Reclaim your heritage

Citizenship by Ancestry

Citizenship by ancestry, also known as citizenship by descent, allows you to claim a foreign nationality through parents, grandparents, or more distant relatives. Eligibility is based on the nationality laws of the country concerned and your ability to establish and prove a qualifying family connection.

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Check your eligibility

Answer a few quick questions to see whether you may qualify for citizenship through your lineage. Choose a programme to begin.

France Start test →

Italy Start test →

Portugal Start test →

Romania Start test →

South Africa Start test →

Spain Start test →

Slovakia Start test →

Poland Start test →

Canada Start test →

Other country Check eligibility →

For those who qualify, citizenship by ancestry can provide a direct route to a second citizenship and passport without making a qualifying investment and, in many cases, without first becoming a resident of the country. Depending on the country, eligibility may extend beyond parents and grandparents to earlier generations, although the rules governing how citizenship passes down a family line vary considerably between individual countries

Citizenship by Ancestry Requirements by Country

Compare who qualifies, the documents required and typical processing times across the programmes handled by Harvey Law Group citizenship by ancestry lawyers.

Country	Qualifying ancestor	Key conditions	Core documents	Processing time	Recent changes
Italy Check eligibility →	Italian grandparent (claims limited to the grandparent line since the March 2025 restriction)	Jure sanguinis; structured, document-based process; consulate appointment required for submission	Complete civil status records for each generation in the direct line proving Italian lineage	Approx. 24 months for complete, compliant applications; varies by caseload of Italian authorities and case complexity	March 2025 reform narrowed eligibility from multi-generational claims to the grandparent line
Portugal Check eligibility →	Portuguese parent or grandparent	Children of Portuguese citizens generally qualify regardless of place of birth; no language test, residence requirement or age limit on the direct parent route; no relocation to Portugal required. Grandchildren of Portuguese citizens should attain A2-level proficiency in Portuguese to demonstrate ties to Portugal.	Civil records establishing the parental or grandparental link; genealogical research in Portugal where ancestral details are missing	Processing times generally range from 24 to 36 months	None noted
Spain Check eligibility →	Spanish parent or grandparent	Those with parents who are Spanish nationals by origin and were born in Spain can apply for Spanish citizenship without residing in Spain. Those with parents who are Spanish nationals by origin and were born outside Spain can apply for Spanish citizenship after one year of legal residence in Spain. Those with grandparents who are Spanish nationals by origin can apply for Spanish citizenship after one year of legal residence in Spain. Some exceptions apply to minor children.	Applicant's birth certificate; birth and marriage certificates of Spanish ancestors; certified translations; apostille on all relevant documents	Processing times generally range from 12 to 24 months	None noted
France Check eligibility →	French parent; the chain cannot skip generations	Line of descent must be continuous from one generation to the next and unbroken. If the French ancestor remained settled abroad for more than half a century, the authorities may request evidence showing that the individual continued to be formally recognised as French after emigrating. Applications can be refused if there is insufficient proof of maintained French status over an extended period.	Official civil records for every generation in the line, including birth and marriage records and records of citizenship maintained by any French ancestor settled abroad. Documents issued by foreign governments in foreign languages may need to be legalised and translated.	Processing times generally range from 6 to 12 months	None noted
Slovakia Check eligibility →	Parent, grandparent or great-grandparent who held Czechoslovak citizenship and was born in the modern-day territory of Slovakia	No Slovak language or culture test; in-person submission at a Slovak embassy or consulate; considerably more accessible than naturalisation	Comprehensive documentation of the ancestral line; proof the ancestor held Czechoslovak citizenship; all foreign documents apostilled and officially translated into Slovak	Applications are typically processed within 24 months	2026 reform came into force on 15 July 2026 and removes the prior Slovak residence-permit requirement
Canada Check eligibility →	Canadian citizen ancestor born in Canada or naturalised in Canada before the birth of the next generation	An unbroken link with the Canadian ancestor is required. If the applicant is born on or after 15 December 2026, the Canadian parent must have 1,095 days (3 years) of physical presence in Canada before the child's birth.	Civil records showing an unbroken link with the Canadian ancestor born in Canada or naturalised in Canada	Applications are typically processed within 19 months	Bill C-3 in force 15 December 2025: first-generation limit lifted, eligibility extended to descendants with an unbroken link to qualifying Canadian ancestors
Germany (restoration) Check eligibility →	An ancestor who held German citizenship and was deprived of it by the National Socialist regime between 30 January 1933 and 8 May 1945 on political, racial or religious grounds; or an ancestor who was persecuted during that period and, as a result, lost or gave up German citizenship, was prevented from acquiring it, was denied naturalisation, or lost habitual residence in Germany under the statutory conditions	The applicant must show a link to an ancestor who held German citizenship and was deprived of it by the National Socialist regime between 30 January 1933 and 8 May 1945 on political, racial or religious grounds, or an ancestor who was persecuted during that period and, as a result, lost or gave up German citizenship, was prevented from acquiring it, was denied naturalisation, or lost habitual residence in Germany under the statutory conditions.	Historical documentation relating to the persecuted ancestor, civil status documents for each generation linking the ancestor to the applicant, and evidence of persecution or forced emigration	Applications are typically processed within 1.5 to 2 years	Pathway created by Germany's 2021 citizenship-law reforms for descendants of persecuted persons
Poland Check eligibility →	An ancestor who held Polish citizenship, was born in Poland and had lived in Poland after January 1920	Applicants need to have a direct ancestor who held Polish citizenship, was born in Poland and had lived in Poland after January 1920. There should also be an unbroken chain of citizenship, meaning no ancestor in the direct line formally renounced or lost Polish citizenship before the next generation was born.	Official civil documents establishing both the lineage and the ancestor's Polish citizenship	Applications are typically processed within 1.5 to 2 years	None noted

Documents that are not issued by a government authority may not be accepted as legal proof of descent. Requirements and timelines are set by each government, and it is recommended that prospective applicants confirm their eligibility through a review with Harvey Law Group.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is citizenship by ancestry?

Citizenship by ancestry, also called citizenship by descent or jus sanguinis (Latin for “right of blood”), is the legal process of acquiring nationality through your bloodline rather than through birth on a country's soil, marriage, residence, or investment. Many countries recognize that nationality passes from parent to child across generations, which means a person born and raised abroad may still be entitled to citizenship through a parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent.

In some cases, you may be considered to have held this citizenship from birth and the citizenship by descent application does not grant you a new status so much as it confirms and registers a status you already carry in law. Once a government recognizes the claim and issues your documents, you gain the same rights as any other citizen, including the right to live, work, study, and travel on that country's passport.

Eligibility depends entirely on the country and its nationality law. Some nations allow claims to extend several generations back, while others limit transmission to one generation or impose cut-off dates, registration deadlines, or language and residence conditions. Because the rules are technical and frequently amended, confirming eligibility early is the most important step in the process.

How citizenship by ancestry differs from other routes

Citizenship by ancestry is distinct from the following paths to a second nationality.

Naturalization

Depending on the destination country, naturalization may require you to live in a country for a set period before you can apply. Ancestry has no residence requirement in most cases because the claim already exists through your family.

Citizenship by marriage

Marrying a citizen does not usually grant automatic citizenship. In many jurisdictions, spouses first receive a residence permit and may only apply for citizenship after completing a required period of residence. Ancestry‑based citizenship, however, relies solely on proving your lineage.

Citizenship by investment

This route grants nationality in exchange for a qualifying investment. Ancestry has no financial investment requirement, which generally makes it the most cost-effective route for those who qualify. The trade-off is documentation.

An ancestry claim ultimately hinges on the strength of your documentation. You must be able to produce civil records, such as birth and marriage certificates, archival documents, and other evidence, that verify each generational link and account for any discrepancies in your ancestors’ names. This is where most applicants need professional help.

How do you get citizenship by descent?

Every country sets its own procedure, but an ancestry claim always moves through three broad stages. Many programs are not as simple as they sound, which is why most applicants work with a law firm rather than attempt to go through the process on their own.

Step1: Confirm eligibility

First, you have to establish which ancestor you are claiming through and prove the line of nationality was never broken. A single gap, such as an ancestor who naturalized elsewhere or lost their citizenship before the next child was born, can quietly end a claim that looked straightforward on the surface. Dual-citizenship rules add another layer, since a few countries still require you to give up your current nationality. Getting this judgment wrong wastes months, so it is the stage where early legal review matters most.

Step 2: Build the evidence

A claim is only as strong as the records behind it. The documents that prove each generation often sit in foreign civil registries, parish archives, or naturalization files that were never digitized, and each one may need certified translation and an apostille before a government will accept it. Locating, reconciling, and legalizing this paper trail is the longest and most demanding part of the process, and the most common point at which self-managed applications stall.

Step 3: File the application

The completed file goes to the relevant authority, whether a consulate, a central nationality department, or a local registry, each with its own format, sequence, and backlog. Processing times vary widely, and an application that is incomplete or filed in the wrong order is often sent back rather than corrected, adding months to the wait. This is the work Harvey Law Group manages for you end to end, so that a missed detail does not cost you the claim.

What documents do you need for citizenship by descent?

An ancestry claim is won or lost on paper. Depending on the country and how many generations your claim spans, you may need to assemble civil records for yourself and for every ancestor in the line: birth, marriage, and death certificates, proof of the ancestor's original nationality, and, in some cases, evidence that citizenship was never renounced or lost along the way. Foreign documents typically have to be officially translated and legalized before any authority will look at them.

Why historical records are so hard to obtain

The real challenge lies in the procurement of historical records. Documents from decades or generations ago are often incomplete, contradictory, stored in remote archives, or recorded under names and spellings that no longer match. Reconciling those gaps into a chain a government will accept is skilled work, and it is the single most common reason claims stall. Our team provides access to expert genealogists who can locate and retrieve historical documents in more than 100 countries, the most complex part of the process and ensuring your claim is supported by a clear, verifiable evidentiary record.

Information on this page is reviewed by Polly Ho, Special Counsel, Harvey Law Group.