Guides for every country
The topics that come up whichever country you’re claiming through.
Guides
New to this? Start here
The whole process in plain English: citizenship and the passport, traveling home, the steps, the costs and what to expect.
Read the guide GuideWhat an EU passport lets you do
Live, work, study and retire in 31 countries, with no 90-day limit and no visas.
Read the guide GuideFinding your ancestor’s records
Free official archives first: births, emigration and naturalization records.
Read the guide GuideOrdering certificates
Where to order full birth, marriage and death certificates, with fees.
Read the guide GuideApostilles and translations
Which countries want them, where to get them, and what they cost.
Read the guide GuidePlain-English glossary
Apostille, jure sanguinis, Foreign Births Register and more, explained.
Read the glossary UpdatesWhat’s changed
Every recent change to the rules, newest first, with dates and sources.
See the changesA plain-English guide, not a legal opinion. Nationality laws can be amended at short notice, so confirm the details with the consulate or the official body before you send an application or pay anything. The full disclaimer.
Cousins and siblings may qualify as well
One ancestor can open the same door for a whole branch of the family, and you can split the cost of the certificates. Send them this page while it’s fresh in your mind.