Citizenship by descent, or jus sanguinis, lets you claim a nationality you may already hold in law through a parent, grandparent or more distant ancestor. Many countries recognise it, on very different terms. If you qualify, no investment is required - only documents and patience. As of July 2026 several major routes have narrowed, so eligibility now turns on precise dates and generations.
At a glance
- Citizenship by descent recognises a status you may already hold. It is a claim, not a purchase.
- Ireland is among the most generous major routes: one Irish-born grandparent is usually enough.
- Italy restricted its historically unlimited rule to two generations in 2025; Canada removed its first-generation limit in December 2025.
- Spain's Democratic Memory window closed on 22 October 2025 and Portugal's Sephardic route was revoked on 19 May 2026.
- Most people who investigate do not qualify. For them, citizenship by investment or residence by investment is the practical route.
What is citizenship by descent?
Citizenship by descent is the principle that nationality passes through bloodline rather than birthplace. Where it applies you are not being naturalised - you are being recognised as a citizen you have arguably been since birth. That usually means no residence requirement, no language test and no investment.
What it does require is evidence. Almost every refusal turns on documents rather than principle: a missing civil record, an unexplained name variation, or a break in the chain of nationality.
How is citizenship by descent different from an ancestry visa?
Citizenship by descent gives you a passport. An ancestry visa gives you the right to live somewhere and, in time, to apply for citizenship the ordinary way. Confusing the two is the costliest mistake in this area.
The United Kingdom is the clearest example. British citizenship by descent generally extends only one generation, so a UK-born grandparent does not make you British. It may make you eligible for the UK Ancestry visa if you are a Commonwealth citizen - five years, costing £726 as of July 2026, leading to settlement and eventually naturalisation.
Which countries grant citizenship by descent, and how far back?
The table summarises the principal routes as of July 2026. Timelines are indicative, not guaranteed.
| Country |
Generations covered |
Key conditions |
Typical timeline |
| Ireland |
Grandparent |
Irish-born grandparent; join the Foreign Births Register before your children are born to continue the line |
From approximately 12 months |
| Italy |
Parent or grandparent born in Italy |
Cut to two generations by Decree-Law 36/2025 and Law 74/2025; pre-27 March 2025 appointments keep the former rule |
Up to 730 days at consulates |
| Poland |
No fixed limit |
Unbroken chain of Polish citizenship from an ancestor who held it under the 1920 Citizenship Act |
From approximately 12 to 24 months |
| Germany |
Parent; no fixed limit under restoration |
Article 116(2) Basic Law and Section 15 StAG cover those persecuted 1933–45 and their descendants |
From approximately 12 to 24 months |
| Hungary |
No fixed limit if lineage is documented |
Simplified naturalisation; basic conversational Hungarian at interview; no residence requirement |
From approximately 6 to 12 months |
| Greece |
Parent, grandparent and beyond where records survive |
Ancestor's registration in a Greek municipal register must be traced and proved |
From approximately 1 to 3 years |
| Portugal |
Parent and grandparent by declaration |
Great-grandchildren naturalise after five years' residence under Organic Law 1/2026; Sephardic route revoked 19 May 2026 |
From approximately 12 to 24 months |
| Spain |
Parent |
Democratic Memory Law closed 22 October 2025; dual nationality restricted outside certain Ibero-American states, Portugal, Andorra, the Philippines and Equatorial Guinea |
Varies by consulate |
| United Kingdom |
First generation only, in most cases |
British by descent generally cannot pass citizenship to a child born abroad; the grandparent route is a visa |
From approximately 6 months |
| Canada |
Beyond first generation since 15 December 2025 |
Bill C-3 removed the first-generation limit; births abroad from that date need a parent with 1,095 days in Canada |
Varies by application type |
| Lithuania |
No fixed limit |
Restoration for those holding citizenship before 15 June 1940 and descendants who left before 11 March 1990 |
From approximately 6 to 12 months |
| Croatia |
No fixed limit since 1 January 2020 |
Ancestor must have emigrated before 8 October 1991; no language or residence test |
From approximately 1 to 2 years |
| Armenia |
No fixed limit |
Proof of Armenian origin or descent; dual citizenship permitted |
Several months |
| Mexico |
One generation, then re-registration |
The intermediate generation must register before the next can claim |
From approximately 2 to 6 weeks |
Who qualifies through Ireland?
If one of your grandparents was born on the island of Ireland and you were born abroad to a parent who is not an Irish citizen by birth, you can apply for entry on the Foreign Births Register. Registration confers Irish and therefore EU citizenship.
The rule that catches people out is sequencing: your children inherit the claim only if you were entered on the register before they were born. Families who delay a generation frequently lose the line. As of July 2026 the published processing time is around twelve months, with fees of €278 for adults and €153 for children.
What changed in Italy in 2025?
Italy operated the most generous descent rule in Europe for decades, with no generational limit provided the chain was unbroken. That ended with Decree-Law 36 of 28 March 2025, converted into Law 74/2025 on 24 May 2025.
Citizenship now transmits for a maximum of two generations - a parent or grandparent born in Italy. Applicants who booked and confirmed a consular appointment by 23:59 Rome time on 27 March 2025 are still assessed under the former rules. If you had an Italian claim through a great-grandparent and had not filed by that cut-off, you almost certainly no longer do.
What changed in Canada in 2025?
Canada moved in the opposite direction. A first-generation limit had barred children born abroad to Canadians who were themselves born abroad - the so-called lost Canadians. Following constitutional challenge, Bill C-3 received royal assent on 20 November 2025 and came into force on 15 December 2025, removing that limit.
For births abroad on or after 15 December 2025 beyond the first generation, the Canadian parent must show a substantial connection: at least 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada before the child's birth. Anyone previously refused on first-generation grounds should have their file reassessed.
Which descent routes have recently closed?
Two significant windows shut. Spain's Democratic Memory Law, which allowed grandchildren of Spaniards who left during the Civil War and dictatorship to claim nationality, stopped accepting applications on 22 October 2025. Portugal revoked the Sephardic-descent route on 19 May 2026 under Organic Law 1/2026, with earlier applications still processed under the previous rules.
Both closures reflect a broader European tightening - Spain also ended its investor residence route, covered in our note on alternatives after Spain's golden visa closure. If you have a plausible claim, the cost of delay is now real.
Can Germany restore citizenship lost to persecution?
Yes, and this is one of the most under-used routes available. Article 116(2) of the German Basic Law restores citizenship to people deprived of it between 30 January 1933 and 8 May 1945 on political, racial or religious grounds, and to their descendants. Section 15 of the Nationality Act, effective 20 August 2021, widened this to those who lost or were excluded from citizenship by other means.
Restoration is an entitlement, not a discretionary grant. There is no generational cap, no residence requirement and no language test, and Germany has permitted multiple nationality generally since its reform took effect in June 2024.
What if you do not qualify by descent?
Most people who investigate their ancestry find the chain breaks somewhere - a naturalisation that extinguished the original nationality, a birth on the wrong side of a cut-off, or records lost to war. That is the ordinary outcome, not a dead end.
Where no claim exists, the alternatives are structured investment routes. Caribbean programmes such as St Kitts and Nevis deliver citizenship within a defined timeframe, while European options like Portugal offer residence that can mature into citizenship. Our guide to the easiest countries to get citizenship sets out the comparisons, and what a second passport actually gives you is the place to start if the subject is new.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if I qualify for citizenship by descent?
Start with three facts: where each ancestor was born, whether they naturalised elsewhere, and when. Most claims fail because an ancestor acquired another nationality before the next generation was born, breaking the chain. Gather birth, marriage, death and naturalisation records for every link before assuming eligibility, and check the rules that applied on each relevant date.
Can I claim citizenship through a great-grandparent?
Sometimes. Poland, Hungary, Greece, Lithuania, Croatia and Armenia impose no fixed generational limit where lineage is documented. Ireland allows it only if your parent joined the Foreign Births Register before you were born. Italy ended great-grandparent claims in 2025, and Portugal now routes great-grandchildren through naturalisation after five years' residence rather than declaration.
Does claiming a second citizenship by descent affect my current one?
Usually not, but it depends on both countries. Many states permit multiple nationality without restriction, while others require renunciation. Spain, for example, restricts dual nationality outside a defined group of countries. Check your existing nationality's position first - our guide to countries that allow dual citizenship covers the main cases.
How long does citizenship by descent take?
Considerably longer than most people expect. Ireland publishes around twelve months as of July 2026, Italian consular files can run to 730 days, and Polish, Greek and Croatian cases frequently take one to two years or more. Document gathering, apostilles and certified translations often add several months before an application can even be filed.
Is citizenship by descent cheaper than citizenship by investment?
Far cheaper in capital terms - government fees are typically in the hundreds of euros rather than the hundreds of thousands. The trade-off is time and certainty. A descent claim can take years and may ultimately fail on evidence, whereas an investment programme has a defined cost, process and timeline.
Speak to Passport Legacy
If you suspect you already hold a claim, we can assess it properly before you spend years chasing records - and tell you candidly if it does not exist. Where it does not, we will set out the investment routes that fit your objectives. Contact our advisory team or explore our citizenship by investment programmes.
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