Would you like a second citizenship to go along with your ancestry research? While you’re climbing your family tree, you might find some unexpected “fruit”: eligibility for citizenship by descent. This is especially true if you have European ancestry, since many European governments have been liberalizing their ancestral citizenship laws over the past decade.
Americans are starting to take notice. In a number of European countries, governments are extending citizenship to children and even sometimes grandchildren or great-grandchildren of citizens and former citizens. Such countries include Czechia, Poland, Ireland, Latvia, Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, and most recently, Slovakia. In some cases, such as Hungary and Croatia, even great-great-grandchildren (and beyond) can qualify for citizenship.
For those who qualify, obtaining a second citizenship (and becoming a dual or “multiple” citizen) can create life-changing opportunities. In my experience as a citizenship lawyer, most people
