How Some Americans May Be Able To Score An EU Passport And Citizenship

Some United States citizens no longer feel like the "American Dream" is possible. At least not in America. Instead, they're seeking citizenship in Europe. Many people feel as though the United States is becoming increasingly unstable and that the quality of life is rapidly declining. In the U.S., people suffer from social inequality and a high cost of living. It is difficult for many people to afford basic healthcare. The Trump Administration has expressed the desire to eradicate the Department of Education, which makes families with small children worry about their future educations and opportunities. Political corruption and distrust in the government has caused increasing concerns about the state of democracy. Other challenges Americans face include gun violence, fears about job security, cultural divisions, and the climate crisis.

Unlike many European nations, the United States lacks certain social safety nets and government programs for people to fall back on. As global tensions rise, many Americans dream of pursuing a better quality of life overseas — or at least the ability to afford lifesaving medical care without going bankrupt.

In late 2025, a Gallup poll reported that one out of every five Americans would like to leave the United States and live in another country. The same data was reported in 2024. Of women between ages 15 and 44, 40% claim they would permanently relocate to another country if they could. Recent data has shown that record numbers of people from the United States are pursuing citizenship in EU countries. Bloomberg recently referred to the phenomenon as the "Great Continental Drift." Meanwhile, some countries in the European Union are making it more challenging for foreigners to gain citizenship. However, there's at least one potential option for some who wish to pursue EU passports and citizenship: it's called citizenship by descent.

If you have an ancestor who immigrated to the United States from Europe, you might be able to score an EU passport and citizenship. Citizenship by descent is one of the easiest pathways for people from the United States to obtain an EU passport. Acquiring EU citizenship allows you to travel between or live within any of the 27 countries in the European Union. 

The United States is a country made up of immigrants, and unless you're part of the very small percentage of the population that is either American Indian or Alaska Native, your ancestors migrated from elsewhere. When it comes to applying for EU citizenship, what matters is when they moved to the United States and precisely where they were from. In Ireland, which is one of the most friendly European destinations, you can apply for citizenship if your parent or grandparent was born in Ireland. In order to obtain Italian "blood right" citizenship, "applicants must prove that their Italian-born ancestor did not obtain any additional citizenship (U.S. or other) before the foreign-born child's attainment of legal adulthood," according to the Consolato Generale d'Italia a Los Angeles website. To become a citizen of Poland, all you need is "one Polish parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent who was a Polish citizen post-1920," according to the Polish Dual Citizenship website.

Other countries that allow opportunities to obtain citizenship by descent include Portugal, Spain, France, Greece, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Malta, and the Czech Republic. In many cases, it's easiest to go this route if you have a parent who was a citizen of their home country at the time of your birth. Proper documentation is required, and each country has its own rules and qualifiers. Looking into this option is definitely worth it for aspiring expats with recent ancestors from Europe.

If you don't qualify for citizenship by descent, you still have a few options. Naturalization is one of the most common pathways to citizenship, but it isn't easy. Naturalization involves living legally in a foreign country for a period of time and then applying for citizenship.

If your career is in high-demand, this may be a good route to take. You can apply for jobs in other countries and apply for a work visa to stay for an extended period of time. Tourist visas often require that you move on after a few months, while digital nomad visas may allow you to stay longer. After living and working in a European country for a time, you can apply for citizenship. In order to be approved you may have to take tests to show that you speak the local language and understand the country's history and culture. You'll likely have to prove that you've been paying your taxes as well.

If you're someone who has accumulated or inherited significant wealth, and you're willing to invest it in certain EU countries, obtaining citizenship and a passport without residing in the country full-time is a possibility. Portugal has one of the most popular "Golden Visa" programs, but the residency requirement to obtain citizenship just changed from five years to ten years. Applicants are required to donate €250,000 to qualifying organizations or invest €500,000, but they don't have to live in Portugal full time. For the first two years, applicants must spend at least 14 days in Portugal. For the remaining years they must visit for at least 21 days. Other European nations offer similar visas, but they're somewhat controversial and the rules change frequently.