Citizenship & residency by ancestry in 2026

One of the most accessible descent routes: ethnic Armenians qualify with no generational limit and without needing to prove an unbroken chain of legal citizenship — proof of Armenian origin (church records, family documents) suffices. Armenia allows dual citizenship. No residence requirement. A basic knowledge of the Constitution/language may be checked. Processing ~3–6 months.

A January 2020 reform removed all generational limits — any direct-line Croatian ancestor who emigrated can anchor a claim. Applicants must show Croatian origin and demonstrate a basic attachment to Croatian culture/identity (a light knowledge check, not a formal exam for origin cases). No residence requirement. Croatia (EU) allows dual citizenship for origin-based applicants.

Constitutional right of restoration for descendants of Nazi-persecution victims — no generational limit, no time limit, no language/residence requirement, and dual citizenship allowed. §15 StAG (added 2021) widened it to cover those who lost/couldn't acquire citizenship through flight, duress, or marriage. Also a separate ordinary §4 descent route for children of German citizens. Processing ~1.5–3 years.

Available through parent/grandparent/great-grandparent, but hinges on proving an unbroken municipal-registration and civil-record chain back to the Greek ancestor — the documentation is the hard part. No residence or language requirement for the descent route. Greece allows dual citizenship. Processing ~1–2+ years for straightforward cases.

'Egyszerűsített honosítás' — no residence requirement and no generational cap, but you must (a) document a Hungarian-citizen ancestor and (b) pass a basic Hungarian-language interview at the consulate. The language requirement is the real gate for many diaspora applicants. Hungary permits dual citizenship. Processing ~6–18 months.

If a grandparent was born in Ireland you can register on the Foreign Births Register and become an Irish (and EU) citizen. Beyond grandparent, each generation must register BEFORE the next is born to keep the chain alive. No language, residency, or investment requirement. Processing ~9–12+ months. Ireland allows dual citizenship.

One Jewish grandparent is enough, and the spouse of an eligible person also qualifies. Citizenship is essentially automatic on arrival as an 'oleh' — immigration and citizenship happen in a single step. Requires documentary proof of Jewish ancestry (birth/marriage/community records). A 2025–2026 law adds temporary tax benefits for new/returning immigrants. Excludes those who actively practise another religion.

MAJOR RESTRICTION 2025: Law 74/2025 (the 'Tajani decree', upheld by the Constitutional Court March 2026) ended unlimited descent. Automatic recognition is now limited to those with an Italian parent OR a grandparent born in Italy — the classic great-grandparent claim is largely closed. Cases filed by 27 March 2025 keep the old unlimited rules. 'Pre-1948' cases (female-line before 1948) still need a court petition.

Restoration (not a fresh grant) for descendants of pre-1940 Lithuanian citizens — no language requirement and dual citizenship IS allowed for this restoration route (unlike Lithuanian naturalisation, where dual citizenship is generally barred). The ancestor must have departed before the 15 June 1940 occupation date. Govt fee ~€50; processing ~6–12 months.

Anyone born abroad to at least one Mexican-by-birth parent is a Mexican national by birth — no Spanish test, residency, or investment. Key limit: it passes only ONE generation at a time, so grandchildren must have the parent register their own Mexican nationality first. Registration at a consulate is usually free (~2–6 weeks). Mexico allows dual nationality.

Legally a 'confirmation' that you are already a Polish (EU) citizen — no generational limit if the documentary chain holds. Key pitfall: the ancestor must not have LOST Polish citizenship (e.g. by naturalising abroad or foreign military service before 1951). Ancestors who emigrated before 1920 (pre-independence) are much harder. No language or residence requirement. ~1+ year.

Parent-line descent is automatic. Grandparent/great-grandparent line requires proving genuine ties to the Portuguese community PLUS A2-level Portuguese language and a clean criminal record. The 2024/2026 nationality reforms lowered the disqualifying criminal-sentence threshold to 3 years but did NOT add a residence requirement to the descent route. No residence needed.

Not a zero-residence descent route: citizens of Ibero-American nations can naturalise after just 2 years of legal residence in Spain (vs the standard 10). Requires actually residing in Spain for those 2 years plus basic Spanish-language and civics (DELE A2 + CCSE) exams. Spain permits dual citizenship with these countries. Included as the practical heritage route after the Sephardic law closed.

Two paths. Direct descent works only if the ancestor held Czechoslovak/Slovak citizenship (post-1918). Otherwise the 'Slovak Living Abroad' certificate recognises Slovak origin and, combined with ~3 years of Slovak residence, leads to citizenship — so it is NOT instant citizenship for most diaspora. Pre-1918 emigrants generally need the certificate route.