Custody of Children
Updated January 2012
Under Articles 1510 thru 1541 of the Greek Civil Code, both parents exercise custody of children while the marriage continues unless a Greek court decrees some other arrangement.
When one of the parents cannot exercise parental duties because of incarceration, long-term illness, absence, etc., or if the court has determined one parent to be an unfit guardian, care is exercised solely by the other parent.
If the marriage is dissolved by divorce, the court determines child custody. The court can also decree parental care to both parents, provided the parents have agreed with whom the children will reside. In case of a common consent divorce, the parents must agree before the divorce on the terms of parental care.
Greek family law holds that children come of age at eighteen.
Greece is a signatory to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction since June 1, 1993. The Office of Children’s Issues, 2201 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20520, (tel. 202-501-4444, call from within U.S. 1-888-407-4747,
http://travel.state.gov/abduction/about/how/how_604.html), is the Central Authority for the U.S.
Inquiries from parents in Greece regarding children taken to the U.S., without the consent of the other parent should be addressed to the Greek Central Authority, represented by the
Greek Ministry of Justice
Department of International Judicial Cooperation on Civil Cases,
96 Mesogion Av., 11527 Athens, Greece,
tel. 210-776-7312, 210-776-7527.