ATHENS – The National Herald, continuing its collaboration with the General Secretariat for Citizenship of the Ministry of Interior, publishes three more reader questions concerning issues related to acquiring Greek citizenship.
The column ‘The General Secretariat for Citizenship of Greece Responds’, recently launched by our newspaper, has already attracted strong interest among members of the Greek diaspora, as it answers practical and often complex questions that arise during the process of recognition or acquisition of Greek citizenship.
Within the framework of this collaboration, competent officials of the General Secretariat for Citizenship provide reliable and clear answers, aiming to assist interested individuals and shed light on aspects of a process that, for many members of the diaspora, represents an important step in reconnecting with Greece.
Send your questions
If you have questions or concerns regarding Greek citizenship, you can send them to our newspaper’s email: [email protected]
Question 1
Hello, I have a question regarding my citizenship in Greece. I am of full Greek descent and was born in Greece. I have lived in the United States since I was 4 years old. I became a U.S. citizen when I turned 18 and obtained naturalization documents. How can I have dual citizenship?
I would like to regain my Greek citizenship. Can you give me some advice? Thank you.
Answer to Question 1
We inform you that, provided your Greek origin is documented but you do not have a parent registered in a municipal registry as a Greek citizen, you may acquire Greek citizenship through naturalization as a diaspora Greek residing abroad, in accordance with Article 10 of the Greek Citizenship Code. Your application, along with all required supporting documents, must be submitted to the Consular Authority of your place of residence.
To document your ethnic origin, the competent consular authority will evaluate evidence such as: registrations of ancestors (even in old or no longer valid municipal registries), your family’s historical background, entries in consular registers, acquisition of Greek citizenship by blood relatives, consular passports or equivalent municipal-type documents, as well as any other relevant documentation you may have.
The search for registration records in Greek municipal registries and civil registries is carried out with the assistance of the competent consular authority.
More information on requirements, documentation, and the procedure for acquiring Greek citizenship through naturalization as a diaspora resident abroad can be found at the provided link.
Question 2
Thank you for this service. My question is simple, but the case seems complex. I am a Greek-American, born and raised in New York, and I wish to acquire Greek citizenship. My father is also Greek-American, born and raised here – but my mother was born and raised in Greece. I have started the process and have all my mother’s necessary documents; however, the authorities say they also need documents from her parents.
But my grandparents’ Greek documents simply do not exist. Can the case not proceed based solely on my mother? I believe many Greeks in the diaspora face this challenge.
Answer to Question 2
If your mother is registered in a valid municipal registry in Greece, her municipal registration certificate is sufficient. Otherwise, all available information about your grandparents will be jointly evaluated to determine whether your mother (if she is still alive) can now be registered in a municipal registry and subsequently you as well, either through simple registration or recognition of Greek citizenship. If neither of these options is possible, your application may be examined under the naturalization procedure for diaspora residents abroad.
Question 3
I am a Greek citizen living in the United States. I was born in Greece and left with my parents when I was young. I have a Greek passport, a tax identification number (AFM), I am registered on the electoral rolls, and I have a family home on one of the islands, where we go in the summers.
My question concerns my wife and how she can acquire Greek citizenship.
We have been married for over 36 years. We were married in a Greek Orthodox church in the U.S. and have a marriage certificate from the Southeastern Greek Orthodox Metropolis, as well as a U.S. marriage certificate. How difficult is it for my wife to obtain Greek citizenship? Are there specific documents required to proceed with the process, and does she need to wait many years to become a Greek citizen?
Thank you in advance for any advice you can give us.
Michael and Fran Papamichael
Answer to Question 3
Valid marriages according to the Greek Orthodox rite between a Greek Orthodox citizen and a foreign national, concluded after May 8, 1984, whether in Greece or abroad, do not establish a right to acquire Greek citizenship through marriage, as this right was abolished on May 8, 1984, by Law 1438/1984.
However, if the marriage took place before May 8, 1984, and was registered as an official marriage with the foreign civil registry authority (in the U.S.), then the foreign spouse may be registered as a Greek citizen in the municipal registry of the municipality where the family record is created, after the marriage certificate is transcribed at the Greek Consular Authority and a relevant application is submitted to the competent municipality.