How to obtain Greek citizenship in 2021 for a citizen of the Russian Federation

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

Village on the rocky Greek coast

Greece is one of the most loyal countries in the Schengen area, which very generously distribute long-term multiple visas. Having the opportunity, thanks to a long-term Greek visa, to spend three months every six months on the islands and mainland of the state for 5 years is a very tempting prospect. It can only be compared with obtaining a residence permit, permanent residence and citizenship. Moreover, Greek citizenship automatically opens doors to all European countries.

Who can obtain Greek citizenship

You can obtain a Greek passport for a foreigner through naturalization. To obtain Greek citizenship, a foreigner must reside in the country as a permanent resident for at least 7 years. Within three years, spouses, refugees and parents of minor children who are Greek citizens can obtain Greek citizenship.

The reasons for moving to the country and further obtaining citizenship can be any - marriage with a Greek citizen, education, employment, etc.

Legal basis

The norms and grounds for conferring Greek citizenship are prescribed in the legislative act “On the approval of the Code of Greek Citizenship,” which was approved on November 10, 2004. The law specifies the basic rules for a candidate for citizenship, the terms for its assignment and the requirements that a foreign resident must meet.

Stages of obtaining citizenship

As a general rule, Greek citizenship by naturalization is granted only if the foreigner resides in the country legally, including on the basis of one of the residence permits. Therefore, the first stage of naturalization will be obtaining a residence permit.

Residence permit

A residence permit in Greece is a document allowing temporary residence in the country. The grounds for obtaining it may, for example, be:

making investments;
employment and other professional activities;
study, volunteer work, scientific research;
marriage and family reunification;
carrying out independent economic activities;
purchasing real estate and obtaining a “Golden Visa”;
refugee status, illegal return of migrants and other reasons.

A residence permit is issued by the department of decentralized administration or the Ministry of Internal Affairs for a period not exceeding 2 years.

If the grounds for residence in Greece remain, the residence permit is extended for a further period of up to three years.

An application for renewal must be submitted 2 months before the expiration of the residence permit, otherwise a fine of 50 euros will be imposed on its owner.

permanent residence

In most cases, after 5 years of residence with a temporary residence permit, a foreigner can be granted permanent residence in Greece. The right to it arises if a foreigner:

can confirm the presence of a permanent income and independence from social assistance;
has full medical insurance against illnesses, which also applies to his family members;
complies with the conditions for integration into Greek society established by paragraph 2 of Article 90.

Having lived with permanent residence for another 2 years, a foreigner has the right to apply for citizenship.

Citizenship at birth

Things are much simpler with children obtaining Greek citizenship. In most cases, it is assigned automatically or after following the minimum required formal procedures. This preferential category will include:

Children who are born in marriage to citizens or permanent residents (live in the country for 5 years) of Greece. They will receive a national passport upon reaching 18 years of age;
This is what a Greek passport looks like
A Greek family that obtains guardianship automatically transfers citizenship to its adopted son or daughter;
If a child is born out of wedlock, he automatically receives citizenship, provided that the mother or father of the child is a Greek citizen;

How to prepare for citizenship?

The preparatory stage of obtaining citizenship begins, as a rule, with determining on what grounds a foreigner could apply for the status of a citizen. Prerequisites for obtaining Greek citizenship could be:

presence of Greek roots;
the fact of birth in a family of Greek citizens;
birth in Greece;
adoption or recognition of paternity by a Greek citizen;
serving in the Greek Armed Forces (for ethnic Greeks).

Any of the above points can significantly simplify the procedure for obtaining citizenship. The remaining applicants can count on receiving status on a general basis, i.e. naturalization. To do this, you must first come to the country on one of the visas, obtain a residence permit, live a certain number of years, obtain permanent residence (which in Greece is called a long-term residence permit) and only after that begin to obtain citizenship.

one of the grounds for obtaining Greek citizenship is the presence of Greek roots

Citizenship by naturalization

Available to almost every foreigner who fulfills a number of mandatory conditions. In particular, they can count on him:

Foreigners who enter into an official marriage with a Greek citizen. You must have lived together for at least three years before applying for citizenship;
Education. After graduating from a Greek university, a foreigner can remain in the country to look for work and further employment.
Employment. Having arrived in Greece for work, a foreigner can remain in the country for permanent residence.
If a foreigner comes to Greece with refugee status, he can obtain citizenship of the country after he proves that he is subject to repression and persecution in his homeland.

Greece also provides for the provision of citizenship for special services to the country. This right can be used by scientists, athletes, artists and researchers. To do this, they need to show worthy results of their work: victories in international sports competitions, recognition in professional circles, useful and promising developments or research.

Registration of citizenship through marriage

Marriage with a Greek citizen is not a basis for conferring citizenship on a foreign resident. A married foreigner can obtain residency only after 5 years of residence in Greece.

If joint children are born in a marriage, then the period is reduced to 3 years. To obtain citizenship, a foreign resident submits an application for residency in the presence of the mayor of the city where he resides.

In addition to the mayor, when submitting an application, 2 witnesses must be present who can confirm that the marriage is not fictitious.

Starting a business

Conducting business activities can also become the basis for conferring citizenship. To obtain resident status, a foreign resident must reside in the country for 7 years (no less).

His business must generate high income so that the person has the funds to live in this country. Also, a foreign entrepreneur is obliged to regularly pay all tax payments.

After receiving resident status, a foreign entrepreneur has the right to move his family to this state for permanent residence. The wife (husband) and children, along with the foreign resident, also receive the status of a Greek citizen.

Main methods and grounds for obtaining Greek citizenship

The methods for obtaining Greek citizenship are fundamentally divided into the following categories:

citizenship by birth;
citizenship by naturalization;
repatriation.

Citizenship by birth

Jus sanguinis (right of blood) - this is the principle that underlies Greek citizenship. Citizenship is automatically assigned to a child born in a marriage of Greek nationals or out of wedlock to a mother with Greek citizenship. If the parents of an illegitimate child are a Greek citizen and a foreign mother, then the minor child will be granted citizenship at the request of the father.

If guardianship is issued by a Greek family, then citizenship is automatically transferred to the adopted children.

The category of citizenship by birth also includes cases when a child is found in Greece, but his parents cannot be identified. The state takes custody of him. If, within five years from the moment of discovery of the child, his legal parents are present, then the question of citizenship will depend on the specific situation with their citizenship.

Some foreigners believe that it is enough for a child to be born in Greece and he will automatically receive citizenship of this country. This is combined with the desire to give birth in one of the Greek clinics, because the level of medical care there is quite high. Most often, this category includes residents of countries formed after the collapse of Yugoslavia, as well as Albanian citizens and people from North Africa. In this case, the child cannot automatically become a Greek citizen; he will only be entitled to a simplified visa.

Naturalization

Foreigners who have lived in Greece for a certain time, learned the language and integrated into society have the right to citizenship by naturalization. This is a long and multi-step process.

In general, a foreigner first comes to Greece with a visa, then receives a temporary residence permit. The document is initially valid for a year, it must be renewed periodically, without limiting the territory of Greece for more than 6 months a year. After 5 years, you can request permanent residence (permanent residence). At this stage, a Greek language exam and an integration test are taken. And only after 5 years of permanent resident status does a foreigner have the right to submit an application for citizenship.

Immigration issues in Greece are entrusted to the Ministry of Immigration Policy.

The residency requirement (minimum period of residence in Greece) has been reduced for some categories of applicants:

foreign spouses of Greek citizens;
large investors;
foreigners to whom citizenship is assigned for special merit by government decision;
repatriates;
property owners;
monks of the Athos Monastery;
refugees.

Video: general information about Greece

Marriage and citizenship

One of the fastest and most effective options for obtaining a Greek passport will be a marriage with a citizen of this country. When applying to the immigration authorities, you must submit the original marriage certificate, which is issued in accordance with Greek law. Therefore, if the marriage takes place somewhere outside of Greece and the European Union, the document will require legalization.

Foreign spouses have the right to become Greek citizens after a three-year period from the date of marriage, if they reside in this country during the entire period. You can live outside Greece for five years and then apply for citizenship. If the wife of a Greek citizen gives birth to a child during this period, then the path to a Greek passport for her is halved.

It is impossible not to mention fictitious marriage unions. Immigration officials not only in Greece, but also in other European powers are well aware of this “trend.” Therefore, a mixed marriage will be under the close control of immigration authorities until the foreign spouse obtains citizenship. This involves periodic visits to the young family, secret interviews with neighbors, and so on. If it is determined that the marriage is fictitious, the foreign false spouse will be deported, and the Greek citizen will be sent to one of the local correctional institutions for up to three years. However, in practice it is very difficult to establish the fictitiousness of a marriage. The basis for this will only be a critical discrepancy with the norms of an ordinary family or the recognition of one of the participants in such a union.

Citizenship by Investment

When Greece was at the very peak of its economic crisis, the government of this country took a number of measures aimed at creating a favorable investment climate and attracting foreign capital. In particular, the creation of special immigration programs was envisaged.

The threshold for participation in the immigration program starts from 300 thousand euros. Initially, a foreign investor submits an application to the country’s immigration service, then it is considered by the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, since the Greek authorities try to prevent “gray” capital with ambiguous origin. If the application is approved, the foreign investor can receive a residence permit for five years immediately. The largest investors who invest more than 1 million euros in the Greek economy can immediately count on obtaining permanent residence. Of no small importance is investing in the development of infrastructure in depressed regions of the country, which are located in the north-west of the country, which includes most of the Greek islands. The only exceptions are Crete and Rhodes.

Individual investors are immediately issued Greek citizenship. But this is possible only on the basis of a special government order and in the case when the investment is of particular importance for the country.

Living on the basis of a fake passport in Greece is like a progressive form of the disease. Starting as a temporary solution to your stay in the country, it gradually covers all areas of your life, fictitious contract, fictitious tax number, fictitious insurance, fictitious marriage, fictitious accounts, fictitious property documents, fictitious children... and all this up to deportation and criminal record .
Anna Shumskaya
https://rua.gr/immi/polsov/8280-mozhno-li-kupit-grazhdanstvo.html

Video: the pros and cons of living in Greece

Citizenship for businessmen

In Greece, you can register your own business, go through naturalization and become a citizen. You can open a business in just a month and one and a half thousand euros required to pay for registration services. But a foreign entrepreneur must immediately submit a transparent business plan, which will be reviewed by specialists from the Ministry of Economy. The company's profitability level should not be lower than 5%; at least 10 jobs must be created during the year, providing full wages.

It is possible to register a business of any legal form of ownership, ranging from private entrepreneurship to an analogue of an LLC. In the latter case, it is important to place an authorized capital of at least 18 thousand euros in any of the Greek banks. You can simply buy at least 25% of the shares of an existing business.

Tourism is considered the most profitable type of business in Greece. Therefore, getting approval for a business plan related to its development is the most difficult. More precisely, many additional conditions will be required. The easiest way is to submit to the authorities a business plan that involves implementing a project in one of the depressed regions of the country. The more jobs that are applied for, the higher the likelihood of approval.

A foreign owner or co-owner of a business receives the right to citizenship under general conditions. But at the same time, it is necessary that all contributions to the state budget are made on time and that the conditions for jobs and profitability are met.

Greek real estate and citizenship

The basis for requesting a residence permit will be the purchase of Greek real estate. But its minimum price threshold should not be lower than 250 thousand euros, although no special requirements are imposed on the intended purpose of the object. This could be residential, commercial or industrial premises. The residency requirement for property owners has been reduced; citizenship can be obtained after seven years of residence in Greece (two years with a residence permit and five with permanent residence).

The owner of Greek real estate has the right to obtain a residence permit and, over time, passing the permanent residence stage, become a Greek citizen

This method of immigration is extremely popular among Russians, Ukrainians and other citizens of the CIS countries. And there are several reasons for this. Firstly, the emerging “light at the end of the tunnel” in the Greek economy creates the preconditions for a significant rise in real estate prices in the coming years. Secondly, the country’s immigration legislation allows legalization together with the owner of the property not only of his close relatives, but also of distant relatives. The minimum length of stay for them is the same.

Most often, moving to Greece and further obtaining citizenship looks like this: a Russian or Ukrainian sells his home in a city with a population of over a million and, with the proceeds, buys a much more comfortable apartment or house on the seashore in Greece. The property is rented out, and the income from it becomes the guarantee of a sufficient financial situation for the immigrant. He can stay in his homeland for half the year, and the rest of the time live in Greece in rented housing, but cheaper.

Special services to the republic

If a foreign citizen has rendered any invaluable service to the Greek Republic, for example, by defending its political position in the international arena or winning Olympic gold as a member of the Greek team, then he may well be granted citizenship. But this happens only by a special decision of the Greek government. Accordingly, no residence qualification, language proficiency or integration tests are provided.

Citizenship can be awarded to famous athletes who compete for Greece in world-class competitions

Prominent political figures, world-class scientists, major businessmen and investors, athletes (including team coaches), representatives of the art world, writers and religious figures can count on such an option.

Citizenship for refugees

Refugee status in Greece is not easy to obtain, but it is still possible. It is assigned immediately for five years. If, after this period, nothing has changed for the better in the refugee’s homeland, then he will be issued permanent residence. After two years, you can request citizenship. In total, seven years have passed since refugee status was granted.

Speaking about Greece, we can say that all of it is one big village. That is, this is a small country where even city residents have some kind of village roots, a parental house in the village, relatives. It’s not for nothing that on major holidays - especially Easter - cities are literally empty: residents go to their small homelands to roast the Easter lamb with their families (remember the movie “The Big Greek Wedding”?)?
Elena Meteleva
https://welcomeworld.ru/avia/item/333-russuan-greek

Privileges for monks

Monks who go to serve in the Athos Monastery have a certain priority. For them, the period before receiving a passport is generally reduced to three years. A person who is part of the monastic brethren is not only respected by the Greeks, he is provided with only a year with a residence permit and another two years with permanent residence. But a letter of attitude from the abbot of the monastery is required.

98% of Greeks are Orthodox. Greece is considered one of the world centers of Orthodoxy. It is here that the famous Athos monastery is located. The Greek authorities are much more loyal to immigrants of the same faith.

A monk who enters service at the Athos Monastery has the right to become a Greek citizen after three years

Repatriation of ethnic Greeks

The Hellenic Republic has a program aimed at repatriating ethnic Greeks to their historical homeland. To do this, you must prove your Greek origin. All applicants undergo an interview. If the foreigner does not have a residence permit in Greece, it is carried out at the Greek consulate in the country of residence. You can also apply for citizenship there, but in such cases you have to wait for an answer for years, and no one reports the exact time frame for consideration.

To take the process into your own hands, you can get a compatriot card, which provides some advantages when immigrating. To do this, you need to demonstrate your linguistic and cultural affiliation with the Greek people, personal ties with the country. It is advisable to provide evidence that the applicant was baptized in the Orthodox Church. Then the repatriate will be able to obtain citizenship of his historical homeland five years after moving (two years with a residence permit and another three years with permanent residence).

An ethnic Greek who enlists in the Greek armed forces will be granted citizenship within three years. But for this he must have signed a minimum three-year contract with the Ministry of Defense. Accordingly, he acquires the right to occupy a command post in the army. The same conditions apply to students of military academies (there are several of them in Greece), which also accept foreign citizens.

Today you can find many offers online to buy a Greek passport. I had a chance to talk with one person who is well acquainted with this business. He told me that it is almost impossible to fake a Greek passport. But it is quite possible to concoct fictitious certificates. The easiest way for a young man from the CIS to become a Greek citizen is to purchase documents from enterprising businessmen confirming his Greek roots, and then enlist in the Greek Armed Forces. And now, three years later, he becomes a citizen of this country. But when the deception is revealed, the newly minted citizen is charged with obtaining citizenship of the country through criminal means, which implies imprisonment of up to five years. True, you will have to sit in a Greek prison. In fact, the republic's migration service is well aware that many foreigners (especially residents of the former Yugoslavia) use false documents and declare themselves ethnic Greeks. But the trouble is that many archives have long ceased to exist. Therefore, sometimes you have to believe the evidence provided by the applicant.

Citizenship when purchasing real estate

The Greek government has adopted amendments to the current legislation, and starting from 2015, Greek citizenship can be obtained by purchasing real estate. These measures are aimed at improving the economy of the state, which has recently been on the verge of default.

Many people wonder whether it is so easy to obtain citizenship when purchasing real estate. Firstly, if a foreigner buys property in Greece, he receives a five-year residence permit. Secondly, to obtain a residence permit, the value of the purchased property must be at least 250,000 euros. And only after living in the country for 5 years with a residence permit, you can think about submitting documents for citizenship.

Benefits of a Greek residence permit

Investor interest in the Greek “golden visa” is due to a wide list of advantages:

Free movement within the Schengen area . ID card holders will be able to travel within the territory of countries that are signatories of the Schengen Agreement without first obtaining travel documents.
Processing speed. A residence permit is issued within 2–3 months.
"Dispersal field" . In the event of force majeure in their home country, the investor can move to Greece. There are all conditions for a comfortable life here.
No permanent residence requirements.
Residence permit for all seven and. Dependent children under the age of 23 are eligible to participate in the program.

Registration of citizenship

The first stage of registration of citizenship consists of collecting the necessary documents, which are then submitted to the mayor’s office for consideration. In addition to papers, a foreign resident also submits an application addressed to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Greece.

To get a Greek passport, you have to go through a long journey

After consideration at the mayor's office, they are sent for consideration to the department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. After checking the papers, the foreign resident is invited to an interview, based on the results of which the Ministry of Internal Affairs officers then make a conclusion.

It is on the basis of the conclusion that a decision is made to assign citizenship to a foreign resident. If the commission makes a positive decision, it is published in a government newspaper. After publication for one year, the foreign resident is required to take an oath and obtain a Greek passport.

Where to submit documents, how much to pay and how long to wait for a decision

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the country is responsible for issuing Greek citizenship. The application, along with the documents, is submitted to the police department at the place of residence or registration of the applicant. It is also possible to submit documents for obtaining civil status through the mayor's office of the locality in which the applicant lives. Before this, you must pass a test on your knowledge of the Greek language and your level of integration into the country’s society. The waiting time for a decision usually does not exceed three months. The state fee will be about 700 euros for each applicant. The amount is considerable, but minors who acquire citizenship together with their parents, persons with refugee status and members of their families, as well as repatriates are exempt from paying it. For minors, the state fee is set at only 20 euros.

Important! From 2021, the Greek Citizenship Law will introduce some changes. According to preliminary information, the cost of filing an application will be reduced to 550 euros.

After careful consideration of the application by the responsible persons at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the candidate will be invited for a personal interview. It is assigned if there are no comments regarding the applicant for citizenship, he has fulfilled all the conditions and meets the requirements of Greek law.

Based on the results of the interview, a documentary report is drawn up, which is subsequently transferred to the special department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for working with migrants. The final decision will be made on the basis of this act.

The decision to grant citizenship is made directly by the Minister of the Interior. In any case, the decision bears his signature. Once the Minister of the Interior has approved the acquisition of Greek citizenship based on the application, his official decision is published in the government newspaper. After official publication, the applicant has a year to take the oath and become a full Greek citizen.

Obtaining a passport takes place at the police department, or more precisely, at its immigration department. Before this, the new citizen will have to take an oath of allegiance to the Greek people and country . Then he is solemnly presented with a passport.

Documents required for obtaining citizenship

If the necessary terms and conditions for legal residence in Greece are met, then you can begin collecting documents to obtain citizenship and a second passport. For this you will need:

Questionnaire
International passport + copy.
Color photographs size 35*45 mm.
A copy of the Greek residence permit.
Medical insurance.
Extract from the tax service for the last year.
Certificate of income from work.

Greece allows dual citizenship for its citizens. Therefore, to obtain a Greek passport, you do not need to write a renunciation of your first citizenship.

Every foreigner must prove his knowledge of the Greek language to obtain citizenship. For those who studied in Greece at school or university, there is no need to take this exam.
You also need to pass an exam on your knowledge of laws and life in Greece. The test consists of 30 questions, 20 of which must be answered correctly.
Documents that can help in obtaining citizenship - documentary evidence of kinship, marriage with a Greek citizen, availability of real estate, business, investments made, etc.

Review of documents for obtaining Greek citizenship can take about a year.
The cost of obtaining Greek citizenship is quite expensive - you should expect at least 700 euros. In case of refusal and resubmission of the application, you will only need to pay 200 euros.

Language and integration tests

To obtain the status of a Greek citizen, a foreigner must undergo a series of tests. The first test is knowledge of the Greek language. Testing is carried out in written and oral form. The second necessary test is for knowledge of the culture of Greece and its history.

It is important to learn all the important historical events of this country, presidents, stages of the formation of the republic, as well as the dates of its accession to the EU.

It is imperative to know the constitution, symbols and anthem of the country.

The final test is carried out in the form of an interview. The foreign resident is asked questions about local current legislation, and will also need to provide the names of all members of the government.

Not all foreign residents are tested. Foreigners with refugee status and repatriates are not required to receive certificates.

Greece Golden Visa: conditions and costs for obtaining status

If you were not born in Greece and do not have relatives there, then first you need to apply for a residence permit. One of the easiest ways to get one is to take part in the Golden Visa program.

Demand for the Greek Golden Visa has increased by almost 40% in 2021 compared to 2021, according to data from Greece's Investment Immigration Department.

Since the creation of the Greek Golden Visa immigration program, over €1 billion has been attracted to the state treasury.

According to the terms of the program, to obtain a residence permit in Greece, you must purchase one or more real estate properties in the amount of €250 thousand. You can buy both residential and commercial real estate.

After 5 years, a resident can apply for permanent residence, and after another 5–7 years, for citizenship. To compare: a participant in the Golden Visa program in Portugal can apply for permanent residence after 5 years after receiving a residence permit, and after another year - apply for citizenship. You must live here for at least a week a year.

Despite these nuances, Greece is still a “tidbit” for foreign investors. One of the main reasons is the relatively low cost of participation. For example, the minimum cost for obtaining a “golden visa” in Portugal and Spain is €500 thousand.

The residence permit is valid as long as the resident owns the property. The participant can sell the property and maintain the status, but only if he buys another property of similar value.

Receiving a passport

It is possible to receive a passport only after taking the oath. To do this, you need to contact your local police station and apply for a passport. The document is produced at the main branch of the National Passport Center in Athens, and is issued by the same organization, but only at the applicant’s place of residence.

To obtain a Greek passport, the following documents are submitted:

An identification card confirming the legal stay of a foreign resident in Greece.
A duplicate of the receipt confirming payment.
International passport.
Photograph.

Standard photo

The period for obtaining a passport ranges from 3 to 9 days. After submitting the documents, the applicant is assigned a number by which he can track the readiness of the passport. Since 2006, all Greek citizens have been issued biometric passports.

The passport cover is burgundy with the image of the state coat of arms. Inside the document there is a chip on which all the basic information of the passport holder is entered: fingerprints, personal data, photo.

Cost and timing of citizenship assignment

The application and package of documents are reviewed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs for 2 - 3 months. After a positive decision regarding the issuance of citizenship, a foreign resident is required to pay 700 euros (state fee).

State duty is not paid:

Refugees.
Individuals who receive residency under the repatriation program.
Persons under 18 years of age who acquire Greek citizenship with their parents. Minor children are not completely exempt from paying; parents pay a fee of 20 euros for them.

Refusal

Citizenship may be denied if the applicant is under 18 years of age. Also, the refusal may be provoked by the presence of a criminal record in the home country or EU countries.

If a foreign resident has previously been subject to deportation from the states of the European Union, then he will also receive a refusal from the government to obtain resident status.

The reason for refusal may also be the presence of serious diseases in a foreign resident, which can be dangerous for Greek citizens. Typically, citizenship is not accepted for people who suffer from HIV infection, tuberculosis, syphilis, Lyme disease, etc.

It is worth remembering that a refusal can always be refuted in court .

Is it possible to buy Greek citizenship?

It is impossible to buy Greek citizenship! If you come across similar offers on the Internet, you should remember that these are scammers. Greece offers to invest in economic development, but for this it only provides a residence permit in this country, and not citizenship.

Package of documents for citizenship

In general, foreigners wishing to obtain citizenship must submit to the Greek Ministry of Internal Affairs:

valid passport;
valid residence permit/permanent residence permit;
receipt of payment of state duty;
application for naturalization (drawn up in the presence of the mayor of the municipality of permanent residence of the applicant and two witnesses);
birth certificate;
color photo;
a copy of the income statement for the last year;
social security registration number;
marriage certificate (for those involved);
a copy or printed photo of the Greek parent's Greek passport;
a certificate of good conduct from foreign authorities;
other documents depending on the situation.

We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the complete package of specific documents depending on your situation at.

After studying the case, the foreigner is invited to an interview with the Naturalization Committee. There he confirms his knowledge of the Greek language and provides other information that is necessary for naturalization.

How to obtain dual citizenship Russia Greece

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There are several ways to obtain a second citizenship. The most commonly used procedures are repatriation, naturalization and birthright acquisition. So, if children are adopted in Greece, or born legally or illegally, then they automatically become citizens of the country.

Russians with Greek roots can count on the fact that they will be given citizenship of a given country. And naturalization is ideal for those foreigners who belong to one of the following categories:

those persons whose spouse is a Greek citizen;
students, specialists, businessmen and other groups of people who have been living in a given country for 10 years or more legally and have a residence permit;
refugees from various countries;
artists, performers, athletes and other prominent figures.

On average, it takes from 2 to 3 months to consider a request to become a Greek citizen. In this case, you will have to pay about 700 euros for the procedure.

Repatriates are not subject to tax. The country's Ministry of Internal Affairs can renounce citizenship at any time without giving reasons. But documents for reconsideration can be submitted at any time.

Important! Once a foreigner has been granted local citizenship, he must swear allegiance to the Greek state.

At birth

So, if citizenship needs to be assigned to a child, then this procedure will not be difficult, since most often it is carried out automatically, or after following the simplest procedures.

This group of persons includes:

Children born in an official marriage where there is at least one Greek citizen. In this case, the minor will acquire his citizenship upon reaching adulthood.
If a family consisting of Greeks obtains guardianship from Russia, then it simultaneously transfers citizenship to its child.
Even if a minor is born out of wedlock, he will still receive citizenship, but only if the mother is Greek and the father is Russian. And not vice versa.
Also, if a minor is born out of wedlock, and only the father is Greek, then the child can also become a Greek citizen, but only if the family contacts the appropriate authorities before he reaches adulthood.

Naturalization process

Obtaining citizenship in this way is available to any foreigner, but only if he fulfills a number of obligations. This method is claimed by:

children born to their parents out of wedlock, whose father is a Greek citizen and fully acknowledges his paternity. In order for a child to become an official citizen of the country, you need to wait until he reaches the age of majority and then submit an application to the relevant authorities;
persons who have formalized their marriage with a Greek citizen in an official way can also count on citizenship. However, there is a condition - before the spouses apply for citizenship, they will have to live in the country for at least 3 years;
for ethnic Greeks who were able to prove their origin, a mandatory rule applies - they must provide a document of baptism in the Orthodox Church;
An accelerated procedure for such persons is possible if an ethnic Greek enrolls in a military academy or in the Greek army. In the same way, those persons who enter the monastic monastery of Mount Athos can obtain citizenship;
if we are talking about ordinary foreigners who have undergone the migration procedure and want to obtain Greek citizenship, then they must live in the country for at least 12 years, and only then apply for registration;
In 2015, Greece passed a law according to which citizenship can be obtained after purchasing real estate worth at least 250,000 euros. A passport will be received only after the person has lived in the country for 7 years;
It is not uncommon for refugees to turn to Greece for help. Such persons will be able to obtain citizenship only after they prove that they were subjected to repression and persecution in their homeland.

Acquisition of property with subsequent registration of citizenship

It was previously mentioned that in 2015 Greece passed a law through which citizenship can be obtained after acquiring property in the country. The purpose of such a bill was to improve the country's economy, which has recently almost reached default.

It is clear that such an investment is becoming quite attractive for many foreigners who, wanting to obtain a second citizenship, are ready to invest their money in the Greek economy.

Important! One of the main conditions is that the property purchased by foreigners must exceed the price of 250,000 euros.

This is exactly the amount you need to pay for the property, after which you can get a temporary residence permit for yourself and your family members.

Important! If property is purchased in the country for the above amount, then not only the entire family, but even distant relatives will be able to obtain a residence permit. And you can apply for citizenship not after 12, but after 7 years.

If a person decides for himself that he needs property in the country more, then he can sell it at any time. And whoever purchases it will also receive the right to a residence permit and the opportunity to obtain citizenship after 7 years.