Do you qualify forEuropeancitizenshipby descent?
Answer a few guided questions about your ancestry and discover if you're entitled to a second passport through your European heritage.
How it works
Three steps to discover your heritage
Choose a country
Select which European country you want to explore and which ancestor you are claiming through.
Answer questions
We show only the questions relevant to your situation — no irrelevant forms, no personal data collected.
Get your result
See whether you likely qualify and what documents you will need to start the process.
About this tool
Heritage Passport Finder
A free, educational tool helping people with European ancestry understand whether they may qualify for citizenship by descent. Many European countries allow descendants of former citizens to reclaim nationality — but the rules vary widely and the process can be confusing.
Not a government site. No personal data collected. Your answers stay in your browser. Always consult an immigration attorney for your specific situation.
Free tool
Eligibility Checker
Select a country and answer a few questions. Takes under 2 minutes.
Your answers are never stored or transmitted. Everything stays in your browser.
47 countries covered
Country Guides
In-depth eligibility guides and official resources for each country.
Italy
Jure sanguinis — no generational limit
Ireland
Foreign Births Register — grandparent route
Germany
Art. 116 restoration & declaration remedy
Poland
Citizenship confirmation via voivode
Greece
Dimotologio registration & omogenis path
Spain
Democratic Memory Law — grandchildren of exiles
Portugal
Grandchild route with A2 Portuguese
Lithuania
Citizenship restoration for pre-1940 descendants
Hungary
Simplified naturalization — no generational limit
Estonia
Pre-1940 citizenship restoration route
Latvia
People's Register descendants — June 17, 1940
Czech Republic
Descent & declaration route for expellees
Slovakia
Czechoslovak heritage via Slovak-born ancestor
Luxembourg
Reacquisition route — multiple citizenship allowed
France
Jure sanguinis — no generational limit, dual citizenship allowed
Romania
EU passport via descent or Communist-era repatriation route
Croatia
All descendants of Croatian emigrants — EU & Schengen passport
Bulgaria
EU passport — descent or ethnic Bulgarian pathway
Sweden
Auto-transmission to children of Swedish parents, dual allowed
Denmark
EU passport by descent — dual allowed since 2015
Finland
Auto-transmission to children of Finnish parents, dual allowed
Netherlands
Dutch citizenship by descent — beware the 10-year loss rule
Belgium
EU passport by descent — file conservation declaration by age 28
Slovenia
4-generation diaspora route — EU & Schengen passport
Austria
Standard descent or §58c pathway for Nazi persecution descendants
Cyprus
EU & Commonwealth passport via Cypriot parentage
Malta
EU, Schengen & Commonwealth passport via Maltese heritage
United Kingdom
British citizenship by descent — one-generation abroad cutoff
Ukraine
Dual citizenship legal since June 2025 — descent route available
Norway
Dual citizenship permitted since 2020 — reclaim lost citizenship by declaration
Switzerland
Swiss citizenship by descent — act before age 25 to retain
Iceland
Nordic Schengen passport — act before age 22 to retain
Serbia
EU candidate — citizenship by descent, dual permitted
Montenegro
EU candidate — descent route requires renouncing existing citizenship
Albania
EU candidate — descent plus grandparent reduced naturalization route
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Restrictive rules — no dual citizenship, statelessness condition
North Macedonia
EU & NATO candidate — descent route, dual citizenship allowed
Kosovo
Partially recognized state — Schengen visa-free since 2024
Moldova
EU candidate — dual citizenship allowed, ethnic Moldovans may also claim Romanian citizenship
Georgia
EU candidate — descent route through Georgian parent, ethnic Georgian pathway available
Armenia
Diaspora-friendly — open ethnic pathway, Genocide descendants route, dual citizenship allowed
Belarus
Descent route through Belarusian parent — no dual citizenship, renunciation required
San Marino
World's oldest republic — descent route, dual citizenship now permitted
Monaco
One of the rarest citizenships — descent route, absolutely no dual citizenship
Liechtenstein
EEA/Schengen microstate — descent route, dual citizenship permitted for CBD
Andorra
Pyrenean microstate — one-parent descent route, no dual citizenship
Vatican City
No citizenship by descent — functional citizenship for clergy and Vatican workers only
About this tool
What Heritage Passport Finder Helps You Understand
European citizenship by descent is rarely straightforward. Rules vary by country, generation, gender, and the exact dates when ancestors emigrated or naturalized elsewhere.
Heritage Passport Finder helps you understand the general eligibility rules for 47 European countries, the types of documents you would likely need, and the questions worth researching before contacting a consulate or attorney.
This site does not provide legal advice and does not guarantee any particular outcome. Use it as a starting point for your own research.
47
European countries covered
Free
No fees, no signup, no data collection
<2 min
Average time to get your result
100%
Private — runs entirely in your browser
Before you begin
Important Questions
Where was your ancestor born?
The country of birth determines which national laws apply. Borders changed significantly in the 20th century — a village in modern-day Poland may have been in Germany, Russia, or Austria-Hungary when your ancestor was born.
Did your ancestor naturalize in another country?
The exact date of naturalization is often decisive. Naturalizing before a child was born often breaks the citizenship line in many countries.
What generation are you?
Some countries (such as Italy and Ireland) allow claims through grandparents or beyond. Others (such as Germany for most purposes) end at children born to German parents who emigrated.
Were any ancestors born before 1948?
Italy's 1948 rule affects claims transmitted through women before that year. Some other countries have similar gender-based restrictions.
Do you have the necessary documents?
You will typically need birth, marriage, and death certificates for each generation in the chain, often with apostilles and certified translations.
Is dual citizenship allowed?
Some countries permit dual citizenship by descent; others require renouncing existing nationality. Check carefully before applying.
Deep dives
Research Guides
In-depth articles on the key steps and decisions in a citizenship by descent application.
How to Build a Citizenship Document Chain
Understanding which documents link each generation and what breaks the chain.
Read guide →How to Prove an Ancestor Never Naturalized
USCIS, NARA, court records, and census data for naturalization research.
Read guide →Church Records for Citizenship by Descent
Baptism, marriage, and burial records when civil registration is unavailable.
Read guide →Apostille vs Certified Translation
Clear explanation of two different document requirements and why both matter.
Read guide →My Hungarian Citizenship Story
A personal account of researching and applying for Hungarian citizenship by descent.
Read guide →Step by step
Genealogy Research Guide
How to use Ancestry.com and other resources to build your document chain.
Create an Ancestry account
Sign up at Ancestry.com and start a family tree with everything you already know about names, birthplaces, and dates for parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents.
Search vital records
Use Ancestry databases to find birth, marriage, and death certificates. These are essential for proving your lineage and eligibility for citizenship by descent.
Explore immigration records
Look for ship manifests, immigration documents, and naturalization records. These establish when ancestors moved and their citizenship status at the time.
Review census data
Census records provide clues about family relationships, places of birth, and citizenship changes over time, often filling in gaps where vital records are missing.
Collaborate and verify
Connect with distant relatives who may have already done research. Always cross-reference against official government sources before relying on any record.
Organize your chain
Save certified copies and organize documents by generation and type (birth, marriage, naturalization) to build a clear, provable chain from ancestor to you.
Translate and apostille
Most countries require certified translations and apostilles on foreign documents. Plan for this cost and time when preparing your application.
Assess and apply
Once you have a complete chain, consult the consulate for application instructions. Consider a citizenship attorney for complex cases or large families.
Pro tips
Research Tips
Start with what you know
Gather full names, birthplaces, and dates for parents and grandparents. Old letters, photos, and family records can fill in gaps.
Collect civil records first
Find birth, marriage, and death certificates in your home country, then search national or church archives for ancestors born abroad.
Trace immigration
Search passenger lists, Ellis Island manifests, and census data to see when and where your ancestors moved.
Find naturalization dates
The exact date an ancestor naturalized abroad can make or break your eligibility claim. Check national archives and local court records.
Confirm citizenship retention
Determine if European ancestors lost citizenship through foreign service, marriage, or renunciation — this affects the chain.
Organize your lineage chain
Each link from your ancestor to you must be evidenced with a civil document. Do not assume — prove it.
Translate and legalize
Budget for certified translations and apostilles. Most countries require these before accepting foreign documents.
Free eligibility check
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