All the possible ways to obtain an EU passport

European Union (EU) citizenship is automatically granted to anyone who is a national of an EU country. The Maastricht Treaty of 1992, also known as the Treaty on European Union, TEU, established EU citizenship at the same time as the creation of the EU.

EU citizenship is separate from national citizenship and provides additional rights and benefits, including participation in the democratic process. Some rights and benefits come from national law and may vary by country, while others come from EU law and are the same across all EU countries.

There are also other ways to become an EU citizen, including:

• naturalisation, which usually requires living and working in an EU country for a minimum number of years;

• marriage to an EU citizen;

• descent, if a parent or grandparent was a citizen;

• investment, with the requirements varying by country.

Where to get citizenship by investment?

Citizenship by descent is granted to descendants in the direct line. If a person’s parents, grandparents, and, in some cases, great-grandparents are or were citizens of an EU country, they can also acquire a passport of that state.

Citizenship by naturalisation allows third-country nationals who don’t have any ancestors in the country to obtain passports. To do so, the candidates need to prove that they have strong ties with the state.

Naturalisation is available to people who moved to an EU country to work or do business, are married to a country’s citizen, have received long-term medical treatment, or got resident permits as financially independent persons.

As a general rule, before applying for citizenship by naturalisation, foreign nationals first need to legally reside in the country for a set time — around 3—5 years, depending on the country.

Citizenship by naturalisation after investing. Investors who obtained their residency permits by investing in the country’s economy can also be naturalised. This EU citizenship path can take 1 to 10 years, depending on the country.

In Malta, for example, an investor can obtain citizenship by naturalisation for exceptional services by direct investment in 1 or 3 years.

Uncover the advantages of European citizenship and the fastest way to obtain an EU passport

All EU states provide citizenship to people born to families with at least one country’s national as a parent. If citizenship is not granted automatically, it can be obtained later.

Aside from that, most of the EU states also issue passports for grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the country’s nationals.

Naturalisation is the most common way for foreign nationals to obtain citizenship of an EU country. To be able to apply for naturalisation, one has to live in the country, have a residence permit, and prove one’s ties to the country.

Aside from that, the common requirements to obtain EU citizenship are usually to pass an exam on the national language or provide a language proficiency certificate. Some countries, like Austria and Greece, also require the candidate for naturalisation to pass an exam on the state’s history, culture, and political system.

Here are some common reasons to obtain a residency permit in an EU country.

Financial independence. Many EU states allow financially independent foreigners to obtain special residence permits. Such permits usually require applicants to have a passive or remote income exceeding a set threshold.

To move to Portugal as a financially independent person, one has to provide proof of income of at least €820 monthly. For Austria, the required income is much higher — around €2,000 above rent and other regular expenses.

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Marriage or family reunification. Spouses and direct family members can apply for citizenship by naturalisation. Typically, this path is faster than other types of naturalisation.

For example, foreign nationals who are married or live in a registered partnership with a citizen of Portugal will obtain their passport in 3 years instead of 5. In Spain, spouses of the country’s nationals can get naturalised after one year of residency, provided they spent it within the state.

Some countries put citizenship by marriage in a special category. For instance, when a person wants to obtain a passport of Malta after marrying a country’s national, they apply for citizenship by registration.

Employment. Being an employee of a company within the EU is another way to obtain residency. There are two work and residence permits available:

• a regular work permit for people with no special qualifications;

• a Blue Card — a work and residence permit for highly qualified professionals with higher education.

The difference between the permits is in the obtainment process and the minimum salary that is required to be mentioned in the contract. The Blue Card provides more benefits to its holder — for instance, they can leave the country for a maximum of 12 months. Meanwhile, residents with regular work permits can be absent for only 6 months.

Employees of countries based in EU states obtain citizenship under the country’s general naturalisation laws. For Austria, it’s 10 years; for Malta, it’s 7 years.

Business. Foreign nationals willing to invest in a business in the EU can also obtain residency. For instance, they can obtain a D2 visa to Portugal or invest in a business in Spain.

Like employees of companies in the EU, entrepreneurs obtain citizenship according to the general naturalisation rules.

There are no special programs for US citizens to obtain citizenship in an EU country. They can explore the same paths as every other non-EU citizen, including descent, naturalisation, and marriage.

The United States recognises dual citizenship, meaning that US nationals who want to obtain a passport from a second country do not have to choose between them.

The documents necessary to apply for citizenship in an EU country may differ depending on the path the applicant has taken to obtain it.

The most common documents required include the following:

• a valid passport or a national ID card;

• passport photos;

• a birth certificate;

• a marriage or divorce certificate;

• proof of a clean criminal record;

• proof of a clean medical record;

• proof of residence in the country for the period required for citizenship by naturalisation;

• birth and marriage certificates of ancestors who were EU citizens for citizenship by descent;

• proof of investment for citizenship by investment.

1. High quality of life. Eight of the top 10 countries with the highest quality of life are EU states. European countries boast high levels of security, good healthcare and education systems, and low pollution indicators.

A citizen of any EU state can change their residency to any other EU country with almost no paperwork. This makes it possible for investors to reside in countries with the highest quality of life.

For instance, if one obtains citizenship in Portugal, the 20th in the quality of life index, they can move with no restrictions to Switzerland, the 1st country by quality of life.

2. Visa-free travels. EU countries provide some of the strongest passports in the world. Depending on the country, its citizens can travel visa-free to 170—180+ countries. Citizens of the EU states can travel freely to other countries of the Union.

In addition, they can visit the USA with an eTA, a type of e-visa that takes around 20 minutes and $21 to obtain.

3. Access to social services. Citizens of an EU country can take advantage of all the social benefits it has to offer. This includes high-quality healthcare, free education, high pensions, public services, etc.

Citizens of the EU countries can take advantage of the European Health Insurance Card, which allows medical treatment in any other state within the Union.

4. High-quality education. Citizens of EU countries can study at any university within the Union. This includes some of the world’s best universities:

• ETH Zurich, Switzerland — the 7th university in the QS World University Ranking for 2025;

• Université PSL, France — the 24th best university;

• EPFL, Switzerland — the 26th best university.

5. Tax optimisation opportunities. Tax systems of EU countries can be beneficial to some investors. For example, Malta’s tax system is favourable to businesses — companies there can get a tax refund of up to 100%. In Italy, new tax residents can pay a flat global income tax of €200,000 per year for 15 years, regardless of their income amount.

6. Work and business opportunities. While some residency statuses do not allow their holder to work within the country, citizens are free to get employed with any company they want or start their own business. As an EU citizen, the paperwork for them will be much easier in comparison to such for foreign nationals.

7. Cultural and linguistic diversity. EU citizens can easily participate in cultural programmes and festivals across Europe, enhancing their understanding and appreciation of its varied heritage. There are 24 “official and working” languages across the EU to learn and use.