Do you have European ancestry? These countries make it easier to obtain a second passport

Countries around the world are divided into two main categories of how they give citizenship, ‘jus soli’, or ‘the law of the soil’, whereby being born in the country automatically makes you a citizen, and ‘jus sanguinis’, or ‘the law of the blood’ that gives citizenship to those whose parents are citizens. In some cases, countries will allow even those who were born in another country but whose grandparents were once citizens to obtain citizenship.

This can provide an excellent opportunity for those who want to get a second passport, giving them more freedom of movement and allowing them to live and work in that country. And if that country is part of the European Union, any of the 27 member countries.

European countries that allow grandchildren of citizens to get a passport

While generally if you were born abroad but one of your parents is a citizen of another country you can obtain citizenship of that nation and a passport. However, there are some countries that will allow the grandchildren of citizens, and in the case of Poland, great-grandchildren, to apply for citizenship.

The others include France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, and Italy. Spain currently allows those who have a grandparent that was a Spanish citizen to apply for citizenship under the Grandchildren’s Law, but it is set to expire at the end of 2025.

None of these countries require a language test for people that apply for citizenship through ‘jus sanguinis’ ancestry. However, those who are naturalized through other paths to becoming a citizen are typically required to pass a language and cultural test.

Golden Visa: European countries that let you buy your way in

Several European countries have Golden Visa programs. These residency-by-investment programs typically require people to make a significant investment in real estate or deposit a large sum of money one of the country’s banks in exchange for residency. After a certain amount of time residing in the country, the person can then apply for citizenship.

These countries include Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, and Spain. Additionally, Austria, Belgium, Luxemburg, Germany and Switzerland have similar programs.

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