Greek citizenship by descent: common questions

Greek men aged 19 to 45 owe military service. If you live permanently abroad, you can defer it for as long as that stays true, and you’re exempt at 45. You qualify with 11 years living abroad immediately before applying, 7 years of continuous work and residence abroad, or a whole life lived abroad. You apply for a certificate through the consulate. Men who don’t have permanent-resident-abroad status face strict limits on time spent in Greece.

Yes. Greece allows dual citizenship, and so do the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

It can be. Consulates ask for the civil marriage certificate, and a church certificate on its own isn’t accepted. If your parents married abroad, the marriage should also be registered in Greece’s Special Registry in Athens.

Ask the consulate whether your parent can be registered first. If they can, your own route is usually simpler. If not, you can apply as a person of Greek origin through your grandparent.

There’s no written test, and the forms are in Greek. On the Greek-origin route, the consul’s interview assesses your knowledge of the Greek language, and of Greek history, geography and political institutions.

Yes. On the Greek-origin route, children who are under 18 and unmarried when their parent takes the oath become Greek automatically, with no extra procedure or fee. The London consulate mentions children being present at the oath, so ask your consulate how it handles this.