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Countries Offering Citizenship by Descent
Certificate of Italian Nationality
Countries have varying laws relating to persons eligible for citizenship through the process of jure de sanguinis, or citizenship by descent. Some countries such as Denmark, France, Germany, limit citizenship by descent to one's parents, while others are more generous in offering citizenship up through one's great-grandparents and beyond. Examples of this would include Greece and Poland, which don't impose generational limits on who can apply. Generally, the number of generations between yourself and your qualifying ancestor would be defined as follows:
1st generation – eligibility through one’s parents. Countries that offer this option include Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Netherlands, Norway, San Marino, Sweden, and Switzerland.
2nd generation – eligibility through one’s grandparents. Countries that offer this option include Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czechia, Ghana, Italy, Malta, Nigeria, Portugal, Slovenia, and Spain.
3rd generation – eligibility through one’s great-grandparents. Countries that offer this option include Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Romania, and Slovakia.
4th generation – eligibility through a person’s 2nd great-grandparents or more distant ancestors. There are only a few countries offering this option, which would include Cape Verde, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, and Serbia.
1st generation – eligibility through one’s parents. Countries that offer this option include Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Netherlands, Norway, San Marino, Sweden, and Switzerland.
2nd generation – eligibility through one’s grandparents. Countries that offer this option include Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czechia, Ghana, Italy, Malta, Nigeria, Portugal, Slovenia, and Spain.
3rd generation – eligibility through one’s great-grandparents. Countries that offer this option include Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Romania, and Slovakia.
4th generation – eligibility through a person’s 2nd great-grandparents or more distant ancestors. There are only a few countries offering this option, which would include Cape Verde, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, and Serbia.
Africa
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Countries with Jure Sanguinis
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Allowed Number of Generations
|
Application Processing Time
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Allows Dual Citizenship
|
Residency Requirement
|
Language
Requirement |
Visa-free
Travel |
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Cape Verde
Ghana
Kenya
Nigeria
South Africa
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Great-Grandparents
Grandparents
Parents
Grandparents
Parents
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2 years
6-18 months
4 months
3-4 months
4 months
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Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
|
No
No
No
No
No
|
No
No
No
No
English, Afrikaans
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67 countries
67 countries
72 countries
44 countries
104 countries
|
Europe
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Countries with Jure Sanguinis
Albania
Andorra
Belgium
Bosnia
Bulgaria
Cyprus
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Iceland
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Malta
Moldova
Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands
North Macedonia
Norway
Russia
San Marino
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Sweden
Switzerland
Ukraine
United Kingdom
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Allowed Number of Generations
Great-grandparents
Grandparents
Parents
Parents
Grandparents
Great-grandparents
Grandparents
Parents
Grandparents
Parents
Parents
Parents
Parents
Parents
Great-grandparents
Great-grandparents
Parents
Great-grandparents
Grandparents
Great-grandparents
Parents
Great-grandparents
Great-grandparents
Grandparents
Grandparents
Parents
Parents
Parents
Parents
Parents
Great-grandparents
Grandparents
Great-grandparents
Parents
Parents
Great-grandparents
Great-grandparents
Grandparents
Grandparents
Parents
Parents
Grandparents
Grandparents
|
Application Processing Time
3 years
20 years
4-6 months
6-12 months
1-3 years
9 months
2-3 years
2-3 years
3-6 months
1-2 years
12-18 months
6-28 months
6-12 months
2-3 years
18-24 months
6-12 months
6 months
2-3 years
1-2 years
1-2 years
1 year
6-12 months
6-24 months
5-24 months
6 months
2-5 months
6 months
3 months
3-6 months
1 year
1-2 years
6-24 months
6-24 months
3-6 months
1-2 years
12-18 months
12-18 months
1-2 years
6-24 months
3 years
6-12 months
6-12 months
1-3 years
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Allows Dual Citizenship
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
|
Residency Requirement
3 years
18 years
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
1 year
No
6 years
No
No
1 year
No
No
3 years
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
10 years
No
No
No
1 year
5 years
10 years
No
No
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Language Requirement
Albanian
Catalan
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Danish
No
Finnish, Swedish
No
No
No
No
Icelandic
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Portuguese
No
No
No
No
No
No
Spanish
No
French, German, Italian, Romansh
No
English
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Member of European Union
Pending
No
Yes
Yes
Pending
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Pending
No
Pending
Yes
Pending
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Pending
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Pending
No
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North America
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Countries with Jure Sanguinis
Canada
Mexico
USA
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Allowed Number of Generations
Parents
Parents
Parents
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Application Processing Time
7-12 months
6-12 months
3-4 months
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Allows Dual Citizenship
Yes
Yes
Yes
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Residency Requirement
No
No
No
|
Language Requirement
No
No
No
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Visa-free
Travel 185 countries
158 countries
183 countries
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