New citizenship exams get off to lackluster start
The first round of the government’s new written citizenship exams is scheduled to take place on May 16, with attendance appearing lackluster with just 2,448 registered participants from around 30,000 pending citizenship applications.
Sources in the General Secretariat for Citizenship say that the majority of applicants are over 40 years old and have lived in Greece for several years. They also say that low attendance is to be expected at the launch of any new system.
“Interest is already great for the exams scheduled to take place in September,” they add.
Nevertheless, there are also concerns that the income criteria attached by the Interior Ministry to citizenship claims may also be too steep for many applicants, who are required to provide proof that they made at least 7,800 euros a year for the three-, five- or seven-year duration of their visa.
