But what about those who decide to get Greek citizenship in adulthood and have nothing to do with this country.

Although Greece does not have a special program for issuing passports for investment, as, for example, in Malta or Cyprus, any foreign citizen has the opportunity to obtain Greek citizenship by naturalization, that is, on the basis of an application. Such an applicant must:

• be over 18 years old;
• have no criminal record;
• not be deported from Greece in the past;
• legally reside in Greece for at least seven years (in some cases, the period is reduced to three years).

Greece: benefits of citizenship

It is undeniable that Greek citizenship provides its holder with a wide range of benefits, namely:

• unimpeded and visa-free travel throughout the EU;
• the ability to easily obtain citizenship of almost any European country;
• facilitated and expedited procedure for obtaining an entry permit to countries such as the United States and Canada;
• the right to study at Greek universities, as well as at universities in any of the EU countries. At the same time, a citizen can count on favorable conditions for lending by the state to his studies, and the very admission to a university becomes easier;
• the ability to open accounts in European banks and obtain loans;
• the possibility of employment on a fully legal basis both in Greece and in any of the EU countries. Employers are required by law to first fill vacancies with their fellow citizens and citizens of EU member states;
• the right to purchase real estate not only in Greece, but also in any of the EU countries, as well as freely visit it;
• the right to vote – a citizen can fully participate in the elections of local and central authorities of the country;
• the possibility of obtaining Greek citizenship without renouncing the previous one, since Greece recognizes dual citizenship.

Greek Citizenship Law

Greek citizenship law is based on the principle of jus sanguinis (the right of blood). Greek citizenship can be obtained by origin or through naturalization. 

Greek law permits dual citizenship, so when obtaining it there is no need to give up your previous passport, unless required by your first homeland. 

A Greek citizen is also a citizen of the European Union and therefore has all the rights and obligations of citizens of the European Union.

Who can obtain Greek citizenship?

The immigration law of the Republic of Greece provides for several ways to obtain Greek citizenship. The citizens of the Russian Federation are actively using some of them.

In matters of obtaining Greek citizenship, one must be guided by Law No. 3284/2004 “On the approval of the Greek Citizenship Code” and international norms. You can take Greek citizenship:

• by birth and descent;
• with natural naturalization;
• upon repatriation;
• in case of restoration of citizenship;
• the refugee protection program;
• family reunification;
• when married to a Greek citizen;
• for business immigration, investment and employment programs;
• for special services to the country.

In order to navigate and determine the most suitable immigration program for themselves, a candidate for Greek citizenship should study all these methods in more detail.

Citizenship by birth and descent

A child of a Greek citizen acquires citizenship automatically upon birth, but children born to foreigners in the country do not acquire the right for citizenship. 

Greeks born abroad can pass on the right for citizenship to their children without any additional conditions. Children born out of wedlock become Greek citizens automatically if their mothers are Greek. 

If the father is Greek, and paternity can be proven (for example, through a test), then the child will become a citizen when the corresponding application is submitted, but provided that the child has not reached the age of 18. Foreigners over 18 years of age can obtain Greek citizenship through naturalization.

If the father is Greek and the child is over 18 years old, then he can obtain citizenship without naturalization, if it can be established through the birth and marriage certificates duly registered. 

An ethnic Greek born outside the country has the option of acquiring citizenship by naturalization if he or she does not qualify for simple registration as a child of a Greek citizen (this provision excludes Greek Cypriots who may be eligible for Cypriot citizenship). 

The applicant must prove that at least one of the parents or grandparents was a Greek citizen. Citizenship requires a baptismal certificate of the ancestor and his marriage certificate in the Greek Orthodox Church, as well as the baptismal certificate of the applicant, as well as all baptism certificates for all generations between the ancestors with whom the relationship is established and the applicant.

Naturalization

All adult immigrants who move to Greece on the basis of work, business, family reunification fall under the naturalization conditions. 

In the country, you need to spend a certain number of years by law, learn the language and the basics of legislation. Conditions for different categories of applicants may vary.

The first stage of naturalization in Greece will be the registration of a residence permit. This should be done in advance, before the expiration of the visa. 

The first five years will pass in the status of a temporary resident in Greece. After that, you can start obtaining permanent residence. You should live in this status for another five years. And only after ten years of residence in Greece can you finally submit an application for citizenship.

Repatriation

Citizenship upon repatriation can be obtained by foreigners who have ancestors who are native Greeks. 

They need to send a statement and documents confirming their Greek origin to the Greek diplomatic mission in their country. Officials may be asked to provide additional proof of Greek roots.

Consideration of an application for granting citizenship to a repatriate sometimes takes about two years. 

With a positive decision, a special visa is glued into the foreign passport of a foreigner, which, after crossing the border, automatically gives the right to become a Greek citizen. The issue of obtaining a passport in this case becomes simply technical.

Restoration of Greek citizenship

The restoration of citizenship becomes possible for those who once had it, but lost it. Such foreigners are entitled to a simplified acquisition of citizenship of the Republic. 

To do this, they should be provided with evidence that they have a Greek passport in the past. First of all, this program is designed for the Greeks who have taken foreign citizenship, and now have become repatriates. 

This rule does not apply to their descendants. This means that children and grandchildren will have to go through the procedure for obtaining citizenship under another immigration program. Persons restoring citizenship do not require residency requirements and testing.

Greek citizenship for refugees

It is possible to obtain refugee status in Greece, but it is not easy. The country has become a transit territory through which refugees from the Middle East are trying to move to economically developed European countries – Germany, France, Norway, Sweden. 

Greece today is flooded with a huge number of forced migrants. Refugee status in Greece can be obtained on the basis of a proven threat to the life and freedom of a migrant, persecution at home for political, religious or national reasons.

In recent years, several dozen Ukrainian citizens have been able to obtain refugee status in Greece, having left their homeland due to the armed conflict in the Donbass.

Refugees can become full-fledged Greek citizens after six years of permanent residence in the country. They can legally bring their family home, all of whose members will be eligible for Greek citizenship. Refugees are exempted from testing and paying for administrative services when obtaining citizenship.

Family reunification

If close relatives live in Greece and they are full-fledged Greek citizens, then it is time to boldly adopt the immigration reunification program. Close relatives are children and parents, blood brothers and sisters, grandparents.

Greek relatives should issue an invitation, which will serve as the basis for obtaining a visa for foreign relatives, and in the future – a residence permit and permanent residence. You will also need to vouch for the invitees in writing. The surety obliges to provide foreign relatives with a roof over their heads and material support, if necessary.

Since recently, cases of falsification of documents on consanguinity have become more frequent, the Greek authorities have tightened control over this issue. It is now possible to become a citizen under the family reunification program by providing clearly irrefutable proof of kinship with Greek citizens.

Citizenship by marriage

At the present time, marriage registration does not entitle anyone to acquire or lose Greek citizenship. But in 1984, a woman who married a Greek citizen became a citizen automatically.

Getting married is one of the fastest and most effective ways to obtain citizenship. To do this, it is enough to live in an official marriage with a Greek citizen for at least five years (the period is reduced to 3 years if a child was born during the period of marriage). 

The couple must have joint property, housekeeping together, and so on. The immigration authorities should never doubt that the marriage is fake. 

From time to time, a Greek immigration officer can visit the newlyweds. He will carefully ensure that all the necessary conditions for the factuality of marriage are met. The appearance of joint children in the family will definitely remove all questions.

Special services to Greece

The decision to grant Greek citizenship in some cases is made personally by the President. He can grant the citizenship of his country to foreigners who have made a significant contribution to the development of Greece, to protect its interests at the international level. 

It can also be athletes who, for example, brought the Republic gold medals at the Olympic Games under its flag. Each case is different. When obtaining citizenship in this way, there are no additional requirements for a new Greek. He only needs to get a passport.

Selected cases of obtaining citizenship

An accelerated process for obtaining Greek citizenship is provided for foreigners who entered the military forces of Greece. 

In this case, it is necessary to pass the service directly within the Greek territory (both on the continent and on the islands), as well as provide a certificate of baptism in the church. It doesn’t really matter if the soldier is Catholic or Orthodox. 

Foreign Muslims are not accepted for contract service. A soldier can expect to receive citizenship in four years.

The entry into the monks of the Athos monastery will also be a separate case. In principle, any foreigner of the Orthodox faith can become a monk. Citizenship becomes available after three years of permanent residence within the monastery.

Investing and buying real estate

In 2015, some very significant amendments were made to the Greek immigration law. Changes in the law have opened the door for foreign capital inflows. 

The global crisis hit Greece hard. Today, the country, with the support of the entire European Union, is gradually leaving it. This is facilitated to a large extent by a pragmatic immigration policy.

To obtain citizenship quickly, you must purchase real estate in Greek territory worth at least 250 thousand euros. 

The purchased property does not have to be only residential. It can be adapted for commercial, economic or industrial purposes. Real estate can be located both within mainland Greece and on the islands of the Greek archipelago, including Crete.

Business immigration

Many seek to register their own business in Greece. The Greek tax system is relatively liberal, and a company can legally be considered a resident of the European Union. 

For those who really register their enterprise as a real business, Greek law provides very good conditions. Business schemes are transparent, and the state has developed several programs for lending to small and medium-sized businesses on favorable terms. 

The cost of starting a company in Greece ranges from 3-7 thousand euros. It all depends on the legal form of the registered enterprise. The authorized capital must be deposited exclusively into a Greek bank account. 

Even in the absence of activity, taxes must be paid regularly. The entrepreneur concludes agreements on material liability with all lending organizations, debt collection in Greece is fast and completely legal. 

Owning your own business can lead to getting a Greek passport within seven years, provided the business itself is profitable.

To qualify for the accelerated acquisition of Greek citizenship by investment, the applicant must submit documents to the mayor’s office of the settlement in the territory of Greece, where he plans to live and conduct economic activities. 

After checking the application for compliance with the requirements of the Greek legal framework, the package of documents is submitted for consideration to the Ministry of Development and Competitiveness.

Greece is interested in attracting economically active citizens who can make a certain contribution to the development of the state. That is why, when making a decision, employees of the Ministry will study the most important factors, including:

• the final amount of investment that the applicant is willing to invest in the Greek economy;
• the subject of future activities (priority is given to industries that are not developing so actively and successfully in Greece);
• what results the business will demonstrate after 5 years, what intentions the citizen has regarding entrepreneurial activity;
• number of jobs for Greek citizens.

If the decision is positive, the applicant will receive a residence permit for a 5-year period, which can be extended for a similar period. After 7 years of permanent residence in the country, the user will be able to apply for a Greek passport on a general basis.

What documents are required to obtain Greek citizenship?

The list of documents for obtaining citizenship in almost any of the EU countries is generally identical, there is only a slight difference. To obtain Greek citizenship, the applicant (applicant) will need:

• a personal application form filled out in accordance with the regulations of the Greek Citizenship Code;
• a valid foreign passport, its photocopy and expired previous passports;
• birth certificate;
• civil passport and copies of all its significant pages;
• documentary basis for being in Greek territory (residence permit, permanent residence);
• an autobiography written and signed with his own hand;
• certificate of no criminal record for the last 10 years;
• a certificate from the Greek tax authorities on the absence of budgetary arrears;
• ownership of real estate or a long-term rental agreement;
• the result of passing a medical commission in a Greek medical institution;
• documentary evidence of a sufficient level of income. They must be legal and must provide residence in the applicant’s country, as well as his family, without social assistance from the state. Income means both wages and income from entrepreneurial activities, securities, bank deposits, etc .;
• four passport-size photographs;
• written intention regarding second citizenship (whether the applicant will renounce it or vice versa).

The documents must be translated into Greek and notarized. They should be translated at an accredited bureau. Documents issued in the EU countries do not require notarization.

In some situations, additional documentation may be required:

• certificate of enrollment of a citizen in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Greece – for those entering military service or training;
• certificate of enrollment of a citizen in the state of the Athos monastery – for monks heading to Mount Athos;
• documents confirming the presence of first-line relatives who are citizens of Greece;
• baptismal certificate from the church, corresponding to the official sample, which can be found on the website of the Greek Embassy;
• documentary evidence of repression and persecution at home, justification of the impossibility of returning – for refugees;
• employment contract and other agreements with a Greek employer – if the application comes from the holder of a work visa;
• financial statements of a company, a certificate of business registration – for citizens who have received a residence permit in Greece when starting their own business or investing significant assets in the country’s economy.

To sum up

Of course there is a significant advantage of registration, which is that Greek citizenship is the citizenship of the European Union and gives the right to obtain a European passport. The disadvantage of this option is the negative background associated with numerous scandals related to illegally issued passports and deprivation of citizenship. 

It is highly recommended that everyone who wants to acquire second passports pay attention to the countries in which the procedure for obtaining citizenship can be implemented quickly and without resorting to a change of nationality such as in the Commonwealth of Dominica, in Grenada, in Saint Kitts and Nevis, in Moldova, in Bulgaria, in Cyprus or in Malta.