What is Citizenship by Ancestry?
Citizenship by ancestry or citizenship by descent allows you to become a citizen of a country by proving that you have ancestors who were citizens of that country. Each country has its own requirements for eligibility, and the process involves completing an application form and providing the necessary supporting documents to the relevant immigration authority.
If you’re eligible, you can enjoy benefits such as the ability to live, work, and study in the destination country without a visa, seek consular assistance and protection, obtain a second passport, and apply for social securities, healthcare subsidies, and education benefits. The processing time varies depending on the country.
Eligibility for Citizenship By Ancestry
- Each country has its own requirements for eligibility
- You may be eligible for citizenship through ancestry if you have ancestors who are/were citizens in the destination country
Advantages
- Ability to live, work and study in the destination country without getting a visa
- Ability to seek consular assistance and protection from the destination country’s diplomatic authorities
- Opportunity to obtain a second passport to enhance one’s global mobility
- Opportunity to apply for social securities, healthcare subsidies, and education benefits from the destination country
Process
- Complete the application form and gather the required supporting documents (e.g. proof of lineage)
- Submit application to the relevant immigration authority
- Processing time varies between countries
Which countries allow citizenship through descent and ancestry?
- Africa – Cape Verde, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tunisia
- America – Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, United States of America
- Asia – Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand
- Europe – Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, United Kingdom
- Middle East – Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman
- Oceania – Australia, Fiji, New Zealand
*Note: The above is a non-exhaustive list of countries that offer citizenship by ancestry options (learn more)
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Other Citizenship by ancestry programmes
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Slovakia Citizenship by DESCENT
