Citizenship by descent programs in Europe
Benefits of European citizenship
As a European citizen, you will gain visa-free access not only to the European Union and the Schengen zone, while you can expect simplified visa application to many other countries around the world. You will also gain access to European education and healthcare, and find a second home in a safe environment with high living standards. As a result, if you are eligible for European citizenship by descent, it makes sense to take advantage of it.
Types of naturalization in Europe
If you live long enough somewhere, after some time you will usually become eligible for local citizenship. In European countries this typically takes 5-10 years of residency, although the waiting time may be reduced if you get married and have children with a local citizen.
At the same time, in most European countries, citizenship is based not on the place of birth, but on the citizenship of the parents. As a result, if your parents were citizens of a European country, there is a high chance you are eligible for citizenship in the same country. Some countries apply the same principle to grandparents, great-grandparents, or even further ancestors. As a result, you might be eligible for European citizenship if you have at least one European ancestor over the last 100-150 years.
Citizenship by descent varies by country
Each country offers different conditions for citizenship by descent. When you are looking into your options, consider the following aspects:
- Relevant ancestry: how long are you allowed to trace back your family tree. In some countries, you can base your citizenship only on parents; in others, you are allowed to consider grandparents, great-grandparents, or even further ancestors.
- Dual citizenship: most European countries allow dual citizenship, but if your target country is not among these, you will be required to renounce your original citizenship, and you should consider whether this would serve your interests.
- Language requirement: can vary from none to conversational level, or you might even need to pass an exam.
- Typical processing time: varies from a few months to 2-3 years based on the country, but there might be variations within each country too.
For example, in Hungary:
- There is no restriction on ancestry: as long as you can prove your ancestry with a trail of vital records (birth and marriage certificates), you can base your citizenship application on parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, or even further ancestors.
- Dual citizenship is allowed, so you only need to check your original citizenship.
- The language requirement depends on which of the two procedures is available to you: citizenship verification is possible without speaking Hungarian, while simplified naturalization requires a conversational level. There is no exam.
- Typical processing time is 12-14 months.
Comparing European citizenship by descent programs
From the table below, you can get a quick overview of European citizenship by descent for countries where you can base your citizenship not only on your parents, but also on other ancestors.
| Country | Relevant ancestry | Dual citizenship | Processing time | Language requirement |
| Hungary | no restrictions | permitted | 12-14 months | it depends |
| Croatia | no restrictions | permitted | 18-30 months | yes |
| Portugal | grandparent / back to 15th c. for Sephardic Jews | permitted | 24 months | yes |
| Spain | grandparent / back to 15th c. for Sephardic Jews | permitted only for some countries | 24 months | yes |
| Italy | back to 1861 | permitted | 2-3 years | no |
| Latvia | back to 1881 | permitted | 4-12 months | yes |
| Luxembourg | back to 1900 | permitted | 4-8 months | no |
| Czechia | back to 1918 | permitted | 18-24 months | no |
| Slovakia | back to 1918 | permitted | 2 years (you can get permanent residency in the meantime) | no |
| Poland | back to 1920 | problematic | 1-3 years or longer | no |
| Lithuania | back to 1940 | with some restrictions | ca. 1 year | no |
| Slovenia | up to 4th degree | only for EEA citizens | 12-18 months | yes |
| Bulgaria | great-grandparent | with some restrictions | 9 months | no |
| Ireland | grandparent | permitted | 9 months | no |
| Greece | grandparent | permitted | at least 2 years | yes |
| Malta | grandparent | permitted | 5 months – 2 years | no |
| Romania | grandparent | permitted | varies greatly | yes |
Additionally, you can become a European citizen in the following countries if at least one of your parents is/was a citizen:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Cyprus
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Iceland
- Liechtenstein
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Sweden
- Switzerland
Hungarian citizenship with expert help
Helpers Hungary offers assistance with Hungarian citizenship applications. Our dedicated team is specialized in citizenship by descent cases, and we would be happy to help you explore the shortest way to becoming a Hungarian citizen.
You can start your journey by filling in a free online survey that takes just a few minutes, and will give you a general idea of your eligibility. Then you can decide whether you want to book a consultation with one of our experts to review your options and map a course. If it turns out you need help obtaining the vital records of your ancestors or learning Hungarian, you can count on us in these aspects as well.
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