Citizenship by descent is a way to obtain a second passport by proving that you have a birthright. That means you can get second citizenship by showing that your parents, grandparents, or even greater grandparents are from the country in which you are trying to get citizenship. In this article, we are going to take a look at the procedure for obtaining citizenship by descent. 

It does not matter to which country you currently belong if you can prove that your parents, grandparents, or even greater grandparents are from the country where you are trying to get a second passport you are eligible for citizenship by descent. The process is usually straightforward however, it can be complex and can be easy that varies from country to country. Citizenship by descent is usually common in Europe but if you are an American you can get a second passport as well. Citizenship by descent allows you to have a second passport with all the perks the country offers that include traveling, working, and living in the country you are willing to get the second passport of. 

First step 

The first step is to determine if you are eligible for citizenship by descent. You need to ensure that you have the ancestry that leads to citizenship by descent. To know if you are eligible for citizenship by descent you should first talk to your relatives to know where they belong. If they are from the country you are trying to get a second passport you need to verify that. You need to know from where your family migrated. You also need to know if your parents or grandparents still hold or can claim citizenship from the country. 

After that, you should visit the consular site of the country you think your grandparents or parents migrated from. You need to determine the fact that how many generations back you can go to claim the birthright of the country. You also need to inquire if having parents and grandparents both are required from the country you are trying to get a second passport of or if having one is enough. After verifying that you need to know about the documents you need to have to claim citizenship by descent. 

Know that some countries allow you to have citizenship if your parents are from that country. Some countries even allow you to claim citizenship if your grandparents are from there and some even allow greater grandparents or even beyond that if you prove that you have the same bloodline. It varies from country to country. 

Second step 

Now you need to determine if the lineage is not broken meaning you have to be sure that your grandparents or parents have not lost the citizenship of the country by neutralization from another country. They do not have given up the nationality of the country they emigrated from. After determining that you need to know what kind of documents you need to have to obtain that citizenship. But first, you have to ensure that the citizenship can be passed or passed before you were born. If the bloodline is broken by giving up the nationality of the home country you cannot claim citizenship by descent from that country. 

Third step 

Once you know that you are eligible for citizenship by descent start gathering the required documents that include your birth certificate, marriage license, The birth certificate of your ancestors, and your current passport. After gathering all the required documents you need to get them translated into the language of the country that you are trying to get citizenship from.

Check out all the documents you need to have to claim citizenship by descent. Make a list of the required documents and follow the procedure according to the country you are trying to get a second passport. It means that you also need to provide the naturalization certificate if they ask for it. 

Fourth step 

After gathering all the documents submit them to the consulate of the country you are trying to get in. Now you have to wait for your turn to get the interview from the country’s consulate. The members of the consulate will verify your documents and take an interview with you to determine if you are eligible for a second passport. If everything goes smoothly you will get your second passport shortly after that. However, you need to know that the local consulate of the country you are trying to get a passport is overwhelmed with these types of applications so it can take months to years to get the appointment. So, get the appointment as soon as possible and meanwhile gather all the documents that are needed. You need to ensure that you have all the documents and they can be approved easily. To avoid rejection I highly recommend that keep your documents ready. 

Wrapping it up! 

I am going to conclude this article by saying that you can get second citizenship by descent if you are eligible for it. I have enlisted all the steps to ensure that you do not miss the chance to obtain a second citizenship. I have covered that you have to determine if you are eligible for citizenship by descent by proving that you have ancestry from the country you are trying to get a second passport. 

After that, you need to gather all the documents that are required by the country. You also need to determine that you have uninterrupted lineage meaning your ancestors have not denounced or lost the citizenship of the country from which you are trying for a second passport. 

Getting second citizenship by descent is the easiest and fastest option. In case your application gets denied you need to determine that there is nothing wrong with the documents you are provided and also you need to ensure that the lineage is not broken. These are the two main reasons usually for the application for citizenship by descent getting rejected. So, to avoid these issues follow the steps I provided in this article and I am sure that if you follow them you can claim citizenship by descent quite easily.