Check Your Ancestral Citizenship Eligibility
Discover whether your family heritage could entitle you to European citizenship. Answer a few guided questions—no account needed.
Start Eligibility Check
About Heritage Passport Finder
Heritage Passport Finder is a free, educational tool designed to help people with European ancestry understand if they may qualify for citizenship by descent. Many countries allow descendants of former citizens to reclaim nationality based on family lineage — but the rules vary widely, and the process can be confusing.
Our platform simplifies the first step by offering an interactive questionnaire built on verified legal pathways for countries such as Italy, Ireland, Germany, Hungary, and more. It is not a government site and does not collect personal data — your answers stay on your device until you choose to restart or clear them.
The goal is to make citizenship research accessible and transparent for everyone — whether you’re reconnecting with your heritage, exploring family migration history, or considering a future in Europe.
Eligibility Checker
Choose a country and your link to an ancestor. We’ll show only the questions you need.
We’ll never submit an application—this just estimates eligibility based on your answers.
Resources
Italy
Official Consulate Directory & 1948 Rule Info
Visit Official Site
Ireland
Department of Foreign Affairs — Citizenship by Descent
Visit Official Site
Germany
Federal Office — Citizenship by Descent & Declaration
Visit Official Site
Poland
Polish Citizenship Confirmation & Consulate Info
Visit Official Site
Greece
Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Citizenship
Visit Official Site
Spain
Spanish Ministry — Citizenship by Descent & DML
Visit Official Site
Portugal
Portuguese Nationality Portal — Descent & Grandchild Route
Visit Official Site
Lithuania
Lithuanian Migration Dept. — Citizenship Restoration
Visit Official Site
Hungary
Hungarian Consular Service — Simplified Naturalization
Visit Official Site
How to Research Your Family Citizenship Path
- 1. Start with what you know: Gather full names, birthplaces, and dates for your parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Family records, old letters, or photos can help fill in gaps.
- 2. Collect civil records: Look for birth, marriage, and death certificates in your home country first. Then search national or church archives for those born abroad.
- 3. Trace immigration: Search passenger lists, Ellis Island or ship manifests, and census data to see when ancestors arrived in their new country.
- 4. Find naturalization details: Check national archives or local court records for naturalization certificates — the date they became citizens elsewhere can affect your eligibility.
- 5. Confirm citizenship retention: For European ancestors, determine if they ever lost citizenship through foreign service, marriage, or renunciation.
- 6. Organize your lineage chain: Each link between you and your ancestor must be proven with civil documents — from birth to marriage to your own record.
- 7. Translate and legalize: Most countries require certified translations and apostilles on foreign documents before submission.