May 23rd, 2024
Further to the fact that the legislation maintains the necessity for standard applicants to naturalisation to be of good character, to be self-sufficient financially, to have the intention to stay in the Republic, and to have a certificate of basic knowledge of the Greek language (Level B1) together with basic knowledge of the Island’s history and political status, the new amendment to the legislation inserted on May 16th 2024 by the House of Representatives requires applicants to have completed at least 8 years of physical stay in the Republic within a period of 11 years preceding the application.
With regards to applicants who qualify as highly qualified foreign nationals working for foreign companies, further to the fact that the legislation maintains the necessity for these applicants to be of good character, to be self-sufficient financially, to have the intention to stay in the Republic, their applications can be submitted by employees that have completed at least 5 years of physical stay within a period of 11 years preceding the application as long as they have an A2 certificate of knowledge of the Greek language. The 5-year span can be reduced to 4 years if the applicant has a B1 certificate.
Applications of highly qualified foreign nationals working for foreign companies will be examined under a fast-track process leading up to 8 months, as long as the related fee is paid.
The legislation allows for spouses or civil partners and minor children with a clean criminal record certificate to apply for naturalisation.