Do You Have a Relative Born in Europe? You May Qualify for an EU Passport

Descendants of European citizens may qualify for European Union passports through citizenship by descent laws, known as jus sanguinis. According to reporting from BioBioChile and European government guidelines, this process allows individuals with eligible ancestors to obtain citizenship, granting the legal right to live, work, and study across the European Union without a visa.

The eligibility for these passports depends on the specific laws of the ancestral country. While some nations have strict limits on how many generations back a claimant can go, others allow citizenship for any descendant who can prove an unbroken line to a citizen of that state.

How does the citizenship by descent process work?

The process requires applicants to provide a documented paper trail linking them to a European ancestor. This typically involves gathering birth, marriage, and death certificates for every person in the lineage between the applicant and the original citizen.

Government agencies in Europe verify these documents to ensure the ancestor did not renounce their citizenship before the descendant was born. If the ancestor maintained their citizenship, the right is often passed down to the children and grandchildren, depending on the national law.

Applicants usually submit these files to a consulate or embassy in their home country or directly to the citizenship office in the European capital. Processing times vary by country, often taking several months to several years for full verification.

What are the requirements for German and Croatian passports?

Germany has recently updated its citizenship laws to expand access for descendants. According to German federal guidelines, individuals who were previously denied citizenship due to discriminatory laws—such as those based on gender or political persecution—may now be eligible to reclaim it through a declaration process.

The German process focuses heavily on the legal status of the ancestor at the time of the descendant’s birth. If the ancestor lost their citizenship under the Nazi regime, the descendants may qualify for naturalization under specific restitution laws.

Croatia also offers citizenship by descent, though it often requires a more direct link to a Croatian citizen. According to Croatian law, applicants must prove their Croatian origin and may be required to demonstrate a connection to the country, such as basic language skills or a commitment to the Croatian community.

Why does a European passport change employment and education options?

Holding a European passport removes the need for work visas in any of the 27 EU member states. This allows citizens to move freely between countries to seek employment in sectors where there are labor shortages, such as healthcare, engineering, and technology.

Education costs are also significantly reduced. EU citizens typically pay domestic tuition rates at public universities in Europe, which are substantially lower than the fees charged to international students from non-EU countries.

Beyond work and school, the passport grants the right to reside permanently in any EU country, provided the individual is employed or has sufficient means to support themselves.

How do these laws compare across different European nations?

Citizenship paths vary significantly by nation. Italy is widely considered to have one of the most flexible jus sanguinis laws, often allowing citizenship regardless of the number of generations, provided the ancestor never formally renounced Italian citizenship.

In contrast, Spain has historically been more restrictive. However, the Spanish government implemented the Law of Democratic Memory, which created a temporary window for descendants of those who fled Spain during the Civil War and Francoist dictatorship to apply for citizenship.

While Italy’s path is a permanent legal right, Spain’s recent expansion was a time-limited administrative window, highlighting a contrast between permanent lineage rights and temporary political reparations.

What documentation is required for the application?

Most European consulates require a standardized set of documents to prove lineage. These typically include:

These documents must usually be apostilled—a form of international certification—and translated into the official language of the country issuing the passport by a certified translator.