Athens Special Registry — registering a death abroad in Greece
Last updated: July 2026 · Ελληνικά
The Athens Special Registry (Ειδικό Ληξιαρχείο Αθηνών) is the central registry that records the civil events of Greek citizens that happened abroad — deaths, births, marriages. If your relative died outside Greece, the death must first be registered here; otherwise, in the Greek records the deceased remains legally alive and nothing — banks, property, inheritance — can move.
What it is — and what it registers
It is a single, central registry under the Ministry of the Interior, based in Athens. Unlike the local municipal registries, its remit is events that happened outside Greece and concern Greek citizens:
- Deaths of Greeks abroad.
- Births of children of Greeks abroad.
- Marriages and civil partnerships concluded abroad.
- Other changes (e.g. divorces, name changes) made abroad.
Special or municipal registry? The difference
This is the most common source of confusion — and the reason many people look in the wrong municipality:
- Municipal registry (of each municipality): records events that happened inside Greece, in that municipality.
- Athens Special Registry: one single office for the whole diaspora — it records events of Greeks that happened abroad.
- In practice: a death in Thessaloniki → Thessaloniki municipal registry. A death in Germany → Athens Special Registry.
Registering a death that happened abroad
Registration is the first, mandatory step before anything to do with the inheritance. The core documents:
- The foreign death certificate, with a Hague Apostille if the country is a Convention member — otherwise consular legalisation.
- An official or sworn translation of the certificate into Greek.
- Evidence of the deceased's Greek citizenship (e.g. the municipal roll, ID card/passport).
How to do it remotely — you don't have to go to Athens
You don't need to be physically present at the Special Registry. There are three routes:
- Through the Greek consulate at the place of death, which receives the documents and forwards them to the Special Registry.
- With a power of attorney to a lawyer in Greece, who files directly on your behalf.
- Directly to the Special Registry (in person or by post), if you or someone you trust is in Greece.
After registration
Once the death is registered, the Greek Citizen Registry is updated and you can issue a Greek death certificate just like for any death in Greece — from gov.gr, a KEP office or the registry itself. Everything else then follows: banks, inheritance tax, accepting or renouncing. Confirm the Athens Special Registry's current contact details via gov.gr or the Ministry of the Interior, as the address and procedure may be updated.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Athens Special Registry?
It is the central registry of the Ministry of the Interior, in Athens, that records civil events (deaths, births, marriages) of Greek citizens that happened abroad.
How does it differ from a municipal registry?
Municipal registries record events that happened inside Greece. The Athens Special Registry is the single office for anything that happened abroad and concerns Greek citizens.
Do I have to go to Athens?
Not necessarily. Registration can be done through the Greek consulate at the place of death, or via a lawyer with power of attorney who files on your behalf.
My relative died abroad — where do I start?
By registering the death at the Athens Special Registry, using the foreign certificate (Apostille + official translation), through a consulate or a lawyer. The Greek death certificate is then issued normally and the inheritance steps can proceed.
Procedures and details may change — confirm the steps with the responsible authority. This guide provides practical guidance, not legal advice.
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