Greek nationality law
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nationality law of Greece is based on a mixture of the principles of jus sanguinis and jus soli. Greek citizenship is acquired mainly on the basis of a Greek parent, or by birth in Greece. Dual citizenship is permitted under Greek law. A Greek national is a citizen of the European Union, and therefore is entitled to all rights that all other citizens of the EU have.
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[edit] Naturalization
The child of a Greek citizen acquires the Greek nationality as from the time of his/her birth; a child born by non-Greek nationals does not acquire the Greek nationality.
An alien born out of wedlock is automatically Greek if the mother is Greek (see matrilineality). If the father is Greek and paternity can be proven (for example, through a paternity test), the child will become Greek when an application is submited for the child to become a Greek citizen, providing the child has not yet reached his/her 18th birthday. Then he/she must make a request themselves to become Greek. An alien who has attained the 18th year of age may become Greek by naturalization.
Any person who is ethnically Greek born outside of Greece may become a Greek citizen through naturalization, providing he/she can prove a parent or grandparent was born as a national of Greece. The Greek ancestor's birth certificate and marriage certificate are required, along with the applicant's birth certificate, and the birth certificates of all generations in between until the relation between the applicant and the person with Greek citizenship is proven.
The following prerequisites are required for naturalization:
- A declaration of the alien made before the mayor or the chairman of the village council where he/she is domiciled or resides, wherein it is stated that he/she wishes to be naturalised.
- The declaration must be submitted in the presence of two Greek citizens serving as witnesses,
- The alien ethnic Greek living abroad this declaration may be submitted before the Greek consul of his/her domicile, who will then transmit it to the Ministry of the Interior together with a relevant report.
- If the alien is not an ethnic Greek, a total of ten years of residence in Greece within the last 12 years before the submission of the application for naturalization or five years of residence in Greece after the declaration concerning naturalization. An application for naturalization submitted to the Ministry of the Interior.
The children of the alien who is naturalized become Greeks if, at the time of completion of the naturalization proceedings, they are not married and they have not attained the 18th year of age.
[edit] Marriage
At present, marriage does not entail the acquisition or loss of Greek nationality. Before 1984, a woman marrying a Greek national became Greek automatically.
[edit] Naturalization by military service or by Monasticism in Mount Athos
Ethnic Greeks who are accepted to the military academies for officers or non-commissioned officers of the Greek armed forces (according to the special law governing each school) or who enlist in the armed forces as volunteers (according to the law governing each branch) acquire Greek nationality automatically from the time they enter the academies or they are enlisted. Moreover, according to the Greek constitution, aliens admitted as monks in one of the monasteries of Mount Athos, become Greek automatically.
[edit] Loss of citizenship
A Greek national will not usually lose his/her Greek citizenship when obtaining another nationality, unless a request to lose the nationality is submitted. A Greek citizen may voluntarily renounce citizenship by submiting an application to the Ministry of Interior in Athens. (FEK 219/2004 article 18)
