Could your family history give you a second passport?
Many countries let you become a citizen because a parent, grandparent or earlier ancestor was born there, often without living there yourself. See whether you might qualify, which certificates you’ll need and the order to do things in.
- No charge
- No jargon
- Sourced to governments
- No account needed
One passport. 31 countries.
An Irish, Italian or Polish passport isn’t just for Ireland, Italy or Poland. Any EU passport lets you live, work, study and retire in all 27 EU countries, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
- No 90-day limitStay as long as you like, not 90 days in every 180 like a visitor.
- No work visaTake any job, start a business or work remotely.
- Local tuition feesStudy as a local student, often for far less.
- Keep your passportThe UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand all allow dual citizenship.
How it works
Most applications follow the same three stages, wherever your family came from.
Check if you qualify
It depends on who in your family was born where, and when. The rules often hinge on dates you won’t know until you look.
Gather your documents
Birth, marriage and sometimes death certificates for each generation, plus official stamps and translations. This is usually the longest part.
Apply
Usually through an embassy, consulate or an online register. We list the official fees and typical waits, with dates.
Three kinds of route
Countries differ a lot in how far back your family link can go.
Through a grandparent or further back
Some countries let citizenship pass down several generations, as long as each link in the chain holds. Dates matter: for example, when an ancestor left or became a citizen somewhere else.
Through a parent only
Many countries only pass citizenship to the children of their citizens. If that’s you, the paperwork is usually simpler.
Not eligible? Living there first
If descent doesn’t work for you, most countries let you become a citizen after living there for some years. Every guide shows how long it takes.
Where to start
Countries with big family links to the UK, Ireland and North America. All 34 are on the countries page.
Free tools
They work on your own device: your answers never leave it and aren’t stored.
Do I qualify?
Tell us who in your family was born where, and when. See the likely route, or whether it doesn’t look possible.
Start the checker ToolDocument list builder
A printable list of every certificate you need, generation by generation, and where to order each one.
Build my list ToolCompare two countries
Side by side: how far back, whether you can keep your passport, language tests, fees and waits.
Compare ToolCost and time estimator
Adds up the official fees for certificates, stamps and the application, and gives a range for the wait.
Estimate PrintableFamily tree worksheet
Write down names, dates and places for each generation. It’s the first thing every application needs.
Open the worksheetGuides for every country
The steps that trip people up, whichever country you apply to.
- What an EU passport lets you doLive, work and study in 31 countries, with no 90-day limit.
- Ordering birth, marriage and death certificatesFrom England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland and the US.
- Apostilles and translationsThe official stamp many countries ask for, and when you need a certified translation.
- Finding your ancestor’s recordsIncluding how to check whether they became a citizen somewhere else, and when.
- Plain-English glossaryJure sanguinis, Foreign Births Register, apostille and other terms explained.
What’s changed
Citizenship laws can change overnight, and official websites can take months to catch up. We check every country each month.
-
Italy’s new rules go to the EU Court of Justice
Italy’s Constitutional Court asked the EU’s top court whether the 2025 limits can apply to people born before them. The limits stay in force while it decides.
-
Slovakia drops the residence permit for descendants
People whose parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was a Czechoslovak citizen born in Slovakia no longer need a Slovak residence permit to apply for citizenship. There’s still no language test, and the good-character rules still apply.
-
Denmark’s declaration route for former Danes closes
Former Danes who lost their citizenship by becoming citizens of another country before September 1, 2015 could get it back by declaration until this date. Most now need to live in Denmark again or naturalize.
-
India launches the digital e-OCI card
OCI cardholders no longer need a new card when they get a new passport after 20: they update their details online instead. Since July 8, 2026, new applicants get only a digital e-OCI card.
Built to be checked
Don’t take our word for anything: every claim has a source you can open. How this guide is researched.
- Each rule is linked to where it comes from, normally a government or consulate page.
- Each guide carries the date its facts were verified.
- Every country is re-read monthly, and the news is searched for new laws, because official pages can be slow to catch up.
- No government connection, nothing for sale and no paid recommendations.
A plain-English guide, not a legal opinion. Nationality laws can be amended at short notice, so confirm the details with the consulate or the official body before you send an application or pay anything. The full disclaimer.
Cousins and siblings may qualify as well
One ancestor can open the same door for a whole branch of the family, and you can split the cost of the certificates. Send them this page while it’s fresh in your mind.