Europe's Shifting Citizenship Policies Open New Paths to EU Rights
Several European nations have recently revised their citizenship policies, with some expanding routes to citizenship through ancestry while others tighten requirements or shift focus. These changes impact descendants of former citizens and residents, offering new paths to EU citizenship and its associated rights.
Hungary has broadened its citizenship route, now including great-grandparents in its ancestry-based qualifications. However, language requirements apply. Ireland maintains its open policy, allowing anyone with an Irish-born grandparent to register as a citizen. Meanwhile, Portugal has tightened its route for Sephardic Jews, demanding certification and prior residence.
The EU offers its citizens the right to live, work, and study across all 27 member states and in certain non-EU countries. Lithuania grants citizenship to descendants of pre-1940 Lithuanian nationals. Germany has liberalized its nationality laws, accepting broader dual citizenship and reducing residency requirements. Italy, however, has tightened its citizenship by descent rules, limiting new claims to those with closer ties. Poland recognizes claims from descendants of Polish citizens who did not lose their nationality before the applicant's birth.
Many European countries, like Spain and Portugal, continue to offer citizenship by descent (jus sanguinis) with varying requirements. Malta has shifted focus towards long-term residence and investment for citizenship. Other nations like Liechtenstein have detailed residence and integration requirements for naturalization but no major recent changes specifically to citizenship by descent.
These changes in European citizenship policies offer new opportunities for some descendants of former citizens and residents, with varying requirements and paths to EU citizenship. However, each country's specific rules and processes should be carefully considered.
