Greek citizenship questions answered: Adoption cases, diaspora eligibility and proving ancestry

After a abbreviated interruption owed to Easter, Neos Kosmos‘s run to pass members of the Greek diaspora connected issues of Greek citizenship crossed the planetary Hellenic assemblage resumes.

Our paper continues to person dozens of emails from each country of the world, with questions relating to Greek citizenship, which are answered promptly and responsibly by the General Secretariat for Citizenship of the Ministry of the Interior.

Neos Kosmos precocious launched a collaboration with the General Secretariat for Citizenship, astatine the inaugural of the Secretariat itself, with the purpose of providing valid and reliable accusation to Greeks of the diaspora connected matters relating to the acquisition of Greek citizenship.

Neos Kosmos does not assistance citizenship nor contented passports. We people responses from the General Secretariat for Citizenship to your questions, which indispensable subordinate strictly to citizenship matters. In respect of idiosyncratic data, names are not published. For the introspection of idiosyncratic cases, funny parties indispensable interaction the applicable section consular authorities.

The file is published fortnightly under the title: “The General Secretariat for Citizenship provides information.”

These articles are besides available successful a dedicated conception connected our ιστότοπος successful some English and Greek.

SEND US YOUR QUESTION

Readers wishing to submit a question regarding Greek citizenship whitethorn nonstop it to: [email protected]

Questions will beryllium forwarded to the General Secretariat for Citizenship to beryllium answered by the due officials.

OUR READERS’ QUESTIONS

Question 10

A scholar asks however his wife, calved successful Greece and raised successful Australia, tin get Greek citizenship and use for a Greek individuality card.

My wife was calved successful Kalymnos and came to Australia astatine the property of three. How tin she get Greek citizenship, and besides contented a Greek individuality card?

General Secretariat for Citizenship response:

If your wife is of Greek descent and provided that astatine slightest 1 genitor is not registered successful a municipality successful Greece, she whitethorn get Greek citizenship done naturalisation arsenic a diaspora Greek nonmigratory abroad, successful accordance with Article 10 of the Greek Citizenship Code.

Her application, on with each required supporting documents, indispensable beryllium submitted to the Consular Authority of her spot of residence.

To substantiate her Greek origin, the competent work of the consular authorization will assess, among different elements: records of ancestors (even successful aged oregon inactive municipal registers), the humanities trajectory of her family, registrations successful consular records, acquisition of Greek citizenship by humor relatives, consular passports oregon equivalent municipal documents, arsenic well arsenic immoderate different applicable papers available.

The hunt for records successful Greek municipal registries and civilian registries is conducted with the assistance of the applicable consular authority.

Question 11

An adopted scholar of Greek practice seeks guidance connected obtaining citizenship done a biologic ancestor from Rhodes, asking whether bloodline is recognised contempt adoption, what documents are needed, and whether their begetter indispensable archetypal beryllium registered arsenic a Greek national earlier they tin apply.

I would similar to inquire astir difficulties I americium facing successful my effort to get Greek citizenship done my ancestry.

I was adopted arsenic an babe and aboriginal successful beingness discovered accusation astir my biologic family. Specifically, it appears that an ancestor of excavation was calved successful Rhodes during the play of Italian concern and passed distant later, when the country had already been incorporated into Greece.

Based connected the above, I would similar to ask:

– How does Greek authorities treat such cases regarding the citizenship of persons calved under a antithetic sovereignty regime?

– Is bloodline recognised successful cases of adoption where there is nary ineligible narration but there is simply a biologic one?

– What are the options and procedures for searching for and obtaining civilian registry documents of ancestors successful such cases?

– What supporting documents are required to beryllium ancestry and the familial narration to a Greek ancestor?

General Secretariat for Citizenship response:

The acquisition of Greek citizenship by residents of the Dodecanese and those originating from the portion was regulated by Law 517/1948.

Under this provision, each those residing successful the Dodecanese connected 10 June 1940, arsenic well arsenic their children calved aft that date, automatically became Greek citizens, unless they chose Italian citizenship within the one-year deadline provided.

If you cannot find records of your biologic father’s registration successful a municipal registry of the Dodecanese, you whitethorn use for Greek citizenship done the naturalisation process for diaspora Greeks residing abroad.

Regarding the designation of bloodline successful cases of adoption, we pass you that adoption creates a ineligible enslaved with the adoptive genitor without abolishing the biologic narration with the biologic parent.

In your case, if your biologic genitor held Greek citizenship astatine the clip of your birth, oregon acquired it under Article 1 of Law 517/1940 and your commencement followed, and then your adoption took place, you whitethorn beryllium registered successful a Greek municipality successful accordance with the process provided by Ministerial Decision No. 21864/22.4.2025.

The hunt for documents relating to your ancestors whitethorn beryllium conducted by anyone with a specific ineligible interest, meaning you indispensable show that you deduce rights from those individuals done a biologic link. You indispensable then interaction the municipality where your ancestors were born.

To beryllium your ancestry and familial narration with a Greek ancestor, you indispensable submit civilian registry acts (birth and matrimony certificates, successful generational order), arsenic well arsenic records of your ancestors’ registration successful a Greek municipality, if these cannot beryllium located straight by the consular authority.

Question 12

A scholar calved successful Australia to a Greek-born begetter asks whether they are eligible for Greek citizenship, and what process they indispensable follow, noting they person inherited spot successful Greece and wage taxes there.

My begetter migrated from Greece to Australia successful 1955 astatine the property of two, together with his parents and sister. He lived the remainder of his beingness successful Australia, where helium passed distant successful 2012.

I was calved successful Sydney successful 1984. Additionally, I person inherited spot successful Greece, for which I regularly wage the required taxes.

Based connected the above, I would similar to inquire whether I americium entitled to get Greek citizenship and what process should beryllium followed successful this case.

General Secretariat for Citizenship response:

We pass you that if you are of Greek descent and there is nary grounds of your father’s registration successful a Greek municipality, you whitethorn get Greek citizenship done naturalisation arsenic a diaspora Greek nonmigratory abroad, successful accordance with Article 10 of the Greek Citizenship Code.

Your application, on with each required supporting documents, indispensable beryllium submitted to the Consular Authority of your spot of residence.

To substantiate your Greek origin, the competent consular authorization will measure elements such as: records of ancestors, household history, consular registrations, citizenship status of humor relatives, consular passports oregon equivalent municipal documents, and immoderate different applicable documentation available.

The hunt for records successful Greek municipal and civilian registries is conducted with the assistance of the applicable consular authority.

Further accusation connected the requirements, documents, and process for acquiring Greek citizenship by naturalisation arsenic a Greek residing overseas is available astatine the Ministry of Interior website.