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Embassy of Greece in Canada and Greek Consulates: Complete Guide

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Everything in one place: where to find the Greek Embassy in Ottawa and the consulates in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, what each office can do for you, and how to get your Canadian papers apostilled for Greece.

Waving national flag of Greece

Greece and Canada are NATO allies, and Canada is home to one of the biggest Greek communities anywhere outside Greece. Families arrived in big waves over the last century and settled mostly in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Today several hundred thousand Canadians have Greek roots. Take a walk along the Danforth in Toronto or through Park Extension in Montreal and you'll feel it right away: Orthodox churches, Greek schools, community clubs and a lot of people who still speak Greek at home.

The economic relationship has grown since the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) began provisional application in 2017, opening new opportunities for Greek exporters of food products such as olive oil and feta, and for Canadian investors in energy, tourism, and mining. Greece also remains one of the favourite European destinations for Canadian travellers, with direct seasonal flights connecting Toronto and Montreal to Athens.

Greece is in both the EU and Schengen, so all kinds of people end up at its offices in Canada. Greek citizens come in to renew a passport or sort out military service. Canadians with a Greek parent or grandparent come to claim citizenship. Others just need a Schengen visa. Below you'll find the official contacts, what each office can help with, the visa rules, and how to get your Canadian documents ready for Greece.

Need a Canadian document notarized, apostilled or translated into Greek? I can take care of the whole thing, start to finish. Contact me and I'll tell you exactly how long it will take and what it will cost.

Contact Details

The Embassy in Ottawa is mostly about diplomacy: politics, trade and culture. For passports, visas and paperwork, you'll usually deal with one of the three consulates general, and which one depends on where you live. Toronto covers Ontario and Manitoba. Vancouver takes British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Montreal looks after Quebec and eastern Canada.

All official information is published on the Greece in Canada website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including a newsroom with the latest news from each mission. Citizens can also use the Digital Request Management Service at e-proxeneio.mfa.gr to submit requests online and book an appointment with the competent consular authority for their place of residence.

Embassy of Greece in Ottawa, Canada (Greek Embassy)

Consulate General of Greece in Toronto, Canada

Consulate General of Greece in Montreal, Canada

Consulate General of Greece in Vancouver, Canada

Consular Services List

The consulates help Greek citizens, Canadians of Greek descent, and anyone who needs a Schengen visa. For almost everything you'll have to book an appointment and show up in person at the consulate that covers your province or territory. Check the document list on the official website before you go, so you don't have to make a second trip.

For Greek Citizens and Canadians of Greek Descent

For Canadian Citizens and Foreign Nationals (Visa Services)

For Businesses and Investors

Canadian Document Legalization Process

Greece has been a party to the Hague Apostille Convention since May 18, 1985, and Canada joined on January 11, 2024. As a result, Canadian public documents intended for Greece need only an apostille and no longer require legalization at the Embassy of Greece or a Greek consulate.

Private documents, such as affidavits, declarations, and certified true copies, must first be signed or certified before a notary public. Powers of attorney for Greek authorities are often drawn up directly at a Greek consulate instead.

Original public documents, such as provincial birth, marriage, and death certificates, court orders, and police certificates, can usually go directly to the apostille stage.

The apostille is issued by the Canadian competent authority. Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan issue apostilles on documents that were issued or notarized within that province jurisdictions, while Global Affairs Canada handles federal documents and documents from the other provinces and territories.

Greek authorities almost always require an official translation into Greek. Translations can be certified in Greece or, in some cases, verified by the competent Greek consular authority in Canada, so confirm with the receiving office which form of translation it accepts before ordering.

Greek offices send documents back all the time. Usually a name is spelled differently from one paper to the next, an apostille is missing, or they won't accept the translation. Citizenship and civil registry files get hit the hardest. I can handle the notarization, apostille and certified Greek translation for you. Contact me and we'll go through your documents together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Rules for consular services in Greece change fairly often, usually after new legislation is passed, and the official pages don't always reflect it right away. Please check with the consulate that covers your area before you lodge anything.

Do Canadians need a Schengen visa to visit Greece?

No. Canadian passport holders can enter the Schengen Area visa-free, as long as they stay no longer than 90 days in any 180-day period. Longer stays, work, or study require a national visa or residence permit issued under Greek legislation.

At the external Schengen border, travellers are registered in the EU Entry/Exit System, which records fingerprints and a facial image. The EU also plans to introduce the ETIAS travel authorization for visa-exempt visitors, so check official EU sources before your trip.

What supporting documents are needed for a Schengen visa?

Foreign nationals residing in Canada who need a visa must submit a completed application form, a valid travel document, proof of legal residence in Canada, travel insurance, and supporting documents on the purpose of the trip, accommodation, and finances.

Travel insurance must cover emergency medical costs, hospitalization, and repatriation, including for reasons of public health. Applicants' fingerprints are stored in the Visa Information System, and each foreigner must apply at the consulate that covers their place of residence.

How can Canadians of Greek descent obtain Greek citizenship?

Greek nationality is mainly acquired by descent from a Greek parent. Canadians born to Greek citizens usually need to register their birth and their parents' marriage with the competent civil registry in Greece through the consulate.

The process requires apostilled and translated Canadian certificates and can take a long time. Starting with complete documents avoids repeated requests from Greek authorities.

Do Greek male citizens living in Canada have to serve in the army?

If you are a Greek male citizen in the Special Registry, the law expects you to serve in the Hellenic Armed Forces. In practice, men who live permanently in Canada are often exempt or serve a much shorter term. To prove your status, you will usually need a certificate of permanent residence abroad from the consulate.

The consulate provides the certificates needed to prove permanent residence abroad. Resolving military status early is important, since it can affect passport issuance and travel to Greece.

Prepare Your Canadian Documents for Greece with Confidence

Applying for Greek citizenship, getting married in Athens or buying property? Either way, your Canadian documents will need an apostille and, in most cases, a certified Greek translation. Miss one small detail and your file can sit on someone's desk for months.

I work with clients all over Canada and take care of the notarization, apostille and translation for them. Contact me and I'll tell you what you need and what it will cost.