Your Ancestry Could Unlock an EU Passport in These 13 European Countries

"An EU passport gives you the legal right to live, work, retire, start a business, buy property, and access healthcare across 27 European Union countries. It allows freedom of movement throughout the Schengen Area. It can open educational opportunities for children and grandchildren. And at a time when political and economic uncertainty feels increasingly common, it provides something many readers value deeply: options."

"If one of your grandparents was born in Ireland, for example, you can apply to become an Irish citizen through Foreign Birth Registration. The description is simple, but the process is a bit more complicated: you'll need the proper documentation, including the original civil birth certificate of your Irish-born grandparent."

"In Italy, citizenship by descent (jure sanguinis or "right of blood") became significantly more difficult in 2025, but it is still possible. A new law disqualified those claiming Italian-born great grandparents, only allowing people with parents or grandparents born in the country to apply."

Ancestry-based citizenship offers a more affordable pathway to EU passports compared to residency-by-investment programs. Thirteen European countries, including Italy, Ireland, Greece, and Spain, grant citizenship through family heritage. An EU passport provides legal rights to live, work, retire, start businesses, buy property, and access healthcare across 27 EU member states, plus freedom of movement in the Schengen Area. Each country has specific requirements: Ireland requires a grandparent born there with proper documentation; Italy recently restricted eligibility to parents or grandparents only; Spain uses a "right of blood" model allowing descent claims through parents or grandparents; Portugal requires parent or grandparent connections. These programs offer educational opportunities and provide options during times of political and economic uncertainty.

Read at Travel + Leisure