When you submit your application for international protection, you and any members of your family who are over 14 years old, will be fingerprinted. The fingerprints will be entered into the European Central Database EURODAC, the aim of which aims is the implementation of the “Dublin III” Regulation.

The “Dublin III” Regulation determines which European State is responsible for examining your application.

The States which are a party to the “Dublin III” Regulation are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom (herein after referred to as the “Dublin III” States).

Which country will examine the application?

If you are an unaccompanied minor and a member of your family (parent, brother/sister, uncle/aunt, grandfather/grandmother) remains legally in a “Dublin III” country, this country is responsible for the examination of your application. If you are an unaccompanied minor and no members of your family remain legally in any of the “Dublin III” States, your application will be examined by Greece.

If you are an adult and a member of your family is resident in one of the “Dublin III” States as a beneficiary of international protection or as an asylum seeker, if you so wish, the State where he/she is resident will undertake responsibility for examining your application. Members of the family are considered the spouse (husband or wife) or the life partner (not in all countries) and the minor unmarried children.

If you have a residence permit, the state responsible for the examination of your application is the “Dublin III” State that issued the residence permit, when the permit has expired for no more than two years.

If you have a visa, the state responsible for the examination of your application is the “Dublin III” State that issued the visa, when the visa has expired for no more than six months. If you have more than one residence permit or visa, the “Dublin III” State responsible for the examination of your application depends on the duration and the expiry dates of the residence permits or visas.

If, before entering Greece, you entered another “Dublin III” State without permission, this state is competent for the examination of your application. This responsibility expires twelve (12) months after the irregular entry.

In the event you were staying in another “Dublin III” State for five consecutive months before submitting your application in Greece, then this “Dublin III” State is responsible for the examination of your application.

If you legally entered a “Dublin III” State that does not require a visa, then this state is responsible for the examination of your application.

If you submitted your application in an international transit area of an airport of a “Dublin III” State, then this state is responsible for the examination of your application.

If you have already submitted an application in another “Dublin III” State, then this State is responsible for the examination of your application.

A “Dublin III” State, irrespective of the application of the above criteria, may accept to examine your application for international protection on humanitarian grounds.

If none of the aforementioned criteria is applicable in your case, then the State which is responsible for the examination of your application is Greece.

If another “Dublin III” State is responsible for the examination of your application and accepts to examine it, then you will be transferred to the other “Dublin III” State, at the latest within six months from the date this state accepted to examine your application.

You have the right to appeal against this decision before the Appeals Authority, within the deadline mentioned in the decision which you will receive.

When you submit your application for international protection, you must inform the Asylum Service regarding the following:

1) If you have a visa for any other “Dublin III” State,

2) If you have a residence permit for any other “Dublin III” State,

3) If you entered Greece illegally through another “Dublin III” State

4) If you stayed illegally in another “Dublin III” State before coming to Greece, and for how long,

5) If any members of your family are resident in another “Dublin III” State, and if they are, what is the status of their residence in that country

You will have to provide all the required information and submit any evidence you have in your possession (e.g. residence permits, yours and those of your family members, documents regarding your family status or other certificates, visas, documents that certify your presence in another “Dublin III” State – such as travel tickets, hotel receipts etc.)

For more information on family reunification according to the Dublin III Regulation refer to the Asylum Service.