EU citizenship can still be obtained without the large financial outlays of “golden visa” programs. Five non‑investment pathways remain viable: citizenship by descent, restoration of a citizenship that was lost, marriage to an EU national, long‑term lawful residence, and birth on the territory. All of them have specific eligibility criteria that have been tightened in recent years, so up‑to‑date legal rules must be checked before proceeding.
Descent‑based citizenship
- Ireland – The Foreign Births Register grants citizenship to anyone with at least one grandparent born on the island. No residence, language test, or generational limit is required.
- Hungary – Allows applicants to claim citizenship through any ancestor, with no residence requirement and no fixed generational ceiling; more than one million applications have been processed since 2010.
- Poland, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania – Offer descent programmes that extend at least two generations back. Documentation must prove an uninterrupted line of citizenship.
- Portugal & Czech Republic – Recognise grandchildren of citizens. Portugal added an A2‑level language requirement for the grandparent route in its 2026 nationality reform.
- Slovakia – Since 2022, great‑grandchildren of Czechoslovak citizens born on Slovak territory may apply, typically after obtaining a residence permit as a procedural step.
- Italy – From 2025 onward, descent is limited to cases where the Italian ancestor held citizenship exclusively, or where a parent lived in Italy for at least two consecutive years after acquiring citizenship and before the applicant’s birth. The Constitutional Court confirmed this cap in March 2026. Applicants filed before the March 2025 deadline retain the earlier, broader rules.
Reparation routes for stripped citizenship
- Germany – Descendants of individuals stripped of German citizenship between January 1933 and May 1945 may reclaim it individually; grandchildren and great‑grandchildren can apply regardless of intervening generations. A second German route, closing in August 2026, addresses descendants affected by pre‑1975 rules that prevented women from passing nationality.
- Austria – Since 2020, descendants of persons who fled Nazi persecution before May 1955 can apply for restoration.
- Spain – The Democratic Memory Law, which covered descendants of Civil War and Franco‑era exiles, expired in October 2025 without extension.
Marriage to an EU national
- Spain – Reduces the standard ten‑year naturalisation period to one year for spouses of Spanish citizens.
- Germany – Shortens the requirement from five to three years, provided the marriage has lasted at least two years.
- Portugal – Allows a spouse or recognised partner of a Portuguese citizen to naturalise after three years together, without a residence requirement; the 2026 reform tightened the evidentiary standard for proving a genuine tie.
Long‑term lawful residence
- Ireland – Requires five years of qualifying residence within the previous nine years; no language test.
- Germany – Since 2024, the residence requirement is five years (down from eight), with a B1‑level German language test and a civics exam.
- Spain – Offers two tracks: nationals of Ibero‑American countries, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Andorra, and Portugal may naturalise after two years; the general route remains ten years.
- Portugal – In May 2026 the qualifying period was extended to seven years for EU nationals and Portuguese speakers, and ten years for all others. The clock now starts from the issuance date of a residence permit rather than actual arrival. Applications lodged before May 2026 continue under the previous five‑year rule.
Current legal landscape
Since mid‑2024, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Portugal have all revised their citizenship statutes, generally imposing stricter eligibility and longer timelines. Research or advice based on pre‑2024 rules should be treated as background only.
Practical steps for applicants
- Map the family tree – Identify any ancestors who held citizenship of an EU member state.
- Gather documentation – Birth, marriage, and death certificates; proof of continuous citizenship; any records of loss or stripping of nationality.
- Verify current legislation – Check the latest statutes for the relevant country, noting any recent reforms (e.g., Italy’s 2025 cap, Portugal’s 2026 language requirement).
- Assess residency or marriage options – If descent is not possible, evaluate whether marriage to an EU national or long‑term lawful residence could provide a shorter naturalisation path.
- Plan timelines – Account for residence‑time requirements, language exams, and potential procedural residence permits (as in Slovakia).
These non‑investment routes can provide EU citizenship without the capital commitments of golden‑visa schemes, but they demand precise documentation and adherence to evolving legal criteria.
Source article: knightsbridge.ae
