Gaining dual Citizenship in a EU Country based on parents / grandparents / g-grandparents!? Anyone done this? (people, black)
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With U.S. in slump, dual citizenship in EU countries attracts Americans (http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2008/06/07/s1a_dual_citizenship_0608.html - broken link)
Needless to say, I am VERY intrigued by this. Before I get too excited I'd like to hopefully hear from someone who has done it. I'm wondering what kind of paperwork/proof you'd need? If I were to do this it would be based on a Grandparent or Great Grandparent. My Grandfather had Austrian citizenship until his death in the mid 80's, my G-Grandfather was born in Ireland. Another G-Grandfather born in Germany.
I have no idea if this would be possible but I am going to investigate for certain. I have for a long time had the desire to live and work abroad but never considered it really feasible.
Do you have much documentation? No doubt it's different for each country.
About ten years ago, I took a trip to London with a friend whose father was English; she was looking into obtaining citizenship. Don't know if it is still the case, but at the time, citizenship could only be obtained through the father's side of the family. My friend had quite a bit of paperwork, but it didn't seem like she got very far with her attempt--maybe she didn't try hard enough, though.
According Wikipedia this is the only way to have the french nationaly if you have a french citizen parent.
"A child who was born abroad and who has only one French parent can repudiate his French nationality during the six months prior to his reaching the age of majority, or in the year which follows it (article 19-4 of the Civil Code)."
Of course there is other way to have the french nationality.
according Wikipedia
"A person may apply for French citizenship by naturalisation after five years residence in France. Exceptions to the residence period include:
The residence period may be waived for citizens of French speaking countries or for those who have served in the French military.
Naturalisation through residency is accorded by publication of a decree in the Journal Officiel by decision of the Ministry of Labour, Social Cohesion and Housing."
So as we see it is impossible in the way that fierce_flawless imagine.
My cousins did it to obtain Italian citizenship. If I remember correctly you have to apply for everyone down the line. My great grandparents were Italian so they applied for my grandfather, then my aunts and uncles and then my cousins. I don't know if they could have applied if my grandfather wasn't alive at the time.
Start by looking on consulate websites for the countries of interest. Each EU country defines citizenship in different ways. I did it for my Italian citizenship. I was born in Italy and my Father is an Italian citizen. Italy required a direct bloodline of citizenship, i.e. one of your parents had to have citizenship, if they didn't you couldn't obtain it. The process will require birth certificates/passports of the person who you will claim citizenship from as well as your own identification.
The one that may be possible is the Irish one, if one of your parents can claim the citizenship then you can after they do as this is a direct blood line.
It's food for thought for sure. I did some more reading last night and it looks like Spain would be fairly easy... not for me but for my partner, her grandparents were from Spain.
Hmm, as a Mexican national, I'd have to live in Spain for two years (as opposed to ten for most people) to attain citizenship. . . Anybody know how easy it would be to get a work visa in Spain? xD
I was reading how a descendant of citizens of Spain (as in the case of my partner, whose grandparents are from Spain), someone wanting to become a Spanish citizen through ancestry will only have to have ONE year of residence.
The only thing I am not sure of is if her Grandparents would qualify her if they were no longer citizens after coming to the US, or if they're no longer alive (her Granfather is dead, Grandma not sure, lost touch when she was young)....
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