After passing — Greece Greek Naturalisation Knowledge Certificate (Π.Ε.Γ.Π.)

From passing the test to the citizenship application

About a month after the exam, the General Secretariat for Citizenship issues your Π.Ε.Γ.Π. (PEGP) certificate. It has no time limit, but every other condition is checked on the day you apply.

You apply for naturalisation (πολιτογράφηση) at the Regional Citizenship Directorate (Περιφερειακή Διεύθυνση Ιθαγένειας) for the area where you live: in person, through an authorised lawyer, or by registered post. You must be an adult with 7 years of legal residence (3 for some groups, 12 if your permit is not on the list in the law), a qualifying permit, no disqualifying conviction, and economic and social integration.

Typical documents: a copy of your whole passport, your residence permit, the PEGP, your foreign birth certificate (apostilled and officially translated), tax assessment notices, your AMKA and proof of integration.

Fee (2026): an e-paravolo of €550; €200 if you resubmit; €100 for EU citizens, ethnic Greeks, stateless persons and recognised refugees.

Decision and oath

The official register of procedures (mitos.gov.gr) sets a processing deadline of one year.
The directorate checks your file, criminal record, integration (with an interview if needed) and, through the police, public-order grounds.
A rejection for formal reasons can be challenged before the Minister of the Interior within 30 days; a rejection on the merits goes to the administrative courts.
If you are accepted, a summary of the decision is published in the Government Gazette (ΦΕΚ). You are then invited to take the oath (ορκωμοσία). It must take place within one year of publication, or the decision is revoked.
You become Greek when you take the oath. You are then entered in the municipal register (δημοτολόγιο) of the municipality where you live.

ID card and passport

ID card (δελτίο ταυτότητας): book an appointment through gov.gr and apply at a police department with a digital photo, an identity document and a witness who confirms your details. The fee is a €10 e-paravolo plus a €0.50 stamp (€5 for large families). It takes about 7 days and is valid for 10 years (2026).
Passport: apply at the Passport Office for your area, without an appointment. It costs €80 (age 14 and over, valid 10 years) or €71 (under 14, valid 3 years), fees since 1 December 2024. Since 3 August 2026 applicants over 12 must hold the new-type Greek ID card, so get the ID card first.

Your previous citizenship

Greek law does not ask you to give up your previous nationality, so dual citizenship is possible on the Greek side. Giving up Greek citizenship later needs a permit from the Minister of the Interior and is meant for adults living abroad. Whether you keep your old nationality depends on that country's law. Some countries remove it automatically, so check before the oath.

Tax and social security

Becoming Greek does not change your tax status: tax residence depends on where you live. Your tax number (ΑΦΜ), AMKA and e-EFKA insurance record stay the same.
Child benefit and housing benefit require 5 years of permanent residence for Greek citizens but 12 years for third-country nationals (2026). The student housing allowance is only for Greek or EU students.

Voting and other rights

Greek citizens can vote from the year they turn 17 in parliamentary, European and local elections, once they are on the electoral roll of a municipality. Under the Constitution (Art. 51), voting is compulsory.
If you live away from your registered municipality, you can vote where you live as an ετεροδημότης. A postal vote exists for European elections and referendums (apply at least 40 days before).
Public-service posts open up to you, and as an EU citizen you can live and work anywhere in the EU.
Military service: men who are not yet 45 have military obligations. Contact a recruitment office (Στρατολογική Υπηρεσία) as soon as possible: you are called up with the first intake that starts one month after your registration reaches it.

Effect on children

Your children who are minors, unmarried and living permanently in Greece on the day of your oath become Greek automatically (Art. 11 of the Citizenship Code). You give their birth certificates to the directorate; this is free.
Children living abroad or already married do not qualify.
A child who became Greek this way can give up Greek citizenship within one year of turning 18, if they have another nationality.
Children born later to a Greek parent are Greek from birth.

Frequently asked questions

Does the PEGP certificate expire? No. But the rest of your file (residence permit, tax records, integration) must be valid when you apply.

What if I miss the oath deadline? The decision is revoked if you do not take the oath within one year of its publication in the ΦΕΚ. Watch for the invitation.

Must I give up my old nationality? Not for Greece. Ask your other country whether it lets you keep its nationality.

When can I get a Greek passport? After the oath, your registration in the municipal register and your new ID card.

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