Registrations - Declarations (Birth - Marriage - Death)
Executive Summary
- The registration of vital events through a Consular Authority constitutes a fundamental administrative function that ensures the legal continuity and integrity of a citizen’s civil status record.
- Vital events—namely birth, marriage, and death—are recorded according to the principle of territoriality, meaning they must be declared based on the place where they occurred. This principle safeguards the authenticity of the original act and aligns domestic registries with international legal order.
- Consular Authorities act as intermediaries between foreign jurisdictions and the national civil registry system, facilitating the proper transcription of these events into national records.
- Equally important is the principle of chronological continuity of vital events: each event must be registered in the sequence in which it occurred, thereby preserving the legal coherence of an individual’s civil identity over time. For instance, a marriage cannot be duly registered unless prior events, such as birth or previous marital status changes, have been properly recorded.
- Timely and accurate registration is essential not only for the protection of individual rights—such as nationality, inheritance, and family relations—but also for the proper functioning of public administration. The updating of civil status records (civil registry) ensures legal certainty, prevents discrepancies, and supports the exercise of rights and obligations both domestically and abroad. In this context, Consular Authorities play a critical role in maintaining the continuity, reliability, and legal validity of civil status documentation for citizens residing outside the national territory.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Original certificates of birth, marriage and death need to be authenticated through the Apostille.
Registration - Declaration of birth
Registration of a birth at a Consular Mission requires that the birth took place in one of the States of Jurisdiction of the Consulate General or Consulate.
The following supporting documents must be submitted: (Please note that the parents’ marriage registration in Greece is required before proceeding to the birth registration.)
| 1. | Applicant’s original birth certificate (long-form). |
| 2. | Parents’ municipal registration/family status certificate from the appropriate municipality in Greece and their Greek passports (if they have obtained such). Municipal registration certificates should be recently issued, so as to reflect the relevant administrative reforms introduced in Greece. |
| 3. | If there has been a christening, the Church Baptism Certificate (optional). |
| 4. | The applicant’s valid US passport. |
Please note that the parents’ marriage registration in Greece is required before proceeding to the birth registration.
If the applicant is an adult, his/her physical presence is necessary at the Consulate General or Consulate.In case the applicant is a minor, the parent will have to declare the birth in person.
Registration - Declaration of marriage
To have a marriage registered with a Greek Consular Mission in the US, the applicants must be married in one of the States of the Consulate General's or Consulate's jurisdiction.
The following supporting documents must be submitted:
| 1. | Long - form marriage certificate of the interested parties from the City Hall or the County Clerk office, which explicitly indicates the number of any previous marriages performed in the past for both spouses (zero, first, second, etc.). If a religious marriage took place, the marriage certificate from the church may also be submitted. |
| 2. | Recent birth municipal registration for the Greek national (from the competent municipal authority in Greece). 3. For third-country nationals, birth certificates must bear the Apostille seal and an official translation in Greek language. If the issuing country is not a contracting party of the Apostille Convention, the birth certificates must be validated initially by the competent official Authority of the issuing country and then by the Greek Consular Authorities of the issuing country. |
Registration - Declaration of death
To have a death registered with a Greek Consular Mission in the US, the deceased must have passed away in one of the States of jurisdiction of the Consulate General or Consulate.
The following supporting documents must be submitted:
| 1. | Original Death certificate |
| 2. | Greek passport of the deceased (if available). |
| 3. | Greek identity card of the deceased (if available). |
| 4. | Certificate of municipal registration from the appropriate municipality in Greece (if 2 or 3 are not available). |
Contact information and reservation of appointments
Regarding vital events, which have taken place in DC, VA, WVA, NC, DE, MD please contact the Consular Office of the Embassy of Greece through registry.was@mfa.gr
