Ancestry searches are helping people obtain European passports.

Citizenship by descent is increasingly popular among Americans with European roots.

If you’ve ever taken an ancestry test like 23&Me and discovered a great-grandparent from Italy, Greece, Portugal, Poland, Germany, Spain, or another European country, you might be in luck. Citizenship by descent is a real pathway that allows people to obtain a second passport simply by proving their lineage.

In Italy, this principle is called jus sanguinis, literally “right of blood” and Italian Americans have increasingly pursued it as a way to secure an Italian passport. Many other countries across Europe and beyond offer similar opportunities.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, when many Americans felt their wings have been clipped, interest in alternative citizenship has surged. Even as restrictions lifted, people have continued seeking a “Plan B”, a second home, a new lifestyle abroad, or simply the flexibility to live and work internationally.

Rising inflation and political uncertainty have only added to this trend, with investors realizing their money can stretch much further in charming towns along the coast of Portugal or Greece. Over the past five years, the investment migration industry has experienced a significant boom — and it’s only growing more popular.