Citizenship by descent
Your roots. Your passport.
If your parents, grandparents or great-grandparents came from Europe, you may already be a citizen on paper. We find the records, build the file and see it through, with fixed prices and researchers on the ground.
- Fixed, published prices
- Local researchers
- Licensed local attorneys
- Pay by milestone
An EU passport means
- Live, work and study in any of the 27 EU countries
- Pass it on to your children
- Keep your current citizenship
- Own property and retire in Europe with no visa
- Reconnect with your family's town and records
Where is your family from?
Each country has its own rules. Start with the one in your family tree.
Greek citizenship
Open: parents, grandparents and great-grandparents
- GenerationsUp to great-grandparents
- Language testNone for descent routes
- Government fees€0 to €340
Irish citizenship
Open: Irish-born parent or grandparent
- GenerationsGrandparent (great-grandparent in some cases)
- Language testNone
- Government fee€278 adult, €153 child
Polish citizenship
Open: no generation limit
- GenerationsNo limit
- Language testNone
- Government feeUSD 118 / GBP 88 / CAD 161 at consulates
How it works
- 1
Check eligibility
Answer a few questions online. A specialist reviews your family tree and confirms your route in a written Eligibility Report.
- 2
We find the records
Our researchers search registers and archives in the old country and order your US, Australian, Canadian or UK records.
- 3
We build the file
Long-form certificates, apostilles in the right order, certified translations, name-spelling corrections and every form, checked twice.
- 4
Submit, track, celebrate
We submit, follow up with the authorities and update your case portal until your passport appointment.
Free, 2 minutes
Do you qualify?
One checker for every country we cover, built on each country's nationality law, including the date and gender rules that decide which route applies.
- Parents, grandparents and great-grandparents
- Father's or mother's line
- Run it again for each country in your family tree
Step 1
Where was your ancestor from?
Pick one line. You can run the check again for each country in your family tree.
What makes us different
| RootPassport | Typical agency | |
|---|---|---|
| Published fixed prices | ✓ | ✕ |
| Researchers in the ancestral country | ✓ | Sometimes |
| Licensed local attorney named on your case | ✓ | Rarely shown |
| Online case portal with status updates | ✓ | ✕ |
| One checker for every country in your family tree | ✓ | ✕ |
| Pay by milestone, never all at once | ✓ | Varies |
Questions families ask
What is citizenship by descent?
Many countries pass citizenship from parent to child, wherever the child is born. If your ancestor held that citizenship and the chain was not broken, you may already be a citizen on paper. The process recognizes it rather than granting something new, so there is usually no language test or residence requirement.
Can I keep my current passport?
Greece, Ireland and Poland all allow dual citizenship, as do the US, Australia, Canada and the UK.
I have ancestors from more than one country. Which should I choose?
Run the checker for each line. Rules differ a lot: Ireland stops at grandparents, Poland has no generation limit, Greece goes to great-grandparents. Your Eligibility Report compares the options.
How do payments work?
40% when we start, 40% when your file is submitted and 20% when citizenship is confirmed. Government fees, apostilles and translations are passed through at cost.
Are you a law firm or a government agency?
Neither. RootPassport is a citizenship services company. Legal acts are carried out by independent, licensed local attorneys who are named on your case. We are not affiliated with any government.
Next step
Request your Eligibility Report
Tell us a little about your family. A citizenship specialist replies within one business day with what we need and a payment link for your report (€249, credited toward your package).
- Written route, timeline and total cost
- Which records exist and where
- Comparison if you have more than one ancestral country