For the better part of a decade, I have been tracking how many people in the United States acquire European citizenship through ancestry each year. It started with Luxembourg — a country smaller than Rhode Island, where I hold dual citizenship and where my company, LuxCitizenship, has helped more than
Platform data from Citizenship.EU reveals the European ancestry citizenship pathways that draw the most American interest—and the eligibility results that complicate the picture. European citizenship by descent has become one of the most discussed topics among Americans exploring life abroad. Driven by political uncertainty, remote work flexibility, and a broader
On March 12, 2026, the Court of Justice of the European Union issued a landmark ruling that reframes how EU member states must handle legal gender recognition for their citizens. The case, C-43/24 Shipova, had been working through the courts since 2017. Its outcome now affects millions of transgender EU
Italy’s first constitutional court hearing on the country’s 2025 citizenship reforms has found the law legal. Learn what this means for citizenship applicants.
Franco-Era Spanish descendants have long had a complicated relationship with the Spanish citizenship process. Previously, only children of those who were Spanish citizens at the time of their birth qualified. In 2007, the Historical Memory Law granted a pathway to children of Franco-era victims. And in 2022, the Democratic Memory
In an ongoing process of amending Portuguese citizenship law, October 2025 saw Parliament vote to approve amendments that would reset the Portuguese citizenship timeline to seven years for Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) citizens and EU Member states and ten years for all other nationalities. Following this October 24
Spain’s Democratic Memory Law (Ley de Memoria Democrática) came into force in October 2022. The law, which is closely connected to Spain’s Historical Memory Law and faced strong opposition from Spain’s right, was part of an attempt to honor the victims of the Franco dictatorship and do away with what
For the first time since the Henley Passport Index was established in 2006, the U.S. passport has dropped out of the world’s top ten. This guide explains why, what it means, and what you should do next.
On October 13, 2025, Italy’s Chamber of Deputies approved a comprehensive reform bill that fundamentally restructures how consular services operate worldwide. The legislation, formally known as Bill A.C. 2369-A (“Disposizioni per la revisione dei servizi per i cittadini e le imprese all’estero”), passed with 144 votes in favor, 87 against,
Italy’s highest civil court is preparing to issue what could be a landmark decision affecting millions of Italian descendants worldwide, thus affecting Italian citizenship by descent cases and applicants pursuing Jure Sanguinis, or Italian dual citizenship under Italian citizenship law. On January 13, 2026, at 10:00 AM, the United Sections
Portugal’s Socialist Party filed comprehensive amendments to the government’s citizenship reform proposal on October 17, 2025, establishing a three-tier framework that would create a seven-year naturalization timeline for most foreign residents while providing extensive protections for existing Golden Visa investors from retroactive rule changes. The 13-page legislative package represents the
Italy’s government is moving to increase the special flat tax for wealthy foreign residents from €200,000 to €300,000 annually, marking the second hike in just over a year. The measure, currently in the proposal phase ofthe 2026 Budget Law, comes as Italy has emerged as the third most popular destination
For transgender individuals considering a move to Europe, access to high-quality transgender health and gender-affirming health care is a key factor in choosing where to live. While medical standards vary across the continent, certain cities and countries stand out for their exceptional Transgender Health Services, whether for gender-affirming surgeries, hormone
While European countries like Ireland and Italy are well-known for their ancestry-based citizenship programs – such as Irish citizenship and Italian citizenship – a growing number of nations across Africa, Asia, and the Americas are opening their doors to descendants seeking to reconnect with their heritage. These ancestry citizenship programs
Andorra’s government intends to open limited ancestry-based citizenship in this country known for its very strict nationality policies. Learn more about the May 2025 parliamentary bill.
Are you a Spanish descendant and interested in obtaining Spanish citizenship? The Democratic Memory Law, which has had over 680,000 applications since its inception, will close on October 22, 2025. Don’t miss this opportunity!
For international couples moving to the EU, Denmark’s 4-day residency requirement for marriage can be a life saver from complex residency rules in other EU countries.
Austria’s government has released its naturalizations statistics for the first half of 2025, showing a continued increase in applications for Austrian Citizenship by Descent.
United States-born Pope Leo XIV is without a doubt 2025’s most well known new dual citizen. Learn about his vatican citizenship and possible dual taxation with the United States.
Final Constitutional court ruling validates century-old citizenship principle while clarifying it does not address new restrictions In a landmark decision that provides crucial legal validation for Italian citizenship by descent, Italy’s Constitutional Court has decisively rejected challenges to the historical jure sanguinis system. On July 31, 2025, the court issued
The controversial Tajani Decree faces its first major legal challenge as a Turin court refers constitutional questions to Italy’s highest court. In a landmark decision that could reshape the future of Italian citizenship by descent (jure sanguinis), the Court of Turin has formally challenged the constitutionality of the controversial new
Italy dual citizenship reform has officially been enacted as the most significant citizenship reform in decades, with Law 74/2025 (Legge n. 74/2025) coming into force on May 24, 2025 after President Sergio Mattarella’s signature. The legislation, which converts the controversial Decree-Law 36/2025 (known as the “Tajani Decree”) into permanent law,