Greece is the most desirable country in the world for people who want to have a second passport and citizenship. Yes, you can get Greek citizenship by investment but that route is expensive. However, if you are lucky and have ancestors from Greece you can claim citizenship of Greece by using the blood right method.
Get more financial and personal options open to yourself by claiming citizenship in Greece. The Greek passport takes time there is no doubt it can take up to 2 to 3 years to get your citizenship by descent but it’s worth it. So, if you are looking to get a second passport Greece can be a nice option for you.
Greek law is the same as Italian and Hungary law. The law is known as the right of blood AKA jus sanguinis. Meaning you can claim citizenship in Greece if one of your parents, grandparent, or even great-grandparent was born there. Moreover, they had or have citizenship in Greece. You have to ensure that the bloodline is not broken and you are good to go.
How to obtain Greek Citizenship by Descent
There are two ways to get Greek citizenship by descent. First, you are born to a Greek parent even outside Greece you can claim citizenship by using your birthright. The second is by naturalization. Confused? Worry not I have discussed both options below.
First option
The first option to get Greek citizenship by descent is by claiming the blood right which is that you are directly connected with the ancestors. For example, your grandparents were from Greece and they had the nationality of Greece before they died. All you have to do is to prove that you are directly related to them and after that, you can claim citizenship. Moreover, if your parents are still alive before you they have to go through the same process that is they have to claim the birthright which can cause delay and will take more time to get your citizenship. However, if your parents are passed away then you can directly claim citizenship by linking yourself to your grandparents or even great-grandparents. However, know that your ancestors don’t have to be born in Greece they just need to be registered as a citizen of Greece in the records.
You need to obtain the family registration certificate. In past, it was difficult to get a family registration certificate. But now it has become easier to get one. You can get the process done online using the help of a Greek consular. If you provided all the documents and proved your relationship with your ancestors meaning your bloodline without any broken lineage then you can claim citizenship this way. Moreover, your children will also be able to claim this citizenship if you manage to get it. It will pass to them. However, your spouse will not be able to get citizenship as they are not from your bloodline. The spouse needs to have Greek residency to live there with you.
Second option
If you are unable to claim citizenship using birthright then this option is for you. This option is for those whose ancestors lived in Greece when it was part of the ottoman empire. Or they left Greece before the independence. You cannot claim your Greek origin if any of the cases are true. So, you have to go through this second option which is by naturalization.
Naturalization is not the common naturalization we know. That is living in the country for some period of time for that many years and then applying for residency. This is a different type of naturalization. This process allows you to connect yourself with the Greek ancestors and you need to prove that your ancestors were indeed from Greece. In short, you have to show that you are connected to Greece. You need to gather as much information and proof as you can to go through this process to get citizenship in Greece.
The procedure
Once you manage to prove that you are eligible for Greek citizenship by descent you have to provide the following documents.
First, you need to visit the Greek embassy or consulate in person. By visiting you have to provide the documents like your birth certificate, your marriage certificate, your parent birth certificate, your parent’s marriage certificate, and passport-size photos.
After the first step now you need to apostille your documents from the secretary of state’s office. Now you need to submit the documents along with proof that you are eligible for citizenship. The fee will be charged to you when you will submit the documents.
Now you will be called for an interview in the Greek embassy or consulate. They will ask you questions about your ancestors and they will also ask about your background and your reasons for seeking Greek citizenship. So, be prepared to answer those questions.
If your application is approved and your interview has been passed you will be asked to take the oath of allegiance in front of the official consular of Greece. Once you take the oath you will be granted the certificate that will allow you to claim citizenship in Greece. Once you will get the certificate it will be ensured that now you are a full fledge member of Greece and you will get citizenship by descent.
Now you have obtained citizenship in Greece. You will become eligible to apply for a passport from Greece. To get the passport all you have to do is to visit the nearest Greek embassy and submit your application there.
That’s it!
Know that you don’t have to speak Greek to get citizenship by descent. The process can take up to several months to years so, if you are planning to obtain your birthright it is the right time to apply. Do not delay the process as it can be changed or can take a lot of time.
In this article, I have discussed both options and the procedure you need to go through to get Greek citizenship by descent. Hope this post will be helpful to you.
