These Seven Countries Will Provide You With a Passport Based on Origin
There are several ways to obtain dual citizenship in countries around the world, allowing you to hold two separate passports and enjoy the benefits of citizenship in two different countries. One option is to spend a lot of money on a “golden passport”, and another is to find out where your ancestors are from and whether you qualify for citizenship by descent.
Many countries around the world use the principle of jus sanguinis, or “right of blood”, to grant citizenship , most often based on the citizenship of one or both parents (and sometimes with additional residency requirements). However, there are a few people who are considering connections further down your family line to qualify. If you have grandparents or other ancestors from the following countries, you may also be eligible for citizenship.
Croatia
Croatia offers citizenship by descent to the descendants of everyone who was born in the territory now defined as the Republic of Croatia and emigrated from this territory before October 8, 1991. You may qualify based on your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, or earlier generations. . To qualify, you don’t have to speak the language, live in the country for any length of time, or have the same surname as your ancestors, but the process can take several years.
Croatia is one of many countries whose citizenship has been affected (and complicated) by changing borders, historical conflicts and other consequences of globalization and politics. There are several other countries that similarly grant citizenship by descent to those who have ethnic ties (such as foreigners of Armenian, Lithuanian or Bulgarian descent in their countries and ethnic Finns from the former Soviet Union) or whose ancestors were displaced from their countries. at home (for example, in Spain, described below).
Hungary
If your parents or grandparents had Hungarian citizenship, you can apply for citizenship by descent ( with some specific exceptions ). You do not need to speak Hungarian to be eligible. If your grandparents were from what is now Hungary but lost their citizenship due to treaties signed after World War I or World War II, you may be able to apply for simplified naturalization . For the latter process you need to have “sufficient” knowledge of the Hungarian language.
Ireland
Ireland grants citizenship to anyone whose grandparents were born on the island of Ireland. You will need to register with the Overseas Births Register before you can apply for an Irish passport. There is a list of required documents and a fee of 278 euros for applicants over 18 years of age. According to the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, processing takes approximately nine months.
Italy
Individuals with Italian ancestors are entitled to Italian citizenship , even if that ancestor lived several generations ago. The relevant ancestor must have been born in the territory after the formation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 and cannot have additional citizenship. As of January 1, 2025, an application for Italian citizenship costs US$643.70.
Portugal
If your grandparents were born in Portugal and have or had Portuguese citizenship, you can apply for naturalization by descent . You must have proof of Portuguese language proficiency and provide documents such as the birth certificates of your parents and grandparents. The registration fee is 175 euros.
Spain
Spanish citizenship is granted to the descendants of certain people of Spanish descent under the relatively recent Grandchildren Law. If your grandparent (or parent) was exiled, renounced or lost their Spanish citizenship, or failed to become a citizen, you may be eligible for a Spanish passport. However, you must renounce your original citizenship unless you come from certain countries in Latin America, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal, or are a Sephardic Jew of Spanish descent.
United Kingdom
The UK Origins visa does not grant full citizenship outright, but allows you to live, work and/or study in the UK for up to five years (and take your partner and/or minor child with you). You will then be able to extend your stay for a further five years or apply for ‘indefinite leave to remain’, which could lead to eligibility for citizenship after 12 months.
To be eligible, you must be a citizen of a Commonwealth country or Zimbabwe, or be an overseas citizen or British subject. You must also prove that one of your grandparents was born in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man. An origin visa costs £637 and requires an application with extensive documentation .