Turnaround in passport issuance, with the approval of the Council of State – What is changing
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The Hellenic Police cannot refuse the issuance or renewal of a passport because the police ID is of the old type.
- 30 Ιανουαρίου 2026 18:18
According to the Council of State, the Passport Directorate of the Hellenic Police cannot refuse the issuance or renewal of a passport because the police ID is of the old type and the attached photo shows significant differences from the applicant’s current appearance.
Specifically, a citizen applied for the renewal of their passport last year and presented their police ID issued in May 1972, which is 54 years old. However, the Passport Directorate of the Hellenic Police rejected the renewal request, arguing that the ID “must be replaced since 15 years have passed since its issuance, making it impossible to verify the person in the photo with the one in the passport application.”
The applicant filed an appeal against this refusal, which was also rejected. The citizen was informed that “if they wish to obtain a Greek passport, they must resubmit their application with a new police ID.” The citizen then appealed to the Council of State, requesting the suspension of the police’s decision, arguing that the refusal would cause irreparable harm, as they needed to travel abroad for personal reasons and to address their wife’s health issues.
Council of State Decision
The Suspension Committee of the Council of State, chaired by Vice President Ilia Mazo and with reporting officer Haido Evangelou, noted that since 2021 the Court has ruled: “When the validity of a police ID has expired (15 years), it is still considered valid until replaced. Before issuing a passport, the competent authorities are required only to check if the necessary legal documents have been submitted, including the police ID, which must be accepted as long as there is no valid doubt about its authenticity, but not to verify the applicant’s identity.”
The Council of State accepted the request for suspension, considering that:
The Hellenic Police did not provide a public interest reason to refuse the passport renewal, as the citizen was issued a passport in 2015 with a copy of the same police ID.
The refusal to renew the passport is likely to cause irreparable damage to the applicant’s family life.
The Council of State also noted that the Passport Directorate of the Hellenic Police is “obligated to accept the submitted police ID for reviewing the passport renewal request
