Changing Your name

The process for changing one’s name or surname has become simpler since 2010; you no longer need to visit the administrative services of the prefecture your municipality belongs to, but may rather contact your local municipality/community directly. Nevertheless, you need to submit certain supporting documents – which are listed below for your convenience – before the Mayor issuing a relevant decision. You must then place a notice with the Mayor’s decision in a newspaper, as required by the competent municipal authority. You must submit the issue of the newspaper with your notice to your local municipal authority so as to permanently receive your new name and/or surname approximately 15 days after the notice was printed. Only one newspaper posting is required. Through our website, you may post any decision relating to a change of name/surname, whether it involves Greek version of a foreign national’s name, change of one’s first name acquired through birth or baptism, and change of a child (adult or minor) due to divorce or court decision.

You may consult the templates available on our website for information on how to draft your notice or you may even edit one of the available templates to suit your needs. You may then insert the text in the relevant field under the Change of Name of Surname category get a quote and even select the posting date without having to contact the newspaper.

Supporting documents for changing one’s surname

The supporting documents are stipulated in Decision No. 78810/18.12.1984 (Government Gazette 14/14.1.85 Vol. B) issued by the Deputy Minister of the Interior, authorized by Legislative Decree 2573/1953, “On changing one’s surname and taking on another surname, the father’s surname or the mother's surname”.

Taking on another surname, the father’s surname or the mother's surname

In accordance with aforementioned Decision No. 18.12.1984 78810 issued by the Deputy Minister of the Interior, the following are required for taking on a new surname:

(i) Application form by the interested party or, if they are a minor, any person who has parental custody or guardianship

(ii) Birth certificate extract of the interested party, where applicable

(iii) Certificate issued by the Mayor or President of the municipality/community, including the Male Registry and Municipal Roll No. for the interested party.

Changing personal details due to recognition of child born out of wedlock:

(i) Application form by the interested party or, if they are a minor, any person who has parental custody or guardianship

(ii) Certified copy of the notarized deed or will, in the event of voluntary recognition, or the court decision, in the event of judicial recognition (Civil Code Articles 1475, 1476, 1479, 1480, 1481, 1484 and 1506)

(iii) Birth certificate extract with the new personal details

(iv) Certificate issued by the Mayor or President of the municipality/community, including the Male Registry and Municipal Roll No. for the interested party and the acknowledging party.

Changing personal details due to adoption

(i) Application form by the adopted child or, if they are a minor, the adoptive parent or one of the spouses (in the event of joint adoption by both spouses or adoption of a spouse’s child by the other spouse)

(ii) Certified copy of the court decision for the adoption (Civil Code Articles 1569, 1576, 1579, 1580, 1581, 1582, 1583 and 1584)

(iii) Birth certificate extract with the new personal details

(iv) Certificate issued by the Mayor or President of the municipality/community, including the Male Registry and Municipal Roll No. for the adopted child and the adoptive parents.

 

 

 

USEFUL LINKS

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