How to get Greek citizenship, for Greeks living abroad. Those with Greek lineage can get Greek citizenship easier

The roots of the Greek family are strong and deep. Second and third generation Greeks born abroad keep the bonds alive and even speak the Greek language, but this doesn’t mean that they automatically get the Greek citizenship.

The way in which someone can get Greek citizenship isn’t very difficult.

The most important step is to find  the last ancestor born anywhere in Greece whose birth certificate can be traced. If the ancestor is a father or a mother, then the process is very easy. If the ancestor is a grandfather or grandmother, then the search can go as far back as there is a birth certificate.

If we have a birth certificate, then we can proceed to gather the rest of the paperwork needed. For instance, if the grandfather was the ancestor born in Greece then it is necessary to find his religious marriage certificate  (for the male we need the marriage to be orthodox religious, for the female the marriage must not be orthodox religious), regardless as to whether the marriage took place in Greece or abroad, followed by the birth certificate and marriage certificate of the parent whose lineage is Greek followed by the citizenship applicant’s own birth certificate.

The documents need to be in their original forms,  officially translated in Greek. The applicants need to sign a series of documents required for Greek citizenship at the embassy of their place of residence. All the documents are then gathered and sent to the municipality where the Greek ancestor lived. Then, a decision certifying Greek nationality status is issued. As soon as the applicant is registered  at the Municipality as a greek citizenh, he/she can aplly for a greek passport.

Minors automatically receive citizenship after their parent becomes Greek. If they become 18 years old they could only submit a different application.

If any certificate is missing there is the way of naturalization but in that case the applicant will be interviewed at some point by the Council in Greek language and he/she must know about Greek history and the present political, financial and social situation in the country.