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Nationality laws based on "right of blood" allow you to obtain citizenship through ancestry.
• The US does not prohibit dual nationality - which means Americans are mostly free to apply for citizenship with other countries.
• Most citizenship application processes can be intensive, expensive, and time-consuming.
• But some nations have policies that actually make it easier to obtain citizenship than others.
It's official. I'm an Irish citizen.
I've lived in the US my entire life and I haven't left the States for some time. But Ireland's nationality laws are based on "jus sanguinus" - Latin for "right of blood." And, unlike many countries, Ireland's rules apply not only to the children of Irish citizens who were born in Ireland, but to their grandchildren as well.
My maternal grandparents immigrated to the US from Dublin and Westmeath decades ago. My sisters, mother, and I spent a few months researching the application process and assembling the necessary documents. We just recently heard back that our applications were successful.
Applying for citizenship in many countries can be an intensive, expensive, and time-consuming undertaking. But snagging citizenship status is easier in some countries than others.
In the US, individuals interested in becoming an American citizen must hold a green card for five years and go through a 10-step naturalization process.
On the other end of the spectrum, Ireland is one of several countries with extensive "jus sanguinus" policies that make it relatively simple for some people to win the citizenship lottery. Other countries offer a simplified or brief application process, in order to attract entrepreneurs.
Here's a roundup of some countries that make it easier to obtain citizenship: