If your family came from Greece — a parent, a grandparent, a great-grandparent who left for America — you may already be entitled to Greek citizenship. Not bought, but inherited. We assess whether the entitlement exists and build the documentary chain that proves it, across the Greek and American records.
Independent Greek counsel, in English, for the largest Greek diaspora in the world.
Greeks have lived in America for well over a century — the great waves came through Ellis Island and the ports in the early 1900s, and their descendants now number in the millions. Many of those descendants are entitled to Greek citizenship and have simply never pursued it, assuming the connection is too distant or the paperwork long lost.
Greek citizenship passes by descent — jus sanguinis, the right of blood. If your line traces back to a Greek citizen, the citizenship may already be yours in principle, waiting to be recognised. It is not granted for an investment and it is not a passport for sale; it is a question of who your people were, established through the records.
We tell you honestly whether we believe the chain can be proven, before you invest hope or money. That candour is the point — and the American records, for all their quirks, are usually more complete than families expect.
The law is the same for any diaspora; what differs is the American paperwork. These are the issues that recur in US files — each usually solvable.
Anglicised or shortened surnames — Papadopoulos to Pappas, and countless others — are the rule, not the exception. They are normally bridged with naturalisation papers, ship manifests, census and vital records that link the original Greek name to the American one.
US birth, marriage and death certificates are issued by each state, and each must be authenticated with an Apostille by that state's authority, then officially translated into Greek. Where your ancestors lived shapes the process; we map exactly which records are needed and from where.
The anchor of the chain is the ancestor's registration in a Greek municipality (the Mitroon or Dimotologio). Locating that record — sometimes generations old, in a village registry — is often the decisive step, and one we pursue on the Greek side.
Not necessarily. Given the timing of Greek emigration to America, the qualifying ancestor is often a great-grandparent. A great-grandparent may suffice if each intervening link is established; a closer one may not, if a registration was never made. The chain, not the generation, decides.
From what you know of your Greek ancestor and the documents you hold, we give a candid view of whether the chain looks provable — before you commit time or money.
We search for the ancestor's municipal registration and the Greek civil-registry records that anchor the chain — the part of the work that must happen in Greece.
We tell you precisely which US certificates to obtain, from which state, and how to have each apostilled and translated, so the American side of the chain is complete.
We assemble the evidence that links an Anglicised American name back to the original Greek one, so a changed surname does not defeat a good claim.
The documentary chain is assembled and transcribed into the Greek registries, so the citizenship is recognised and recorded.
Filings are typically made through the Greek consulate for your region of the US. We tell you which consulate applies and what it will require.
It is not the Golden Visa. The Golden Visa is a residence permit earned through investment. Citizenship by descent is a matter of ancestry — no property, no investment, no minimum sum. The two are unrelated, and we never conflate them.
It is not a guarantee. No honest lawyer can promise recognition sight-unseen; the answer lives in the records. What we promise is a candid assessment of whether the chain can be proven, and diligent work to establish it where it can.
On your US citizenship: Greek law generally permits holding Greek citizenship alongside another, so from the Greek side recognition does not require giving up your US citizenship. Whether US law permits dual nationality for you, and any US tax or reporting consequences, are questions of US law — confirm them with a qualified US adviser. We advise on the Greek side only.
You tell us about your Greek ancestor and any documents you hold. We give a candid view of whether the entitlement looks provable.
We identify the Greek municipal registration to locate, and the exact US state certificates to obtain, apostille and translate.
Greek and American records are gathered and assembled into a coherent documentary chain, name changes bridged.
The chain is submitted and transcribed into the Greek registries, typically via the Greek consulate for your region. Timelines depend on the authorities and the records.
For the general principles of Greek citizenship by descent across the diaspora, see our main guidance. We also have pages for Australian citizens and South African citizens of Greek descent. If you have also inherited property in Greece, see inheritance for foreign heirs. And if your interest is a home or residence through investment rather than ancestry, our guidance for US & Canadian buyers may help.
Tell us what you know of your Greek ancestor and the documents you hold. A supervising partner will review it and respond personally, usually within one business day, with a candid view of whether the entitlement looks provable and the fixed fee to proceed.
There is no obligation, and nothing here creates a lawyer–client relationship until terms are agreed in writing. Legal services are provided in English.
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Phone: +30 210 363 6035
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Thank you. A supervising partner will review what you have shared and respond personally, usually within one business day, with a candid view of whether the entitlement looks provable. For anything urgent you may also email [email protected].
Possibly. Greek citizenship passes by descent from a Greek parent and may reach back to a grandparent or great-grandparent, provided the Greek citizenship of each link in the chain can be established and the necessary registrations exist or can be made. There is no simple generation cut-off; what matters is whether the unbroken chain can be documented from the Greek ancestor down to you. Each case is assessed on its records.
Usually not by itself. Anglicised or altered surnames are very common in Greek-American families and are normally bridged with evidence — naturalisation papers, ship manifests, census and vital records linking the original and changed names. It is a documentary problem to be solved, not necessarily a barrier.
Typically US birth, marriage and death certificates for each generation between the Greek ancestor and you, issued by the relevant state and authenticated with an Apostille by that state's authority, then officially translated into Greek — alongside the Greek ancestor's municipal registration. Because US vital records are issued state by state, the process varies by where each event occurred. We tell you precisely which records are needed.
Greek law generally permits dual citizenship, so from the Greek side, recognition does not require renouncing US citizenship. Whether and how US law treats dual nationality, and any US tax or reporting consequences, are matters of US law on which we do not advise — confirm these with a qualified US adviser. We act on the Greek side only.
No. Citizenship by descent is a matter of ancestry and existing entitlement, entirely separate from the Golden Visa or any investment. It does not involve buying property. Greece does not offer citizenship by investment; this route concerns who you are descended from.