The level of annual income is no longer, by itself, a ground for accepting or rejecting a naturalisation application. This is what is provided by the circular of the General Directorate of Citizenship of the Ministry of the Interior, No. 52779/24.09.2026, entitled "Guidance on the method of assessing the economic integration of foreign nationals in accordance with decisions No. 717/2026 and 715/2026 of the Council of State".
The circular was issued to comply with the two decisions of the Council of State. According to the circular, income, either individual or family, now becomes one of the indicators of economic integration. The Administration must assess, as a whole, stable employment, economic activity in general, and the consistent fulfilment of the applicant's tax and insurance obligations.
The change concerns all pending naturalisation applications and those filed from now on.
The legal framework
Economic integration is a substantive requirement for naturalisation under article 5A paragraph 1(d) of the Greek Citizenship Code (Law 3284/2004, "ΚΕΙ"). The law sets as criteria stable employment in the country, economic activity in general, and the continuous fulfilment of tax and insurance obligations. The law does not provide for a minimum income.
The minimum "sufficient income" was introduced at the level of secondary legislation:
- Ministerial Decision 29845/16.4.2021 (Government Gazette B΄ 1652), "Presumptions for the economic and social integration of the foreign national applying for Greek citizenship", issued under the authorisation of article 5A paragraph 2 ΚΕΙ. It was amended by Ministerial Decisions 58050/4.8.2021 (B΄ 3967) and 96289/27.12.2021 (B΄ 6402).
- Circular 81/2022 (Φ 130181/6929, 4.2.2022). Under this circular, the applicant was assessed negatively if they did not have the specified sufficient income. Its Annex lists amounts per tax year, e.g. €7,500 for a taxpayer with no dependants for the years 2019–2021, with a 10% increase per dependant.
In practice, failure to reach that amount in any of the relevant years led to rejection, regardless of other factors.
What the Council of State ruled
By decisions ΣτΕ 715/2026 and 717/2026, it was held that Ministerial Decision 29845/2021 does not require the applicant to prove a minimum annual income as a necessary element of economic integration. Income is taken into account as one of the presumptions under the Ministerial Decision.
The reasoning, according to the summary published, may be summarised as follows:
- The criterion of sufficient income is not provided for in article 5A paragraph 1(d) ΚΕΙ. It was considered during the preparatory work for Law 4735/2020 but was ultimately not adopted.
- The secondary legislator cannot, on the basis of the authorisation under paragraph 2, establish a minimum income the non-proof of which entails an irrebuttable presumption of non-integration.
- It may, however, provide that the level of income is taken into account and assessed together with other presumptions.
- If the Ministerial Decision were interpreted as imposing automatic rejection on account of low income, it would exceed the limits of the enabling provision.
This is a lawful interpretation of the Ministerial Decision, not its annulment. The Ministerial Decision remains in force, but is applied with the content given to it by the Court. A summary of the decisions is available on the website of the Administrative Justice system.
How economic integration is now assessed
Circular 52779/24.9.2026 sets out two axes of assessment, beyond available income.
Stable employment and economic activity in general. For employees, employment is proven by the e-EFKA certificate of prior employment (employer, activity, specialisation, insured days). For the self-employed and freelance professionals, by the e-EFKA Summary or Detailed Insurance History. Employment must have duration and continuity, not be occasional in nature — seasonal work is not considered occasional when it recurs in the same or a related activity. Systematic employment during the relevant period and the declaration of income are assessed positively, while brief interruptions due to illness or unemployment do not count negatively. Occasional employment for short periods, or undeclared work, is assessed negatively.
Tax and insurance compliance. This includes the timely filing of tax returns, the accurate and complete declaration of income, and the payment of debts or compliance with a lawful settlement arrangement. A new point of attention is the "added difference in deemed expenses" in the tax assessment act: if, in the majority of the relevant years, low income appears alongside high deemed expenses, without justification from lawful sources (e.g. use of capital), the circular presumes a discrepancy that raises doubt as to tax compliance, especially where this is repeated.
Other points noted in the circular
- Any welfare benefit for persons with disabilities is accepted.
- Subsistence based exclusively on social benefits does not, by itself, prove economic integration, unless justified by special reasons (e.g. temporary illness).
- Unemployment benefit is counted among the means of subsistence.
- The family is treated as a single economic unit: the low or zero income of an applicant who is a tax dependant is supplemented by the income of the spouse or of the parent responsible for their support.
- Owner-occupied housing used as the applicant's own residence is assessed positively.
The required supporting documents remain those set out in article 6 paragraph 1(h) ΚΕΙ: tax assessment notices, tax and insurance compliance certificates, insurance fund certificate, employment contract, Ε3 and Ε9 tax forms, and a certificate of an active bank account.
Which applications it applies to
According to the circular, the new guidance applies to all pending naturalisation applications and to those filed from now on. Every rejection decision must now contain full and individualised reasoning, setting out the elements on which it is based. A rejection based solely on the level of income is no longer consistent with the guidance.
Already final rejections, according to the circular, remain in force, provided they have not been lawfully revoked or annulled. According to press reports, previous rejections will not be reviewed ex officio.
For those who have already received a rejection on grounds of income, what is critical is whether the decision has become unappealable. If a deadline for filing a legal remedy is still running, or if proceedings are pending, the decisions of the Council of State constitute a strong argument. If not, the filing of a new application is to be considered, having regard to the time limits that apply to resubmission. Each case requires individual assessment.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for individualised legal advice.