I bought a residential property in Athens and obtained my Greek Golden visa four years ago. My goal is to obtain Greek citizenship. When and how will I be eligible for naturalization? Do I need to be able to speak Greek? Are there any special rules for Golden Visa holders who want to apply for citizenship?
In three years from now (seven years after obtaining a Greek Golden Visa) you could apply for Greek citizenship. You should have a basic knowledge of speaking and understanding Greek. There are no special rules for Golden Visa holders who want to apply for citizenship.
Regarding the acquisition of Greek citizenship, please be advised about the related provisions of the law in force. For the foreigner who wishes to acquire Greek citizenship by naturalization, he or she is required to: be an adult at the time of the application for naturalization; be able to prove seven years of permanent and legal residency in Greece, with a minimum 183 days per year; not be convicted of sentences for more than six months, for certain types of crimes, or for more than one year for crimes that have been committed intentionally; keep a permanent resident permit of the types that are recognized by the law. On occasion of this communication, I would like to inform that, according to a recent legal amendment, the permanent resident permit of a landlord or a permanent investor resident permit, as yours, were included as final titles and acceptable for naturalization of foreigners. So you could proceed to the related procedure after seven years under the related terms and conditions above. One of the main conditions for a citizenship application for Golden Visa holders is to prove seven years of continuous and legal residence in Greece. The documentation needed to be applied are, among others, a passport photocopy with all the related entrance and departure dates/stamps, a photocopy of the residence permit title, and photocopies of the latest seven tax declarations.
Please have in mind that the resident permit is permanent and lasts for a lifetime. However, the holder of the resident permit is obliged to renew it every five years. Renewal of the resident permit for property owners has conditions. The residence permit is renewed every five years. The following conditions must be met for the renewal of a residence permit. The real estate must remain in the ownership and law of the person concerned. The intended contracts/leases should remain in force. Any periods of absence from the country are not a hindrance to renewing the resident permit. Resale of immovable property during the validity of the resident permit to another third-country national entitles the new buyer to reside at the same time as revoking the seller's resident permit.
You need to stay at least seven years in Greece and learn the Greek language, history, civilization and feel as a Greek.
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