Naturalization — Stateless 3-year expedited track

GR-NAT-04 es la ruta de naturalización ordinaria facilitada para personas apátridas (ανιθαγενείς) que residen legal y permanentemente en Grecia: califican para un período reducido de residencia continua de 3 años según el Código de Nacionalidad Griego (L.3284/2004), artículo 5(1)(δ), tercer párrafo, en lugar de los 7 años estándar. A partir de 2026, se trata de una naturalización ordinaria facilitada, no de una adquisición automática o declarativa; todas las demás condiciones (expediente limpio, examen ΠΕΓΠ, integración, juramento) se aplican en su totalidad.

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Typical qualifiers include: a person rendered stateless by the dissolution of a former State who has held a Greek 1954-Convention residence title for 3+ years; a Western-Thrace-minority person denationalised under the old ex-Art 19 of ΝΔ 3370/1955 (repealed prospectively in 1998 with no restoration route) who remains stateless; and a person who is both stateless and a recognised refugee, for whom the stateless quality preserves the 3-year clock that refugee status alone would not (post-L.4674/2020).

The ΠΕΓΠ (Πιστοποιητικό Επάρκειας Γνώσεων για Πολιτογράφηση) is mandatory for αλλογενείς naturalisation applicants since 1.4.2021 (L.4735/2020 arts 3,5,6,18; Code Art 6(2)(γ) + Art 7(2)) and a stateless applicant is an αλλογενής for this purpose. It certifies Greek at a level analogous to B1 plus knowledge of Greek Geography/History/Culture/Institutions; the question bank is ≥100 language texts + 300 knowledge questions.

The route-specific documentary burden is proving statelessness: the 1954-Convention stateless travel document/residence title (L.139/1975), plus negative-nationality certifications from the authorities of any State of former nationality or habitual residence, and UNHCR or Greek-authority statelessness documentation where available. Because no dedicated Statelessness Determination Procedure operates in 2026, the Citizenship Directorate assesses statelessness on the individual file.

Practical sequence: front-load statelessness evidence (negative-nationality certifications) because no operational SDP exists; hold the 1954-Convention stateless residence title (L.139/1975) as the cleanest Art 5(1)(ε) qualifying title that also counts residence; pass the ΠΕΓΠ at the May/November sitting around the 3-year mark before filing; insist on the reduced €100 fee (code 2161) citing the mitos registry; document genuine presence across all 3 years since integration is assessed over the whole period; apostille and translate every foreign document; and diarise the oath within 1 year of ΦΕΚ publication.

The residence clock is 3 continuous years (vs 7 standard). The Code fixes no hard statutory deadline for the naturalisation decision itself (unlike the 6-month/1-year deadlines governing the Art 1A/1B declaration routes); in practice the file runs well over a year through ΠΕΓΠ, examination, any Naturalisation Committee, ministerial decision and ΦΕΚ publication. After publication, the oath must be sworn within one year or the decision is revoked; re-application is allowed one year after a rejection.

La concesión reducida de residencia continua de tres años para los apátridas se recoge en el artículo 5, apartado 1, letra δ, tercer párrafo de la L.3284/2004, sustituido por el artículo 94 de la Ley 4674/2020 (ΦΕΚ A' 53/11-03-2020). El mismo párrafo reduce la residencia para los titulares de ciudadanía de la UE, los cónyuges de un griego con un hijo común y las personas que tienen a su cargo un hijo de ciudadano griego nacido en Grecia; ομογενείς y las personas nacidas y residentes continuamente en Grecia no tienen ningún requisito de tiempo de residencia.

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The Regional Citizenship Directorate (Περιφερειακή Διεύθυνση Ιθαγένειας) of the place of residence receives the application, examines the file, conducts any interview, and administers the oath, operating under the General Secretariat for Citizenship, Ministry of Interior (Central + Regional Citizenship Directorates, successors to the former Συντονιστής Αποκεντρωμένης Διοίκησης under Laws 3852/2010, 4555/2018, 4674/2020). The Minister of Interior issues the naturalisation decision (Art 8), published in the Government Gazette.

Common pitfalls: assuming refugees still get 3 years (they do not since 11-03-2020); treating the 3-year reduction as the only requirement (ΠΕΓΠ, Art 5A integration, clean record and oath all still apply); relying on a paper residence title rather than genuine presence; expecting a formal SDP (none operates in 2026); paying €550 instead of the reduced €100 stateless fee (code 2161); and missing the 1-year oath window after ΦΕΚ publication, which revokes the grant.