Many U.S. citizens with European ancestry can claim citizenship in an EU country through descent, which grants the right to live, work and study across EU member states and to travel freely in the Schengen Area. Below is a concise guide to who typically qualifies in key countries and the basic steps, documents and fees involved.
Ireland
Who qualifies: You may register on the Foreign Births Register if you have an Irish-born grandparent or if a parent was an Irish citizen when you were born. If a parent was born in Ireland and was an Irish citizen at your birth, you are already a citizen and can apply for a passport.
How to apply: Online application to the Foreign Births Register via the Irish government site.
Documents/fees: Original birth certificate of the Irish parent/grandparent, your birth certificate, two proofs of address. Fee: €278 (18+) or €153 (<18).
Italy
Who qualifies: Jure sanguinis (right of blood) applies when a parent or grandparent was an Italian citizen at death and had not naturalized elsewhere before your parent’s or grandparent’s relevant dates. Special rules apply if an Italian parent lived in Italy for two consecutive years before your birth or adoption.
How to apply: Book a consular appointment (may be virtual or in person) with the Italian consulate that serves your area.
Documents/fees: Long-form birth, marriage and death certificates for ancestors, recent civil records issued by their Italian commune; documents must be legalized/apostilled and translated into Italian. Fees vary (approx. $697 quoted in some jurisdictions); additional proof may be required if ancestors naturalized abroad.
Portugal
Who qualifies: You may claim citizenship if a parent is Portuguese, or if a grandparent is/was Portuguese and you meet language or other requirements (a Portuguese language test is commonly required for some routes).
How to apply: Apply at a Portuguese consulate, in selected Portuguese offices, or online via a registered representative.
Documents/fees: Birth certificates (yours and relatives), certified translations and apostilles where needed, and a signed declaration before a registry official.
Spain
Who qualifies: Usually limited to those with a Spanish parent who was a citizen at birth. A special Law of Democratic Memory program for descendants of those who lost Spanish nationality reopened and closed at various times; check current deadlines.
How to apply: Submit an application to a civil registry in Spain or to the Spanish consulate.
Documents/fees: Birth certificates for you and your parents, oath of allegiance to the King and the constitution, and registration with the Spanish Civil Register.
France
Who qualifies: Children of French citizens generally qualify; other ancestry claims are limited.
How to apply: Complete the Certificate of French Nationality (CNF) application. Residents apply at a local court; nonresidents send documents to the Paris Judicial Court or apply through consular services.
Documents/fees: Birth and supporting records; the CNF procedure is usually free. A family tree form can be useful.
Greece
Who qualifies: If a parent was a Greek citizen at your birth, you normally have the right to Greek citizenship.
How to apply: Register with the Municipal Records of the Hellenic Republic; U.S. residents can start via a Greek consulate.
Documents/fees: Your birth certificate, authenticated and translated documents for your Greek parent (e.g., marriage certificate) and other civil records as requested.
Hungary
Who qualifies: If a parent or grandparent was a Hungarian citizen at the relevant time, you may claim citizenship; language ability is usually not required for descent claims.
How to apply: Request government verification of Hungarian citizenship through a consulate (verification is free).
Documents/fees: Application form, your birth certificate and parents’ civil records; consulate guidance will list specifics.
Romania
Who qualifies: You can claim citizenship if a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was Romanian. Some routes require basic knowledge of Romanian.
How to apply: Apply to the National Citizenship Authority in Bucharest or at a Romanian consulate.
Documents/fees: Birth, marriage and death certificates proving lineage, authenticated translations; small administrative fee (e.g., €18.10 was cited).
Poland
Who qualifies: If a parent is Polish, or if a grandparent or great-grandparent was born in Poland and retained Polish citizenship after historical cutoffs (notably post-1920), you may be eligible.
How to apply: Apply to confirm or claim Polish citizenship at the Polish consulate that serves your area, in person or by mail depending on local practice.
Documents/fees: Proof of the ancestor’s Polish citizenship or status (birth records, passport, residency), your identity documents, and legalized translations as required.
Bulgaria
Who qualifies: If a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was Bulgarian, you may be eligible to apply by descent.
How to apply: Submit an application through a Bulgarian consulate or to Bulgaria’s Ministry of Justice following their instructions.
Documents/fees: Documents proving the ancestor’s Bulgarian citizenship, your birth certificate, police records and other civil documents; consulate will list fees and processing details.
Czech Republic
Who qualifies: Descendants of Czech citizens may apply; rules and historical cutoffs can affect eligibility.
How to apply: If living abroad, begin with a preliminary assessment at a Czech consulate to gather birthplaces/dates and ancestors’ citizenship histories.
Notes: The Czech passport’s visa-free reach is less extensive than some other EU passports.
Slovakia
Who qualifies: Descendants of citizens of former Czechoslovakia (typically born between 1918 and 1989) may be eligible under specific conditions tied to historic citizenship registrations.
How to apply: Complete citizenship and questionnaire forms, provide documents proving relation and ancestor citizenship, and submit in person at a consulate when required.
Malta
Who qualifies: If you were born abroad but have Maltese parents or grandparents born to a Maltese parent in an unbroken line of descent, you may qualify.
How to apply: Apply for acquisition of citizenship through Malta’s civil registry services or a Maltese consulate.
Documents/fees: Parent/grandparent birth certificates and documentary evidence of continuous lineage; expect administrative fees (from about €200 and up).
General tips
– Documentation is essential: birth, marriage, death and naturalization records that demonstrate an unbroken line of descent are usually required. Many countries insist on apostilles/legalizations and certified translations.
– Rules vary: Eligibility cutoffs (parent vs. grandparent vs. great-grandparent), language tests, loss-of-citizenship clauses and historic date limits differ by country. Confirm current criteria on the relevant consulate or government website before you apply.
– Naturalization of an ancestor matters: You’ll often need proof showing whether an ancestor acquired another citizenship and when, since that can break or preserve a transmission line.
– Fees and processing times differ widely: Some procedures are free or low-cost; others carry significant consular or legal fees and long waits.
– Submission method differs by country and consulate: Some permit online or mail submissions, others require in-person appointments and local appointment waits can be long.
– Consider professional help: Local attorneys, genealogists or firms that specialize in citizenship-by-descent can save time and reduce errors, especially where records are hard to obtain or must be translated and legalized.
If you believe you have eligible ancestors, start by checking the official consulate or civil registry website for the country in question to confirm up-to-date eligibility rules, required documents, fees and how to submit an application.