This story was originally published in 2025 and was updated with additional reporting by Shayla Martin on July 31, 2026.
If you have always wanted to become a citizen of another country, start by investigating your family tree. Anyone with a parent or grandparent from one of the following 10 countries might be eligible for dual citizenship.
However, determining if you are eligible for a second passport is only the first step. If you are eligible, you will likely need to track down documents from both the country where your ancestor was born and your home country. You also will need to fill out a lot of paperwork, which might be in a language you don’t understand. Before you can hold your new passport in your hands, you may need to wait years as your application winds its way through the bureaucratic process.
Bear in mind that citizenship laws can be complex, and some exceptions or nuances can make or break your case. Using an attorney in the country where you are trying to obtain citizenship might be a wise investment. A good attorney will give you an honest assessment of your chances of getting citizenship and help you complete your application.
Here are 10 countries that offer a pathway for grandchildren and children of immigrants to obtain citizenship, but they aren’t the only ones.
Canada
For all the Americans who’ve eyed their neighbor to the north as an escape plan, we have good news. In December 2025, Canada enacted a expansion of its citizenship-by-descent rules. Previously, Canadian citizenship by descent was capped at the first generation born abroad, meaning that if you were born abroad to a Canadian who was also born abroad, you could not qualify for citizenship.
The new bill removes that first-generation limit, potentially allowing those with Canadian heritage around the world to qualify for citizenship. One unique note: For children born abroad after December 15, 2025 (the date the bill came into effect), the Canadian parent must prove that they’ve spent at least three years of physical presence in Canada before the child’s birth to pass along citizenship.
Why not decamp to Dubrovnik along Croatia’s stunning Dalmatian coast?
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Croatia
This country, full of pebbled beaches and forests, grants citizenship to Croatian descendants who permanently left the country before 1991, and there is no generational limit as long as proper documentation can prove lineage. However, if your ancestor moved to another country that used to be a part of Yugoslavia, or moved on the “basis of an international agreement,” you won’t be eligible for citizenship.
Czech Republic
Anyone with Czech grandparents might be able to pack their bags and move to the heart of Bohemia but there are specific qualifications. To qualify for Czech citizenship, your grandparent must have been born in the Czech Republic and stayed there until at least 1918. Additionally, they cannot have obtained Slovak citizenship at any point in their lives.
Germany is home to both bustling cities, such as Berlin, and beautiful natural expanses, like the foothills of the Alps, where the Neuschwanstein Castle sits.
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Germany
If you have a German grandparent, you may be eligible for a German passport. German citizenship cannot skip generations. However, that doesn’t mean one of your parents needs to have a German passport. As long as you have a parent who is eligible for German citizenship, you may be as well. There is, however, one notable exception: You don’t need to show an unbroken chain of citizenship if your German ancestor was a victim of Nazi persecution due to their religion, political affiliation, or race between January 30, 1933, and May 8, 1945. That’s true even if your German ancestor was stripped of their citizenship and could not pass it down to their children.
Hungary
Hungary is home to the historic city of Budapest, situated along the serene banks of the Danube River. A Hungarian grandparent may be the key to getting a passport from this scenic country, although there is no generation cap. You also must pass an interview conducted entirely in Hungarian (notoriously one of the hardest languages for English speakers to learn), covering basic conversational topics, Hungarian culture, and the Hungarian national anthem. However, before you enroll in a language course, make sure your grandparent never lost their Hungarian citizenship. If your grandparent left before 1929 and lived abroad for more than 10 years, Hungary probably revoked their citizenship. Additionally, before October 1, 1957, most Hungarian women who married a non-Hungarian lost their citizenship.
Get away from it all in Donegal, Ireland.
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Ireland
Approximately 33 million Americans have Irish heritage. If either of your parents was born in Ireland (including Northern Ireland), you are automatically an Irish citizen. If one of your grandparents hails from the Emerald Isle, but your parents do not, you still may be eligible for Irish citizenship. However, before applying for an Irish passport, you must register your birth in Ireland’s foreign birth registry.
Italy
If you are among the more than 15 million Americans with Italian heritage, you may be able to apply for Italian citizenship. If one of your grandparents was born in Italy and was still a citizen at the time your parent was born, you may be able to claim an Italian passport. It used to be relatively simple for those with Italian ancestry to gain Italian citizenship.
However, in March 2025, expanded restrictions limit new claims to a parent or grandparent born in Italy who held only Italian citizenship (and did not become a naturalized citizen of another country), with a separate exception for a parent who lived in Italy for at least two consecutive years after obtaining citizenship before the applicant’s birth.
Lithuania is full of northern European charm.
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Lithuania
Lithuania grants citizenship to some descendants of citizens, but only if they meet a narrow set of criteria. First, your grandparent (or great-grandparent) must have been a citizen of Lithuania before June 15, 1940—the date of Soviet occupation. Second, you are only eligible for Lithuanian citizenship if your ancestor fled the country between June 15, 1940, and March 11, 1990. Third, your ancestor must have immigrated to a country outside of the former Soviet Union. There are some exceptions to those criteria, but they are highly dependent on individual circumstances.
Poland
If you inherited a love of pierogies from a Polish parent or grandparent, you may be entitled to Polish citizenship. To gain Polish citizenship, your parent or grandparent must have lived in Poland after 1920. You will also need to prove that your ancestor never lost their citizenship, which could have happened in various ways. For example, if your grandparent ever held an elected office outside of Poland, they automatically lost their citizenship.
Serving in a non-Polish army is another way citizenship could have been revoked. However, there is a narrow exception for those who served with the Allied forces during World War II. If you have Polish roots but aren’t eligible for Polish citizenship through descent, you may still be able to obtain Polish citizenship through a presidential grant. But this process is much more complex.
There’s a reason Portugal, with laid-back cities such as Lisbon, has attracted so many U.S. expats.
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Portugal
Portugal isn’t just a popular vacation spot. It’s home to more than 14,000 Americans. If you have a Portuguese parent or grandparent, you may be able to become a Portuguese citizen and make the move yourself. However, to do so, you may need to prove that you are proficient in Portuguese by taking a language exam or providing proof that you have completed a course in Portuguese from a reputable instructor. If you don’t already know the language, start by learning with a free app, like Duolingo or Babbel. Having other ties to Portugal, such as frequent visits to the country or property ownership, may also help.
