Citizenship by ancestry is a sort of birthright citizenship. It is a principle of nationality law by which a person obtains the citizenship of his parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and, in certain situations, even more distant ancestors, regardless of where the person was born. Today, over 50 countries provide a Citizenship-by-Ancestry route, each with its qualifying requirements, procedure, and complexity. You may be eligible to become a citizen of any of the countries if you have ancestors from that country.
Citizenship in Croatia is mainly governed by the concept of jus sanguinis
This also applies to Americans. Even though you were born in the United States and solely have American citizenship, you may be eligible for foreign citizenship based on your ancestors' origins. This includes the right to dual citizenship, and you’ll be able to get a second passport, which may provide greater flexibility than your present passport.
Citizenship by ancestry is widespread across Europe, making it one of the simplest methods to get European citizenship and a second passport. European citizenship enables you to live, work, and conduct business in any of the 28 European Union nations, France, Germany, Cyprus, and Croatia.
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Many of Italian descent are eligible for Italian citizenship under the jure sanguinis concept.
There are several advantages to obtaining European citizenship. For example, if you cannot locate suitable career possibilities in your home country, you might widen your search to include European nations. If you have children, they will have access to the European educational system, which is mostly free.
A second passport and dual citizenship also assure that, regardless of what happens in your country, you will always have another location to live, work, conduct business, retire, and seek shelter in certain situations.
When things go wrong, you'll be able to get yourself and your family out of harm's path. If you are a US citizen, your ancestors most certainly emigrated to America for this reason. And there may come a moment when you decide that returning to your ancestors' homeland is in your family's best interests. Finally, having a second passport gives you additional possibilities. And the more choices you have, the more freedom you will have.
Obtaining citizenship by ancestry is often simple. However, it is sometimes challenging depending on the nation and its bureaucratic processes. The application procedure is simple enough in most countries to do it yourself. However, you may consult a professional immigration lawyer or genealogist to assist you with the research and application. If you feel you have foreign ancestors, follow the steps below to check if you are eligible for citizenship via your lineage.
Related content: How Can I Become A Spanish Citizen If My Family Came From Spain?
Obtaining Spanish citizenship through ancestry is a process that can grant many benefits
The following are the procedures to get a second passport and citizenship via ancestry:
You can start by talking to some of your relatives and allowing them to walk you through your family history. You should find out where your grandparents came from and if they still have citizenship in their home countries. This will help you determine whose ancestor you are claiming citizenship through and which nation you want to become a citizen of.
Eligibility requirements vary by nation, but you must typically show a continuous bloodline between you and your ancestors. "Continuous bloodline" usually signifies that no ancestor relinquished or lost their citizenship before passing it on to the next descendant in your line. For example, if your grandpa came to Canada from France and naturalized as a Canadian citizen, he would have forfeited his France citizenship.
However, if your father were born before your grandpa obtained his Canadian citizenship, your grandfather would have passed on his France citizenship to your father by ancestry before losing it. The bloodline would not be shattered.
Only the first generation of Norwegian ancestors may seek Norwegian citizenship.
Once you've concluded that you're eligible for citizenship, start going through the criteria and obtaining all of the evidence you'll need to verify that you're qualified to claim citizenship by ancestry.
This often includes your birth certificate and those of your ancestors, relevant marriage, divorce, and naturalization records (if applicable), and your current passport. These documents are typically required to be apostilled and translated into the native language of the nation.
Most nations additionally ask you to book an appointment at the local consulate to have your application reviewed and verified in person. If all goes as planned, you should have your new second passport soon.
Having French citizenship allows you to live and work in other European Union (EU) nations
It's a big deal to have a second passport and citizenship via ancestry. Several individuals pay millions of dollars to get a second citizenship. Others relocate their families to another country for up to seven years to get citizenship via naturalization.
They do so because they recognize the tremendous benefits of dual citizenship. After all, having a second passport provides additional possibilities for living, working, investing, travelling, and doing business across the globe for the rest of your life. As a result, obtaining a second passport is one of the best investments you can make.
And these advantages are not limited to you. Because of your investment today, future generations of your family who will not be born for decades will benefit from the same advantages of dual citizenship.
Citizenship by ancestry is more effortless in countries such as France, Romania, and Bulgaria, where you are immediately deemed a citizen by descent if one of your ancestors was a citizen during their lives. All you need to do in such circumstances is verify your lineage and present proof of your ancestors' citizenship in the country. These are the most straightforward citizenship-by-descent applications, unlike those with more prerequisites.
Related article: The Basics Of How To Get A Second Passport Or A Second Residency
Any person of Greek heritage born outside of Greece has the legal right to get Greek citizenship by Ancestry.
Citizenship by ancestry may be challenging to navigate. As we have seen, most citizenship by ancestry countries have a lengthy list of qualifications, and the conditions are different everywhere. Understanding the criteria of the country to which you are applying is essential for a successful application. ExpatMoney’s professional consulting team can help you understand the legal requirements, assist with the documents, and guide you through the application process. With our assistance, you can get your ancestral citizenship more quickly and with fewer complications.