How Many Years Does Greece Take to Grant Citizenship? (2026 Conditions and Process)

August 22, 2026
Mürüvvet Durmaz

Greece generally requires a 7-year legal residency requirement for citizenship applications. However, the period required for citizenship may vary depending on the pathway through which the person applies. The core legislation regulating citizenship processes is the Greek Citizenship Code Law 3284/2004. In this context, to apply for citizenship after obtaining a residence permit, continuous and legal residency in Greece is generally required for 7 years.

In the continuation of our article, we will touch upon the different ways of obtaining Greek citizenship. If you want to obtain a residence permit in Greece, you can contact us.

Where to Apply for Greek Citizenship?

Greek citizenship applications are made through two different methods. Individuals living outside Greece must submit their applications through the Greek Consulate or Embassy in their region of residence. Individuals legally residing in Greece must physically submit their applications directly to the Migration Administrations in Greece or the Decentralized Administration of the relevant region.

Persons of ethnic Greek origin (Omogeneis), if living in Greece, can also notify the mayor or the president of the village council of their place of residence. The ultimate authority deciding on applications is the Greek Ministry of Interior.

What Are the Conditions for Dual Citizenship in Greece?

Greece is one of the countries that allows dual citizenship. When you acquire Greek citizenship, you do not need to renounce your existing citizenship. For example, you can legally hold Turkish and Greek passports at the same time. Although there are different legal requirements depending on the type of application in the methods of obtaining Greek citizenship, continuous residency, language knowledge, and social integration conditions are fundamentally required. So, how to get Greek citizenship? Here are the pathways to citizenship:

Greek Citizenship Through Marriage

One of the most facilitated ways to apply for Greek citizenship is through marriage. However, simply being married to a Greek citizen is not sufficient to obtain citizenship. To apply, it is necessary to remain married for at least 3 years and reside continuously in the country during this period. In addition, the applicant is required to prove through an exam that they know Greek at the B1 level.

During the interview, questions are directed about topics such as the candidate’s life in Greece, relationship with their spouse, and social integration. It is mandatory for the applicant to attend the interview in person. The interview is conducted in a structured format by officials affiliated with the Ministry of Interior. At the end of the interview, committee members record their evaluations regarding the candidate, and these evaluations form the basis of the final decision regarding the citizenship application.

Greek Citizenship by Descent

Greek citizenship law is based on the principle of jus sanguinis (blood tie). According to this system, the decisive factor for citizenship is not that the person was born in Greece, but that their parents or ancestors are Greek citizens. The primary condition for applying for citizenship by descent is to be able to document that your ancestor is registered in a municipal registry (Dimotologio) in Greece.

Greek Exchange (Population Exchange) Citizenship

Greek citizenship resulting from the population exchange is evaluated based on family records. According to Greek law, descendants can benefit from this right if they prove with official documents that their ancestors were Greek citizens during the relevant period. For this, it must be determined that one of the ancestors is registered in the municipal registry in Greece.

However, if the right to citizenship was lost following the 1923 Population Exchange, this right does not pass as an inheritance to grandchildren. In addition, due to the legal regulation in force between 1955–1998 that allowed the stripping of citizenship from non-ethnic Greeks (allogeneis), approximately 60,000 people lost their citizenship. Although this article was repealed in 1998, an automatic restitution process has not been introduced for individuals who lost their citizenship in the past.

To apply for citizenship within the scope of the exchange, family ties must first be completely proven with birth and marriage certificates. It is mandatory that the documents have an Apostille approval and be translated into Greek via the Greek Consulate or approved translators.

Greek Citizenship by Investment

It is possible to obtain a residence permit by investing in Greece. It grants renewable residence permits to foreigners who buy property under the Greece Golden Visa program. If you live in the country for 7 years after obtaining your residence permit, you can apply for citizenship. You can contact us to get detailed information or visit our relevant page.

Greek Citizenship Fee

Greek citizenship application fees may vary depending on the type of application, the person’s status, and the institution where the process is carried out. In addition to official fees, extra expenses such as translation, apostille, consular procedures, language exams, and legal services may also arise.

Application Type	State Application Fee
Citizenship Through Marriage	€550 – €700
Long-Term Residency / Naturalization	€700
Citizenship by Descent	€100 – €150
Ethnic Greek Applications	€100
Citizenship After Golden Visa	€700
Re-application (After Rejection)	€200
Citizenship Language and Integration Exam (PE-G)	€150 – €250
Citizenship Interview Process	Generally included in the application fee
Consular Applications	Around €140
Issuance of Greek Passport	~€85

Greek Citizenship Consultancy Services

In the process leading to Greek citizenship, one must first apply to the Golden Visa program. You can contact Golden Visa Solutions for consultancy and detailed information about the process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Greece grant citizenship to Turks?

Yes, Greece grants citizenship to Turkish citizens. Provided that certain conditions are met, there is no general prohibition on applying for Greek citizenship. During the application process, criteria such as knowledge of Greek, integration into the country, and the duration of residence in the country are evaluated. In particular, many individuals coming from Türkiye have turned to residence permit programs as the first step to obtaining Greek citizenship through investment.

Does Greece grant citizenship by birth?

Yes, if either the mother or the father is a Greek citizen, the child automatically acquires Greek citizenship at birth. However, even if the child is born in Greece, if one of the parents is not a Greek citizen, certain conditions must be met. Accordingly, the family must have been legally residing in Greece for at least 5 years as of the child's birth date. In addition, even if the child was born in Greece, if their parents have legally lived in Greece for at least 5 years and the child successfully completes primary education (6 years) in Greece, they can apply for citizenship.

Up to how many generations does Greece grant citizenship?

Although there is no strict generational limit, anyone who legally proves the principle of blood ties can apply for citizenship.

Was my grandmother/grandfather born in Greece? Can I get citizenship?

Yes, you may have the possibility of obtaining citizenship. During the application process, you must prove your lineage and have official population records showing that your grandmother was a Greek citizen. For this, you need to submit the birth certificate along with your parents' birth and marriage certificates, as well as your grandmother's/grandfather's birth, marriage, and municipal records.

Was my father born in Greece? Can I get citizenship?

Yes, this is one of the strongest ways to obtain Greek citizenship. The principle of blood ties applies in Greek citizenship law. If you were born after June 16, 1982, your father being a Greek citizen is sufficient for the right to citizenship. In this case, whether your parents are married or not does not affect your right to citizenship. If you were born before June 16, 1982, the condition that your parents must be legally married, along with your father being a Greek citizen, is required. In addition, for citizenship to be proven, your father must be registered in the Greek municipal registry (Dimotologio). If the necessary records and lineage documents are available, you can apply for citizenship accordingly.

Can descendants of population exchangees obtain Greek citizenship?

If lineage is proven, a citizenship request can be made. However, many people who left Greece with the 1923 Population Exchange lost their Greek citizenship due to the agreements of that period. From the moment the citizenship link is severed, this right cannot be inherited by grandchildren. Article 19 of the Greek Citizenship Code, which remained in force between 1955 and 1998, caused "non-ethnic Greek" individuals to lose their citizenship if they left Greece permanently. Therefore, if your ancestor's citizenship record still exists and has not been legally revoked during the exchange process, it is possible for you to obtain citizenship.

Can immigrants from Thessaloniki obtain Greek citizenship?

Yes, immigrants of Thessaloniki origin can obtain citizenship if they still meet the legal conditions. If you can prove with official documents that at least one of your parents, grandfathers, or grandmothers was a Greek citizen, you can apply for citizenship. However, since the citizenship of many people ended or their records were deleted during the exchange and migration processes, not every Thessaloniki immigrant family can obtain the right to citizenship. As a first step, you need to check whether a citizenship record belonging to your family still exists in the municipal records (Dimotologio) in Greece.

Is buying a house in Greece still valid for citizenship?

Citizenship is not obtained directly by buying property in Greece. First, a residence permit is obtained through real estate investment. Then, after a legal residency period of approximately 7 years, if the necessary conditions are met, the right to apply for citizenship arises.

How strong is the Greek passport?

The Greek passport is among the most powerful passports in the world in terms of global mobility. According to current international passport indexes, it ranks fourth among the world's most powerful passports and provides visa-free or facilitated entry to more than 190 countries. In addition, thanks to European Union citizenship, it offers the right to free movement, work, and live in European countries.

Is it mandatory to know Greek to become a Greek citizen?

Knowing Greek is required to become a Greek citizen. Those who want to obtain citizenship through investment and marriage must prove that they know Greek at least at the B1 level. The process is more flexible for persons of Greek descent (Omogeneis); these candidates can usually be exempted from the heavy language and culture exams applied to candidates of foreign origin. However, graduates of schools or universities in Greece are exempt from the exam.

What needs to be done to become a Greek citizen?

To become a Greek citizen, you must first obtain a residence permit through investment.