Citizenship by descent is a means whereby an individual is eligible to claim citizenship if his/her parents, grandparents, or sometimes even great-grandparents hail from a given country. The person who’s applying for CBD will have to provide proof of his/her bloodline to the government to qualify.

CBD is the cheapest way to obtain citizenship in the world. While other ways involve investing a huge sum of money – six or seven figures – or living in a country for five or even ten years before qualifying for naturalization, CBD is the most cost-effective solution.

The process consists of a few steps. First, you will need to find out as much about your family and bloodline as possible. Then, you will need to gather all the documents that would prove your eligibility to apply for a country’s citizenship due to your ancestry. Finally, you will wait to hear whether you’ve been granted citizenship, if additional documents have been requested, or if your application has been rejected.

Many Americans are in quite a favorable situation as CBD applicants because they have varied bloodlines that can usually be traced back to a European country (or two). The application process is the same as for all other nationals: trace your bloodline to make sure you’re eligible to apply, then put the documents together and actually apply. After that, it’s a waiting game to see if your citizenship application has been approved.

CBD timelines are all over the place. In countries that have a more straightforward system, such as the Irish citizenship by descent program, its Irish citizenship application process will take 6-12 months. In different countries that are more prone to bureaucratic tangles or are strict in enforcing their eligibility criteria, it can take up to two years.

No. No country in the world will accept a DNA test, much less an at-home DNA test, as proof of your ancestry when it comes to issuing citizenship. You will have to provide a document trail that clearly demonstrates how you’re related to your ancestors and where their bloodline can be traced back to.

Yes. There are many different ways to get citizenship, and ancestry is not the only one. You can also get citizenship by investment, naturalization (living in a country long enough to become eligible for its passport), or by circumstance (birth, adoption, marriage, and adoption of religion). Each of these methods will take different amounts of time and money, but the final result will be the same – a second passport.