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You may be able to bring family members to Greece from your country of origin — but you must apply very soon after getting refugee status.

Who and how can apply?

The person granted refugee status can request at any time to be reunited with certain members of their family. However, the time of the application is crucial for the determination of the required documents that must be submitted along with the application. A recognized refugee can apply for family reunification whenever he/she wants. Submitting the application after the 3 months from the notification of the decision that grants him/her the refugee status, he/she will have to submit extra documents as described below.

Required documents for every case of family reunification (regardless of the time of the application):

  • Application, in which the applicant states the member(s) of his/her family he/she wishes to join him/her in Greece
  • A recent family status certificate or any other document that proves the relationship and the age of the person(s) coming to Greece. These documents should be officially certified prior to be used in Greece and officially translated. In the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs you can see what it is required for the certification for documents issued by different countries:
  • An accurate copy of the passport(s) of the family member(s) entering Greece.

In case the family members entering Greece are the parents of the recognized refugee (this does not apply in case the applicant is an unaccompanied minor) – regardless of the time of the application, you will need:

  • certificate from the relevant authority that he/she has social insurance that can cover the members of his/her family upon arrival,
  • tax declaration (ekkatharistiko) that he/she has the income to sustain the members of his/her family upon arrival and
  • proof that he/she has bought a house, or is renting a house or any other certificate that he/she can accommodate the members of his/her family upon arrival.

For every case of application of family reunification if it is made after 3 months from the notification of the decision that recognize them as refugee (this does not apply in case the applicant is an unaccompanied minor):

  • certificate from the relevant authority that he/she has social insurance that can cover the members of his/her family upon arrival,
  • tax declaration (ekkatharistiko) that he/she has the income to sustain the members of his/her family upon arrival and
  • proof that he/she has bought a house, or is renting a house or any other certificate that he/she can accommodate the members of his/her family upon arrival

NOTE: If the family members or the applicant have the possibility to issue the certificates required by the authorities of their country of origin, these documents should be officially certified prior to be used in Greece and officially translated. In the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs you can see what it is required for the certification for documents issued by different countries:

NOTE: The inability of the applicant to provide the competent authorities with the accurate photocopies of the family member(s)’s passport(s) or the family status certificate, cannot be the only reason to reject the application, as the Asylum Service can conduct an interview to verify the family tights or any other kind of research. However, the family members should have passports in order for the VISA to be adjusted inside them.

Most probably the only case where the family members of the recognized refugee will not be able to issue passports, will be the case of stateless people. If that is the case the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs will determine what can be used instead of passports in order to travel to Greece with the issued VISA. After a communication with the competent Asylum Office, they told me that they haven’t come across such a case, so they are do not know how it will work in practice.

Who can apply

If you have been granted refugee status (full asylum) in Greece, you can ask to bring your immediate family members to Greece from a non-European country.

But do not delay! You must apply to bring your family to Greece no more than 3 months after you get refugee status.

I am under subsidiary protection. Can I bring my family members to Greece?

Unfortunately, no. If you are under subsidiary protection (partial asylum) in Greece, you cannot ask for your family to join you in Greece.

Only people who have been granted refugee status (full asylum) can apply to bring their family members to Greece.

Do I need to have a job and a house in Greece in order to bring my family?

No, if you apply within 3 months of getting refugee status in Greece, you do not need to have a job and house.

Who you can ask to bring

If you are 18 or older, you can ask to bring your:

Wife or husband

  • Wife or husband
  • Unmarried children who are under 18
  • Unmarried children who are over 18 and due to medical issues, they cannot take care of themselves
  • Parents, who used to leave with the applicant in the country of origin and they do not have any other family members who can take care of them in their country
  • Life partner, if it can be proved that they had a long relationship

If you are under 18, you can ask to bring your:

  • Parents

Greek lawmakers are considering adding to this list of family members.

How to apply

Visit the Asylum Office closest to where you live. Find the Asylum Offices and Asylum Units in Greece here.

You must bring the decision granting you refugee status in Greece and/or your residence permit, if you have it.

While you are there, make sure the Greek Asylum Service has your up-to-date contact information.

After you apply

The Greek Asylum Service’s Family Reunification in Greece Unit reviews all applications from all over Greece.

The Family Reunification in Greece Unit is in the Central Asylum Service in Athens.

Your case will be assigned to an officer who will personally guide you through each step of the process.

Your officer will contact you and ask you to gather documents to support your case. These documents include:

  • Passport-size photos for every family member involved in your case.
  • Documents from your country of origin that prove you and your family are related, officially translated into Greek and stamped by a Greek official or lawyer.
  • Official copies of passports or travel documents — even expired ones — for you and your family members, officially stamped by a Greek authority or lawyer.
  • Police reports.
  • A medical note for each family member, issued by their country of origin and approved by a Greek medical authority, that says they do not have a contagious disease.
  • Other documents, depending on your case.

What if I can’t get these documents?

If you can’t get all the documents your officer requests, you should apply anyway, the Greek Asylum Service told Refugee.Info.

The Asylum Service will ask you for alternative documents instead.

What if my officer asks me to go to Athens?

You may be asked to go to the Central Asylum Service in Athens to bring in documents or otherwise support your case — even if you live on the Greek islands.

If you need a place to stay in Athens for your Central Asylum Service visit, message Refugee.Info on Facebook. We can connect you with an NGO that can help.

How long it takes

The Greek Asylum Office told Refugee.Info that the process can take more than a year.

Why does it take so long?

Applying to bring your family to Greece is a very complicated procedure that involves several Greek authorities, including the police and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Asylum Service said the parts of the process that take a long time are:

  • International criminal record checks
  • Getting documents that prove family ties
  • Translating documents into Greek

Another reason for the delays: The Family Reunification in Greece Unit receives 50 to 100 applications per month and does not have enough staff to keep up with the demand.

After you are approved

If you get approval to bring your family to Greece but your relatives cannot get passports, travel documents or visas, don’t worry — Greece will issue them temporary documents.

These documents will most likely be valid for one month.

After your family members arrive in Greece, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs will interview them.

They will need to apply for residence permits within a month of arriving in Greece.The duration of the residence permit of the family members of the refugee cannot exceed the duration of the residence permit of the refugee. The renewal of the residence permit of the refugee’s family members, follows the outcome of the renewal of the refugee’s resident permit.

Note: You should consult a lawyer to guide you through the procedure.