Citizenship by Descent: Relocation Checklist
A step-by-step checklist for Canadians pursuing EU citizenship by descent: the documents to gather, the order to work in, and the rule changes to check first.
This route fits you if you have a parent, grandparent, or in some countries a more distant ancestor from an EU country. It is the strongest route when it applies, because an EU passport gives full free movement. The catch is that rules vary enormously by country, and several have recently tightened them.
Before You Start
Identify the country and its exact generational rule before anything else. Ireland, Italy, Poland and others each treat descent very differently, and some have narrowed eligibility recently. Italy now limits most claims to a parent or grandparent, and Spain’s grandchildren route has closed. For the two most common cases, see Irish citizenship by descent and Italian citizenship by descent. Confirming the current rule for your generation decides whether the rest of the work is worth doing.
Documents to Gather
- Your birth certificate and the birth certificates of every ancestor in the chain, in long form.
- Marriage certificates that link the chain together.
- Proof the ancestor held the citizenship and did not lose it before passing it on.
- Naturalisation records, or proof of non-naturalisation, where that matters.
- Apostilles and certified translations for foreign-issued documents.
Steps in Order
- Map the exact lineage and confirm the country’s current rule still covers your generation.
- Order long-form vital records for everyone in the chain.
- Resolve gaps early, such as name-spelling differences or missing records. This is the most common blocker.
- Apostille and translate documents as the consulate requires.
- Book the consulate appointment and submit. Expect long timelines.
What to Verify With Official Sources
- The current descent rule for your country and generation, on that country’s consulate site. This is where recent tightening bites hardest.
- Whether a cutoff date, residence requirement, or generational limit now applies.
- Document and apostille requirements, which tend to be exacting.
Common Traps
- Assuming old rules still hold. Italy, for example, restricted descent-based citizenship in 2025, and others have moved as well.
- Name and date mismatches across century-old records. These stall cases for months.
- Collecting documents before confirming eligibility. Confirm the rule first, then gather.
Want the background first? The EU Citizenship by Descent for Canadians covers how this route works and what Canadians tend to underestimate.
Irish ancestry? The Irish Citizenship by Descent guide covers documents, costs, and timing.
Italian ancestry? The Italian Citizenship by Descent guide covers who still qualifies after the 2025 changes.
German ancestry? The German Citizenship by Descent guide covers the 2024 dual citizenship change and the rule that breaks many claims.
Polish ancestry? The Polish Citizenship by Descent guide covers why there is no generation limit and the chain rule that decides most claims.
Still Comparing Routes?
- Employer Route and EU Blue Card: Relocation Checklist: the most direct route if no ancestry claim holds up.