Citizenship by descent · 12 countries tracked
Find out if your family tree gives you a second passport
Step-by-step guides for Americans with roots in Europe and Canada: who qualifies, which records you need, how consulates handle it, and what changed recently. Every rule links to the official source.
Example line of descent
- Gen. 1Great-grandmotherBorn Cosenza, IT · 1891
- Gen. 2GrandfatherBorn Boston, US · 1922
- Gen. 3MotherBorn Chicago, US · 1956
- Gen. 4YouBorn Denver, US · 1988
Start with your ancestor's country
Canada
- Route
- Proof of citizenship (citizenship certificate) after Bill C-3
- How far back
- Grandparent, great-grandparent and beyond, for people born before December 15, 2025
Germany
- Route
- Citizenship by birth, §5 StAG declaration, and restoration (Art. 116(2) GG / §15 StAG)
- How far back
- Depends on the route. The restoration routes cover all descendants.
Ireland
- Route
- Foreign Births Register (FBR)
- How far back
- Grandparent born in Ireland (parent born in Ireland means you are already a citizen)
Italy
- Route
- Jure sanguinis recognition
- How far back
- Parent or grandparent (for applications filed after March 27, 2025)
Poland
- Route
- Confirmation of Polish citizenship
- How far back
- No fixed limit. The ancestor must have held Polish citizenship after the modern state was founded (1920 law).
More countries
Austria
- Route
- §58c declaration for persecuted persons and their direct descendants
- How far back
- All direct descendants (children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and beyond)
Greece
- Route
- Municipal registry recognition or Article 10 naturalization (Greek origin abroad)
- How far back
- Usually parent or grandparent; further back if every link is documented
Hungary
- Route
- Simplified naturalization (or verification, if you are already Hungarian)
- How far back
- No fixed limit, if the ancestor was a Hungarian citizen and the line is documented
Lithuania
- Route
- Reinstatement of Lithuanian citizenship
- How far back
- Children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania before June 15, 1940
Slovakia
- Route
- Citizenship for descendants of Czechoslovak citizens
- How far back
- Parent, grandparent or great-grandparent
Portugal
- Route
- Nationality by attribution for grandchildren
- How far back
- Grandchildren, who must show an effective connection to Portugal. Great-grandchildren only after legal residence.
Spain
- Route
- Democratic Memory Law option ("Grandchildren's Law") — closed
- How far back
- The window for grandchildren closed on October 22, 2025
Free tools for your file
Official form links, checklists, request letters and trackers. No sign-up; nothing leaves your browser.
- FORMS
Official forms directory
The exact page or file where each government form downloads or opens, with fees, signing rules and mailing addresses.
- LIST
Document checklist by country
Every certificate Italy, Ireland, Germany, Poland or Canada asks for, person by person. Tick items off; your progress stays in this browser.
- TREE
Lineage worksheet
Map your line from the emigrant ancestor to you, with the dates that decide eligibility, and get flagged on the usual chain breakers.
- LETTER
Record request letters
Fill in a few details and get a ready-to-send request in Italian for a comune, in Polish for a civil registry or archive, or in English for Ireland’s GRO.
- G-1041
USCIS G-1041 / G-1041A helper
Find out which USCIS file series covers your immigrant ancestor, which form to file first, and what to type in each box.
- TRACK
Apostille and translation tracker
Follow each document from ordered to apostilled, translated and filed, with dates and costs. Export it as a spreadsheet.