FAQs

MILITARY SERVICE

Q. I was born in Canada, if I visit Greece, will I have problems with the Army?

A. No. Those who were born in Canada, from Greek parents, may stay in Greece for a period of up to six months. However, male citizens registered in a Municipality Registrar and in the Registrar of Males, must send a Certificate of Permanent Residence to their respective recruiting office, prior to their trip to Greece. A list of required documents for the issuance of this certificate is available at: Military Service Obligations. The recruiting office in Greece will then issue a Certificate of Exemption from the drafts to the Army. Following this, you are allowed to stay in Greece, for vacation, for a period not to exceed 180 days every calendar year.

Q. Is it possible to buy off my service obligation?

A. Only a part of the service, and only in specific cases. (a) Males born between 1960 and 1966 are allowed to serve 4 months and buy off the balance of 2 months. (b) Males over 35 years of age, who are, or will be enlisting with the Army, after they complete service time equal to the minimum basic training, are allowed to buy off the remaining period for their case service.

REPATRIATION

Q. If I go to Greece with the Certificate of Repatriation, am I allowed to have and use in Greece an automobile with foreign plates?

A. No. The use of an automobile bearing foreign plates in Greece is not allowed in the case that an individual or a family returns to Greece with the intention of establishing permanent residence there.

Q. Am I allowed to leave Greece after I go there with the Certificate of Repatriation?

A. Yes, you are allowed to leave Greece. It is necessary however, that you establish your permanent residence in Greece and stay there for a minimum period of one year. After the one year period, and for serious reasons, you are allowed to return and re-establish your permanent residence in Canada. If an individual's declaration to establish permanent residence in Greece is proven to have been signed solely for the benefit of tax exemption, penalties may be imposed.

Q. Is it in my interest to bring my household effects to Greece with the Certificate of Repatriation or with the Secondary Residence Certificate?

A. In the case that you return to Greece in order to stay there permanently, your household effects can be cleared from Customs duty-free, and your car can be cleared by paying reduced duty. In the case that you go to Greece for vacation purposes, (maximum stay 180 days per year), 18% tax (Φ.� .Α.) is applied for the clearance of items which are destined for your secondary residence. These items must be at least six months used. The applicable tax on these items is calculated on the basis of their listed value in the listings of the Greek Customs Authorities. In this case, as Canada remains the place of your permanent residence, you are allowed to use an automobile bearing foreign plates in Greece.


WILLS

Q. Does the Consulate General of Greece draft wills? What procedure must be followed regarding wills?

A. For a will to be legally binding, the testator must be of sound mind and of legal age.

To have your will drafted and signed before the authorized Consular Officer you must provide, primarily, the following: Proof of Greek Citizenship which may include a valid Greek passport, Police Identity Card or, a recently issued Certificate of Municipal Registration from a Municipality or Community in Greece.  

(a) The hand written will is drafted entirely by the testator, without any added or visible corrections. It is dated and signed by him/her. In this way, the authenticity of the will is proven and the content expresses with certainty the free will of the testator. It may be deposited with the Consulate General. At the same point in time, the Consular Officer responsible for powers of attorney issues a certificate to that effect according to the relevant provisions of the law. The hand written will  may be removed by the testator in person, at any time.

(b) The public will is drafted in the presence of the Consular Officer responsible for powers of attorney and also of three Greek adult witnesses who are not related to the testator or to one another. The witnesses must provide a Greek passport of Police Identity Card. The following persons cannot sign as witnesses: (1) the spouse of the testator, (2) a relative at least up to the third degree either by blood or through marriage, (3) any person who is honoured in the will, (4) any person who is blind or deaf, (5) any minor, (6) any person who does not have sufficient knowledge of the Greek language, and (7) those who have an incapacity either to understand or to be aware of the content of the will or are deprived of the use of reason. As long as the testator is alive, the content of the will may not be made known to anyone and no copies of the will may be issued. The public will is enacted at the time of death of the testator.

(c) The secret hand written ("Holographic") will is drawn up in two stages. At the first stage, it is drawn up by the testator and contains his/her last will. It may be written by a third party or typed. At the second stage this document is submitted by the testator to the Consular Officer responsible for powers of attorney in the presence of three Greek adult witnesses who are not related to the testator or to one another. The witnesses must provide a Greek passport or Police Identity Card. The secret will may be more beneficial to the testator than the public will in that the testator is certain that his/her last will did not become known to any third person, because it is not read at the time of its submission to the Consular Officer in charge. If the testator has no knowledge of the Greek language, an interpreter is required and may be provided by the Consulate.


MARRIAGE CEREMONIES IN GREECE


Q. What procedures must be followed to be married in Greece?

A. Foreign nationals may be married in Greece, either in a civil or religious ceremony according to Greek law. Marriage licences can be issued by Greek authorities. There is no residency requirement for foreign nationals wishing to marry in Greece, however the necessary formalities may take a few weeks to complete before a marriage certificate can be obtained.

Foreigners should be in possession of a residence permit if they reside permanently in Greece, or if the length of their stay in the country exceeds the residence permit-free period. Canadian citizens can stay up to three months without having to obtain a residence permit.

The following documents are required in order to obtain a Greek marriage licence for ceremonies involving foreign nationals to be performed in Greece:

• Passports or other travel documents.
• Certified copies of the Long Form Statements of Birth, along with an official translation. Official translations can be obtained at the Translations Department of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Athens or at the Consulate General of Greece in Toronto. The translations may take up to a week to prepare.
• Notices of Non Impediment issued by the Ontario Registrar General located at 900 Bay Street in Toronto indicating that the there is no existing undissolved marriage. 
• If applicable, documentary evidence (death certificate or final divorce decree) of the termination of a previous marriage (the most recent, if more than one), along with an official translation.
• An affidavit completed in English and subsequently translated into Greek. Legal documents must be signed and sealed by a Canadian lawyer, solicitor, notary or commissioner of oaths and then legalized by the Shared Services Bureau [77 Grenville Street, 9th floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1B3, Tel.: (416) 325-8416 Fax: (416) 325-8434].
• A copy of the newspaper in which the wedding notice has been published. Wedding notices should be published in one of the local newspapers in the Greek language (the names should be phonetically written in Greek and not in English characters) before the application for a marriage license is submitted.  In small towns where newspapers are not published, notices are posted by the Mayor of the City or by the President of the Community at the City Hall or Community Office.
  

Religious Marriages

The documents listed above must be taken to the priest who is authorized to perform the ceremony. He will then apply for and obtain the marriage licence from the appropriate official.  A waiting period is mandatory after the priest receives the documents. For a Greek Orthodox religious marriage you must also submit baptismal certificates.

Civil Marriages

The above mentioned documents must be taken in person to the appropriate City Hall (where the applicants reside or where the ceremony is to take place) to apply for a marriage licence. If both the bride and the groom are foreign nationals, each must submit a set of documents. The marriage licence is issued seven days after the submission of the application and is good for six months. The civil ceremony may be performed anywhere in Greece.


PETS


Q. How can I travel with my pet to Greece?

A. If you are planning to visit Greece and would like to take your pet dog, cat, or ferret with you, please make sure you visit your pet's veterinarian to obtain a letter certifying that your pet animal is in good health and has no transmittable diseases. This letter must be legalized by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (www.inspection.gc.ca) and subsequently by our Office.