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In depth
The citizenship chain is the unbroken line of citizenship transmission from an ancestor to the applicant, which must be proven to claim citizenship by descent. Each link in the chain is a parent-child relationship, and each link must satisfy the country's transmission rules in effect at the time of the child's birth.
The chain is broken when an ancestor naturalizes in another country BEFORE the next child's birth (in most countries). It remains intact when the ancestor naturalizes AFTER the next child's birth (preserving transmission at the moment of birth).
Documentary proof of the chain typically requires: birth certificates for each generation, marriage certificates (if applicable), and naturalization (or no-record) documentation for the anchor ancestor.
Related terms
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, based on the principle of jus sanguinis.
Naturalization is the legal process by which a non-citizen acquires the citizenship of a country, typically after meeting residency, language, and integration requirements.
A generational limit is the maximum number of generations between an applicant and their ancestor through which citizenship can be transmitted.
Jus sanguinis (Latin for 'right of blood') is the principle that 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, regardless of the parents' citizenship.
Dual citizenship (also called multiple citizenship) is the status of being a citizen of two or more countries simultaneously, with the rights and obligations of each.