Yes. Americans can get EU citizenship by descent on the same terms as anyone else, and US law lets you keep your US citizenship when you do. The State Department says US law does not require a citizen to choose between US citizenship and another nationality. Whether you qualify is decided entirely by the European country’s rules: who your ancestor was, when each generation was born, and, for many Americans, the date great-grandpa became a US citizen.
This guide covers the US side: what US law says, which countries let you keep your US passport, the US records that usually decide a case, and how apostilles work for American documents. For the country rules themselves, every guide is linked below. To see which ones fit your family, try the free eligibility checker.
What US law says about dual citizenship
The State Department’s page on dual nationality makes four points that matter to anyone claiming citizenship by descent:
- You don’t have to choose. “U.S. law does not require a U.S. citizen to choose between U.S. citizenship and another (foreign) nationality (or nationalities).” You don’t need permission from a US court or agency to acquire another nationality.
- Naturalizing abroad is safe. “A U.S. citizen may naturalize in a foreign state without any risk to their U.S. citizenship.” Many descent routes aren’t naturalization at all: Italy, Poland and ordinary German descent, for example, confirm a citizenship you already held from birth. Either way, your US citizenship isn’t affected.
- Use your US passport at the US border. “U.S. nationals, including U.S. dual nationals, must use a U.S. passport to enter and leave the United States.” The other country may also require you to use its passport to enter and leave it.
- You owe obligations to both countries. Dual nationals must obey the laws of both, and the State Department warns that US consular help may be limited, “particularly in the country of their other nationality.”
So the real question for an American is never “will the US let me?” but “will the other country let me keep my US citizenship?” For most of Europe the answer is yes.
Which countries let you keep US citizenship
Each line restates the country’s guide; follow the link for the detail. The full comparison, for all passports, is in dual citizenship by descent, country by country.
Keep your US citizenship, no conditions
- Italy
Dual citizenship since 1992. Since 2025, Americans born in the US need a parent or grandparent who held only Italian citizenship when they were born.
The Italian 1948 rule → - Ireland
No restriction on other nationalities. A parent or grandparent born anywhere on the island of Ireland is enough.
The Foreign Births Register → - Germany
Dual citizenship without restriction since 27 June 2024. The reform doesn’t repair citizenship an ancestor lost by naturalizing in the US before then.
German Article 116 restoration → - Poland
Allowed, though Poland treats you as solely Polish in its own dealings with you. A US naturalization before 1951 often broke the line, except for men of military-service age.
Polish citizenship confirmation → - Hungary
No renunciation for any of the three routes; simplified naturalization needs conversational Hungarian.
Hungarian simplified naturalization → - Portugal
Fully permits multiple nationality. Grandchildren now also need A2 Portuguese and culture and civics.
Portuguese citizenship for grandchildren → - Greece
No restrictions on dual citizenship; each generation is registered in turn.
Greek municipal registration → - Czech Republic
Fully permitted since 2014. The declaration covers children and grandchildren of people who lost Czech citizenship by 2013, including by becoming American.
Czech citizenship by declaration → - Luxembourg
Permitted since 2009. Most US emigrant lines were broken by naturalization before 2009, but a parent or grandparent who held nationality opens the Article 23 option.
Articles 7, 23 and 89 → - France
Allowed since 1973; earlier, naturalizing abroad generally ended French nationality.
The French 50-year rule → - Romania
No renunciation, including under Article 11; B1 Romanian since 2025.
- Croatia
No renunciation for emigrants’ descendants. Croatian missions in the US give 18–24 months for a complete file.
Croatian citizenship Article 11 → - Bulgaria
No renunciation for people of Bulgarian origin.
- Cyprus
Dual and multiple citizenship allowed.
- Malta
Allowed since 10 February 2000; no residence or language requirement.
- United Kingdom
No restrictions on other nationalities (not EU, but often claimed alongside).
British citizenship through your mother → - Serbia
No renunciation for the diaspora routes.
- Armenia
Dual citizenship permitted since 2007.
- Albania
Dual and multiple citizenship allowed.
- Moldova
Dual and multiple citizenship allowed; adults need B2 Romanian and a Constitution test.
- Kosovo
Multiple citizenship allowed (Article 3).
- North Macedonia
Allowed; the Article 11 route doesn’t require release from your current citizenship.
Allowed, but born in the US? Act before a deadline
These countries allow dual citizenship, but a citizen born abroad must take a step, or have ties, by a set age to keep it.
- Sweden
Dual citizenship allowed since 2001, but if you were born in the US you can lose Swedish citizenship at 22 unless you apply to keep it.
- Denmark
Allowed since 2015; born abroad, apply to keep it between 20 and 22.
- Finland
Allowed since 2003; dual citizens born abroad need sufficient ties or a step taken before 22.
- Norway
Allowed since 2020; born abroad, you may lose it at 22 unless you apply to keep it.
- Iceland
Allowed since 2003; born abroad, act before 22.
- Belgium
Allowed since 2008; born abroad with another nationality, act between 18 and 28.
- Switzerland
Allowed since 1992; born abroad, your birth must be reported before 25.
- Netherlands
Kept from birth, but lost after 13 years outside the Netherlands and the EU as an adult without renewing a Dutch passport or ID card.
- San Marino
Citizens by origin may hold other citizenships, and since February 2026 people naturalizing no longer have to renounce theirs.
Allowed with conditions
- Latvia
Yes for Americans either way: exiles’ descendants may keep any citizenship, and other descendants may keep a NATO country’s, which includes the US.
Latvian citizenship for exiles’ descendants → - Lithuania
Yes if your ancestor left for permanent residence abroad (for example to the US) before 11 March 1990, or was exiled. There is no special rule for US citizens beyond that.
Lithuanian dual citizenship rules → - Spain
A Spaniard by origin keeps a nationality held from birth, but people who opt or naturalize must renounce unless they come from Latin America, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal or France. The US isn’t on that list.
Spanish citizenship through grandparents → - Slovakia
Claiming Slovak citizenship doesn’t cost you your US passport, but a Slovak who later voluntarily takes a new foreign nationality loses Slovak citizenship (with exceptions).
Slovak Living Abroad certificate → - Estonia
Officially banned, but citizenship by birth, including for descendants of pre-1940 citizens, can’t be taken away (Constitution, Article 8).
- Austria
Kept if held from birth or acquired under §58c; otherwise later naturalizing abroad ends it without a retention permit.
Austrian citizenship under § 58c → - Ukraine
Since January 2026, allowed for citizens of 33 listed countries, and the US was on the first list.
- Slovenia
Citizens by origin and Article 13 applicants keep other citizenships; ordinary naturalization generally requires renunciation.
- Bosnia & Herzegovina
Only with countries that have a bilateral agreement, and the US isn’t one, so ask the embassy how your US citizenship is treated first.
- Liechtenstein
Citizens by birth may hold another citizenship; people who naturalize must give up their previous one.
- Monaco
Kept if held from birth alongside another, but a Monégasque who voluntarily takes another nationality loses Monégasque nationality.
Single citizenship required
- Montenegro
Generally not allowed, except under reciprocal treaties.
- Georgia
Single citizenship; another is possible only by presidential exception.
- Belarus
Doesn’t recognize its citizens’ other citizenships; registration requires giving them up.
- Andorra
No dual nationality: you must prove you’ve lost other nationalities.
The US records that matter
For most American claims, the European side is the easy half. The difficult records are usually in the US, because they prove when, or whether, your ancestor became an American.
Naturalization records
In Italy, Germany, Poland, France and Hungary, an ancestor who became a US citizen before the next child in your line was born usually broke the chain (Poland has a military-age exception, and the Czech declaration works the other way round). The date on the naturalization certificate often decides the whole case. Where the record sits depends on the date:
- Before 27 September 1906: only the court that granted it kept a record, whether federal, state, county or city. USCIS has nothing.
- 27 September 1906 to 31 March 1956: a duplicate certificate went to the federal government. USCIS keeps these in Certificate Files (C-Files), ordered through its Genealogy Program.
- From 1 April 1956: the record is in the person’s A-File, either at the National Archives or available from USCIS through a Freedom of Information Act request.
Our guide to USCIS genealogy naturalization records covers the forms (G-1041 and G-1041A), fees and the “certificate only” request. If there is no record, you may need to prove a negative; see how to prove an ancestor never naturalized, which also explains the census citizenship codes and the USCIS Certificate of Non-Existence.
Arrival records and alien registration
Passenger lists show when your ancestor left Europe, which matters for Lithuania and Croatia (departure before a set date) and for Germany’s old ten-year rule. Alien Registration Forms from 1940 to 1944 show your ancestor was still not a US citizen when they registered. Lithuania’s Migration Department lists ship passenger lists and immigration certificates among the documents that prove departure.
Vital records
Birth, marriage and death certificates for each American generation come from the state or county vital records office where the event happened. Order full, long-form certified copies, which show the parents’ names that link one generation to the next. Expect to explain every spelling change between the European record and the American ones. Our document chain guide and documents checklist show what each generation needs.
Apostilles for American documents
The United States is a party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, as are most European countries. An apostille certifies the signature and seal on a US public document so the other country accepts it. Who issues it depends on who issued the document:
- State documents (birth, marriage and death certificates, state court records): a competent authority designated by the state, generally the state’s Secretary of State. It has to be the state that issued the document, not the state where you live now. A New York birth certificate goes to New York even if you live in Texas.
- Federal documents (records issued by federal agencies): the US Department of State’s Office of Authentications in Washington, DC.
- Federal court documents: the clerks of the US federal courts can apostille documents issued by their own court, such as a federal court naturalization record.
Consulates differ on whether they want an apostille on USCIS Genealogy Program copies at all. USCIS says the Italian and German consulates in Washington, DC told it that a photocopy with the Genealogy Program letter and envelope is enough; check your own consulate’s document list before paying for an apostille. Fees and timings vary by state. Our apostille guide has the details, and apostille vs certified translation explains which documents need which. Most countries also want certified translations of US documents.
Where Americans usually start
The best country is the one your records support. Some common starting points for US families:
- An Irish-born grandparent: the Foreign Births Register, around 12 months.
- An Italian grandparent who never became a US citizen before you were born: the Italian consulate route. Great-grandparent claims closed to new applicants on 27 March 2025.
- A German ancestor who naturalized “too early”: check the §5 declaration for lines through German mothers, and Article 116(2) where the loss was linked to Nazi persecution.
- A Polish great-grandfather who became American: his age at naturalization matters; see Polish citizenship confirmation.
- A Czech or Czechoslovak grandparent who naturalized: the Czech declaration works because they lost it.
- A Hungarian ancestor: check the routes in our Hungary guide and what the Hungarian interview involves.
For a ranked comparison of the routes that ask the least, see the easiest countries for citizenship by descent. For every country side by side, see requirements by country. If the research is beyond you, our guide on hiring a genealogist covers what to look for.
Frequently asked questions
Can Americans get EU citizenship by descent?
Yes, if your family history fits one country’s rules. Being American doesn’t count for or against you: what matters is your ancestor’s citizenship, the dates of each birth and of any US naturalization, and the records you can produce. Ireland, Italy, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Greece, Lithuania, Latvia and others all have routes Americans use from the US.
Will I lose my US citizenship if I get EU citizenship by descent?
No. The State Department says US law does not require a US citizen to choose between US citizenship and another nationality, and that a US citizen may naturalize in a foreign state without any risk to their US citizenship. The question is the other country’s rule, since a few require you to give up US citizenship.
Which EU countries allow dual citizenship with the USA?
Most of them. Italy, Ireland, Germany (since 2024), Poland, Hungary, Portugal, Greece, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, France, Romania, Croatia, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Malta let you keep US citizenship. Latvia does for Americans either way, Lithuania if the family left before 11 March 1990, and Spain only for Spaniards by origin.
Do I need my ancestor’s US naturalization records?
Usually yes. Italy, Germany, Poland, Hungary and others ask when, or whether, your ancestor became a US citizen, because naturalizing before the next child’s birth often broke the line. For 1906 to 1956, USCIS holds duplicate certificates in C-Files; earlier records are only with the court that granted them.
Who issues apostilles for US birth and marriage certificates?
The state that issued the document, usually through its Secretary of State’s office, not the state where you live now. Federal documents, such as records from US federal agencies, are apostilled by the US Department of State’s Office of Authentications, and federal court clerks apostille their own courts’ documents.
Can I apply for EU citizenship by descent from the United States?
Yes, for most routes. You usually file through the country’s embassy or a consulate covering where you live: Italy’s consulates, Croatia’s missions in the US and Hungary’s consulates, for example. Poland’s confirmation goes to the Mazovian Voivode in Warsaw, and Ireland’s Foreign Births Register is applied for from abroad.
Do I have to use my US passport when I travel?
Yes, to enter and leave the United States. The State Department says US nationals, including dual nationals, must use a US passport for that, while the other country may require you to use its passport to enter and leave it. Using the EU passport for travel to a third country is not inconsistent with US law.
Official sources
- US Department of State: Dual Nationality (no requirement to choose; naturalizing abroad without risk to US citizenship; US passport to enter and leave; obligations and consular limits)
- Hague Conference on Private International Law: United States, competent authorities (Apostille Convention) (Office of Authentications for federal documents; federal court clerks for their courts’ documents; state authorities, generally the Secretary of State, for state documents)
- US Department of State: Office of Authentications (apostille certificates for Hague Convention countries, authentication certificates for others)
- USCIS: Genealogy Program (C-Files, index search and records requests; see our USCIS guide for the details we checked)
Checked against these sources on 29 October 2026. travel.state.gov refused automated access on that date, so the State Department’s dual nationality and Office of Authentications text was read on the Department’s own state.gov mirrors of the same pages. The USCIS details restate our USCIS guide, and each country rule restates that country’s guide and its official sources. Only the country’s authority can decide whether you qualify; confirm with its embassy or consulate before you apply.