Getting Greek Citizenship By Descent in 2024
Do you have Greek parents, grandparents or great grandparents? If so, then you may be able to apply for Greek Citizenship By Descent, and obtain a Greek passport – for next to nothing – in the process.
The value of a second citizenship in these times of global turmoil cannot be overstated. And if you’ve got Greek blood, a Greek passport may well be within reach.
Find out more about the requirements, process and benefits of Greek Citizenship By Ancestry below, or contact us now if you’re ready to start your application process today.
But first, a quick backgrounder on ancestral citizenship programs in general…
KEY PROGRAM FACTS & STATS
Greek Population: 10.64 million (2021)
Greek Diaspora Population: Around 5 million (estimated)
Generational Limit For Citizenship By Descent: No
Dual Citizenship Recognized: Yes
Greek Language & Cultural Knowledge Requirement: No
What exactly is Citizenship By Descent?
During the late middle ages – around the 14th and 15th century – three crises created serious turmoil in continental Europe: Religious persecutions, political instability, and a widespread demographic collapse led to vast numbers of people leaving the continent in search of better fortunes elsewhere.
These emigrants ended up in colonies and far flung trade posts around the world, with a heavy concentration in the Western Hemisphere. Consequently, as things stand in 2024, countries like Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal all have significant diaspora populations.
And given the demographic challenges faced by most countries in Europe, it is therefore unsurprising that all of these four countries – and scores of other EU member countries – offer Citizenship By Ancestry programs to lure members of these diasporas “back home”.
In fact, it is estimated that over half a billion people worldwide may have some potential claim to European citizenship on the basis of their family lineage.
And as many people realized during the pandemic – and the governmental overreach that accompanied it in so many countries worldwide – a second passport is an invaluable “insurance policy”: A Plan B against the risks stemming from wars, pandemics, and political instability in your own home country.
Obtaining Citizenship By Investment will set you back north of €1 million (and often even more – although it is entirely possible, and legal).
In comparison, getting Citizenship By Descent is a radically cheaper option. And gaining citizenship by naturalization – which generally involves settling there full time for many years – is not viable for everyone.
But if any of your earlier direct ancestors hailed from continental Europe, chances are that you may be entitled to citizenship in the country of your forebears…
And getting a Greek passport is indeed one of the best back-up plans on the planet: The country is safe, affordable and highly livable, and the Greek passport is one of the world’s best travel documents.
It offers visa-free travel access (or visas upon arrival) for over 150 countries around the world, including the USA, UK, Canada and the other 26 Schengen countries. In addition, Greek citizens can also work, live and retire with ease across the rest of the EU.
And Greece recognizes dual citizenship, so you won’t have to give up your current nationality in order to become a Greek citizen…
How can I qualify for Citizenship By Descent in Greece?
Greek nationality law is based on the principle of jus sanguinis, or the “right of blood”.
The key requirement to claiming your Greek Citizenship By Descent is to prove that one of your ancestors was a Greek citizen. This could be a parent, a grandparent, or even a great-grandparent.
(Under Greek citizenship law, there is technically no limit to how many generations back you can go to prove your lineage. But in practice, proving this familial connection becomes more challenging the further back up the family tree you go.)
Generally speaking, you’ll automatically be a Greek citizen if you’re born in the country, or if one of your parents is a Greek citizen. But let’s say that your parents aren’t Greek citizens, but your late grandmother was a Greek national..?
The good news is that you may still be able to claim your Greek citizenship. And to be clear, your grandparent doesn’t even have to have been born in Greece; they just have to be registered as a citizen in the country’s civil records system.
However, in most cases, you will need the assistance of a Greek lawyer skilled in Citizenship By Descent investigations in order to confirm and prove this. And as of 2024, you have two options for meeting the requirements for Greek citizenship by descent:
Option 1: Claiming your Greek citizenship as a birthright
Under this program track, you need to prove that one of your direct ancestors was a Greek citizen. If that is one of your parents, you’re in luck. But if it is your now-deceased grandfather, it gets a bit more complicated:
So you, as the grandchild, want to claim your Greek citizenship, but your Greek father – who is still alive – is not a Greek citizen, then they’ll have to obtain citizenship before you become eligible to apply.
(And they may not be up for it.)
But if your parent of Greek origin has died without becoming a Greek citizen, then you can go ahead with claiming your Greek citizenship directly based on your connection with your grandparent, or great-grandparent, etc.
And once you’ve acquired your Greek citizenship, your children can also claim their Greek citizenship (but NOT your spouse).
Your spouse will, however, be able to obtain Greek residency on the basis of family reunification law.
Option 2: Greek Citizenship By Naturalization based on Greek origin
Let’s say that you’re unable to prove that your Greek ancestor was an actual Greek citizen – hence rendering you unable to claim your Greek citizenship.
There are many case scenarios like this: For example, let’s say that your Greek ancestor was born inside the territory that is now Greece in 1810, but emigrated in 1818, before Greece was an actual country… They’d not have been included in the Greek family registry, and hence you’d be ineligible to claim your Greek citizenship.
However, under Greek citizenship law, your ancestor is nonetheless considered to be “ethnically” Greek – which means that you, as their descendent, may be eligible to apply for citizenship via fast-track naturalization (although it’s a highly discretionary process).
To convince the Greek immigration authorities to grant you citizenship via this track, you will need to compile an extensive body of evidence proving your Greek heritage.
They’ll be looking to see that you spend a lot of time in the country, that you have family and/or business ties there, etc. Being fluent in Greek would be a plus, however there are no language or cultural knowledge tests for either of these two program tracks.
Note: Only your children born after you become a Greek citizen will qualify for direct citizenship, and your spouse will only be eligible for Greek residency.
The Greek birthright citizenship application process at a glance
The first step towards applying for Greek citizenship – as a birthright – is proving that you are connected, by blood, to an ancestor who was listed in Greece’s civil registry as a citizen. They needn’t necessarily even have been born in Greece, but they have to be listed in the registry.
Proving this ancestral chain is typically conducted using a combination of birth and marriage certificates, but there are myriad other documents that can help support your ancestral claim.
Every prospective applicant’s situation is different, but the farther back you need to go, the harder it becomes to find the relevant documentation. This is where working with a Greek immigration lawyer that is well versed in ancestral citizenship applications can be invaluable.
Greece has a substantial diaspora, and as things stand in April 0f 2024, we are getting massive volumes of enquiries. The application process can already take several years, depending on where you’re applying from, and any missteps or improperly presented documentation can result in months-long delays.
Hence working with an area expert is highly advisable to speed up the process and maximize your chances of success.
Here is what the application process typically looks like for our clients:
DISCLAIMER
The above information does not constitute legal or immigration advice, and should be treated as general information on the subject only. Neither the publishers nor our legal service providers will be held liable for any losses incurred, be it directly or indirectly, as a result of reliance on this information; nor does reading this information create a client-attorney or client-provider relationship.
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Before you get overcharged on your Greek Citizenship By Descent application fees, make sure to get a free quote from us first.
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