❖ Refugee status
❖ Subsidiary protection
2. Number of citizenship grants to beneficiaries in 2025:
4.1.
7 years
7 years
501317
Conditions for citizenship
The Citizenship Code1318 has been subject to numerous amendments over the years.1319 Prior to the
amendment of March 2020,1320 refugees could apply for citizenship under condition that they inter alia
resided lawfully in Greece for a period of three years. The amended legislation has increased this period
to seven years,1321 similarly to the time period required for foreigners residing in Greece on other grounds
under migration law, despite the legal obligation under Article 34 of the Geneva Convention 1951 to
‘facilitate the assimilation and naturalisation of refugees’ and ‘in particular make every effort to expedite
naturalisation proceedings’. The aforementioned amendment does not apply to refugees who had already
submitted an application for naturalisation that was still pending by the time L. 4674/2020 entered into
force.1322
Specifically, according to the Citizenship Code, 1323 citizenship may be granted to a foreigner who:
(a) has reached the age of majority by the time of the submission of the declaration of naturalisation;
(b) has not been irrevocably convicted of crime/crimes exhaustively listed in the Citizenship Code,
committed intentionally in the last 10 years, with a sentence of at least one year or at least six
months regardless of the time of the issuance of the conviction decision. Conviction for illegal
entry in the country does not obstruct the naturalisation procedure.
(c) has no pending deportation procedure or any other issues with regard to their status of residence;
(d) has lawfully resided in Greece for seven continuous years before the submission of the
application;
(e) holds one of the categories of residence permits foreseen in the Citizenship Code, inter alia longterm residence permit, residence permit granted to recognised refugees or subsidiary protection
beneficiaries, or second-generation residence permit.
Applicants should also:1324
(a) have sufficient knowledge of the Greek language;
(b) adequately know the Greek history and geography, the Greek culture and the habits of the Greek
people, as well as the functioning of the institutions of the Constitution of the country.
(c) be normally integrated in the economic and social life of the country. According to the Citizenship
Code, supporting documents proving the economic independence of the applicant must be
submitted in the application.1325 Additionally, the above-mentioned law provides that the applicant
is not examined through an interview regarding their financial independence, yet the examiner of
each case is responsible for issuing the decision taking under consideration only the provided
documents.1326 In case there are doubts as to whether the applicant satisfies the conditions of
economic and social integration, the applicant shall be invited to an interview, in accordance with
paragraph 7, in order to determine accurately the degree of his or her economic and social
integration into the country. The third country national shall be summoned by registered
correspondence with proof of delivery. If such correspondence is returned undelivered twice, or
if the foreign national, without reasons of objective impossibility, fails to appear for the interview,
1317
1318
1319
1320
1321
1322
1323
1324
1325
1326
Information provided by the Central Directorate of Citizenship operating under the General Secretariat of
Citizenship of the Ministry of the Interior on 4 February 2026.
L. 3284/2004, Gov. Gazette A’ 217/10-11-2004.
See inter alia L. 4604/2019,Gov. Gazette A 50/26-03-2019), L. 4674/2020,Gov. Gazette A 53/11-03-2020), L.
4735/2020, Gov. Gazette Α' 197/12.10.2020).
L. 4674/2020.
Article 5(1)(d) Code of Citizenship, as in force .
Ministry of Interior, Circular No 151/2020, 25 May 2020, available in Greek at: https://bit.ly/3sDV5pG, p. 8.
Article 5(1) Citizenship Code.
Article 5A (1) Citizenship Code.
Article 37 L. 4873/2021.
Article 38 L.4873/2021.
262