Naturalization — Recognized refugee 7-year track

GR-NAT-03 es la vía ordinaria de naturalización para personas reconocidas en Grecia como refugiados o beneficiarios de protección subsidiaria (επικουρική προστασία). A partir de 2026, se aplicará el estándar de residencia ESTÁNDAR de 7 años continuos del Código de Nacionalidad Griega (L.3284/2004), no un reloj acortado. Sus características distintivas frente al GR-NAT-01 genérico son el título de residencia calificado de refugiado/protección subsidiaria que dura el tiempo y la tarifa reducida de 100 €.

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An applicant must, as at filing in 2026: hold a valid recognised-refugee or subsidiary-protection residence title (an Art 5(1)(ε) 'definitive' title); have 7 continuous years of lawful residence immediately before filing (Art 5(1)(δ)); be an adult (Art 5(1)(a)); have a clean criminal record under the 10-year/serious-crime-catalogue bar (Art 5(1)(b)); and have no pending deportation (Art 5(1)(c)). The substantive Art 5A conditions (language, knowledge of Greece, smooth economic+social integration) also apply.

The ΠΕΓΠ (Πιστοποιητικό Επάρκειας Γνώσεων για Πολιτογράφηση) is a mandatory written exam for αλλογενείς applicants (including refugees) from 1.4.2021 (Art 7; L.4735/2020). It certifies Greek at a level analogous to B1 plus knowledge of Geography/History/Culture/Institutions; structure is 20 knowledge MCQs (40 pts) + a language part (60 pts), passed at 70% overall with sub-minima of language ≥66% and knowledge ≥50% simultaneously. The exam is held about twice a year.

The dossier (per ypes.gr guidance, 2024-2026) includes the naturalisation application + declaration, the valid refugee/subsidiary-protection residence title, the status decision and 1951-Convention travel document, proof of 7 continuous years' lawful residence, a Greek criminal-record certificate, income/tax evidence of economic integration, the ΠΕΓΠ certificate, and the €100 e-paravolo receipt (code 2161). For recognised refugees, origin-country authentication of civil documents is generally not insisted upon where the applicant cannot safely approach origin authorities.

Process (2026): accrue 7 continuous years on a valid refugee/subsidiary-protection title; pass the ΠΕΓΠ exam (held ~twice yearly) unless exempt; file the naturalisation declaration + application with the competent Regional Citizenship Directorate plus the €100 e-paravolo; undergo the integration assessment (with a conditional interview only if integration is doubted); the Naturalisation Committee (Art 12) reviews; the MoI decision (Art 8) is published in the ΦΕΚ; the applicant swears the Art 9 oath within one year.

The statutory residence minimum is 7 continuous years before filing. The ΠΕΓΠ exam is held twice yearly (typically May and November). Ordinary naturalisation has no single binding processing deadline under Art 8 (unlike the 6-month/1-year deadlines for Art 1B birth/schooling decisions), and the integration assessment, Committee review, decision and Gazette publication commonly span well over a year. The Art 9 oath must be sworn within one year of the decision's ΦΕΚ publication or the decision is revoked.

Recognised refugees pay the reduced €100 naturalisation παράβολο (e-paravolo code 2161), the same reduced-fee bracket as ομογενείς, EU-nationals and stateless persons — not the €550 initial / €200 resubmission αλλογενείς fee. This is the authoritative current value per the official mitos.gov.gr administrative registry (updated 10/03/2025; fee schedule effective 1.4.2021). The legacy €700 figure from 2010/2015-era PDFs is superseded stale text and must not be used.

La norma de residencia que rige es el artículo 5(1)(δ) ΚΕΙ ('επτά συνεχή έτη' / siete años continuos), insertado por el artículo 2 L.3838/2010 (ΦΕΚ Α' 49/24-03-2010). La enumeración de vía reducida del artículo 5, apartado 1, letra δ, párrafo tercero, fue sustituida por el artículo 94 L.4674/2020 (ΦΕΚ Α' 53/11-03-2020), que eliminó de la vía reducida a los refugiados reconocidos y a los beneficiarios de protección subsidiaria. Por lo demás, la naturalización procede conforme a los artículos 5, 5A, 6, 7, 8 y 9 ΚΕΙ.

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The competent authorities (as of 2026) are the Regional Citizenship Directorates (Περιφερειακές Διευθύνσεις Ιθαγένειας) under the General Secretariat for Citizenship, Ministry of Interior; they receive the application, assess integration, hold any interview, and administer the oath. Terminology (successor to 'Συντονιστής Αποκεντρωμένης Διοίκησης') was codified by L.5225/2025 Art 95, in force from 02-09-2025. The Επιτροπή Πολιτογράφησης (Art 12) gives the Naturalisation-Committee opinion.

On the Art 9 oath the applicant acquires full Greek and EU citizenship (free movement, EU voting, consular protection). Dual nationality is permitted (Art 16 ΚΕΙ): Greece requires no renunciation and imposes no automatic loss for naturalising elsewhere. Male naturalised citizens become subject to Greek conscription, and permission to renounce Greek nationality is blocked while military obligations are incomplete (Arts 16(3), 20). A child who is minor, unmarried and permanently resident in Greece at the parent's oath date acquires Greek nationality derivatively under Art 11.