A grandparent is the most common link in a citizenship-by-descent claim, and most European countries will consider one. What varies is how: some let grandchildren apply directly from abroad, some need your parent to be recognized first, some want you to live there for a while, and a handful only pass citizenship from parent to child.
Below is where each country stands in 2026, taken from our individual country guides. Follow the country link for the documents, costs and catches. If your link is one generation further back, see citizenship through great-grandparents.
Grandparent routes you can use from abroad
No need to live in the country. Some ask for a language test; the rest need only documents.
- Ireland
A grandparent born anywhere on the island of Ireland (Republic or Northern Ireland) lets you register in the Foreign Births Register. You become Irish from the date of registration; waits are around 12 months.
- Italy
Since Law 74/2025, the grandparent (or parent) must have held only Italian citizenship at your birth or death. Many grandparent cases still qualify; check the dates carefully.
- Portugal
The grandchild declaration survived the 2026 reform: apply from abroad, show effective ties to Portugal and, since May 2026, Portuguese language (usually A2), culture and civics.
- Poland
No generational limit: a grandparent works if Polish citizenship passed unbroken from the 1920 anchor. Naturalization abroad before 1951 often broke it, except for men of military age.
- Germany
Works if citizenship passed down at each birth. Emigrants before about 1904 usually lost it under the ten-year rule; separate declaration and restoration routes cover lines through German mothers and Nazi-era persecution.
- Greece
Usually yes: your parent was Greek by birth, so you register their birth and then your own. The exception is a line through a Greek mother whose child was born before 8 May 1984 to a non-Greek father.
- Czech Republic
The Section 31 declaration covers children and grandchildren of former Czech or Czechoslovak citizens who lost citizenship by 31 December 2013 for any reason, including naturalizing in the US.
- Slovakia
A grant if your grandparent was a Czechoslovak citizen born in present-day Slovakia. No language test, and no residence permit since 15 July 2026.
- Luxembourg
If your grandparent holds or ever held Luxembourg nationality, you can opt for it by a free Article 23 declaration — no language test or residence.
- Lithuania
Restoration for descendants of people who held Lithuanian citizenship before 15 June 1940, up to great-grandchildren. No language test or residence.
- Latvia
Descendants of Latvian citizens on 17 June 1940 register with no generational limit. Your ancestor’s exile status decides whether you keep your other passport.
- Estonia
Descendants of people who held Estonian citizenship before 16 June 1940 are citizens by birth, without a language test.
- Croatia
Article 11 covers descendants of emigrants who left before 8 October 1991, with no generational limit, residence or language test.
- Hungary
Confirm citizenship already passed down, or use simplified naturalization (no generational limit, no residence) — that route needs a conversation in Hungarian.
- Romania
Article 11 for descendants of former Romanian citizens to the third degree, from abroad — with B1 Romanian since March 2025.
- Bulgaria
Bulgarian origin proved through official records, up to a great-grandparent. Dual citizenship allowed.
- Cyprus
Descendants of people born in Cyprus between 1914 and 1960, whose parents lived there at the time, can apply on Form M123.
- Albania
People of Albanian origin to the third degree, with no residence required.
- Moldova
Recognition through a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent born in Moldova; adults need B2 Romanian and a Constitution test.
- Kosovo
Direct descendants of a Yugoslav citizen habitually resident in Kosovo on 1 January 1998 can be registered, any generation.
- Serbia
Article 18 covers emigrants and their descendants with no generational cut-off in the law.
- Armenia
Simplified naturalization for descendants of ethnic Armenians, with no residence requirement and dual citizenship allowed.
Grandparent routes that need time living there
- Spain
If your parent isn’t Spanish, a Spanish-born grandparent lets you naturalize after one year’s legal residence in Spain (article 22.2(f)). The grandchildren’s law that worked from abroad closed in October 2025.
- Montenegro
Emigrants’ descendants to the third degree qualify after two years’ lawful residence in Montenegro, with income and accommodation.
- Slovenia
Emigrants’ descendants up to the fourth generation can apply after a year living in Slovenia.
- Ukraine
Not automatic: a facilitated naturalization if a grandparent was born or lived on today’s Ukrainian territory before 1991.
Countries with no grandparent route
Here citizenship passes from parent to child, so a grandparent only helps if your parent was a citizen when you were born.
- United Kingdom
Only a parent who is British otherwise than by descent passes citizenship automatically; a UK-born grandparent doesn’t, except through registration before you turn 18.
- Netherlands
Passes one generation at a time. The exception is the option for children of Dutch mothers born before 1 January 1985.
- Sweden
Only from a parent who was Swedish when you were born.
- Denmark
Only from a parent who is Danish at the child’s birth.
- Norway
Only from a parent.
- Finland
Only from a parent at birth; a former-citizen parent regaining it doesn’t make you Finnish retroactively.
- Belgium
Only from a parent.
- Switzerland
Only from a parent.
- Austria
Ordinary descent usually fails if the grandparent naturalized abroad; §58c helps only where emigration was linked to Nazi persecution.
How to check your own grandparent claim
- Confirm where your grandparent was born and was a citizen — borders moved, and the country on today’s map may not be the one whose law applies.
- Find out whether, and when, they naturalized elsewhere. Compare that date with your parent’s birth. Our guide to proving an ancestor never naturalized covers the records.
- Gather three generations of records — your grandparent’s birth and marriage, your parent’s birth and marriage, your birth. See the document checklist.
The free eligibility checker runs through these questions for each country, and the requirements table compares the rules side by side.
Frequently asked questions
Which country is easiest for citizenship through a grandparent?
For most people Ireland is the most straightforward: one Irish-born grandparent, a Foreign Births Register application from abroad, no language test and no residence. Luxembourg (Article 23), Slovakia and Lithuania (pre-1940 citizens) also need no language test or residence if your grandparent qualifies.
Can I get Italian citizenship through my grandparents after the 2025 reform?
Often, yes — but only if that grandparent held only Italian citizenship (no other nationality) at your birth or at their death. A grandparent who had already naturalized elsewhere before your birth no longer qualifies a new applicant.
My grandparent naturalized in the US. Is my claim over?
It depends on when, and on the country. In Italy, Poland and Germany, naturalizing before your parent was born usually broke the line. The Czech Section 31 declaration, by contrast, covers grandparents who lost citizenship for any reason by 31 December 2013.
Do I need my parent to apply first?
In some countries, no — Ireland’s Foreign Births Register, Portugal and Luxembourg let grandchildren apply directly. In countries where citizenship passed automatically, like Greece, you usually register your parent’s birth and then your own.