Greek officials visit Melbourne and discuss new online system to help Greeks abroad
Source: NEOS KOSMOS
Greek government officials met with members of the local diaspora at the Greek Community of Melbourne’s Greek Centre on Thursday, outlining a digital initiative aimed at making it easier for Greeks abroad to submit and verify documents for citizenship and registry purposes.
The delegation included Athanasios Balermpas, Secretary-General responsible for the Civil Registry (BDM) and parliamentary elections; Dimitrios Karnavos, Secretary-General responsible for citizenship issues; and Aikaterini Ouli, Director-General responsible for citizenship matters.
Officials revealed that by the end of the month, a new digital platform will allow applicants or their lawyers to upload scanned documents — PDFs or photos — for review before visiting a consulate.
As one official explained:
“Before you go to the consulate and waste your time, you can go and see it. This is a service that we will offer as the Ministry of Interior to Greeks who are outside Greece.”
The system will check whether documents are complete, properly translated, or if there are discrepancies in names or other formalities. Applicants will then be advised on what they still need to submit or correct.
“You won’t waste time and there won’t be delays.”
The meeting also highlighted common issues caused by mismatches between names recorded in Greek databases and those used abroad. One example discussed:
“For example, Dimitris Papangelopoulos…here in Australia he did it Jim Angel. How can he say that he is Dimitris Papangelopoulos?,” Balermpas said.
Officials stressed that foreign certificates must be translated by a Greek authority, and only consulates or the special registry office in Greece can accept certain foreign documents.
Unofficial translations or submissions to other municipal offices will not be valid.
“If you have a foreign certificate, you must translate it from a Greek authority…if you go to the municipality of Messolonghi with an Australian translation…he cannot accept it.”
The delegation also discussed digital identity access, TAXISnet credentials, and the use of artificial intelligence to help applicants navigate the platform. Officials said this will be rolled out initially in selected countries.
Attendees raised issues including difficulties opening Greek bank accounts from abroad, delays in municipal processes, and the complexity for descendants of Greek citizens seeking registration.
Officials acknowledged these challenges and stressed that the platform is intended to provide preliminary guidance and prevent errors that currently cause months of delay.
The original article: belongs to NEOS KOSMOS .
