Ancestry routes to an EU passport
Do you qualify for Canadian citizenship by descent?
Canadian citizenship by descent changed on 15 December 2025: Bill C-3 removed the first-generation limit in some situations. Born abroad to a Canadian parent also born abroad? You may now qualify. Irish, Italian, Polish and German routes are covered too.
Question 1
Which country is your ancestor from?
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Citizenship by descent: the four main routes compared, 2026
Last updated
Qualifying ancestor, legal route, and government fee for the four countries behind most successful ancestry claims, the same rules the checker applies.
| Country | Qualifying ancestor | Route | Government fee (adult) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | Parent who was a Canadian citizen at your birth. Since Bill C-3 (15 December 2025) also a parent born abroad who spent 1,095 days in Canada before your birth | Citizenship certificate as proof of citizenship | $75 CAD |
| Ireland | Parent born on the island of Ireland (automatic), or grandparent born there / citizen parent | Passport directly, or Foreign Births Register | EUR 278 adult, EUR 153 under 18 |
| Italy | Parent or grandparent born in Italy (since the 2025 decree; conditions apply) | Consular or municipal application, or Italian courts | EUR 600 consular fee |
| Poland | Ancestor holding Polish citizenship after 1920, unbroken line, no pre-1951 loss events | Confirmation of citizenship via voivode / consulate | Small state fee; record retrieval is the real cost |
| Germany | Nazi-era persecutees' descendants (Art. 116(2), StAG 15); gender-rule exclusions (StAG 5) | Declaration or application to the BVA | Free (StAG s.38(3)) |
- Italy limited citizenship by descent to two generations (a parent or grandparent born in Italy) with Decree-Law 36/2025, converted by Law 74/2025 and in force from 24 May 2025, closing the previously unlimited jure sanguinis route for new applications.
- Ireland's Foreign Births Register makes grandchildren of anyone born on the island of Ireland eligible for citizenship, for EUR 278 as an adult and EUR 153 for a child; citizenship runs from the date of registration, so registering before your children are born passes it on.
- Germany's restitution routes (Article 116(2) Basic Law, StAG 15 and StAG 5) are free of charge under section 38(3) StAG and cover descendants of Nazi-era persecutees and of families excluded by pre-1975 gender rules, with the StAG 5 declaration window running ten years from the 2021 law, to August 2031.
- Polish citizenship claims turn on an unbroken line from an ancestor who held citizenship after the 1920 Citizenship Act, with pre-1951 foreign naturalization or military service the loss events that most often break the chain.
How this was compiled, and how to cite it
Compiled from the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs Foreign Birth Registration page, an Italian consulate's published notice on the new iure sanguinis rules (Decree-Law 36/2025 as converted by Law 74/2025), Polish government guidance on the 1920 Citizenship Act confirmation procedure, and the German Nationality Act (StAG) sections 5, 15 and 38 together with Article 116(2) of the Basic Law, all read on the updated date above. Fees are the published government fees; professional and record-retrieval costs come on top.
Cite this page
“Citizenship by descent: the four main routes compared, 2026”, Citizenship Descent Checker, https://citizenshipdescentchecker.com/ (updated 2026-08-15). Compiled from the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs Foreign Birth Registration page, an Italian consulate's published notice on the new iure sanguinis rules (Decree-Law 36/2025 as converted by Law 74/2025), Polish government guidance on the 1920 Citizenship Act confirmation procedure, and the German Nationality Act (StAG) sections 5, 15 and 38 together with Article 116(2) of the Basic Law, all read on the updated date above. Fees are the published government fees; professional and record-retrieval costs come on top.
What it does and does not check
The 6 things it checks
- Ireland: automatic citizenship through a parent, and the Foreign Births Register through a grandparent
- Italy: jure sanguinis under the 2025 two-generation limit
- Poland: confirmation of citizenship through an unbroken post-1920 line
- Germany: Article 116(2) Basic Law, StAG 15 and StAG 5 restitution routes
- Which generation qualifies, and which claims are now closed
- Triage only: every verdict needs consular or legal confirmation
Citizenship Descent Checker is an information site. It is not affiliated with any government, consulate, or ministry named on this site, and nothing here is legal or immigration advice. Descent rules change, as Italy's 2025 reform showed, and individual claims turn on documents and dates no checker can verify: confirm any eligibility verdict with the relevant consulate or a citizenship lawyer before spending money on records or applications.
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Tell us which line you are pursuing and we'll introduce you to up to three firms. Each is a citizenship service handling eligibility assessment, records retrieval and applications for that country.
The questions we get
Can I still get Canadian citizenship by descent if my parent was also born abroad?
Possibly; this changed recently. Canada.ca says Bill C-3 passed on 15 December 2025, removing the first-generation limit in some situations from that day. A second-generation person born abroad may qualify where the Canadian parent, also born abroad, spent at least 1,095 days in Canada before the birth. Previously this case was excluded entirely.
What is the 1,095 day rule for Canadian citizenship by descent?
The substantial connection test introduced with Bill C-3. Born abroad to a Canadian parent also born abroad, that parent must have spent at least 1,095 days, roughly three years, in Canada before your birth. The days need not be continuous; evidencing them is the practical work.
Which country gives citizenship by descent through a grandparent?
Ireland is clearest: a grandparent born on the island of Ireland makes you eligible for the Foreign Births Register. Italy reaches an Italy-born grandparent (its 2025 two-generation limit, with conditions). Poland reaches any generation if the line since 1920 is unbroken. Germany's restitution routes reach Nazi-era persecutees' descendants across generations.
Did Italy end citizenship by descent in 2025?
It narrowed it sharply. Decree-Law 36/2025, converted by Law 74/2025 and in force from 24 May 2025, limited new claims to a parent or grandparent born in Italy, with conditions. Bookings confirmed by 11:59pm Rome time on 27 March 2025 use the old rules. The reform has been litigated in the Italian courts since enactment.
How much does citizenship by descent cost?
Government fees are modest. Ireland's Foreign Births Register costs EUR 278 for an adult (EUR 153 for a child), and an Italian consular application EUR 600. Polish confirmation is a small fee; Germany's restitution and declaration routes are free. Records, translations, apostilles and professional help run from a few hundred to several thousand dollars or euros.
Does citizenship by descent give me an EU passport?
Yes, for all four countries covered here: Irish, Italian, Polish, and German citizens are EU citizens, with the right to live and work across the EU. Each country's passport is applied for after citizenship is confirmed or registered.
Do I need a lawyer to claim citizenship by descent?
Not always: simple Irish FBR and German StAG 5 cases are often done without one. Lawyers earn their fee in contested or fact-heavy cases: post-2025 Italian claims, Polish loss-event chronologies, German restitution categories. Every verdict here is triage, not legal advice; confirm with a consulate or citizenship lawyer before spending on records.
Sources
This site's own datasets, every figure quoted from its source and dated:
- The Descent Claim Cost and Wait carries 6 published figures read from 2 sources' own pages, from 145 to 278 EUR, read 7 November 2026.
- The Descent Eligibility Rules carries 3 published figures read from 3 sources' own pages, from 1,095 to 1,095 day, read 7 November 2026.
- Government of Canada, Changes to citizenship rules 2025 (Bill C-3, in force 15 December 2025)
- Government of Canada, Proof of Canadian citizenship (citizenship certificate)
- Government of Canada, About the citizenship certificate
- Ireland Department of Foreign Affairs, registering a foreign birth (Foreign Births Register)
- Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, citizenship
- Italian consulate (Brisbane), citizenship by descent and adoption under the 2025 rules
- Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, consular and citizenship matters
- gov.pl, confirmation of possession or loss of Polish citizenship
- German Federal Office of Administration (BVA), citizenship
- German Nationality Act (StAG), sections 5, 15 and 38
- Ministério da Justiça (Portugal), new nationality law in force 19 May 2026
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