For quite a while now, I’ve been hearing complaints from Greek Australians about long delays in obtaining a Greek passport. Even though these applicants have the required Greek citizenship, many have been waiting for well over a year – and longer.
If they do manage to get an explanation from Greek Consulate staff in Australia, it’s something to the tune of “won’t be too much longer” and “backlog of work” given staff shortages.
You see, this wasn’t always the case. The delay seems to have occurred when the Greek government in 2022 decided to absolve passport issuing responsibilities from their Special Registry Department. Since then, this responsibility has been transferred to Greek Consular staff in Australia who already have a hefty workload, suggesting employing more staff would help.
Lawyers, with whom I’ve spoken, prefer to remain unnamed due to their exasperation with this issue. One Greek Australian lawyer recently said, “Why do Greek Australians even want a Greek passport?!” implying that our Aussie passports are good enough. I reminded him that apart from being a legal right, aside from emotional and patriotic reasons, a Greek passport essentially means an EU passport. This makes it easier to travel, study and ascertain rights of EU citizens. He just shook his head, obviously not wanting to get into it.
A friend’s two Greek Australian offspring, both in their 20’s, have been waiting for close to two years for their Greek passports. I asked my friend if I could speak to them, but she told me that her kids apologised, saying it wasn’t a good idea at this point in time. Their reason was because the Greek Consulate of their Australian state had, lo and behold, recently contacted them at last, telling them that “it wouldn’t be long now.” This was over two months ago, and last time I checked (this week), they are still waiting.
As for the reason they declined to speak with me? It was, their mother told me, that: “They don’t want to risk compromising the Greek Consulate staff’s progress on their passports, by being critical of them.” Their mother – my friend and a lawyer herself – added: “I know this problem is still very real and alive for the Greeks of the diaspora and needs to be told, but I obviously can’t go against their wishes.” I was further surprised to learn that, “delays are only related to just getting an appointment, it has nothing to do with the papers!”
Many years back in Australia, I, as an Australian citizen, didn’t experience such a delay in getting my Greek passport. I really hope that my respect for Greece in living here and bringing up a family for over two decades, and experiencing Greek honour (filotimo) on a daily basis, doesn’t get eroded: These passport delays seem to essentially underestimate the respect and love that Greeks of the diaspora have towards this country.
I also have hope because there’s “a new sheriff in town.” No, not Trump’s Kimberly Guilfoyle, the new US Ambassador to Greece. You see, for about two weeks now, there’s a new Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister for Greeks Abroad, Ioannis Michail Loverdos.
I, and many others, certainly hope that rectifying this passport delay is on his agenda as an important issue, as the delays are disheartening.
I decided to contact the relevant Minister’s office and spoke to a staff member there to whom I explained the Greek Australian passport delay issue. I was then politely and promptly given Mr Loverdos’ email and instructed to explain my issue to him, while being reassured that my email would be answered in a few days. At the time of print, no response has been received.
The Greek Foreign Ministry’s website (dated 22 March 2025 as of this writing and regarding the issuing of Greek passports to Australians who are Greek citizens), seems to be of the opinion that things are efficient, claiming: “Please note that the required time for the completion of this process is approximately 4-5 weeks.”
Since the police authorities in Greece issue Greek passports, I decided to call the “passport cops.” I spoke to a Hellenic Police staff member there and on the condition of anonymity, he told me that they work with a diplomatic ‘sack’ (officially, a diplomatic ‘bag’ or ‘pouch’).
According to this kind gentleman, the diaspora countries Consulates’ ‘sack’ takes long to get to the relevant Ministry in Greece, who in turn take even longer to finally get it to the Hellenic police who issue the passports. Perhaps a good old kangaroo pouch would be quicker and more efficient I thought at that moment, keeping my joke to myself.
The passport policeman reassured me that things are going to change for the better very soon, as technology is stepping up and will eventually obliterate the sacks.
Seriously though, the delay for Greek passports in question, is getting ridiculous.
In the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ special presentation of ‘The Strategic Plan for Greeks Abroad (2024-2027)‘ they stress how much they respect Greek communities abroad, and aim to be accessible to them.
In a video address even the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis highlighted the importance of the Greek Diaspora, actually reassuring that passport procurement ease was happening. In fact a big deal was made in the same video by the Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Giorgos Gerapetritis about this.
At this stage, I hope the new Minister Mr Loverdos answers my email addressing this passport delay issue soon. That’s for Part 2 of this article.
*Have you experienced significant delays receiving your Greek passport in Australia? Please email editor@foreignlanguage.com.au with your experience.
