---
title: "Greek Citizenship by Naturalisation (Immigrant 7-Year Route)"
country: greece
service: "citizenship-naturalisation"
category: immigration
difficulty: complex
estimated_time: "The Ministry of Interior registry estimates the naturalisation procedure at around one year. The earlier ΠΕΓ exam is held twice a year, so the wait to sit it depends on the next exam window rather than on the application itself."
cost_range: "150 € for the ΠΕΓ exam plus 550 € for the naturalisation application; reduced application fees of 200 € on resubmission and 100 € for stateless persons, recognised refugees and EU citizens"
last_verified: 2026-06-04
canonical: https://publicservices.guide/greece/citizenship-naturalisation/
status: current
confidence: low
tags:
  - citizenship
  - naturalisation
  - immigration
  - "peg-exam"
  - "greek-language"
  - resident
  - "ministry-of-interior"
sources:
  - https://mitos.gov.gr/index.php/%CE%94%CE%94:%CE%A0%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%B9%CF%84%CE%BF%CE%B3%CF%81%CE%AC%CF%86%CE%B7%CF%83%CE%B7_%CE%91%CE%BB%CE%BB%CE%BF%CE%B3%CE%B5%CE%BD%CF%8E%CE%BD_%CE%91%CE%BB%CE%BB%CE%BF%CE%B4%CE%B1%CF%80%CF%8E%CE%BD
  - https://en.mitos.gov.gr/index.php/%CE%94%CE%94:Application_for_Participation_in_the_Exams_for_the_Certificate_of_Knowledge_Adequacy_for_Naturalisation
  - https://exetaseis-ithageneia.ypes.gr/aitiseis/
---

# Greek Citizenship by Naturalisation (Immigrant 7-Year Route)

**Country:** 🇬🇷 Greece  
**Last verified:** 2026-06-04  
**Estimated time:** The Ministry of Interior registry estimates the naturalisation procedure at around one year. The earlier ΠΕΓ exam is held twice a year, so the wait to sit it depends on the next exam window rather than on the application itself.  
**Cost:** 150 € for the ΠΕΓ exam plus 550 € for the naturalisation application; reduced application fees of 200 € on resubmission and 100 € for stateless persons, recognised refugees and EU citizens

## Required documents

- **Valid passport or travel document**
  - What is required: A copy of all pages, with the biographical details.
- **Valid residence permit or residence title**
  - What is required: A valid permit or title, or confirmation of a pending electronic renewal application where applicable.
  - _Note:_ A valid residence permit is both a document in the dossier and an eligibility gate. Sort out your residence status before filing.
- **Certificate of Knowledge Adequacy for Naturalisation** *(ΠΕΓ)*
  - What is required: Proof of a pass in the exam, or documentary evidence of an exemption such as a certificate of nine years' schooling in Greek schools, or a Greek-language university, postgraduate or doctoral qualification.
- **Original birth certificate**
  - Form required: Issued by the foreign authority, properly certified (apostille where applicable) and officially translated into Greek.
- **Marriage certificate**
  - When required: Where the applicant's name changed after marriage; issued by the foreign authority, certified and translated.
- **Proof of fee payment**
  - What is required: The e-παράβολο electronic-fee receipt for the naturalisation application.
- **Tax clearance documents** *(εκκαθαριστικά)*
  - What is required: Tax clearance documents for the required years.
- **AMKA — Greek social-security number**
  - What is required: Your Greek social-security registration number (Α.Μ.Κ.Α.).
- **Economic-integration evidence**
  - Accepted evidence: Bank statements, employment contracts, and property declarations showing continuous employment, business activity or income.
- **Social-integration evidence**
  - Accepted evidence: Marriage registration, children's birth acts, school-attendance records, and evidence of voluntary work.
- **Birth-registry act**
  - When required: Where the applicant was born in Greece.

## Costs

- **ΠΕΓ exam fee (administrative fee code 2158):** 150 EUR — Stated by the source as 150 €. Paid before the exam application is filed. An exemption applies to applicants whose naturalisation application was filed before 31/3/2021 and who sit the exam for the first time.
- **Naturalisation application fee — standard (e-παράβολο code 2159):** 550 EUR — Stated by the Ministry registry as 550 € for foreign nationals applying after 26/3/2019. An earlier figure of 700 € circulates in third-party summaries; the registry's own figure of 550 € governs.
- **Naturalisation application fee — resubmission (code 2162):** 200 EUR — Stated by the source as 200 €. Applies when a naturalisation application is resubmitted.
- **Naturalisation application fee — reduced (code 2161):** 100 EUR — Stated by the source as 100 €. Applies to stateless persons, recognised refugees, EU citizens, objections and appeals, and people of Greek descent. The same 100 € fee applies to a formal-rejection appeal to the Minister of Interior, which must be filed within 30 days.

## Steps

### 1. Confirm You Are on the Immigrant Route, Not the Greek-Descent Route

_Applies when: Stop here if you are claiming Greek descent — that is a different procedure with different fees and timelines that do not apply to this guide._

- This route is for a non-Greek-origin foreign national who has built a settled, lawful life in Greece — defined by a qualifying period of lawful residence and a pass in the ΠΕΓ knowledge exam.
- Greece runs separate naturalisation procedures for people of Greek origin living abroad or holding a Special Identity Card for expatriates. Those have their own lower fees, a consular pathway, and a Greek-origin proof element, and they are the procedures most visible on the official English-language registry.

> **Tip:** Because the expatriate route is the one published in English, applicants frequently copy its lower fees, shorter timeline and consular steps into their own planning. Those figures do not transfer to the immigrant route.

### 2. Check Your Qualifying Period of Lawful Residence

- The standard requirement is seven years of lawful residence in Greece before the application is filed.
- This is reduced to three years for citizens of another EU member state, spouses of a Greek citizen with whom they have a child, a person with parental custody of a child who is a Greek citizen, and stateless persons.
- For holders of certain other valid residence permits the requirement is twelve years. A person born in Greece and continuously resident there is not required to complete a separate residence period.

> **Tip:** The verbatim registry wording for the standard route is "7 έτη πριν την υποβολή της αίτησης" — seven years before the submission of the application.

### 3. Apply For and Sit the ΠΕΓ Exam *(ΠΕΓ)*

_Applies when: You can skip the exam if you completed nine years of schooling in Greek schools or hold a Greek-language university, postgraduate or doctoral qualification — file the documentary proof instead._

- Apply online through the citizenship-exam platform, logging in with TAXISnet codes and an identification document. The digital application runs through ten screens, from login through fee payment, choice of examination centre, document upload and a solemn declaration to final submission.
- Pay the 150 € exam fee first, and allow at least two days to pass between paying it and submitting the application.
- Sit the written exam, which is held twice a year. It tests Greek-language ability together with Greek history, geography, culture and political institutions — the Constitution, citizens' rights and duties, the structure of Parliament, the roles of the President and Prime Minister, and Greece's EU membership.

> **Tip:** Applicants over 62, those with a disability certificate above 67%, and those who cannot sit a written test because of a learning difficulty may take the exam orally.

_Links:_
- [Citizenship-exam application platform (Ministry of Interior)](https://exetaseis-ithageneia.ypes.gr/aitiseis/)

### 4. Assemble Your Naturalisation Dossier

- Gather your passport copy, valid residence permit, the ΠΕΓ certificate (or exemption proof), a certified and translated birth certificate, your AMKA social-security number, tax clearance documents, and your economic- and social-integration evidence.
- Have foreign birth and marriage certificates certified (apostille where applicable) and officially translated into Greek before filing.
- Pay the 550 € application fee through the e-παράβολο system and keep the receipt for the dossier.

> **If this fails:** Untranslated or uncertified foreign documents are a frequent cause of an incomplete dossier. The Ministry registry states the standard application fee as "550 €" (code 2159) — do not budget for the 700 € figure that circulates in third-party summaries.

### 5. File With the Regional Citizenship Directorate and Wait for the Checks *(Διεύθυνση Ιθαγένειας)*

- File the full dossier with the Regional Citizenship Directorate for your place of residence; an applicant not resident in Greece files through the Greek consul abroad.
- The Directorate registers the application, runs a completeness and formal-requirements check, then triggers an automatic criminal-record search with the Ministry of Justice and a public-order and national-security check with the Police.
- It then reviews your economic and social integration substantively. The decision is signed by the Regional Director and countersigned by the General Director.

> **Tip:** The criminal-record and security checks are triggered automatically inside the procedure — you do not obtain those clearances separately.

### 6. Await Publication and Take the Oath

- The approval decision summary is sent to the National Printing Office and published in the Government Gazette.
- You are then called to the oath ceremony within one year of publication; home or video-conference options exist for applicants with disabilities.
- Once the oath is taken, you are registered in the municipal civil registers.

> **Tip:** Citizenship is acquired only on administration of the oath — not when the decision is published. The registry estimates the whole procedure at around one year, and the oath can fall up to a year after the Gazette publication.

## FAQ

### Is this the same as the route for people of Greek descent?

No. People of Greek origin (ομογενείς) living abroad or holding a Special Identity Card for expatriates follow separate naturalisation procedures with different — generally lower — fees, a shorter timeline, a consular pathway, and a Greek-origin proof element. Those procedures are the ones most visible on the official English-language registry. This guide covers the ordinary immigrant route only: a qualifying period of lawful residence, the 550 € application fee, the ΠΕΓ exam, and the Regional Citizenship Directorate. If you find an English page describing an 18-month consular naturalisation with low fixed fees and a Greek-origin requirement, that is the expatriate route, and none of its figures, steps or timelines apply here.

### How many years must I have lived in Greece?

Seven years of lawful residence before you apply, on the standard immigrant route. This is reduced to three years if you are an EU citizen, a stateless person, a spouse of a Greek citizen with whom you have a child, or a person with custody of a Greek-citizen child. Holders of certain other categories of residence permit face a twelve-year requirement instead. A person born in Greece and continuously resident there is not required to complete a separate residence period.

### What does the ΠΕΓ exam cover and what level is it?

The written exam tests Greek-language ability together with Greek history, geography, culture and political institutions — including the Constitution, citizens' rights and duties, the structure of Parliament, the roles of the President and Prime Minister, and Greece's EU membership. It is held twice a year, and oral exams are available for applicants over 62, those with a disability certificate above 67%, and those with a learning difficulty. A B1 Greek-language level is commonly cited for the exam, but this is not stated on a reachable official procedure page and is recorded here as unverified; treat the official exam scope above as the citable description.

### What does it cost?

There are two separate fees. The ΠΕΓ exam costs 150 € (administrative fee code 2158), paid before the exam application is filed. The naturalisation application costs 550 € (e-παράβολο code 2159) for foreign nationals applying after 26/3/2019. Reduced application fees apply in some cases: 200 € on resubmission (code 2162), and 100 € for stateless persons, recognised refugees, EU citizens, objections and appeals, and people of Greek descent (code 2161). A note of caution: a 700 € figure circulates in third-party summaries, but the Ministry's own registry states 550 €, and that figure governs.

### Who decides on my application?

The Ministry of Interior, through its General Secretariat for Citizenship, is responsible for naturalisation. The Regional Citizenship Directorate for your place of residence handles the file and prepares the decision, which is signed by the Regional Director and countersigned by the General Director. The criminal-record check runs with the Ministry of Justice and the public-order and national-security check with the Police, both triggered automatically inside the procedure.

### How long does it take?

The Ministry of Interior registry estimates the procedure at around one year. After the approval decision is published in the Government Gazette, you are called to the oath ceremony within one year of publication, and citizenship takes effect on administration of the oath. The ΠΕΓ exam adds further time at the start, because it is held only twice a year and the wait depends on the next exam window.

### Can I skip the exam?

Yes, in defined cases. Nine years of schooling in Greek schools, or a Greek-language university, postgraduate or doctoral qualification, removes the exam requirement. You file documentary proof of the qualifying education in place of the ΠΕΓ certificate in your dossier.

## Local tips

- Confirm you are on the right route before you start. If you find an English-language page describing a roughly 18-month consular naturalisation with low fixed fees and a Greek-origin requirement, you have landed on the expatriate route, not this one. The ordinary immigrant procedure is published mainly in Greek.
- The two fees are separate and paid at different stages. The 150 € exam fee comes first, before the naturalisation dossier exists; the 550 € application fee comes later, when you file the full dossier.
- Foreign birth and marriage certificates must be certified (apostille where applicable) and officially translated into Greek before they are accepted. Start these well ahead of filing — they are a common cause of an incomplete dossier.
- Leave at least two days between paying the exam fee and submitting the ΠΕΓ application. Submitting too soon stalls the filing.

## Sources

- [National Registry of Administrative Procedures (mitos.gov.gr) — Naturalisation of Non-Greek-Origin Foreign Nationals (Πολιτογράφηση Αλλογενών Αλλοδαπών)](https://mitos.gov.gr/index.php/%CE%94%CE%94:%CE%A0%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%B9%CF%84%CE%BF%CE%B3%CF%81%CE%AC%CF%86%CE%B7%CF%83%CE%B7_%CE%91%CE%BB%CE%BB%CE%BF%CE%B3%CE%B5%CE%BD%CF%8E%CE%BD_%CE%91%CE%BB%CE%BB%CE%BF%CE%B4%CE%B1%CF%80%CF%8E%CE%BD) — accessed 2026-06-04 — _T1_ — Ordinary immigrant naturalisation requires seven years of lawful residence before the application is filed ("7 έτη πριν την υποβολή της αίτησης"), reduced to three years for EU citizens, spouses of a Greek citizen with a shared child, those with parental custody of a Greek-citizen child, and stateless persons, and extended to twelve years for holders of certain other residence permits. The application goes to the Regional Citizenship Directorate (Διεύθυνση Ιθαγένειας) for the place of residence; the deciding body is the General Secretariat for Citizenship within the Ministry of Interior (ΥΠΟΥΡΓΕΙΟ ΕΣΩΤΕΡΙΚΩΝ). The standard application fee is 550 € (code 2159) for foreigners applying after 26/3/2019, with reduced fees of 200 € on resubmission (code 2162) and 100 € for stateless persons, refugees, EU citizens, objections and people of Greek descent (code 2161). The registry estimates the procedure at one year (1 έτος), with the oath called within one year of Gazette publication, and the dossier comprises passport copy, residence permit, ΠΕΓ certificate or exemption proof, certified and translated birth and marriage certificates, e-παράβολο receipt, tax clearance documents, AMKA, and economic- and social-integration evidence.
- [National Registry of Administrative Procedures (en.mitos.gov.gr) — Application for Participation in the Exams for the Certificate of Knowledge Adequacy for Naturalisation (ΠΕΓ)](https://en.mitos.gov.gr/index.php/%CE%94%CE%94:Application_for_Participation_in_the_Exams_for_the_Certificate_of_Knowledge_Adequacy_for_Naturalisation) — accessed 2026-06-04 — _T1_ — The ΠΕΓ exam application is filed online through the citizenship-exam platform (https://exetaseis-ithageneia.ypes.gr/aitiseis/), logging in with TAXISnet codes, by foreign nationals resident in Greece who wish to receive Greek citizenship; the competent authority is the MINISTRY OF INTERIOR. The exam fee is €150 (administrative fee code 2158), paid via bank cashier, web banking, debit/credit card or Hellenic Post, with an exemption for applicants whose naturalisation application was filed before 31/3/2021 sitting the exam for the first time. At least two days must elapse between paying the fee and submitting the application. The required documents are a valid passport or travel document, a valid residence permit (or renewal-application confirmation), the twenty-digit payment code, and where relevant a disability certificate. Oral exams are available for applicants over 62, those with a disability certificate above 67%, and those with a learning difficulty.
- [Ministry of Interior — Citizenship Examination Application Platform](https://exetaseis-ithageneia.ypes.gr/aitiseis/) — accessed 2026-06-04 — _T1_ — The official platform on which applicants submit the ΠΕΓ exam application, logging in with TAXISnet codes and an identification document. The B1 Greek-language level commonly cited for the exam is corroborated only by a Centre for the Greek Language search snippet and is not stated on a reachable official procedure page; it is therefore recorded as unverified, and the citable exam scope is Greek language together with Greek history, geography, culture and political institutions.

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Verification pending — see the canonical page for the latest trust state.
Canonical: https://publicservices.guide/greece/citizenship-naturalisation/