Do I Need to Translate All My Documents Into Greek for a Citizenship Application?

Yes. Every document issued outside Greece that forms part of your citizenship application must be officially translated into Greek before Greek authorities will accept it. This is a non-negotiable requirement and one of the most common sources of delays when applicants try to handle the process on their own.

Which Documents Need Translation

Any document that was not originally issued in Greek requires an official translation. This includes your birth certificate, your parents' birth and marriage certificates, any death certificates in the lineage, and any supporting documents such as police clearance certificates or passports. If the document was issued in a country that uses non-Latin characters, an intermediate translation into English may also be required before the Greek translation can be produced.

Who Is Authorized to Translate

Greek authorities do not accept translations from just anyone. The translation must be produced by one of the following authorized parties:

The Translation Service of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is the official translation body of the Greek government.

A certified Greek lawyer who is a member of the Greek Bar Association and authorized to produce official translations.

A Greek consulate in your country of residence, which can in some cases provide certified translations of standard vital records.

Online translation services, general translators, and bilingual friends are not accepted regardless of how accurate the translation is. Using an unauthorized translator is one of the fastest ways to have your application rejected or delayed.

The Apostille and Translation Order

A common point of confusion is whether documents should be apostilled before or after translation. The answer depends on your specific consulate. Some consulates require the apostille to be affixed to the original document first, and the translation to be produced from the apostilled original. Others accept documents apostilled after translation. This is worth confirming with your specific consulate before you begin, as submitting documents in the wrong order can require the entire process to be repeated.

Name Discrepancies in Translation

One of the most frequent complications that arises during the translation stage is name inconsistency. Greek names are often anglicized, abbreviated, or transliterated differently when families emigrate, and names may appear differently across multiple generations of documents. When a translation reveals that the same person's name is spelled differently across documents, Greek authorities require additional supporting evidence such as a statutory declaration or court-issued name confirmation to establish they are the same person. Catching these discrepancies before submission rather than after is significantly less costly in time.

How GetGreece Handles Translations

GetGreece coordinates all document translations through authorized Greek translators as part of the overall citizenship case. Every document is reviewed for name consistency and completeness before it is submitted, which eliminates the most common causes of rejection at the translation stage. Book your document case review consultation and let the team handle the translation and apostille requirements so nothing slips through.