Find Out If You Are Eligible for a Greek-EU Passport--Contact Attornery Christos Iliopoulos

Find Out If You Are Eligible for a Greek-EU Passport--
Contact Attorney Christos Iliopoulos

by Mary Papoutsy

In increasing numbers, the descendants of Greek emigrants abroad have been researching their family history, journeying back to the land of their heritage. For many, part of this process will involve searching for archives in Greece and trying to document lineage for Greek citizenship. Although it is a laborious quest, skilled legal assistance can facilitate efforts.

From our own personal experiences, we know that this is true. And we heartily recommend that interested folks contact good attorneys in Greece. When your language skills fade under close questioning by a records clerk, an attorney can close the gap. A good attorney, too, can obtain results where many investigators would fail, opening doors through a legal process that might otherwise not yield to polite requests. And, in the end, if a competent attorney can save you a trip to Europe--amounting to thousands of dollars--the legal fees may present a real cost-savings alternative to trying to uncover official documents alone.

Persons wishing to know more about family history can still conduct their own investigations, heading to ancestral villages and searching out oral histories or more obscure records on their own. These will all supplement the basic structure linked by the attorney. The essential data--names of one's ancestors and dates and places of birth--will be gathered and correctly documented by the attorney. And what's more, the counselor will help prepare and submit applications and materials for Greek citizenship, a common goal of many Greek-Americans and Greeks of abroad.

One Athenian attorney, Christos Iliopoulos, has penned numerous articles for Hellenic Communication Service on Greek law. (See the eponymously titled archives section of HCS: http://www.helleniccomserve.com/archiveiliopoulos.html.) I recommend that readers browse through the list of articles and read the ones pertinent to citizenship. Together with the archival section on Greek laws, these will give readers an overview of obtaining citizenship.

In consultation with Attorney Iliopoulos, HCS has developed the following simple form to aid readers in learning if they are eligible for a Greek passport. Of course, more research and time would be needed to complete the process. And there are legal fees involved if attorneys are hired to help. But at least this initial step can guide interested persons and provide a foundation for additional work. Simply fill out the short form below and submit it directly to Attorney Iliopoulos and his staff in Athens.They'll assess the information and reply to the inquiry. Happy hunting!

EZ Form to Assess Eligibility for Greek Citizenship

A. Your data

Your title

Your first name

Your last name

Place of residence at present

Your place of birth

B. Full name and data of your Greek ancestor who was born in Greece:

First name

Last Name

Maiden name, if female

His or her father's name

His or her mother's name (optional)

Place of his or her birth, as close as possible

Year of his or her birth, as accurate as possible

C. Your ancestor born in Greece is/was your (choose one):

Parent

Grandparent

Great Grandparent

D. If your ancestor born in Greece was your grandparent or great grandparent,
was his/her marriage (choose one)

Religious--Greek Orthodox Religous--Catholic Religious--Protestant Civil (court, magistrate, mayor, etc.)

E. If your Greek ancestor was not born in Greece, where was he or she born?

Christos Iliopoulos is an attorney at law, LL.M., at the Supreme Court of Greece in Athens, specializing in International and European Business Law. He has assisted many clients from around the world on issues pertaining to Greek property ownership, business, taxation, inheritance, and Greek citizenship. HCS offers its endorsement of his abilities and professionalism and encourage interested readers to contact him for legal assistance and even for matters pertaining to genealogical pursuits. His exhaustive knowledge of civil law has proved invaluable for a number of our readers and he has authored many overview articles for the benefit of HCS visitors on a diverse range of Greek law. Readers can browse these in the archives section bearing his name at http://www.helleniccomserve.com/archiveiliopoulos.html.

He can be contacted by e-mail at bm-bioxoi@otenet.gr or by phone (from the US) 011-30-210-6400282; mobile 011-30-693-2775920, fax 011-30-210-6400282, or by postal mail at the address: 105 Alexandras Ave., Athens, 11475, HELLAS

(Posting date 10 June 2011)

HCS encourages readers to view other articles and releases in our permanent, extensive archives at the URL http://www.helleniccomserve.com/contents.html.