If you are an American citizen and have a child in Greece from a Greek national you must register the birth locally and then again at the American Consulate. When doing so the child automatically gets dual citizenship. It is very easy as long as you have all the paperwork needed and your child must accompany you. The application only takes a few minutes to complete and your paperwork is then turned in. Within a week, you will receive your child’s American passport and within a month you will receive your child’s social security card.Paperwork needed to register your child:
1. Marriage certificate of parents.
2. Birth certificate from the Greek registrar’s office bearing the full name of the child.
3. Certified copy of all final civil divorce decree if either parent was married previously.
4. Evidence of American citizenship of the parent. If only one parent is an American citizen, evidence that the parent has met the physical presence requirement to transmit citizenship, prior to the birth of the child (the U.S. citizen parent must have been physically present in the U.S. for at least five years, two of which were after the age of 14. Documents that may serve as evidence of physical presence, includes: old passports, school transcripts, income tax records and social security itemized quarterly earning statement records.
To apply for a passport for your child, you need:
1. A signed passport application
2. Two identical photographs.
3. Parents consent
**Check with the American Consulate office for fees regarding registration**
Special notice regarding paperwork:
***A very important thing to remember when moving here. If you have ever been divorced, you must bring with you your divorce decree and be sure it is translated in Greek. This form will be needed when applying for marriage and/or anything that has to do with your child, even if that child was not from your previous marriage.
The Greek Adventure 