Research guide
Document Checklist for European Citizenship by Descent
Michael Soucek·Last reviewed October 2026
Educational information only — not legal advice. Always verify with the relevant authority, consulate or registry office.
Before starting any citizenship by descent application, build a complete document package. Use the checklists below to identify what you need for each country — then see our apostille guide for how to authenticate each document.
Universal Rules for All Countries
- Request certified copies — originals or certified copies from the issuing authority. Regular photocopies are not accepted.
- Apostille foreign documents — any document issued in a country other than the destination must be apostilled. See the apostille guide for your country.
- Certified translations required — most European countries require all non-native-language documents to be translated by a sworn or certified translator.
- Apostille before translating — always apostille the certified copy first, then have the apostilled copy translated.
- Order extras — get 3 certified copies of each document. You may need them for multiple countries or agencies.
- Death certificates matter — include death certificates for all deceased ancestors in the chain, especially the Italian/Irish/German ancestor themselves.
- Name consistency — any discrepancy in names between documents (anglicisation, spelling variations, maiden names) should be addressed with a statutory declaration.
Italy
Full guide →Documents for Every Generation
- Birth certificates for every generation (applicant, parents, grandparents, etc.) — with apostilles and certified Italian translations
- Marriage certificates for every generation — with apostilles and certified Italian translations
- Death certificates for deceased ancestors in the chain — with apostilles and certified Italian translations
- Your current valid passport (copy)
Country-Specific Requirements
- Italian ancestor's birth certificate from their comune (no apostille required for Italian-issued documents)
- Proof Italian ancestor did NOT naturalise before the next generation was born — typically a US/AUS/ARG naturalisation record showing the year, or a NARA search result
- For applications after 27 March 2025 (Law 74/2025): proof that your Italian parent or grandparent held ONLY Italian citizenship at your birth (or at their death) — e.g. evidence they never naturalised elsewhere — or Italian residence records showing your parent lived in Italy 2+ years before your birth
- If 1948 rule applies: court order from Italian tribunale is required instead of consular application — see Italy 1948 Rule guide
Note: Italy requires certified translations into Italian by a sworn (asseverato) translator. Each document must be apostilled before translation. Translations are not accepted on photocopies — apostille the original first.
Ireland
Full guide →Documents for Every Generation
- Your full birth certificate (showing parents' names)
- Your parent's full birth certificate
- Your parent's marriage certificate (if surname differs)
- Your Irish grandparent's full birth certificate (from Irish GRO or GRONI for Northern Ireland)
- Your Irish grandparent's marriage certificate (if surname changed)
Country-Specific Requirements
- Foreign birth certificates (apostille required if issued outside Ireland/UK)
- Grandparent's death certificate if deceased (strongly recommended)
- Proof of non-Irish citizenship of parent at time of applicant's birth (self-declared in application form)
- Applicant's valid passport
Note: The FBR application is now submitted entirely online via passportonline.dfa.ie. Originals are posted after online submission. Irish and UK documents do not need apostilles between each other.
Germany
Full guide →Documents for Every Generation
- Your birth certificate with apostille and certified German translation
- Birth and marriage certificates for each generation with apostilles and certified German translations
- Your valid passport (certified copy)
Country-Specific Requirements
- For standard descent (§4 StAG): ancestor's German birth certificate from Standesamt; naturalisation records showing they did not acquire foreign citizenship before the next link
- For Article 116(2) restoration: evidence of Nazi persecution (Ausbürgerungsliste, Yad Vashem, Arolsen Archives); ancestor's German civil records proving pre-1933 German citizenship
- For §5 declaration (gender discrimination remedy): birth certificate of the first excluded person, showing a birth after 23 May 1949 and the German parent; the parents' marriage certificate (or the mother's marriage record if she lost citizenship by marriage before 1 April 1953); birth and marriage records for each later generation
- Staatsangehörigkeitsausweis application form (available from German missions abroad)
Note: German consulates accept documents in German without translation. All non-German documents need apostilles and certified translations by a sworn (vereidigter) translator. The Bundesverwaltungsamt in Cologne processes all Article 116 claims.
Poland
Full guide →Documents for Every Generation
- Your birth certificate with apostille and certified Polish translation
- Parents' birth and marriage certificates with apostilles and certified Polish translations
- Birth, marriage, and death certificates for each generation in the chain with apostilles and certified translations
Country-Specific Requirements
- Polish ancestor's birth certificate from Polish civil registry (USC) — no apostille required for Polish-issued documents
- Proof of Polish ancestor's citizenship (Polish passport, civil registry extract showing residence, or military records)
- Evidence that the ancestor did NOT naturalise in another country before the next link was born — naturalisation records from the relevant foreign country
- Completed application for confirmation of Polish citizenship (potwierdzenie posiadania obywatelstwa polskiego) — filed with the relevant Voivode (provincial governor) or Polish consul abroad
Note: All foreign documents must be certified translations completed by a certified Polish translator (tłumacz przysięgły). Polish archive records can be requested remotely from the relevant USC office or the Polish State Archives (szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl).
Hungary
Full guide →Documents for Every Generation
- Your birth certificate with apostille and certified Hungarian translation
- Parents' birth and marriage certificates with apostilles and certified translations
- Each generation's birth and marriage certificates up to the Hungarian ancestor
Country-Specific Requirements
- Hungarian ancestor's birth certificate or civil registry record (from Hungarian National Archives MNL or local registry)
- Evidence of the ancestor's Hungarian citizenship or origin — civil or church records citing volume, page and entry number, or their old passport, school, military or employment records
- If you may already be Hungarian: departure and any foreign naturalization dates for each emigrant in the line (for a certificate of citizenship — no language requirement)
- For simplified naturalization (egyszerűsített honosítás): the official application form, filed in person at a consulate or Hungarian government office
- For simplified naturalization only: no separate exam — the official checks your Hungarian in conversation, at an intermediate two-way level
Note: Hungary's simplified naturalization has no residency requirement. The language check is a conversation with the official, and the official guidance describes the standard as understanding and responding at an intermediate level — preparation time varies a lot by person. Confirming existing citizenship and the declaration route have no language requirement.
Luxembourg
Full guide →Documents for Every Generation
- Your birth certificate with apostille and certified French or German translation
- Birth and marriage certificates for every generation with apostilles and translations
Country-Specific Requirements
- Luxembourg ancestor's birth certificate from the commune of birth — from the État Civil or ANLux national archives
- Evidence of Luxembourg citizenship for the ancestor (commune residence record, Luxembourg passport, civil registry extract)
- Note: the temporary reacquisition route for descendants of 1900-era emigrants (Article 89) closed on 31 December 2025
- For the Article 23 option: the declaration, signed in person before a civil registrar in Luxembourg — plus a certificate of Luxembourg nationality for the parent or grandparent
Note: Luxembourg accepts documents in French, German, and Luxembourgish without translation. English or other language documents require certified French or German translations. Luxembourg communes are the primary source for historical civil records — contact the commune of your ancestor's birth directly.
Portugal
Full guide →Documents for Every Generation
- Your birth certificate with apostille and certified Portuguese translation
- Parents' birth and marriage certificates with apostilles and translations
Country-Specific Requirements
- Portuguese ancestor's birth certificate from the conservatória do registo civil or Arquivo Nacional Torre do Tombo
- Proof of Portuguese language (usually an A2 CAPLE/CIPLE certificate; presumed for nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries) — grandchild route
- Criminal record certificate from every country you have resided in for more than 1 year in the past 15 years
- Evidence of effective ties to the Portuguese community and, since May 2026, of knowledge of Portuguese culture and civics (grandchild route)
- Completed nationality attribution form — submitted to the Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado (IRN)
Note: The grandchild route (neto) requires genuine community ties and A2 Portuguese. Since the 2026 reform (Lei Orgânica 1/2026) grandchildren must also meet integration requirements — Portuguese language, culture and civics, democratic principles and a clean record — and vague ties statements are rejected. Joining a Portuguese cultural association or church community before applying strengthens the application.
Spain
Full guide →Documents for Every Generation
- Your birth certificate with apostille and certified Spanish translation
- Parents' birth and marriage certificates with apostilles and translations
Country-Specific Requirements
- Spanish ancestor's birth certificate from the Registro Civil in Spain or, for older records, the Archivo Histórico Nacional (AHN) or parish archives
- Democratic Memory Law (Ley 20/2022): closed to new applications on 22 October 2025 — exile evidence is only relevant to files submitted before then
- Completed application form — submitted to the Spanish consulate with jurisdiction over your place of residence
- Criminal record certificate from your country of residence (antecedentes penales)
Note: All foreign documents require certified Spanish translations by an official translator (traductor jurado). The Democratic Memory Law window ran from October 2022 to 22 October 2025 and is now closed to new applicants; files submitted before then are still being decided.
Greece
Full guide →Documents for Every Generation
- Your birth certificate with apostille and certified Greek translation
- Birth and marriage certificates for each generation with apostilles and certified translations
Country-Specific Requirements
- Greek ancestor's birth certificate and dimotologio (municipal register) extract — from the municipality where the ancestor was registered
- Evidence of Greek citizenship — dimotologio extract is the primary proof of citizenship in Greek law
- Completed application form — submitted to the Greek consulate or the Directorate of Nationality of the Ministry of Interior
- For omogenis (ethnic Greek) naturalization: proof of Greek ethnic origin and continuous cultural ties
Note: The dimotologio (municipal register) is the cornerstone of Greek citizenship practice. If your ancestor emigrated before registering in a municipality, establishing the connection can be complex. Some diaspora Greeks had their families entered in the registers of their home village — contact the historical municipality directly.
Czech Republic
Full guide →Documents for Every Generation
- Your birth certificate with apostille and certified Czech translation
- Birth and marriage certificates for each generation with apostilles and certified translations
Country-Specific Requirements
- Czech or Czechoslovak ancestor's civil registry records — from Národní Archiv or regional state archive (SOA)
- Evidence of Czech/Czechoslovak citizenship — pre-1993 Czechoslovak passport, civil registry extract, or state archive record
- For the declaration route (Act 186/2013, §31(3)): evidence of when the parent or grandparent lost Czech or Czechoslovak citizenship — for any reason, including a foreign naturalisation certificate — by 31 December 2013
- Completed application — submitted to the regional authority (krajský úřad) in the Czech Republic, or Czech consulate abroad for the declaration route
Note: The 1993 split of Czechoslovakia is a common complication: Czechoslovak citizens were automatically allocated Czech or Slovak citizenship based on republic-of-birth records. Documents from the Czechoslovak era (before 1993) are now split between Czech and Slovak archives.
Slovakia
Full guide →Documents for Every Generation
- Your birth certificate with apostille and certified Slovak translation
- Birth and marriage certificates for each generation with apostilles and certified translations
Country-Specific Requirements
- Slovak ancestor's birth certificate from the matrika (civil registry) of the relevant Slovak municipality
- Evidence of Slovak citizenship — pre-1993 Czechoslovak passport, registry extract from Slovak civil registry office
- Criminal record certificate from your country of residence
- Completed application — submitted to the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic (no Slovak residence permit needed since 15 July 2026)
Note: Slovakia's dual citizenship rules are conditional: gaining Slovak citizenship while holding another nationality is fine. The risk runs the other way — if you later voluntarily naturalise in a third country, Slovak citizenship may be automatically lost unless you have been resident there for 5+ years (a key exception added by the 2022 reform). Read the dual citizenship rules carefully before proceeding.
Lithuania
Full guide →Documents for Every Generation
- Your birth certificate with apostille and certified Lithuanian translation
- Birth and marriage certificates for each generation with apostilles and certified translations
Country-Specific Requirements
- Lithuanian ancestor's civil registry records — from the Lithuanian State Historical Archives (LVIA) or Lithuanian Special Archives (LYA)
- Evidence that ancestor was a Lithuanian citizen before 15 June 1940 (Soviet occupation date)
- Evidence that ancestor (or descendants) departed Lithuania before 11 March 1990
- Completed restoration application — submitted to the Migration Department of Lithuania or Lithuanian consulate abroad
Note: Lithuania requires unbroken documentation of the emigration chain between 1940 and 1990. The Lithuanian archives have good digitisation of pre-war records, and many records are accessible online via Epaveldas and the Lithuanian archives portal.
Latvia
Full guide →Documents for Every Generation
- Your birth certificate with apostille and certified Latvian translation
- Birth and marriage certificates for each generation with apostilles and certified translations
Country-Specific Requirements
- Evidence that the ancestor was a Latvian citizen on 17 June 1940 (pre-war passport, 1935 census or house-register entry) — obtainable from the Latvian State Historical Archive (LVVA) in Riga
- Completed application — submitted to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA/PMLP) in Latvia, or Latvian Embassy or consulate abroad
- Proof of relationship for each generation (birth certificates, marriage certificates showing name changes)
Note: The People's Register (Iedzīvotāju reģistrs) entries from 1940 are the cornerstone of Latvian descent claims. The LVVA archive in Riga is the most important resource — requests can be made remotely in English for a fee.
Estonia
Full guide →Documents for Every Generation
- Your birth certificate with apostille and certified Estonian translation
- Birth and marriage certificates for each generation with apostilles and certified translations
Country-Specific Requirements
- Proof that the ancestor was an Estonian citizen on 16 June 1940 (under the 1938 Citizenship Act) — from the National Archives of Estonia (Rahvusarhiiv/RA)
- Birth and marriage records linking each generation to the pre-1940 citizen
- Completed application — submitted to the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) in Estonia, or Estonian Embassy abroad
Note: The National Archives of Estonia (ra.ee) has an excellent online search system (AIS) for pre-war records. Many citizenship and civil registry records from the 1920s–1940s have been digitised and are searchable without a fee.
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