Church of Greece to start issuing certificates online in 3 days

The Athens Archbishopric is taking a step into the digital era with an initiative that will allow citizens to apply for marriage licenses, baptism certificates and other documents online.

Using their personal details for Taxisnet, the electronic portal for submitting tax declarations, citizens will soon be able to use their cell phones or computers to request a series of documents.

The aim is for the applications to be processed within three days. Symeon Voliotis, a spokesman for the Archbishopric, told Kathimerini that many priests are not familiar with the new technology and are undergoing seminars on the new system which is being set up for them by the Finance Ministry’s General Secretariat for Information Systems.

The service will be particularly useful for Greeks living abroad, Voliotis said, noting that applicants will receive their certificates “scanned by email.”