Greek Citizenship, Army And Taxes

Greek Citizenship, Army And Taxes By Christos ILIOPOULOS* Athens, 1st March. 2021 I am eligible for the Greek citizenship. I have at least one parent or grandparent born in Greece and I can prove, with an unbroken chain of birth and marriage certificates, that from the original Greek - born person to me, the family names appear in the same spelling or with minor changes. The marriage type is religious in those cases where it is required to be by Greek law and in case I base my citizenship claim on a grandparent born in Greece, my parent is in life to file first for the citizenship, so I can file subsequently. Alternatively, I am of Greek ancestry, but I do not have an ancestor born in Greece, or one or more of the required certificates is missing, or the name changes are many and I can’t officially justify them. But I am feeling Greek and I even speak the language to some degree. This means that I can apply for and possibly get the citizenship. However, if I get the Greek citizenship, will I have to serve to the Greek army? The answer is, no, if you were born outside of Greece and you never stayed in Greece more than six months in the same calendar year. Or, if you were born in Greece, but after the age of 11 or a bit later, you left the country and never returned to stay more than six months. The male applicant who is granted the Greek citizenship, is registered in a Greek municipality and obtains a Greek passport, which is at the same time a European one, does not have to serve, in the vast majority of cases. If the applicant was born outside of Greece and has not lived in Greece more than six months within one calendar year, he will not serve to the Greek army, even if he obtains the Greek citizenship. The requirement is until the 31st of December of the year on which he becomes 45 years old, not to reside in Greece more than six months in the same calendar year. During this period, where the restriction applies, he can, however, reside indefinitely and all year long in any other EU country, using his Greek passport, without having to serve to the Greek army. If the Greek citizen who was born outside of Greece and has the status of foreign resident, wishes to establish himself in Greece before the age of 45, the maximum army service that he will have to do is three months. Even that can be reduced to twenty days, if he is eligible to buy out the rest of the three months’ service. The crucial point is the foreign resident to apply for his three - month long army service while he is still a foreign resident and not after he has resided in Greece more than six months, in which case he has lost his status as a foreign resident and will have to serve approximately twelve months. OK with the army. But, if I become a Greek citizen, will I have to file tax returns in Greece? Will I have to pay taxes? The answer, again, is negative. The Greek citizenship is not related to filing taxes in Greece. Obtaining the Greek citizenship will not make you file taxes in Greece, if you do not obtain income in Greece. If you earn income in Greece, you will have to file and pay taxes in Greece, even if you are not a Greek citizen. Also, if you own real estate in Greece, you will have to file your property to the tax authority only once and not every year, and pay the yearly property tax, which compared to other countries, is very low. . *Christos ILIOPOULOS, attorney at the Supreme Court of Greece , LL.M. www.greekadvocate.eu e-mail: bm-bioxoi@otenet.gr