Greece: Whether it is possible for a Greek citizen to obtain a new national identity card to the replace his old one, so his religion will no longer be indicated on the new card
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 November 2002 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | GRC40065.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Greece: Whether it is possible for a Greek citizen to obtain a new national identity card to the replace his old one, so his religion will no longer be indicated on the new card, 1 November 2002, GRC40065.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3f7d4d9d18.html [accessed 29 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Country Reports 2001 states that "the [Greek] Government decided in 2000 to remove the notation of religious affiliation on national identity cards" (2002, Section 2.c).
The information that follows was provided by the Embassy of Greece in Ottawa in a letter dated 30 October 2002:
As of July 2002 any Greek citizen may request the replacement of his old identity card. Young persons, upon turning 14, may also apply for new ID cards. New ID cards do not [emphasis in original document] identify religion. This is formally stipulated by the new Greek law on ID cards.
Practical steps to be taken for the replacement are: application form and registration certificate to the records of a Greek municipality and five photos. If the applicant opts for having his blood group mentioned on the ID card he should submit a relevant certificate by a public hospital (with no cost to the applicant).
Replacement of old ID cards and acquisition of new ones is a very simple and non-bureaucratic procedure. The total cost to the applicant is $0.25 Can. and the new ID cards are delivered within a month of the application by local police authorities.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2001. 2002. Unites States Department of State. Greece. Embassy of Greece, Ottawa. 30 October 2002. Correspondence received by Research Directorate.
Additional Sources Consulted
IRB Databases.
Internet sites and search engines, including:
Amnesty International.
Defense Personnel Security Research Center (DPSRC), San Francisco.
Human Rights Watch.
International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights.
International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Prague. Searchable archives.
Resource Information Centre (RIC), Washington, DC.
United States Department of State. Foreign Affairs Manual.
UNHCR Refworld.
