Registration of applicants for international protection
Applicants for international protection are third-country nationals or stateless persons who ask not to be expelled because they fear persecution on grounds of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion or because they risk serious harm in their country of origin or former residence, in particular because they are in danger of being subjected to the death penalty or execution, torture or inhuman or degrading treatment, or because their life or integrity is threatened as a result of an international or civil conflict.
The procedure concerns the registration of applicants for international protection. Any third-country national or stateless person has the right to apply for international protection. The application is submitted before the Receiving Authorities, which are the Regional Asylum Offices, the Autonomous Units and the Mobile Units of the Asylum Service, where a full registration is immediately carried out. The full record shall include at least the identity data, the country of origin of the applicant, the name of the father, mother, spouse and children, biometric identification data, as well as a full statement of the reasons why the applicant is seeking international protection, the address of residence or stay, and, if the applicant wishes, the appointment of a representative. It is addressed to citizens.
The procedure concerns the issuance of a Birth Certificate and is addressed to those who have a Birth Certificate issued by a Greek Registry Office.
Travel documents and other identity documents
Photocopy of a Public Enterprises and Organisations account
Court decision on the exercise of parental responsibility that has been recognised in Greece
Judicial decision appointing a permanent Commissioner
The procedure concerns the issuance of the Marriage Registry Act, which requires the registration of the religious or civil marriage at the Municipalitys Registry Office, which is carried out in accordance with Law No. 344/1976.
It is requested for children born in Greece, regardless of whether they were born before or after the parents application for international protection in order to record their application for international protection. For the relationship between a minor and his parent, since the existence of documents in general is the exception to this procedure, no specific documents are required (unless they exist and are presented). The relationship will be verified in particular during the interview procedure.
The applicant must surrender the original travel documents in accordance with article 78(4) of Law 4636/2019, unless he/she has surrendered them at an earlier stage of the procedure (e.g. Police). In this case, the other services must deliver the above documents to the Regional Asylum Office.
For applicants who do not reside in shelters, in any case, they will be asked to provide a document proving their home address (lease contract, bill, accommodation declaration, etc.), while in case of constellations, the applicant will be informed that he/she must provide at least the address of a relative or friend who will act as a substitute. If applicants are unable to provide the above at the time of registration, they will be informed that they must provide them at the next interaction with the Service (e.g. interview) and this should be noted on the registration form. Applicants are advised that if they still fail to provide evidence of their home address, the processing of their application may be discontinued for non-cooperation with the authorities.
In order to qualify as accompanied, the minor must be accompanied by at least one parent (or adoptive parent) or another person to whom parental responsibility has been awarded by a court decision recognised in Greece. For the relationship between a minor and his/her parent, since the existence of documents is generally the exception in this procedure, no specific documents are required (unless they exist and are produced). The relationship will be verified in particular during the interview procedure.
In order to qualify as an accompanied minor, the minor must be accompanied by at least one parent (or adoptive parent) or a permanent guardian appointed by a Greek court order and no other person. For the relationship between a minor and his/her parent, since the existence of documents is generally the exception in this procedure, no specific documents are required (unless they exist and are produced). The relationship will be verified in particular during the interview procedure.
A marriage certificate is submitted if there is one.
Submitted by the applicant (in person or by post)
Full registration of applicants for international protection
Improving migration legislation, amending the provisions of Laws 4636/2019 (A 169), 4375/2016 (A 51), 4251/2014 (A 80) and other provisions.
International protection and other provisions
REGULATION (EU) No 604/2013 of the EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT of 26 June 2013 laying down the criteria and mechanisms for determining the Member State responsible for examining an application for international protection lodged in a Member State by a third-country national or a stateless person (recast)
The fingerprints of the applicant are taken using a live scan device by the responsible official and sent to the Eurodac database for identification.
If Eurodac's response is negative, the staff member shall accompany the applicant to a recorder to start recording the application.
If the Eurodac response is positive and concerns Greece, the official must search the relevant code number in the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (D.E.E.) Index. Then, on the basis of the name, surname, patronymic, date of birth and nationality returned by the search in the ICE Index, the official should search for the person in Alcyone in the searches for aliens.
If the Eurodac reply is positive and concerns another Member State, the official shall inform the registrar accordingly in order to take the necessary steps required in the context of a "Dublin" case.
Before registering the application, the competent official must: • explain to the applicant the procedure to be followed, • inform the applicant of his/her obligation to surrender any documents (including passports and other travel documents) he/she may have in his/her possession relating to his/her application for international protection, • inform the applicant of his/her obligation to answer truthfully to the questions put to him/her, including his/her actual identity, which after the completion of the full registration can only be changed under very strict conditions, • in the case of a family application, ask the spouse of the principal applicant separately whether he or she consents to a family application or whether he or she prefers to submit a separate application, explaining the consequences of each option and completing the corresponding field of the registration form.
Depending on whether or not an alert has been made at a previous stage of will has been made, the recorder should first ask the applicant whether or not he is already in possession of the Applicant's International Simple Recording Notice or not so as to follow the appropriate procedure.
The applicant shall be photographed in such a way that its photograph is placed in his/her digital file and in his/her Bulletin.
After the entry of the key elements in ‘Alkyone’ the recorder completes the log form; given that in the full registration phase, other than the identification of the applicant's data, a full reference is required for the reasons why the applicant requests international protection, as well as other information critical for all subsequent stages of the procedure, it is necessary that this record be accurately recorded.
When an applicant for registration is submitted for which the Office is aware that it has previously been registered by the Reception and Identification Service, or this arises from documents submitted or is derived from the information in the search results, the following procedure should be followed: The responsible official: • does not make any changes to the data already registered. • If an area to be filled is empty, it fills it in. • If in any question (e.g. language) the applicant declares and an additional one (e.g. English (e.g. registered declarations and Swahili) adds this item. • In no case does it change or supplement the key elements (name, surname, father name, date of birth, nationality). • When the registration form is completed, the registered data are read.
If, when registering an application for international protection, the applicant refers to a State bound by Regulation 604/2013 with regard to the criteria set by it, the recorder should investigate whether such a Regulation is applicable (Case Dublin).
When a couple or family comes to the Asylum Regional Office to apply for asylum in full, they should be asked if the marriage was made (or the family existed) before or after their departure from the country of origin. If the marriage has been performed (or the family existed) before leaving the country of origin, then for his spouse (and any children) they become a member.
We should distinguish between accompanied and unaccompanied minors , minors over 15 years of age (whether unaccompanied or not) can apply themselves automatically, while minors under 15 apply through the person accompanying them (if accompanied) or their representative (if they are unaccompanied).
In the case of a child born in Greece, after registration of his parent, the applicant must provide a certified copy of the child's birth certificate. The registration official then proceeds to "Additional membership". The following procedure shall be followed: • A member's birth certificate shall be issued. • A child shall be photographed and completed "Appendix to the application for international protection of a child born in Greece after the application for a child is submitted to the parent's application" by the model "Absolute child's children under 15" in the "Key Facts". The child's birth record shall be posted only on the child's file and not on the parent's file. • An application for an application for an end date to that of the parent shall be issued. In this case the child's application shall follow the parent's application at which stage is pending and shall be charged to the same operator or Commission as the parent's application.
Case of children of applicants who were present at the registration of their parents and who, for whatever reason, did not appear for registration on the same day as their parent, but present themselves with their parent (already registered) at a later stage. The registrar must first check the parents registration form and confirm that he/she had registered the existence of that child. If the parents registration form does not show that this is the case, he/she must inform the Head of the Office on the spot in order to obtain specific instructions.
In the case of a child who was born before his or her parent, but who comes to the service after that, the following procedure is followed: • The parent should produce a certified copy of the child’s birth permit • A new asylum case is created. • A case connection is made to the child’s case with that of his or her parent. • Completed "A application form for international protection for a child born in Greece following the submission of his or her parent’s application" • An interview is scheduled, which is charged to the same operator as his or her parent if possible. • An application form for the child is issued.
For children born in Greece, regardless of whether they were born before or after the submission of their parents application for international protection, the submission of the childs birth certificate is required in order to register their application for international protection (article 65(11) of Law 4636/2019).
If there are differences between the data of the parent declared to the Service and those recorded in the birth certificate, in any case the registration of the parent (and the child) will be based on the data of the birth certificate.
If the birth certificate of the child is presented later than the registration of the child, the official who receives it should check whether the details of the parent and the child in "Alcyone" are the same as those in the birth certificate.
If the applicant declares himself/herself to be a minor at the time of registration but medical examinations have been transmitted to the Asylum Service, then the following procedures are followed: • If the conclusion of the medical examinations states that he/she is probably over 18 or that the bone age is compatible with that of 18, then he/she is registered as a minor, applying the benefit of the doubt. • If the conclusion of the medical examinations indicates that he or she is 16 to 18 or 17 to 19, then he or she shall be registered as a minor, applying the benefit of the doubt. • If the finding indicates that he is over 18 and he provides original documents (e.g. identity card) showing that he is under 18 and vice versa then , the administrations doubt about his age has been removed by the medical finding, which is valid, but he is referred for reconsideration to the Head of the Regional Asylum Office/Autonomous Asylum Section for reconsideration. • If the medical report states that the applicant is 14 to 17 years old (i.e. in any case a minor), the year of birth will be the one declared by the applicant. • If the Regional Asylum Office has registered the applicant as a minor and medical examinations are transmitted after registration, the above shall be followed as appropriate.
If an applicant has first been registered by the Reception and Identification Service, his/her basic data will not be changed except in the cases and under the conditions provided for.
In the case of registration of adult siblings or unaccompanied minors, two asylum cases are created, which are linked. Grandparents/grandchildren are treated in the same way if the former do not exercise parental authority, uncles/uncles-in-law, couples for whom the family relationship was established after entry into the country, etc. In the case of a married minor: A new asylum case is created which is linked to either any case of his/her parents or his/her spouse, who will be registered in a separate asylum case. In the event that the married minor subsequently has children, the childrens applications will follow the procedure of adding a member. In the case of a polygamous minor, if more than one spouse is registered, the first spouse becomes an "added member" along with their joint children, while a new asylum case is created for the second spouse, to which any children are added. The second spouses case is linked to that of the husband.
The applicants family members include his "adult children who have a mental or physical disability and cannot apply independently". In this case, a member is added to the parents case by selecting the designation adult dependent child and the procedure applicable to children under 15 years of age is applied.
a) Notification to the Asylum Service that an alien in administrative detention or under administrative custody wishes to apply for international protection. b) Recording the application for international protection and informing the competent authorities. c) Notification of a detainee. d) Checking the case of lifting of detention
Passport and other identity documents (originals).
According to the law, the definition of counsellor is given restrictively and states that "the counsellor of the applicant is the doctor, psychologist or social worker who supports the applicant during the process of examining his/her application".
At the end of the procedure, the recorder shall provide the relevant multilingual text and inform the applicant: • for the next steps in the procedure: the date and time of the interview, if one has been set, that it is necessary to attend the interview and to provide the relevant information note in his/her language, otherwise the examination of his/her application will be discontinued; that at the interview he/she must show any original document in his/her possession and produce other documents relevant to his/her case; that he/she must always carry his/her identity card, which must not be falsified (not laminated, not written on, etc.). ). • of his rights and obligations, as they arise from Articles 69 and 78 of the Law on the Protection of the Rights of the Child. 4636/2019. Regarding the rights and obligations of applicants for international protection, a copy of a relevant multilingual text is provided, which the applicant is asked to read and sign.
If the applicant states during the registration of the application for international protection that he/she wishes to be housed, the registrar should, after the registration of the application has been completed, draw up the relevant request for housing which is addressed to the Directorate for the Protection of Asylum Seekers (via e-mail) or to the Special Secretariat for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors of the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum. Detainees are not asked about the need for accommodation. If such a need arises in the event of their release, they can then submit the relevant application. In the case of an unaccompanied minor, whether detained or not, a request for accommodation is always made to the Special Secretariat for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors.
Once the registration of the application for international protection has been completed, the registrar shall accompany the applicant to the official responsible for taking fingerprints and sending them to the Eurodac central database.
The staff member of Eurodac 1 must deliver to the applicant/applicant the information sheet for applicants for international protection and the information brochure for the "Dublin Regulation", unless they have been given at an earlier stage.
No fingerprints are available for children under 14 years of age. Eurodac: Central European fingerprint database.
Recorder: An Asylum Service employee whose main responsibility is the registration of an application for international protection
Dublin cases: these are cases of applicants for international protection subject to the Dublin III Regulation (EU Regulation No 604/2013, sometimes referred to as the Dublin Regulation) which determines which EU Member State is responsible for examining the application for asylum seekers seeking international protection within the European Union.
Dublin case: cases of applicants for international protection subject to the Dublin III Regulation (Regulation No 604/2013 of the European Union, sometimes referred to as Dublin Regulation as the Member State of the Union responsible for examining the application for asylum seekers seeking international protection within the European Union.
Upon completion of the registration of an unaccompanied minor (more than 15 years old) the relevant document to the Public Prosecutor or Prosecutor of Priorities, the Directorate-General for Social Solidarity of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the National Centre for Social Solidarity on the appointment of a Commissioner (if not designated at a previous stage) is drawn up. If the Prosecutor is informed and invited to do so, the representative of the Juvenile Public Prosecutor (Advisor of Minors, commissioner or other representative appointed) must be informed if the interview is deferred and invited to attend it on the new date. If the unaccompanied minor has been registered by the Received and Identifying Office, which has already requested the appointment of the Commissioner, the Regional Asylum Office must send to the Prosecutor and the other authorities, the relevant Appointing Director of the Office informing and Advisor of the appointment.
If during the registration of an applicant she declares that she is pregnant, the registrar should inform her that as soon as possible after the birth of her child she should come to the Office with her child and the birth certificate of the child in order to register the child. Operator: An Asylum Service official with primary responsibility for examining an application for international protection
The operators respectively should ask the applicants to produce the relevant birth certificate and if, after having given the parent a deadline after the interview, it is not produced, they will decide to put the childs application on file.
Also, "lawyers or other advisers are entitled to provide all legal assistance to the applicant at all stages of the procedure". On the basis of the above, the applicant may be accompanied during registration by his/her lawyer and/or other adviser (e.g. for a person with mental health problems by his/her psychologist or doctor). The role of the counsellors at this stage is completely subsidiary, they do not ask questions, do not present the case, they simply attend if they wish and if the applicant wishes.
A copy of the registration form shall not be delivered to the applicant after registration. If requested to do so, either by him or by any attorney present, he shall submit a request and, upon approval of the Head of the Regional Asylum Office, an exact copy shall be provided to him.
Eurodac: Central European fingerprint database.
Eurodac's positive response and Greece's response
A positive response from Eurodac to another Member State
Information to the applicant on the procedure to be followed
Search for the applicant on the registration or non-will
Complete the application (registration form)
Prior logging by the Reception and Identification Service (S.A.T.) (formerly First Reception Service) or prior screening by EL.A.
Recording of an application for international protection and applying the Rules of Procedure ‘Dublin III’
Recording of spouses (case of initial application for international protection)
Recording of spouses (case of subsequent application for international protection)
Minors (accompanied and unaccompanied minors)
Recording of a child born in Greece after registration of the parent’s application and examination pending
Recording of a child not coming on the same day as his parent
Recording of a child born prior to the granting of international protection status to his or her parent but presented to the Asylum Service after the grant
Installation of a child born after the granting of a status to his or her parent
Registration of a child born in Greece and a birth permit
Parent’s and child’s registration where the elements of the registration act are different from those stated at the Asylum Service (proofing of the birth permit when recording the parent and the child)
Parent’s and child’s registration where the elements of the registration act are different from those stated at the Asylum Service (procedure of the birth permit at a later date on the parent’s registration)
Recording of minors who have been or will be subjected to medical examinations (applicants recorded by the Regional Asylum Office without prior registration by the Reception and Identification Service)
Recording of minors who have been or will be subjected to medical examinations (applicant/applicant first recorded by the Reception and Identification Service and then submitted an application for a GAAP)
Recording and adult children with family
Request for international protection from prisoners
Participation of the applicant's advisers on registration
Information to the applicant after the registration has been completed
Administration - Communication - Regional Asylum Offices and Self-Regions Asylum
Application for international protection