Relocation guide · 2026

European citizenship: routes to an EU passport

Compare residence-to-citizenship, descent, marriage and other routes across Europe, including residence duties and indicative timelines.

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Decision method

Filter the objective first, then choose the country

A strong route starts with the applicant's constraints: nationality, family, source of funds, budget, acceptable physical presence and target timeline. Treat the shortlist as the start of a comparison, not a universal recommendation.

Who it suits

For “European citizenship: routes to an EU passport”, the initial country comparison is Portugal · Italy · Ireland · France · Germany · Greece · Romania · Poland. Best for people seeking a legally compatible second status for family mobility, long-term residence or resilience—not simply another passport. Test birth/descent and family routes first, residence-to-citizenship next, and paid exceptional routes only after those options are understood.

What to check before starting

Check current and former nationalities, family composition, convictions, military/tax duties, acceptable residence and whether multiple nationality is permitted. A renunciation requirement can matter more than headline speed or the government fee.

Documents & evidence

Start with passports, long-form civil records, police clearances and name-change evidence. Then add the ground-specific layer: ancestry chain, residence/tax history, genuine-marriage evidence or source-of-wealth documents.

Real timeline & budget

Separate evidence collection, qualifying residence/status, adjudication and passport/ID issuance. Calculate residence maintenance, travel, translations, tax, due diligence and family fees—not just the application fee.

Risks & restrictions

Key risks are a break in the family chain, excess absences, renunciation, nationality bans, unexplained funds and a law change while the qualifying period is being accumulated. A fast country is irrelevant if the applicant is not eligible.

Next practical step

Build a one-page family map with all nationalities, birth countries, parents/grandparents, residence permits, timeline, budget and acceptable presence. Reduce the list to 3–5 countries and test one exact ground in each.

Relocation guide

Real case · family investment citizenship

A family completed Dominica's CBI route as one family application: eligibility and due diligence first, qualifying contribution next, then citizenship without years of residence. The published family project was around USD 264k and completed within months. The useful lesson is sequencing and full-family compliance, not a promise of present nationality eligibility.

Country shortlist

Countries worth comparing for this search intent

This is a topic-specific shortlist rather than the full catalogue. Each country opens a separate Relocation guide covering cities, population, religion, salary, living costs and the wider immigration context.