Born in Greece-Adopted by married couple living in NJ at the time

[questioner_12]

What is the name of your state? New Jersey (USA)

I guess this would apply to NJ law since the adoption took place when my parents legally lived in NJ in 1956. I presently live in Penn though.

Both my adoptive parents are deceased now.

All I know about my adoption is my adoptive parents were living in NJ when they adopted me from an orphanage in Athens Greece in 1956. They had a nurse accompany me from Greece to NJ when I was 3 months old.

I am trying to find any legal paperwork available that would give me any information/details about my adoption.

We lived in South River NJ in 1956 when they adopted me.

I am trying to find out if I have dual citizenship USA/Greece at this time. I am a Naturalized citizen of the USA. From what I have been reading I could also be a citizen of Greece since I was born there. However, it stipulates from what I have read that one of my birth parents had to be a Greek citizen at the time of my birth. Since I was adopted from an orphanage I don't know if either of my parents were Greek citizens.

I know my Naturalization Paper for USA is good because I used it recently to obtain a USA Passport and also again back in 1975 (original issued USA passport).

What would be a good starting point.

Thank you for any assistance.

 

[Zigner]

Frankly, your search will begin in Greece. You may wish to contact the Greek consulate.

 

[questioner_12]

Zigner thank you.
I have started to look for an office that is close to me. Seems NYC is. I will try and contact them.
Thanks for your help

 

[zddoodah]

I am trying to find any legal paperwork available that would give me any information/details about my adoption.

I'm guessing from this that you may not know, but was the adoption handled in the U.S. or in Greece? If the former, then you might inquire of the clerk at one of the Middlesex County Courthouses in New Brunswick (probably the Family Courthouse).

I am trying to find out if I have dual citizenship USA/Greece at this time.

That's a matter only a Greek authority will be able to help you with, and I agree with Zigner's suggestion that you should contact the Greek embassy in DC or the consulate in NYC.

 

[adjusterjack]

Try contacting the ISS-Greece ([email protected])

INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL SERVICE (iss-greece.gr)

Here's an article about ISS-Greece. They may have a centralized database.

Greek Adoption Agency to Preserve Records of Thousands of Orphans - GreekReporter.com

 

[questioner_12]

Sorry for the delay in my response; my anxiety is a bit high.

@zddoodah
Yes, I was considering contacting Middlesex County Courthouse as a starting point to get info on my adoption as I don't know where the actual paperwork/adoption was filed Greece or US.
Yes, I know that one of my bio parents had to be Greek in order for me to hold a Greek citizenship (dual), but since I was adopted from an orphanage in Greece it is possible neither was Greek. I will be contacting the Greek Consulate in NY.

@adjusterjack - Thanks for the links. I will check them out.