You May Qualify for a Second Passport If You Have a Grandparent From One of These European Countries

If you grew up with a grandparent from the old country, you’re in luck. You may be eligible for a second passport, even if you are adopted. These passports are often referred to as ancestry passports because effectively, you’re claiming citizenship by descent. While around 50 countries offer citizenship by descent, which allows you to apply for a country’s passport, there’s no one-size-fits-all application form and process. Every country has different hoops to metaphorically jump through and fees to pay before you’re eligible to apply for citizenship, and subsequently, a passport. 

Fortunately, some countries make it relatively easy—and we use that term loosely—to apply for citizenship and a passport if they’re the birth country of your grandparent or even great-grandparent. While it’s possible to apply for everything on your own, because you’re dealing with different countries, languages, and laws, it may be wise to hire a third party—usually referred to as a “citizenship advisory firm”—to help you. 

Spain 

We’re starting with Spain because its current citizenship-via-grandparent program, provided by the Democratic Memory Law, has an upcoming deadline: October 2025. The Democratic Memory Law was passed in October 2022, and the program was originally scheduled to last for two years. However, in 2024, it was extended for one more year. So far, more than 300,000 people have applied for citizenship citing the Democratic Memory Law. According to the Council of Ministers, “The law recognises the right to claim nationality for people born outside Spain to a father, mother, grandfather, or grandmother, originally Spanish and who, having suffered exile for political or ideological reasons, beliefs, or sexual orientation and identity, lost or renounced their Spanish nationality.”

If you want to apply for Spanish citizenship, which you’ll need before you can apply for a Spanish passport, you must have the Spanish birth certificate of your grandparent. You’ll also need proof of your relationship to them, usually in the form of your parents’ birth certificate. Of course, you’ll need a copy of your birth certificate as well, and in some cases, proof of your grandparent’s exile, in addition to other documents. Finally, unless you qualify for an exemption, you’ll have to take two citizenship exams. One is a basic Spanish language test, while the other covers Spanish customs and the country’s constitution. Once you have Spanish citizenship, applying for a passport is a pretty pain-free process, and the application fee of around $35 is one of the lowest. 

Ireland

According to the National Museum of Ireland, one in every six Americans boasts Irish ancestry. Emigration from the Emerald Isle peaked in the 19th century, but if your grandparent was one of the more recent emigrants, or perhaps they still live in Ireland, you can apply for an Irish passport. First, however, you’ll have to apply for citizenship via the Foreign Birth Registry (FBR). You’ll need “long form” birth certificates for your grandparent, your parent, and yourself. 

You’ll also need copies of their photo IDs (or death certificates if they’ve passed away), proof of residency for all of you, four passport-sized photos, and a witness. The witness can’t be someone who is related to you, and they must practice a certain profession (see the list here). The approval process for FBR citizenship takes about nine months. If you have a sibling who also wants to apply, and they live in the same country as you, you can use the same supporting documents and envelope, although you’ll both have to submit a separate application form. Once you have Irish citizenship, the fastest way to get an Irish passport is to apply online, where you’ll have to pay around $80. 

Italy 

Not only can you get an Italian passport if your grandparent was born in Italy, but you also qualify for one if your great-grandparent was born in Italy. First, however, you must apply for citizenship. According to the Consulate General of Italy in Los Angeles, “Applicants must prove that their Italian-born ancestor did not obtain any additional citizenship (U.S. or other) before the foreign-born child’s attainment of legal adulthood. It should be noted that prior to 1975, adulthood was attained at age 21, while from 1975 and up to the present, adulthood is set at age 18.” 

The fee to apply has also recently doubled from 300 euros to 600 euros. There’s also some fine print. If you were born prior to Jan. 1, 1948, you can only receive Italian citizenship by ancestry via male lineage. If you were born prior to 1948 and want to apply for citizenship by leveraging female lineage, you’ll have to make an appeal to the Italian civil court. Once you have your Italian citizenship, you can apply for an Italian passport. You’ll have to do it in person, usually at the nearest Italian embassy or consulate, and pay a fee of around $130. 

Poland 

Like Italy, Poland practices the principle of jus sanguinis, which is Latin for “right of blood.” Under jus sanguinis, Polish citizenship can be handed down through your ancestors (including great-grandparents), but there are a few caveats. First, because Poland didn’t gain its independence until relatively recently, your grandparent or great-grandparent had to have been born or lived in Poland after January 1920. Second, your grandparent must have been a Polish citizen when your parent was born. And third, your grandparent and parent must have never renounced or lost their Polish citizenship. 

To apply, you’ll need several documents, including (but not limited to) birth certificates, death certificates, photo IDs, and proof that your grandparent and parent never gave up their Polish citizenship. You’ll also need to translate all documents into Polish using an official translator or Polish consul. The approval process takes around one year. After being granted Polish citizenship, you can apply for a Polish passport. You’ll have to book an in-person appointment at your nearest Polish embassy or consulate and pay a fee of $129.