Poland Who is eligible for Polish citizenship? Polish-native parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents' relatives are usually eligible for Polish citizenship through descent. Having at least one ancestor native to Poland (or one of its former territories) who lived there after 1920 is the minimal requirement for Polish citizenship. What’s the process of gaining Poland citizenship? Technically, Polish citizenship already applies to anyone who has ancestry there. However, verification would need to be done through an application or by proving your heritage to the Polish government and meeting specific eligibility requirements. Three methods can obtain Polish citizenship: As a birth descendant with a minimum of one parent being a Polish citizen, there are no conditions for birth in Poland or a foreign country. A child under 16 is adopted. Under the terms of Presidential granting. At the Polish president’s discretion, a foreigner can be granted citizenship without limitations. A separate application for this process is required. How is Polish citizenship confirmed? Located in Warsaw, citizenship can be confirmed upon application at the Citizenship Office. Translated into Polish, documents, forms, archival records, and essential information will be obtained. The Polish government will examine the application file thoroughly and request additional information as needed. A citizenship certification will be granted upon government satisfaction of eligibility. What’s the duration for obtaining Polish citizenship by descent? Sometimes, a year or more is required to obtain citizenship by descent. Acquiring Polish civil records certificates (such as birth and marriage) are secondary steps new citizens must take to apply for a passport. The jurisdictions vary between Polish residents and those applying for naturalization. Is having a Polish spouse a citizenship qualification? Individuals living in a foreign country whose spouses are Polish citizens of descent usually don’t qualify for citizenship. However, EU citizen spouses benefit from several rights equivalent to their citizen spouses. Non-Polish individuals who reside in Poland with their spouses follow different jurisdictions. Romania Who can apply for Romanian Citizenship by Descent? The qualifications to apply for Romanian Citizenship by Descent are: At any point in their lifetime, have at least one parent who was a Romanian citizen. At any point in their lifetime, any of the four grandparents was a Romanian citizen. At any point in their lifetime, any of the eight great-grandparents was a Romanian citizen who also lost their citizenship against their will. From birth, individuals are citizens of Romania if either parent is a Romanian citizen. Does my Romanian citizenship application impact my current citizenship? If the government recognizes you as an ancestral Romanian citizen, your current citizenship will not be negatively impacted if you live in the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, or Argentina. However, the closest Romanian Consulte should be used as a status reference for individuals who are citizens of any other country. What’s the generational limit to qualify? Individuals who lost their Romanian citizenship or their descendants up to grade II (such as children and grandchildren) can apply for the Romanian citizenship restoration process. For individuals residing in the old territories of Romania (Basarabia, Northern Bucovina), three generations are the limit for their descendants. As soon as first and second-ascendants acquire ancestral Romanian citizenship, third and fourth-generation individuals will also qualify for citizenship. Germany What counts as being a German Citizen by Descent? German citizenship eligibility is determined by family tree lineage. A few crucial questions that help determine this are: Which of my relatives was a German citizen? Which nationality laws were in place at the time of this ancestor's birth? For example, if you had two grandparents who moved to the US from Germany in the 1960s, your mother, who was born in the US (also born in wedlock to two German nationals), would automatically qualify for German citizenship and pass it on to you. How can I know if my ancestors were German? Three primary factors determine an individual’s qualification for German citizenship: Being born in or out of wedlock Their date of birth Whether the mother or father was a German citizen A wedlock-born child is considered a citizen of Germany in the following scenarios: Their date of birth is after Jan. 1, 1975, to a minimum of one German parent. Whether it is the mother or father is irrelevant. They were born to a German father before Jan. 1, 1975. A non-wedlock-born child qualifies for German citizenship in the following scenarios: Their date of birth is after Jan. 1, 1914, to a German mother. Their date of birth is after July 1, 1993, with either parent being a German national. Restoration of German Citizenship (Grounds of Gender Discrimination) Reclaiming German citizenship is available to the following individuals: Children who did not gain German citizenship but were born to a German parent. This would include wedlock-born children before 1975 to a German mother and foreign father. Before their births, they were children of a German mother who married a foreigner and relinquished her German nationality against her will. German women who married foreigners had to surrender their nationality before 1975. Children who lost their German citizenship after “legitimation” by their foreign father were entitled to it from birth. For example, a wedlock German mother passes on citizenship to her child at birth, and the mother marries the foreign father at some point after the delivery. Thus, the mother and child have to surrender their nationality. Descendants of the children as applicable to scenarios 1-3. Restoration of German Citizenship (Political, Racial, or Religious Grounds) German law allows the reclamation of citizenship due to political, racial, or religious reasons. This law applies to the following individuals: Jewish-German citizens were living abroad from January 30, 1933, and May 8, 1945, due to escape from Nazi persecution. Individuals were listed under the Reich Law Gazette (Reichsgesetzblatt), resulting in the stripping of their German citizenship. Descendants of individuals as applicable under 1 and 2.