Passports

Passports are issued in collaboration with the Ministry of Citizen Protection and in particular the Passport Directorate of the Hellenic Police (Chiou 8, Kaisariani, P.C. 161 21, tel. +30 210 7298000).

For the issuance of a new passport, our Authorities abroad receive the necessary supporting documents which are sent to the relevant Department of the Ministry of the Interior.

To find out about the processing stage of your submitted application, click here.

PASSPORTS – GENERAL INFORMATION

1. The Greek Consular Authorities are competent to collect applications and supporting documents and their safe transmission to the Hellenic Police, which has the exclusive responsibility for issuing passports.
2. You will need to book an appointment if you wish to issue or renew your Greek Passport. 2. Passport applications are served by appointment only. You will need one separate appointment for each member of your family (e.g., a family with 3 applications must make 3 appointments).
3. The photos you supply must meet particular technical specifications (4x6 cm; e.g., coloured, with uniform lighting, on a light background, with all features of the face visible, eyes looking straight into the lens, in good print quality. For more details, check the link: http://www.passport.gov.gr/en/diadikasia-ekdosis/documents/specificationphoto.html. Please note that the appropriate required photos do not come out of photo booth, while photos for a Syrian or other European passport are not acceptable for a Greek one. You should emphasise to your photographer that you are requesting photos for a GREEK passport. It is emphasised that if the photos do not meet the specified specifications, the application will be rejected.
4. According to the current legislation, the transcription of the name in Roman characters is done automatically based on the standard ELOT 743. To see here how your name will be transcribed in Roman characters in your new passport click here: http://www.passport.gov.gr/passports/GrElotConverter/GrElotConverter.html. In case you wish to change the way of registration, you must present at the time of application the additional public document, domestic/foreign authority, which justifies the different indication (e.g., foreign passport, foreign birth certificate).
5. You must provide ALL the supporting documents (including photos) during your appointment. Applications with missing supporting documents will NOT be accepted.
6. The time of receipt of the new passports from the Consular Section is estimated at a period of approximately 4-6 weeks from the date of submission of the application. As soon as the passport arrives at the Consular Section, a relevant message or contact is sent to the interested party that it is available for receipt.

Brief Information Regarding the Issuance of a Greek Passport

1. Which Authority is responsible for issuing a passport?
Starting from 01/01/2006, passports are issued exclusively by the Hellenic Police Authority. The Consular Authorities are responsible for receiving the supporting documents and transferring them to the Greek Police for the issuance of the passport.

2. How can I make an appointment for passport issuance at the Consular Section of the Greek Embassy in Damascus?
a.    The Embassy can be contacted directly from Sunday to Thursday, between 11:00 am to 14:00 pm at the following phone number: +963 (11) 611 30 35; or
b.    The appointment can be requested via the embassy’s email directly:

Before booking an appointment to apply for passport issuance, make sure you have all the required documents with you (Point 3 below).

3. Documents required to issue a passport:
If you are an adult (have reached the age of 18) you will need:
a.    The application that you fill out yourself at the Consular Section. If you are over 12 years old when you apply, your fingerprints will also be taken.
b.    A personal ID card issued by the Police Department within the last 10 years in which your personal information has not changed.
c.    If you do not have a personal ID card, you need an original Birth Certificate from the municipality in which you are registered in Greece, which we can issue for you.
NB: If you are residing abroad and, due to this, have not performed your military service, you need a recent attestation from the Army Administration (not more than 6 months old) stating that you are residing abroad.
d.    Your old passport.
e.    Two recent colour, biometric ID photos measuring 4 x 6 cm. If you have an ID card (see point 3/b above) you will only need one photo. Please see carefully the Technical Specifications for photos. In particular, we draw your attention to the following points regarding the photos:
-    No bright areas, shadows or reflections should appear on the face (due to lighting or flash). Likewise, there should be no reflections inside the eyes or on the glasses.
-    The background should be of a light colour, preferably white or light grey up to 5% (not dark). Light grey should be preferred if the depicted person has white hair.
-    No parts of the face or distinctive signs should be hidden or covered (e.g., hair on the forehead, heavy make-up).
-    The photos must not be processed through artificial means to eliminate imperfections.

The above is of particular importance, given that several rejections of applications returned to our Authority are due to non-compliance with quality standards.

NB: Minors (under the age of 18) will need the same supporting documents mentioned above. In addition, the presence of both their parents is necessary. If one of the parents cannot come to the Consular Section, his official written consent is required. For more special cases (e.g., children of divorced parents, people whose guardianship has been taken over by a person other than their parents) additional supporting documents are needed. Before coming to the Consular Section, contact us to inform you in a more detailed manner.

4. The cost of issuing a passport
For those who have not completed their fourteenth year: 68.60 euros or its equivalent (at the official rate). The rest: 79,40 euros. The Consular Section receives the amount exclusively in cash and exclusively in euros.

5. Duration of validity of the Greek passport
For those who have not completed their fourteenth year, the passport is valid for 3 years. For others, it is valid for 10 years. After your passport expires, you must apply for a new passport. It is not permissible to renew your old passport.

6. The period it takes to receive the passport
Under normal circumstances, you can receive your new passport within 1-2 months from the date of application. However, there may sometimes be delays in sending applications, and a small percentage of applications will be rejected by the police for special reasons (e.g.,photo unacceptedby the system, pending issues regarding the army, etc.). Therefore, we advise you not to plan to travel unless you receive your new passport in hand. If the application is rejected, the procedure will be repeated from the beginning, at a cost of 5 euros.

7. How to collect the new passport
Once your passport arrives, you will be notified by phone to come and collect it. If you are an adult, you will receive your passport in person. If you want another person to receive it on your behalf, they must carry an authorization duly signed by you. A minor’s passport is received by one of their parents. However, if another person received it on their behalf, they must carry an authorization duly signed by one of the parents.

8. Documents that must be taken to collect the passport
-    The relevant “Receipt of Fee Collection”;
-    The “Receipt of Documents Attached to the Passport Application”; and
-    The old passport.
If you want someone else to collect your passport on your behalf, the documents must also include:
-    Their ID card or passport; and
-    The necessary authorization (see Point 6 above).
Tip: As soon as you receive your new passport, sign it and photocopy the first page, so that you have the details for issuing a replacement for a lost one in case it is lost.
We advise you to come at the specified time to collect your passport because, in the event of not receiving it within 6 months, the passport will be returned to the Greek Police Department and cancelled.

8. How to act in case the passport is lost or stolen
You must report to the nearest Police Station to the place your passport was lost or stolen. After that, you have to come to the Consular Section, taking with you the declaration drawn up by the Police Department, your personal ID card, issued within the last 10 years in which your personal data contained therein have not changed. If you do not have a personal ID card, you must be in possession of any official document, Greek or Syrian, that contains your photo (such as a driver’s license). If you do not have any of the above, you must bring a witness to prove your identity.
A minor who has lost his passport must come to the Consular Section with one of their parents.

For more information, you can visit the website http://passport.gov.gr/ of the Passport Department of the Hellenic Police.
You can follow the progress of your application at the link: http://www.passport.gov.gr/poreia-aitisis.html by typing your family name (in Greek letters) and entering the application number.

Technical Specifications for Photographs.

Passport Application