Citizenship by Descent Requirements by Country
Compare citizenship by descent eligibility rules across 14 European countries. Find key facts — generation limits, dual citizenship policies, typical costs, processing times, and the governing law — all in one place.
| Country | Generation Limit | Dual Citizenship | Cost Range | Timeline | Primary Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | Unlimited (unbroken chain) | Yes Fully permits multiple citizenship since 1992 | €300–€2,000+ | 1–4 yrs (consular); 3–6 mo (in-Italy residency) | Law 91/1992 (jure sanguinis) |
| Ireland | Parent (automatic) or grandparent (FBR registration) | Yes No restrictions on holding other nationality | €400–€700 | 12–18 months (FBR application) | Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 |
| Germany | Parent (standard); unlimited for Article 116(2) Nazi-era restoration | Yes Permitted since June 2024 StAG reform | €300–€1,200 | 12–24 months | Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz (StAG); GG Art. 116(2) |
| Poland | Unlimited (while chain unbroken) | Yes Tolerated in practice; not formally recognised | €300–€900 | 6–24 months | Act on Polish Citizenship 2009 |
| Hungary | Unlimited (simplified naturalization) | Yes No restrictions on dual or multiple citizenship | €300–€700 | 3–6 months after application | Act LV of 1993 (with 2010 amendment) |
| Spain | Grandchild (Democratic Memory Law); child (jus sanguinis) | Limited Permitted for EU/Ibero-American treaty countries; restrictions for others | €300–€1,500 | 6–12 months | Código Civil Arts. 17–28; Law 20/2022 (DML) |
| Portugal | Grandchild (with Portuguese language A2 + community ties) | Yes Fully permits multiple nationality | €500–€1,500 | 12–18 months | Lei da Nacionalidade 37/81 (as amended 2018, 2023) |
| Greece | Parent (automatic); grandparent+ via omogenis naturalization | Yes No restrictions on dual or multiple citizenship | €300–€700 | 6–24 months | Greek Citizenship Code — Law 3284/2004 |
| Czech Republic | Parent (automatic); grandchild (declaration for involuntary loss) | Yes Fully permitted since 1 Jan 2014 | €200–€900 | 3–18 months | Act No. 186/2013 on Czech Citizenship |
| Slovakia | Parent or grandparent with documented ancestry | Limited Permitted by birth, adoption, marriage, or 5+ years foreign residence; otherwise lost upon voluntary foreign naturalisation | €300–€1,000 | 6–12 months | Act No. 40/1993 (as amended by Act No. 250/2010) |
| Luxembourg | Parent/grandparent (direct descent) or unlimited generations (reacquisition route — unbroken patrilineal descent from a Luxembourg-born ancestor who emigrated 1815–1943) | Yes Explicitly permitted since 2008; no renunciation required | €600–€1,400 | 6–24 months | Loi du 8 mars 2017 sur la nationalité luxembourgeoise |
| Lithuania | Descendants of pre-1940 citizens who left before 1990 | Limited Exception for those restoring pre-Soviet citizenship | €300–€800 | 6–12 months | Law on Citizenship No. IX-1078 (as amended) |
| Latvia | Children and grandchildren of 1940 registered citizens | Limited Permitted for diaspora claimants; restrictions with some non-EU countries | €500–€1,000 | 3–6 months | Citizenship Law (Pilsonības likums) 1994 |
| Estonia | Descendants of pre-1940 citizens (unbroken chain, no voluntary Soviet citizenship) | Limited Restoration claimants may retain existing nationality; adults acquiring foreign citizenship generally lose Estonian | €400–€900 | 6–12 months | Citizenship Act (Kodakondsuse seadus) 1995 |
- Generations:
- Unlimited (unbroken chain)
- Dual citizenship:
- YesFully permits multiple citizenship since 1992
- Cost range:
- €300–€2,000+
- Timeline:
- 1–4 yrs (consular); 3–6 mo (in-Italy residency)
- Primary law:
- Law 91/1992 (jure sanguinis)
- Generations:
- Parent (automatic) or grandparent (FBR registration)
- Dual citizenship:
- YesNo restrictions on holding other nationality
- Cost range:
- €400–€700
- Timeline:
- 12–18 months (FBR application)
- Primary law:
- Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956
- Generations:
- Parent (standard); unlimited for Article 116(2) Nazi-era restoration
- Dual citizenship:
- YesPermitted since June 2024 StAG reform
- Cost range:
- €300–€1,200
- Timeline:
- 12–24 months
- Primary law:
- Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz (StAG); GG Art. 116(2)
- Generations:
- Unlimited (while chain unbroken)
- Dual citizenship:
- YesTolerated in practice; not formally recognised
- Cost range:
- €300–€900
- Timeline:
- 6–24 months
- Primary law:
- Act on Polish Citizenship 2009
- Generations:
- Unlimited (simplified naturalization)
- Dual citizenship:
- YesNo restrictions on dual or multiple citizenship
- Cost range:
- €300–€700
- Timeline:
- 3–6 months after application
- Primary law:
- Act LV of 1993 (with 2010 amendment)
- Generations:
- Grandchild (Democratic Memory Law); child (jus sanguinis)
- Dual citizenship:
- LimitedPermitted for EU/Ibero-American treaty countries; restrictions for others
- Cost range:
- €300–€1,500
- Timeline:
- 6–12 months
- Primary law:
- Código Civil Arts. 17–28; Law 20/2022 (DML)
- Generations:
- Grandchild (with Portuguese language A2 + community ties)
- Dual citizenship:
- YesFully permits multiple nationality
- Cost range:
- €500–€1,500
- Timeline:
- 12–18 months
- Primary law:
- Lei da Nacionalidade 37/81 (as amended 2018, 2023)
- Generations:
- Parent (automatic); grandparent+ via omogenis naturalization
- Dual citizenship:
- YesNo restrictions on dual or multiple citizenship
- Cost range:
- €300–€700
- Timeline:
- 6–24 months
- Primary law:
- Greek Citizenship Code — Law 3284/2004
- Generations:
- Parent (automatic); grandchild (declaration for involuntary loss)
- Dual citizenship:
- YesFully permitted since 1 Jan 2014
- Cost range:
- €200–€900
- Timeline:
- 3–18 months
- Primary law:
- Act No. 186/2013 on Czech Citizenship
- Generations:
- Parent or grandparent with documented ancestry
- Dual citizenship:
- LimitedPermitted by birth, adoption, marriage, or 5+ years foreign residence; otherwise lost upon voluntary foreign naturalisation
- Cost range:
- €300–€1,000
- Timeline:
- 6–12 months
- Primary law:
- Act No. 40/1993 (as amended by Act No. 250/2010)
- Generations:
- Parent/grandparent (direct descent) or unlimited generations (reacquisition route — unbroken patrilineal descent from a Luxembourg-born ancestor who emigrated 1815–1943)
- Dual citizenship:
- YesExplicitly permitted since 2008; no renunciation required
- Cost range:
- €600–€1,400
- Timeline:
- 6–24 months
- Primary law:
- Loi du 8 mars 2017 sur la nationalité luxembourgeoise
- Generations:
- Descendants of pre-1940 citizens who left before 1990
- Dual citizenship:
- LimitedException for those restoring pre-Soviet citizenship
- Cost range:
- €300–€800
- Timeline:
- 6–12 months
- Primary law:
- Law on Citizenship No. IX-1078 (as amended)
- Generations:
- Children and grandchildren of 1940 registered citizens
- Dual citizenship:
- LimitedPermitted for diaspora claimants; restrictions with some non-EU countries
- Cost range:
- €500–€1,000
- Timeline:
- 3–6 months
- Primary law:
- Citizenship Law (Pilsonības likums) 1994
- Generations:
- Descendants of pre-1940 citizens (unbroken chain, no voluntary Soviet citizenship)
- Dual citizenship:
- LimitedRestoration claimants may retain existing nationality; adults acquiring foreign citizenship generally lose Estonian
- Cost range:
- €400–€900
- Timeline:
- 6–12 months
- Primary law:
- Citizenship Act (Kodakondsuse seadus) 1995
Not sure which country fits your family history?
Use our free interactive eligibility checker to find out in 2 minutes which European citizenship by descent route fits your ancestry.
Start Free Eligibility CheckCommon Questions About European Citizenship by Descent
Which European country has the most generous citizenship by descent rules?
Italy and Poland both allow unlimited generational claims as long as the direct bloodline chain remains unbroken. Hungary's simplified naturalization has no generation limit either, though it adds a basic language interview. Luxembourg's reacquisition route is similarly unlimited by generation — any descendant, however distant, of a Luxembourg-born male ancestor who emigrated between 1815 and 1943 can apply, as long as the unbroken patrilineal chain is fully documented.
Which countries allow dual citizenship after claiming European ancestry?
Italy, Ireland, Germany (since 2024), Poland, Hungary, Portugal, Greece, Czech Republic, and Luxembourg all fully permit dual or multiple citizenship. Spain permits it for most EU and Latin American nationals but has restrictions for others. Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have "limited" dual citizenship — diaspora restoration claimants are typically exempt from the prohibition, but general rules are stricter. Slovakia is conditional: voluntarily acquiring another nationality causes automatic loss of Slovak citizenship unless the foreign citizenship was gained by birth, adoption, marriage, or after at least five years of registered foreign residence — an important exception added by a 2022 reform.
How much does citizenship by descent typically cost?
Most European citizenship by descent applications cost €300–€1,000 in document-related expenses (apostilles, translations, certified copies) when done independently. Application fees are often low or free. Italy is unique in that attorney-assisted consular-route packages regularly cost $2,000–$8,000 USD, and court-route 1948 cases exceed €10,000 in legal fees. Hungary is one of the cheapest options — the application is free and total costs rarely exceed €700 even with a language tutor.
What is the fastest European citizenship by descent to obtain?
Latvia and Hungary can process applications in as little as 3–6 months once a complete application is submitted. Italy's in-country residency route (applying at a local comune) also completes in 3–6 months, while the consular route can take years. Ireland, Germany, and Italy via consulate are among the slower processes due to backlogs and document volumes.