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Pronunciation: yoos SAN-gwin-iss
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.
In depth
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. It is the foundational principle of citizenship by descent.
Most countries use a combination of jus sanguinis and jus soli. Countries with strong diaspora traditions (Italy, Ireland, Poland, Germany, Israel) tend to have generous jus sanguinis regimes, while countries in the Americas (US, Canada, Brazil) tend to emphasize jus soli.
The strength of a jus sanguinis regime is measured by: (1) generational limit (how many generations back you can claim), (2) gender equity (whether mothers transmit equally to fathers), and (3) naturalization effects (whether the ancestor's naturalization abroad breaks the chain).
Example
Italy's jure sanguinis (jus sanguinis) regime has no generational limit, making it the most accessible CBD regime in Europe.
Related terms
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.
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.
Nationality is the legal relationship between a person and a state, conferring rights and obligations; in most contexts it is synonymous with citizenship, though some countries distinguish the two.
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.
Naturalization is the legal process by which a non-citizen acquires the citizenship of a country, typically after meeting residency, language, and integration requirements.
Denaturalization is the legal revocation of a person's citizenship, typically on grounds of fraud, disloyalty, or — historically — persecution.