Applying for Greek citizenship — whether Greek citizenship by descent, Greek citizenship through ancestry, Greek citizenship by marriage, or Greek citizenship by naturalization — requires accuracy, legal compliance, and proper documentation. Many applicants who are genuinely eligible to obtain Greek citizenship face long delays or even rejections because their Greek citizenship application contains avoidable mistakes. Understanding these pitfalls is essential if you want to apply for Greek citizenship successfully and eventually receive your Greek passport and Greek dual citizenship. One of the most common problems is the failure to prove the full chain of ancestry when applying for Greek citizenship by descent or Greek nationality through grandparents. Every generation must be legally connected through official birth certificates, marriage certificates, and identity documents. If even one link is missing or inconsistent, the application for Greek nationality can stall. This issue becomes more serious when names are spelled differently across records. For example, the same person may appear as George, Giorgos, Georgios or Yiorgos. These inconsistencies must be corrected or legally explained before you apply for Greek citizenship by descent. Another frequent mistake involves translations. The Greek authorities generally require official certified translations of all foreign documents. Submitting informal or inaccurate translations often results in delays or rejection. Likewise, many public documents issued outside Greece must carry the correct legalization or Apostille, otherwise they cannot be used in an application for Greek citizenship. Applicants also regularly submit their request to the wrong authority. Depending on the case, the correct venue may be the Greek consulate, the municipality in Greece, the local registry office, or another administrative authority. Filing in the wrong place means the Greek citizenship process may be paused for months or even years. It is also common for applicants to be unaware that some of their family details have already been partially registered in Greece, for example a parent may be registered but their marriage is not. These incomplete records must be corrected before the Greek citizenship application can proceed. For those seeking Greek citizenship by naturalization, failure to understand the Greek citizenship requirements — such as residence history, ties to Greece, and eligibility criteria — often leads to disappointment. Similarly, if a case involves foreign divorces, adoptions, name changes, or recognition of paternity, the relevant foreign court decision must first be recognized in Greece before the applicant can apply for Greek citizenship or a Greek passport. Finally, many people misjudge their eligibility. Some believe they qualify for Greek dual citizenship when they do not, while others — who absolutely qualify for Greek citizenship through descent — never apply because they assume they are not eligible. A complete eligibility review at the beginning helps avoid unwanted surprises. Just as important is submitting a complete, organized and fully documented file. A poorly structured application is one of the main reasons people do not progress smoothly through the Greek citizenship process. Avoiding these mistakes requires proper legal guidance, document auditing, registry searches, verification of Greek ancestry records, certified translations, corrections of name discrepancies, and submission to the correct competent authority. Doing the process correctly not only saves time — it prevents refusals, administrative disputes and unnecessary expenses, and ensures you can successfully get Greek citizenship, apply for a Greek passport, and legally secure your Greek dual nationality.