If you have always wanted to become a citizen of another country, start by digging out your family tree. Anyone with a parent or grandparent from one of nine European Union countries might be eligible for dual citizenship. With an EU passport, you can live, work, study, and travel freely in any of the EU’s 27 member states.
However, determining if you are eligible for a second passport is just the first step. If you are eligible, you will likely need to track down documents from both the country where your ancestor was born and your home country. You will need to fill out a lot of paperwork, which might be in a language you don’t understand. Before you can hold your new passport in your hands, you may need to wait years as your application winds its way through the bureaucratic process. Nevertheless, I recently successfully obtained citizenship in two EU countries based on descent: Poland and Portugal. The process was long, frustrating, and expensive, but worth it in the end. Not only do I have a stronger link with my heritage, but my family and I now have the option to move abroad and travel throughout Europe without restrictions. Moreover, my children inherited my Polish citizenship, and unless Polish immigration law changes, they will be able to pass their European citizenship on to their children.
Bear in mind that citizenship laws can be complex, and some exceptions or nuances may make or break your case. Using an attorney in the country where you are trying to obtain citizenship might be a wise investment. A good attorney will give you an honest assessment of your chances of getting citizenship and help you complete your application. Obtaining all the documents you need to apply can take a few weeks to a few months, depending on which documents you need, what you already have, and whether you need any documents from the country your grandparents emigrated from. Once you’ve submitted your citizenship application, the process can take several months to several years.
Not many countries allow grandchildren to claim citizenship based on heritage. However, there are some. It’s always worth looking into whether the country your grandparent or great-grandparent emigrated from provides a path to citizenship. If your parents were citizens of another country, you likely have even more options, and the path to citizenship could very well be easier. We’ve focused on nine countries that make it easier for grandchildren of immigrants to obtain citizenship, but they aren’t the only ones.
Croatia
Grandchildren of Croatians may be eligible for citizenship. This country, full of pebbled beaches and forests, grants citizenship to Croatian descendants who permanently left the country before 1991. However, if your grandparent moved to another country that used to be a part of Yugoslavia, you won’t be eligible for citizenship regardless of when they left.
Czech Republic
Anyone with Czech grandparents may be able to pack their bags and move to the heart of Bohemia. To qualify for Czech citizenship, your grandparent must have been born in the Czech Republic and stayed there until at least 1918. Additionally, they cannot have obtained Slovak citizenship at any point in their lives.
Germany
If you have a German grandparent, you may be eligible for a German passport. German citizenship cannot skip generations. However, that doesn’t mean one of your parents needs to have a German passport. As long as you have a parent who is eligible for German citizenship, you may be as well. There is, however, one notable exception: You don’t need to show an unbroken chain of citizenship if your German ancestor was a victim of Nazi persecution due to their religion, political affiliation, or race. That’s true even if your German ancestor was stripped of their citizenship and could not pass it down to their children.
Hungary
Hungary is home to the historic city of Budapest, situated along the serene banks of the Danube River. A Hungarian grandparent may be the key to getting a passport from this beautiful country. You don’t need to be proficient in Hungarian to become a Hungarian citizen, but you may be asked to demonstrate basic language skills. However, before you enroll in a language course, make sure your grandparent never lost their Hungarian citizenship. If your grandparent left before 1929, Hungary probably revoked their citizenship. Additionally, before 1957, most Hungarian women who married a non-Hungarian lost their citizenship.
Ireland
Approximately 10 percent of the population of the United States has Irish heritage. If one of your grandparents hails from the Emerald Isle, you may be eligible for Irish citizenship. However, before applying for an Irish passport, you must register your birth in Ireland’s foreign birth registry.
Italy
More than 15 million Americans have Italian heritage. If you are one of them, you may be able to apply for Italian citizenship. If one of your grandparents was born in Italy and was still a citizen at the time your parent was born, you may be able to claim an Italian passport. It used to be relatively simple for those with Italian ancestry to gain Italian citizenship. However, in 2024, Italy made the process more complex. Many people who used to be eligible lost their claim to citizenship overnight. Under this new law, if your grandparent became a citizen of the United States (or any other country) while your parent was still a minor, you are no longer eligible for Italian citizenship.
Lithuania
Lithuania grants citizenship to some descendants of citizens, but only if they meet a narrow set of criteria. First, your grandparent (or great-grandparent) must have been a citizen of Lithuania before 1940. Second, you are only eligible for Lithuanian citizenship if your ancestor left before 1990. Third, your ancestor must have immigrated to a country outside of the former Soviet Union. There are some exceptions to those criteria, but they are highly dependent on individual circumstances.
Poland
If you inherited a love of pierogies from a Polish parent or grandparent, you may be entitled to Polish citizenship. To gain Polish citizenship, your parent or grandparent must have lived in Poland after 1920. You will also need to prove that your ancestor never lost their citizenship, which could have happened in various ways. For example, if your grandparent ever held an elected office outside of Poland, they automatically lost their citizenship. Serving in a non-Polish army is another way citizenship could have been revoked. However, there is a narrow exception for those who served with the Allied forces during World War II. If you have Polish roots but aren’t eligible for Polish citizenship through descent, you may still be able to obtain Polish citizenship through a presidential grant. However, this process is much more complex.
Portugal
Portugal isn’t just a popular vacation spot. It’s home to more than 14,000 Americans. If you have a Portuguese grandparent, you may be able to become a Portuguese citizen and make the move yourself. However, to do so, you will need to prove that you are proficient in Portuguese by taking a language exam or providing proof that you have completed a course in Portuguese from a reputable instructor. If you don’t already know the language, start by learning with a free app, like Duo Lingo or Babbel. Having other ties to Portugal, such as frequent visits to the country and membership in an organization for Portuguese Americans, may also help.
