Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has signaled his intention to simplify the citizenship process for third- and f...

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has signaled his intention to simplify the citizenship process for third- and fourth-generation Greeks living abroad, a move that could affect millions of people across Australia, the United States, Canada, and beyond. Under current Greek nationality law, citizenship by descent is already possible, but the process is anything but simple. Applicants often need to trace family records across multiple generations, gather birth and marriage certificates, and formally establish a legal link to a Greek ancestor, which can stretch back 60, 70, or even 80 years. For families whose grandparents or great-grandparents emigrated from Greece in the early to mid-20th century, those documents are frequently incomplete, lost, or held in archives spread across different countries. That bureaucratic barrier has kept many eligible descendants from ever completing the process. Mitsotakis has not yet confirmed what specific legislative changes would be introduced or what the new eligibility thresholds would look like. The proposal is a stated direction at this stage, with the precise legal framework still to be worked out by the Greek government. If legislation does follow, it would represent one of the most significant expansions of Greek citizenship access in decades. Greece has an estimated diaspora of several million people globally, with large communities concentrated in Australia, the United States, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The proposal comes as Greece has been actively working to deepen ties with its overseas communities, which remain an influential force in foreign policy, trade, and cultural diplomacy. #Greece #GreekDiaspora #GreekCitizenship