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Which Countries Offer Citizenship by Descent Through a Grandparent or Great-Grandparent?
Every country sets its own rules. Here's what each government's own pages say about claiming through a grandparent or great-grandparent.
| Country | Grandparent | Great-grandparent or earlier |
|---|---|---|
 Canada | Yes, in many cases | Possibly, if born before Dec 15, 2025 |
 Ireland | Yes, if the grandparent was born on the island of Ireland | No, not through a great-grandparent alone |
 Italy | Only if the grandparent held only Italian citizenship | No, under the 2025 rules (with limited exceptions for older applications) |
 Germany | Depends on each generation (see below) | Depends on each generation (see below) |
 Poland | Depends on each generation (see below) | Depends on each generation (see below) |
Canada
Bill C-3 took effect December 15, 2025. In most cases, people born outside Canada before that date to a Canadian parent are automatically citizens, including when the parent became Canadian because of the changes. For births on or after that date, a parent born abroad needs 1,095 days in Canada before the birth. Source: canada.ca See our article on great-grandchildren after Bill C-3.
Ireland
If you were born outside Ireland, you can become an Irish citizen through Foreign Birth Registration if one of your grandparents was born on the island of Ireland, or one of your parents was an Irish citizen when you were born. Source: dfa.ie The Irish government says there is no provision to become a citizen solely through an Irish-born great-grandparent. Source: Oireachtas, parliamentary answer, June 25, 2025
Italy
Decree-Law 36/2025, converted into Law 74/2025 (in force May 24, 2025), changed the rules. A person born abroad who holds another citizenship is now Italian by descent only in certain cases, including when a parent or grandparent held only Italian citizenship (or held only Italian citizenship at death), or a parent lived in Italy for two consecutive years after becoming Italian and before the child's birth. Applications submitted under the old rules by 11:59 PM Rome time on March 27, 2025 keep the old rules. Source: Consulate General of Italy, Boston Source: Consulate General of Italy, Los Angeles More in our Italy article.
Germany
German law says a child acquires German citizenship by birth if one parent is German. Source: German Nationality Act, section 4 There is a "generational cut-off": a child born abroad doesn't automatically become German if the German parent was born abroad after December 31, 1999, lives abroad, and the child gets another citizenship at birth, unless the birth is registered in Germany within one year. Source: German Federal Foreign Office Whether an earlier generation passed citizenship on depends on the rules in force at each birth, which we haven't summarized yet.
Poland
You can ask a voivode (provincial governor) to confirm that you hold Polish citizenship. If you live abroad, you can apply through a Polish consul. The application includes details about you, your parents and your grandparents. Source: gov.pl Many Polish citizens lost citizenship under older laws (1920, 1951 and 1962 acts), for example by acquiring another citizenship in certain situations, and that loss also extended to minor children in some cases. Source: gov.pl So whether a great-grandparent's citizenship reached you depends on every link in the chain.