country of origin, the Ministry of Interior has issued general orders to the municipalities to substitute the abovementioned documents with an affidavit of the interested party.1296 However, asylum applicants and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection are still required to present such documentation, which is extremely difficult to obtain, and face obstacles which undermine the effective enjoyment of the right to marriage and the right to family life. In some cases, this forces them to obtain a court order to officiate their wedding ceremony.1297 As for civil partnership, as far as GCR is aware the Registry Office of Athens requires from beneficiaries of international protection to provide interpretation services by their own means, in order to be able to register the notarial act of the civil partnership. In these cases, personal data of interpreters appears on the civil partnership certificates, despite the fact that they do not constitute elements of the present act.1298 Civil registration affects the enjoyment of certain rights by beneficiaries of international protection. For instance, a birth certificate or a marriage / civil partnership certificate are required to prove family ties in order to be recognised as a family member of a beneficiary of international protection and to be granted a similar residence permit according to Articles 22(2) and 23(3) Asylum Code (see Status and Rights of Family Members). In practice, the main difficulties faced by beneficiaries with regard to civil registration are the language barrier and the absence of interpreters at the Registration Offices of the municipalities. This gap often leads to errors in birth or marriage certificates, which are difficult to correct and require a court order to do so. 3. Long-term residence Indicators: Long-Term Residence 1. Number of long-term residence permits issued to beneficiaries in 2025: Not available* *(this is with the exception of data provided by the Residence Permit Divisions of the Municipalities of Arta and of Ioannina, per the replies of which a total of 3 long-term residence permits were granted to beneficiaries of international protection in 2025, of which 2 concerned beneficiaires of subsidiary protection and 1 a refugee status holder).1299 According to Article 144 para. 1 L. 5038/2023 (Immigration Code), which entered into force on 31 March 2024,1300 third-country nationals are eligible for long-term residence if they have resided in Greece lawfully for five consecutive years before the application is filed. For beneficiaries of international protection, the calculation of the five-year residence period includes half of the period between the lodging of the asylum application and status recognition, or the full period if the asylum procedure exceeded 18 months. 1301 Periods of absence are not taken into account for the determination of the five-year period, provided that they do not exceed six consecutive months and 10 months in total, within the five-year period.1302 A €150 fee is also required.1303 To be granted long-term resident status, beneficiaries of international protection must also fulfil the following conditions:1304 ❖ Have sufficient income to cover their needs and the needs of their family, which is earned without recourse to the country’s social assistance system. This income cannot be lower than the annual 1296 1297 1298 1299 1300 1301 1302 1303 1304 See e.g., Ministry of Interior, General Orders to municipalities 4127/13.7.81, 4953/6.10.81 and 137/15.11.82. Single Member Court of First instance of Athens 6459/2009, 3581/2010, Single-member Court of First Instance of Kos 390/2013 and Athens Magistrates' Court 91/2017. Article 9 & 31A L. 344/1976. Information provided by Residence Permit Divisions of the Municipalities of Arta and of Ioannina on 2 and 12 February 2026 respectively. Article 179 L. 5038/2023 (Immigration Code). Article 144(2), subparagraph b L. 5038/2023. Article 144(3) L. 5038/2023. Ministry of Migration and Asylum, Long Term Residence Permits (Law 5038/2023), available in Greek here. Article 144(1) L. 5038/2023. 259