Ask A Question  | Learn more about Greece

To get Greek citizenship, what kinds of ties do I need to prove to the country?

I recently obtained a Golden Visa by purchasing a home in Athens. I am interested in getting Greek citizenships years down the road, but I am wondering how much time I need to spend in this country or what ties I need to demonstrate. Is there a minimum amount of days I need to be present in Greece? Please advise.


Answers
  • Synergia Technical and Consulting SA
    June 08, 2019

    Regarding the acquisition of Greek citizenship, please be advised about the related provisions of the law in force. For the foreigner who wishes to acquire Greek citizenship by naturalization, he or she is required to: be an adult at the time of the application for naturalization; be able to prove seven years of permanent and legal residency in Greece, with a minimum 183 days per year; not be convicted of sentences for more than six months, for certain types of crimes, or for more than one year for crimes that have been committed intentionally; keep a permanent resident permit of the types that are recognized by the law. On occasion of this communication, I would like to inform that, according to a recent legal amendment, the permanent resident permit of a landlord or a permanent investor resident permit, as yours, were included as final titles and acceptable for naturalization of foreigners. So you could proceed to the related procedure after seven years under the related terms and conditions above. It’s better to consult a lawyer about this perspective to advise you accordingly about the related details.

  • Stilianos Ch. Proestakis
    June 08, 2019

    To get Greek citizenship, you need to have legal status in Greece, and know the Greek language, culture and history. What is important in this procedure is not the years you’ve been present in Greece but whether you have legal status. If you’ve had refugee status and a resident permit for the past three years, then you are eligible to apply for Greek citizenship. You also need to prove that you have lived legally and continuously in Greece for the entire three years. Refugees and stateless people need to have lived legally in Greece for three years. Subsidiary protection and long-term migrants need to have lived legally in Greece for seven years. If you are married to a Greek national, you can apply for Greek citizenship after 3 years of legally living in Greece.