Good news first: most citizenship-by-descent routes in Europe don’t test your language at all. You’re inheriting citizenship, not earning it, so most countries only ask you to prove the family line.
A handful are the exception — and they include some of the most popular routes. Hungary, Portugal’s grandchild route, Romania and Moldova all expect you to speak the language to some degree, and two of them made it stricter in 2025–2026. Here’s where each country stands, taken from our individual guides.
Countries where you need a language test
- Hungary
Simplified naturalization requires a conversation in Hungarian with the official who takes your application — at an intermediate, two-way level. The other two routes (confirming citizenship you already hold, and the declaration) have no language requirement, so check those first.
- Portugal
Since the 2026 reform, the grandchild route needs Portuguese at A2 (usually the CIPLE exam) plus knowledge of Portuguese culture and civics. It’s presumed for nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries. The parent route has no test.
- Romania
Since 15 March 2025, Article 10 and 11 applicants must prove Romanian at B1, and since March 2026 the certificate must be filed with the application or the file is rejected. Exemptions include people 65 or over, minors in a parent’s application, former citizens themselves and documented medical conditions.
- Moldova
Under the 2025 law, applicants 18 and over must pass a B2 Romanian test and a test on Moldova’s Constitution.
- Georgia
Restoring citizenship under Article 18 requires passing a Georgian language test; citizenship through a Georgian parent at birth doesn’t.
Countries with no language test for descent
These countries don’t test your language for the descent route. Their naturalisation routes for people without a descent claim usually do.
- Italy
No language test for recognition by descent. (Italian language certificates apply to citizenship by marriage or residence, not descent.)
- Ireland
No language test for the Foreign Births Register.
- Germany
No language test for citizenship by descent, the §5 declaration or Nazi-era restoration.
- Poland
No language test to confirm citizenship you already hold by descent.
- Czech Republic
The Section 31 declaration has no language test, residence or interview.
- Slovakia
No Slovak language test for the Section 7(8) grant to descendants.
- Lithuania
No Lithuanian language test for restoration of citizenship.
- Latvia
No test for registering as a descendant of a 1940 citizen. (The separate route for ethnic Latvians and Livs does require Latvian.)
- Estonia
Descendants of pre-1940 citizens are citizens by birth — no language exam. The exam applies to naturalisation.
- Croatia
The language test for emigrants’ descendants (Article 11) was removed in 2020.
- Luxembourg
No Luxembourgish test, course or residence for the Article 23 option.
- Austria
No language test for the §58c route for descendants of Nazi persecution victims.
- Malta
No language or residence requirement for registration by descent.
- Serbia
No language test for the descent, emigrant-descendant or ethnic-origin routes.
- North Macedonia
Emigrants and their children naturalising under Article 11 are exempt from the language test.
- Armenia
No Armenian language test for the ethnic-Armenian route.
What A2, B1 and B2 mean
The levels come from the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), which runs from A1 (beginner) to C2 (near-native):
- A2 — basic (Portugal): introduce yourself, handle everyday exchanges, understand simple phrases about family, shopping and work.
- B1 — intermediate (Romania): cope with most everyday situations, describe experiences, and give short reasons and opinions.
- B2 — upper-intermediate (Moldova): hold a fairly fluent conversation on a wide range of topics.
Hungary doesn’t name a level or set a written exam; the official judges your Hungarian in conversation.
Preparing for the Hungarian interview
The Hungarian conversation is the one people worry about most, because there’s no exam syllabus to study from. It usually covers you, your family and your Hungarian ancestor — so practise answering those questions out loud until you can understand and reply without a script. Our Hungarian citizenship guide explains the three routes, including the two with no language requirement.
I also run Let’s Learn Hungarian, which has a paid guide to simplified naturalization with lessons for the interview questions. (It’s my own site, so take the recommendation for what it is.) For live conversation practice on top, a tutor who can run mock interviews helps most.
Check the route before you start studying
Language requirements often attach to one route, not the whole country. Before spending months on a language, check whether a route without a test fits your family — the eligibility checker and our guides to citizenship through grandparents and dual citizenship can help you compare.
Frequently asked questions
Which European countries give citizenship by descent without a language test?
Most of them. Italy, Ireland, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Croatia, Luxembourg, Austria (§58c), Malta and Serbia all have descent routes with no language test.
What do A2, B1 and B2 mean?
They’re levels on the Common European Framework of Reference. A2 is basic: everyday phrases and simple conversations. B1 is intermediate: you can handle most everyday situations and talk about familiar topics. B2 is upper-intermediate: fairly fluent conversation on a wide range of subjects.
How hard is the Hungarian citizenship interview?
It’s a short conversation with the official taking your application, usually about yourself, your family and the Hungarian ancestor your claim rests on. It has no fixed script, so the aim is to understand and answer simple questions naturally rather than recite memorised lines.
I can’t learn the language in time. Is there another way?
Often. In Hungary, check whether you’re already a citizen (no test) before choosing simplified naturalization. In Portugal, the parent route has no test, so a parent claiming first can help. Romania exempts people 65 and over.