Greece

LGBT Rights

Greece is the most progressive country in southeastern Europe, and one of the most progressive countries full stop, regarding trans and queer rights. Greece is tied for 6th overall with Finland in the ILGA-Europe rankings.

Trans individuals can change gender legally. Nonbinary identities are not recognized in law.

Same gender marriage has been legal since 2024. Same gender spouses have all the same rights and privileges as opposite gender spouses.

There are anti-discrimination provisions in law, but discrimination is more likely in smaller towns and remote villages as compared to major cities and tourist areas.

There is increasing acceptance of trans, gay, and even nonbinary individuals. There still is some opposition, primarily from the state church and the small far right political parties.

Citizenship Pathway

Greece is a jus sanguinus country. If either parent or any grandparent is a Greek citizen, you are a Greek citizen as well.

The process for claiming citizenship in this situation is known as registration. Registration is a process that can be done at your nearest Greek consulate. Note that it may take a few months to get an appointment to speak to a consular official for your registration.

Summary page from the Greek Consulate of New York

Information on registration of births and marriages

If a parent is a Greek citizen, and they have their documentation demonstrating such, typically a passport (διαβατήριο) or a national ID card (ταυτότιτα), your long form birth certificate, apostilled and translated into Greek; your passport; and your parent's identification should be sufficient to get the process started as the consulate should be able to procure the necessary family status certificate (πιστοποιητικό οικογενειακής κατάστασης). Note that if your parent has a TAXISnet account, they can produce the πιστοποιητικό οικογενειακής κατάστασης themselves to expedite the process.

If a grandparent is a Greek citizen, and they have their documentation demonstrating such, you will also need to register your parent. This will require both parents' birth certificate, apostilled and translated into Greek, and their long form marriage document. This is not the typical marriage certificate. Some jurisdictions have an explicit document intended for international use; some call this an application extract or some other term to denote that it includes all the details of the marriage ceremony, including explicit reference to the number of previous marriages a person has had. If that number is greater than zero, divorce decrees may also be necessary.

Citizenship registration can take two years or more.

Immigration Pathways

Greece is an EU country. Any Union citizen has the right to live and work in Greece.

Spouses of Greek and EU citizens have an expedited pathway to obtaining permanent residency, also known as a Blue Card.

Spouses of Greeks require an apostilled birth certificate; translated into Greek; a scan of one's entire passport, including covers, verified by a Greek lawyer; proof of residency in Greece by the Greek spouse, in the form of proof of tax payments and TAXISnet documents showing tax residency in Greece; a family registration certificate (πιστοποιητικό οικογενειακής κατάστασης) listing the spouse, which can be done at any Greek consulate; payment of a €16 fee via the e-paravolo system, which accepts international credit and debit cards.

Spouses of non-Greek EU citizens have lighter documentation requirements.

This process must be started within three months of arrival in Greece and takes several months. Once the application is received with all necessary documentation, a Blue Certificate, which acts as a temporary Blue Card, is issued. Spouses of Greeks and EU citizens have full labor market access with this certificate.

Digital Nomad visas are also available for Greece. A two year digital nomad visa costs approximately €1250, and can potentially lead to permanent residency. To qualify, one must have a position or a business based outside Greece, meet minimum monthly income requirements starting at €3800/month post tax, with the amount increasing if one wishes to travel with spouse or children, and maintaining private health insurance the entire length of the visa, amongst other requirements.

Processing time for a digital nomad visa is under two months.

It is highly recommended that one who is not a fluent Greek speaker procure the services of an immigration attorney in Greece to assist with these applications.

Integration Issues

Greek can be a challenging language to learn, and it is necessary to engage in daily life in the country despite a large proportion of English speakers, particularly in the major cities and the financial sector. Major cities have private classes to teach Greek to new immigrants. Private tutors can be found in more rural areas, though this can be challenging as private tutors are less likely to have an Internet presence.

Banking has some strict requirements, but the first step would be to acquire an ΑΦΜ, a taxpayer identification number. This can be done online, but it is easier to either do this at a Greek consulate or with the assistance of a tax representative, typically an accountant in Greece.

Additionally, one must provide one's passport, income tax documents, proof of residence (lease, utility bill, property tax receipts), and proof of employment income in the form of an employment contract.

Neobanks such as Wise or Revolut are an alternative, but it is challenging to deposit funds into them without access to other means of banking.

Greece is officially an Orthodox country with a state church. Even the smallest town will have a church near the center of it. However, while symbols of religion are inescapable, such as the pervasive presence of icons, Greece is increasingly secularizing.

The only major holiday that is not in sync with the Western Christian calendar is Easter, which usually is celebrated one week later, though it can fall on the same day or a month after Western Easter.

Non-Orthodox Christian churches are difficult to find. Major cities have Catholic, Coptic, and Anglican churches, but outside of Athens and Thessaloniki these will be rare. Even less common are houses of worship for other religions.