Greek Citizenship: Requirements and How to Qualify in 2026

Greek citizenship allows you to live, work, and study in any European Union country and travel to more than 182 visa-free or visa-on-arrival countries. A person can get Greek citizenship through descent,  if they have a Greek parent or grandparent, or naturalization, meaning they have lived in Greece for at least seven years. Applicants will also need to pass language and culture tests. However, another big advantage is that Greece also allows dual citizenship and multiple citizenship, so you can gain a Greek Plan B passport and keep your original nationality.

In this guide, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about obtaining Greek citizenship, including the different citizenship routes, benefits of a Greek passport, application process, costs, and more.

Greek Citizenship: Key Takeaways

Greek citizenship allows you to live, work, and study in any European Union country and travel visa-free or with visa-on-arrival access to 182 countries.

You can obtain Greek citizenship through descent if you have a Greek parent or grandparent, or through naturalization after legally living in Greece for seven years or three years in certain cases.

Other citizenship pathways include birth and schooling in Greece for a required period, or marriage to a Greek citizen, although marriage alone does not automatically grant citizenship.

Applicants must pass a Greek language and integration exam, prove stable income, and have a clean criminal record.

Greece allows dual and multiple citizenship, meaning you can keep your original nationality while holding a Greek passport.

The Greek Golden Visa provides residency through investment, but you must live in Greece for seven continuous years if you want to qualify for citizenship.

Greek nationality law is primarily governed by the Greek Citizenship Code, which balances historical ties, ancestry, and integration residency. This means a child automatically becomes a Greek citizen if at least one parent is a Greek citizen at the time of birth, even if the child is born outside Greece. Children born in Greece to foreign parents do not automatically qualify for citizenship, but they can qualify if they meet specific conditions, such as attending Greek school for a required number of years and having parents that legally lived in the country. Foreign nationals can also apply for Greek citizenship through naturalization after legally living in Greece for seven years, or a reduced three years for EU citizens, recognized refugees, and spouses of Greek citizens. Applicants need to prove integration into Greek society, speak the Greek language, and pass citizenship exams.

• Live and work anywhere: With a Greek Passport, you have the unconditional right to live, work, and retire in any of the 27 EU member states, as well as Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.
• Powerful Passport: The Greek passport is one of the most powerful, ranking 42nd on our Global Passport Index, and offers visa-free and visa-on-arrival to 182 countries. 
• Education: Access to education in Greece and EU universities at more affordable rates, which are often free or subsidized compared to international fees.
• Healthcare: Greek citizens get full access to the Greek national healthcare system (EFKA) and the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which provides medical coverage across the EU.
• Property & business: You can own property and start businesses across the EU without the restrictions that are placed on non-citizens.
• Voting rights: As a passport holder, you have the right to vote and run for office in Greek national elections, as well as local and European Parliament elections.
• Consular protection: If you are in a non-EU country without a Greek embassy, you have the right to seek assistance from the embassy of any other EU member state.

1. Citizenship by Descent (Jus Sanguinis)

If at least one parent was a Greek citizen at the time of your birth, you are legally a Greek citizen from birth. You simply need to claim it by registering your birth in a Greek municipality. If your parents weren’t registered, but a grandparent or sometimes great-grandparent was, you can apply for recognition of citizenship. To get Greek citizenship by descent, you must prove an unbroken chain of citizenship back to the ancestor.

2. Citizenship by naturalization (Long-term Residency)

To obtain Greek citizenship by naturalization, you must meet strict residency, language, and integration requirements. For most foreign nationals, the required residency period is seven years, but there is a reduced stay for EU citizens and other individuals: 

• 3 years: Reduced to three years for EU citizens, recognized refugees, and spouses of Greek citizens, provided they have a child together.
• Integration test: Applicants must pass the Certificate of Knowledge Adequacy for Naturalization (ΠΕΓ), which covers Greek language, B1 level, history, geography, and civics.

3. Citizenship through birth and education in Greece

A child born in Greece to foreign parents can apply for citizenship if the parents have lived legally in the country for at least five consecutive years prior to the child’s birth. A child of non-EU citizen parents can apply if they have completed nine years of primary school or six years of high school in Greece.

4. Citizenship by marriage

Being married to a Greek citizen alone does not automatically lead you to citizenship, but it does come with a reduced residency stay. Applicants must have been married for three years and maintain continuous residence in Greece. They will also need to show language proficiency and basic cultural knowledge

The Greek Golden Visa is a residency by investment program that allows non-EU nationals to live in Greece by making a qualifying investment. It gives you a five-year residence permit that can be renewed, but residency is not the same as citizenship. To receive the five-year renewable residence permit, you must invest in property in Greece under one of these categories:

• €800,000 for property in high-demand areas such as Athens, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, and islands with more than 3,100 residents.
• €400,000 for a property in other parts of Greece.
• €250,000 for special projects, such as converting commercial buildings into homes or restoring protected historic buildings.

There is no minimum stay requirement to keep your Golden Visa. You can live anywhere in the world and renew your residence permit every five years, as long as you keep your investment. However, if you want Greek citizenship, you must become a real resident. This means living in Greece for seven continuous years and staying in the country for at least 183 days each year.

• Citizenship by Descent: You are eligible if you can prove an unbroken blook relations to a Greek ancestor registered in a Greek municipality
• Naturalization: 7 years of continuous legal residence 
  • 3 years for EU citizens, refugees, or spouses of Greeks with a common child.
  • You must pass the integration exam (PE-G), made up of a test on Greek language B1 level, history, geography, and civics.
  • Proof of a stable income
  • Remain compliant with paying taxes in Greece
  • A clean criminal record
• Birth: At least one parent has lived legally in Greece for five years or more before the birth.
• By schooling: The child completed nine years of primary/secondary school or six years of high school in Greece.

This is the most common document checklist, but additional documents will be required for the specific citizenship route chosen. All documents must be apostilled if they are from a non-EU country and translated into Greek by a certified professional.

• Valid passport: A certified copy of your current travel document.
• Birth certificate: An original, unabridged version (long-form).
• Photos: Two to four recent passport-sized color photographs.
• Application form: Completed and signed (often at the consulate or municipality).
• Police clearance: A recent criminal record certificate from your country of origin and residence, valid for 6 months.

1. Preparation & eligibility 

Make sure you have kept a good record of your citizenship portfolio with all the required documents. Also have all foreign documents, such as birth and marriage certificates, and police records, apostilled and translated into Greek by a certified service or a lawyer from the Greek Bar Association.

2. Submission & declaration

• Descent: When applying for Greek citizenship by descent, you need to book an appointment at your local Greek consulate to submit your ancestral proof and a declaration of citizenship.
• Naturalization: You submit your file in person to the Regional Directorate of Citizenship in your Greek municipality. You also need to pay the application fee of €550 for a first-time application.

3. Examination & review

• The PE-G Exam: Naturalization applicants have to first pass a citizenship exam on Greek language, history, and culture.
• The interview: For most citizenship paths, you will go through an interview with a consul abroad or a committee in Greece to assess your ties to the country and social integration.
• Background check: Authorities conduct a multi-tier review of your criminal and financial records.

4. Approval & the oath

If your application is successful, your decision will be published in the Government Gazette. You then have one year to take the Oath of Allegiance. Once you are registered in the municipal records, you can apply for a Greek ID and passport.

Yes, Greece allows dual citizenship and multiple citizenship. This means you do not have to give up your existing nationality to become a Greek citizen, and Greek citizens do not lose their citizenship if they obtain another one. You can legally hold both a Greek passport and another country’s passport at the same time; however, make sure that your country of origin permits dual citizenship.