Birthright citizenship, or jus soli (“right of the soil”), grants automatic citizenship to individuals born within a country’s territory, regardless of their parents’ nationality. This policy varies widely across the globe—and understanding where it applies can shape decisions for families, dual nationals, and emigrants.

For many people exploring their European roots, ancestry citizenship is an incredible chance to turn heritage into opportunity. But not all European countries offer citizenship just because your great-grandparents hailed from there. While most of Europe follows some version of ancestry-based nationality, a select group of countries keeps their citizenship