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Everything you need to know about claiming citizenship through your ancestors. From eligibility rules and document requirements to costs, timelines, and dual citizenship — these are the questions families ask us most.
The basics of citizenship by descent
Citizenship by descent (CBD) is the legal right to acquire a country's citizenship through one's ancestors — typically a parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent — without being born in that country. It is grounded in the principle of jus sanguinis (right of blood), as opposed to jus soli (right of the soil). Most CBD regimes require documentary proof of an unbroken lineage between the applicant and the qualifying ancestor. Over 90 countries offer some form of citizenship by descent, including Italy, Ireland, Poland, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, and South Africa.
Jus sanguinis (Latin for 'right of blood') grants citizenship based on the citizenship of one's parents or ancestors, regardless of where one is born. Jus soli (Latin for 'right of the soil') grants citizenship based on being born in the territory of the state. Most countries use a combination of both. Citizenship by descent is the application of jus sanguinis: the applicant acquires the citizenship of their ancestor's country of origin, even if they were born in a different country.
Over 90 countries offer some form of citizenship by descent. The most accessible regimes include all 27 European Union member states (with varying rules), the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Colombia, Peru, Canada, South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, India (via OCI), the Philippines, Israel, South Korea, and Japan. Ancestra covers 124 countries across Europe, Latin America, Canada, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
RCBI stands for Residency & Citizenship by Investment — a broader category of services that includes citizenship by investment (CBI, acquiring citizenship through a financial contribution to the country), residency by investment (RBI, acquiring residency through investment), and citizenship by descent (CBD, acquiring citizenship through ancestry). Ancestra is an RCBI platform that specializes specifically in the CBD segment.
Who qualifies and under what conditions
Eligibility depends entirely on the country your ancestor came from and the specifics of how (and when) citizenship was transmitted under that country's law at the time. Italy, Ireland, Poland, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina are notably generous — typically requiring just one grandparent. Germany, Portugal, and Spain have restitution paths for descendants of those persecuted or exiled. Canada's Bill C-71 (2025) opened the door to beyond-first-generation descendants. The only way to know for sure is to run our eligibility check or book a consultation — both are confidential.
It depends on the country. Italy has no generational limit — you can claim citizenship from an Italian ancestor of any generation, provided the line is unbroken. Poland also has no generational limit. Ireland is limited to grandparents (the 'grandparent rule'). Germany's Article 116 has no generational limit for descendants of Nazi-era persecutees. Hungary's simplified naturalization has no generational limit. Canada's Bill C-71 (2025) extends to second-generation and beyond with a substantial connection test. Most Latin American countries (Mexico, Brazil, Argentina) extend to grandchildren.
In most cases, yes — though historically many countries restricted citizenship transmission to fathers. Italy's 1948 case path was specifically created to address the pre-1948 gender rule. Germany's 2021 reform addressed gender-equal treatment gaps in Article 116 restitution. Ireland, Poland, Portugal, and most Latin American countries transmit citizenship equally through mothers and grandmothers today. Our eligibility memo flags any historical gender rule that applies to your case.
It depends on the country and the timing. In Italy, the line is broken only if the ancestor naturalized in another country BEFORE the next child in the line was born. If they naturalized AFTER the birth, the line is intact. In Poland, naturalization after 1918 (when Poland was reconstituted) breaks the line, but naturalization before 1918 (when Poland did not exist) does not. In Ireland, the Foreign Births Register does not consider naturalization, only the Irish birth of the grandparent. Each country's rule is different — our eligibility memo addresses this for your specific case.
Most citizenship-by-descent programs do not require language proficiency — Italy, Ireland, Poland (consular path), Germany (Article 116), Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and most others have no language requirement. Notable exceptions: Hungary's simplified naturalization requires basic Hungarian; Portugal's naturalization (not descent) path requires A2 Portuguese; Spain's general naturalization requires A2 Spanish. We flag any language requirement in your eligibility memo.
What you need and how it works
Typical documents include: (1) certified long-form birth certificates for each person in the line (you, your parent, your grandparent, etc.); (2) marriage certificates for each generation (and divorce or death certificates where applicable); (3) the anchor ancestor's birth certificate from the country of origin; (4) the anchor ancestor's naturalization records in the destination country — or a 'no record' letter proving they never naturalized; (5) apostilles on all foreign documents; (6) certified sworn translations by a translator recognized by the receiving authority. Our network of genealogists retrieves most of these documents on your behalf.
Less than you might think — we retrieve most of them. You typically provide: your own birth certificate, your parents' birth and marriage certificates (if you have them), any old family documents (letters, naturalization papers, passports, photos with dates/places), and whatever you know about the ancestor's country of origin, approximate birth year, and emigration date. Our network of genealogists and archivists takes it from there, recovering the historical records from civil registries, parishes, and consulates.
An apostille is a certification that authenticates the origin of a public document for use in another country that is a party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. For citizenship by descent, you typically need apostilles on: the anchor ancestor's birth certificate, marriage certificates, and any other civil registry documents issued by a foreign country. The apostille is issued by the competent authority of the country that issued the document. Our network handles apostille procurement globally.
Timelines vary by country and filing venue. Italy: 12–36 months consular, 6–18 months judicial (1948 cases). Ireland Foreign Births Register: 9–18 months. Poland: 12–24 months. Germany Article 116: 12–30 months. Portugal: 18–36 months. Spain Memory Law: 12–24 months. Mexico: 6–14 months. Brazil: 6–12 months. Argentina: 9–18 months. Canada Bill C-71: 8–16 months. We quote a specific timeline forecast in your eligibility memo based on the country and filing venue applicable to your case.
It varies significantly by country and filing venue. Consular filings in major cities (New York, London, Toronto) tend to have longer queues — 12–36 months for Italy, for example. Judicial filings (the 1948 path for Italy) can complete in 6–18 months. Ireland's Foreign Births Register typically takes 9–18 months. Latin American programs are often faster — Mexico averages 6–14 months, Brazil 6–12 months. We give you a realistic timeline forecast in your written eligibility memo, before you commit.
Usually not. Most consular filings are handled at the relevant embassy or consulate in your country of residence. Some programs (Brazilian, certain Italian judicial paths, certain Spanish paths) are faster if filed in-country, in which case we coordinate with local professionals and you may attend one oath ceremony. Where in-person appearance is required, your matched professional attends with you; where it is not, we file on your behalf under power of attorney.
Fees, family applications, and dual nationality
Costs vary widely by country and case complexity. Document retrieval (vital records, apostilles, translations) typically runs $2,000–$8,000 depending on the number of countries and documents. Professional services (eligibility memo, dossier compilation, filing) typically run $5,000–$25,000 depending on the country and whether judicial filing is required. Filing fees (consular or court) range from $200 to $3,000. We work on fixed fees quoted in advance in a written engagement letter — no hourly billing, no add-on charges for translations, apostilles, or routine RFE responses.
We work on fixed fees, quoted in advance in a written engagement letter. Fees vary by country (some programs are far more document-intensive than others), the number of family members applying together, and whether your case requires judicial filing (Italy 1948 cases, for example) or consular filing. We do not charge hourly. We do not add on for translations, apostilles, or routine RFE responses — those are scoped into the fixed fee. Book a consultation to receive a quote.
In most programs, yes — and it is almost always more cost-effective to file as a family. Once the anchor ancestor's line is established, every descendant in that line is typically eligible. Minor children can usually be included on a parent's application. Adult siblings, cousins, and second-generation descendants may each need their own filing, but they benefit from the genealogical work already done — we discount those cases substantially.
In most cases, yes. The United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, Spain (under Memory Law), France, Sweden, and most other countries permit dual or multiple citizenship. Notable exceptions: Austria (with limited exceptions for Article 116 restitution), Germany (with exceptions for Article 116 and EU citizens), Japan, China, Singapore, India (which offers OCI instead of full dual citizenship), and Saudi Arabia. We flag any dual-citizenship restriction in your eligibility memo.
In the vast majority of cases, no. The United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, Spain (under Memory Law), France, Sweden, and most EU member states permit dual or multiple citizenship. A small number of countries (notably some Asian states) restrict or prohibit dual nationality — we will flag this in your eligibility memo before you commit. Where dual citizenship is not permitted, we discuss renunciation logistics and timing.
What happens if things go wrong and how Ancestra works
Most CBD denials are not final — they are requests for evidence, or appealable decisions. We draft every RFE response with vetted professionals and, where necessary, pursue administrative appeal or judicial review in the relevant country's courts. Our 98% approval rate reflects cases that complete the process — we do not take on cases we assess as unviable, and we tell you that in writing at the start.
No. Ancestra is a platform that connects citizenship-by-descent clients with verified RCBI firms, immigration attorneys, genealogists, and document professionals. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice. All legal services are provided by independently licensed professionals in the relevant jurisdiction. We manage the process end to end so our clients don't have to coordinate multiple vendors themselves.
It starts with our free 5-minute eligibility check. Based on your answers, we assess your case and — if viable — match you with the right professional in our network. That professional files your case under their own license and professional liability insurance. We manage the process end to end: genealogy research, document retrieval, dossier compilation, filing, and follow-through to the oath ceremony.
Yes. The first 90 minutes are confidential, candid, and free of charge. We listen to what you know about your family, tell you what we believe is achievable, and quote a fixed fee in writing — all before you commit to anything. No retainer required.
Yes. Every consultation is confidential. Nothing you share can be disclosed without your consent. Your documents, family story, and eligibility assessment are all kept private. When you're matched with a professional in our network, that professional's own confidentiality and privilege policies apply to your engagement.
We cover 124 countries across 7 regions: European Union (27), Non-EU Europe (19), Latin America (21), Canada/Australasia (2), Africa (20), Middle East (14), and Asia (20). Each country has a dedicated guide page with eligibility rules, document checklists, timelines, cost ranges, and FAQs. Browse all countries at /programs.
Run our free 5-minute eligibility check, or book a private consultation. The first 90 minutes are confidential and free of charge.