The following information was provided by a consular officer at the Embassy of Greece in Ottawa during a 15 October 2004 telephone interview. The consular officer explained that the procedure for obtaining Greek citizenship for a person born outside Greece is complicated because each case depends on a number of factors.

With regard to a child born of a mother who is not Greek and a father who is Greek and has Greek citizenship, the consular officer said that any child of a Greek citizen can obtain Greek citizenship, but the Greek parent must register the child in a Greek municipality, such as Athens. Furthermore, the procedure for obtaining citizenship for such a child can differ depending on whether the father was married in a civil ceremony or in a religious ceremony of the Greek Orthodox Church.

The consular officer could not provide any information on whether a non-Greek wife of a Greek citizen is entitled to Greek citizenship or residency. He did say, however, that Greek citizens looking for information on Greek citizenship for their family members can go to an embassy or consulate, or they can call to obtain information specific to their case.

Some of the information provided by the consular officer was corroborated by the Websites for the consulates general of Greece in Montreal and Toronto. These sites provided a summary of matters concerning Greek citizenship, as well as the following:

1. A person acquires Greek citizenship at the time of birth, if said person is born to a parent of Greek nationality-that is, is the offspring of a Greek citizen, regardless of whether the parent has exercised his/her right to citizenship.

2. A Greek citizen is a person who is duly registered in the records of a municipality of the Hellenic Republic.

3. Registration in the municipal records of the Hellenic Republic is the legal premise for Greek citizenship. As such, the Certificate of Registration constitutes legal proof of Greek citizenship. In order to obtain the Certificate of Registration, Greek citizens permanently residing in Canada apply through the local Greek consular authorities, which in turn transmit the application to the competent (municipal) Greek authorities, who issue the Certificate of Registration. Both the registration of the parents' marriage, as well as, the registration of the applicant's birth, are prerequisites for the issuance of the Certificate of Registration. The Greek consulates in Canada execute all necessary and relevant registration processes (Greece n.d.a; ibid. n.d.b).

For more information on Greek citizenship and residency, see GRC42068.E of 10 November 2003 regarding the procedure to acquire Greek citizenship, and GRC42067.E of 10 November 2003 regarding the documents required to prove descent for Greek citizenship requirements.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection.

Embassy of Greece, Ottawa. 15 October 2004. Telephone interview with a consular officer.

Greece. n.d.a. Consulate General of Greece in Montreal. "Greek Citizenship." http://www.grconsulatemtl.net/en/citizen_en.asp [Accessed 15 Oct. 2004]

____. n.d.b. Consulate General of Greece in Toronto. "Greek Citizenship." http://grconsulate.com/en/greekcitizenship.htm [Accessed 15 Oct. 2004]