Who qualifies for Liechtenstein citizenship by descent
You're a Liechtenstein citizen if a parent was a citizen at your birth (through your mother only for births after the 1996 reform; earlier, facilitated acquisition applies). Children of unmarried Liechtenstein fathers acquire it through a facilitated procedure once paternity is established. Citizens by birth may hold another citizenship; naturalised citizens must give theirs up. There's no grandparent route.
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Registering a child of Liechtenstein parents
Children of Liechtenstein citizens acquire Liechtenstein citizenship, but a birth abroad still has to be registered with the Civil Registry Office in Vaduz. Send or bring the original birth certificate and, if the parents live abroad, original residence confirmations for both parents that are no more than six months old. The office states a processing time of about five to ten working days.
Sources: Liechtenstein — registration of children of Liechtenstein parents
Mothers before 1996, unmarried fathers
Until the 1996 reform, Liechtenstein mothers married to foreigners couldn't pass on citizenship. Children born before then can acquire it through a facilitated procedure; the Constitutional Court in 1997 struck down conditions that treated them less favourably than children of Liechtenstein fathers. Children of unmarried Liechtenstein fathers likewise acquire citizenship through a facilitated route once paternity is established. Contact the Civil Registry Office for the current conditions.
Why naturalisation isn't a realistic alternative
Ordinary naturalisation requires ten years' residence and a vote by the citizens of a municipality, which applicants rarely win. The facilitated route avoids the vote but requires 30 years' residence (years before age 20 count double). Either way, you must give up your previous citizenship: in August 2020 voters rejected a law that would have let EEA and Swiss nationals keep theirs.
Sources: GLOBALCIT — Liechtenstein rejects dual citizenship in a 2020 referendum
Step by step
1. Get your Liechtenstein parent's proof of citizenship. 2. Send or bring your original birth certificate — and, if your parents live abroad, their original residence confirmations (no older than six months) — to the Civil Registry Office in Vaduz. 3. Expect registration in about five to ten working days. 4. Apply for a Liechtenstein passport. If your claim runs through a mother before 1996 or an unmarried father, ask the office about the facilitated procedure first.
Worked examples
Lena was born in Austria in 2010 to a Liechtenstein mother. She's a Liechtenstein citizen; her parents register the birth with the Civil Registry Office in Vaduz with her birth certificate and their residence confirmations.
Markus was born in Switzerland in 1985 to a Liechtenstein mother and a Swiss father. Because he was born before the 1996 reform, he didn't become a citizen automatically, but he can use the facilitated procedure.
Sophie's grandfather was from Liechtenstein, but her father never held Liechtenstein citizenship. She has no claim by descent.
Liechtenstein requirements at a glance
- A Liechtenstein parent at your birth — no grandparent route
- Liechtenstein mother and born before the 1996 reform: facilitated acquisition, not automatic
- Unmarried Liechtenstein father: facilitated acquisition once paternity is established
- Registration with the Civil Registry Office (Zivilstandsamt) in Vaduz
Documents for a Liechtenstein claim
- 1Your original birth certificate
- 2If your parents live abroad: original residence confirmations for your parents, not older than six months
- 3Your Liechtenstein parent's proof of citizenship
- 4For facilitated cases: proof of paternity or your mother's citizenship at your birth
Liechtenstein processing times
Registration of a child of Liechtenstein parents takes about 5–10 working days once the Civil Registry Office has the documents (llv.li). Facilitated procedures take longer.
Where Liechtenstein claims go wrong
- Children of Liechtenstein mothers born before 1996 assuming they're already citizens
- Expecting to keep another citizenship after naturalising — voters rejected that in 2020
- Old guides saying naturalisation takes 30 years: the ordinary route is 10 years plus a municipal vote; 30 years is the route without a vote
Official Liechtenstein government sources
Liechtenstein citizenship FAQ
Q1My mother is from Liechtenstein. Am I a citizen?
If you were born after the 1996 reform, yes — register with the Civil Registry Office. If you were born earlier, you can acquire citizenship through a facilitated procedure.
Q2Can I keep my other citizenship?
As a citizen by birth, yes. Naturalised citizens must give up their previous citizenship.
Q3How long does registration take?
About 5–10 working days once the documents are in.
Q4Does a Liechtenstein passport give EU rights?
Liechtenstein is in the European Economic Area, so its citizens have EEA free-movement rights, but it isn't an EU member.
Q5Do I have to live in Liechtenstein?
Not to be registered as the child of a Liechtenstein parent.
Liechtenstein nationality law
Liechtenstein Citizenship Act (Bürgerrechtsgesetz, BüG), as amended — including the 1996 reform giving mothers equal transmission. A 2020 amendment allowing EEA and Swiss nationals to keep their citizenship on naturalisation was rejected in a referendum on 30 August 2020.
Dual citizenship in Liechtenstein
Citizens by birth may hold another citizenship. People who naturalise must give up their previous citizenship.
Liechtenstein application costs
Registration fees are set by the Civil Registry Office; translations and apostilles of foreign documents are extra.