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Italy vs Ireland Citizenship by Descent (2026)

If you have an Italian or Irish ancestor, descent can be the cheapest route to an EU passport — no investment, no residency. Italy tightened its rules in 2025; Ireland still reaches back to a grandparent. Here's how they compare.

ItalyIreland
TypeCitizenship by descentCitizenship by descent
StatusOpenOpen
Fromsee requirementssee requirements
Time to status12–36 months9–24 months
Physical presence0 days / year0 days / year
Leads tocitizenshipcitizenship
Last verified2026-06-162026-06-16

At a glance

Cheapest
Italy
see requirements
Fastest
Ireland
9–24 months
Least presence
Italy
0 days / year

Picked automatically from the sourced figures above. “Best” depends on your goal — run the Finder to weigh them for you.

The programs in detail

Italy

Citizenship by descent · leads to citizenship

see requirements
from

Ireland

Citizenship by descent · leads to citizenship

see requirements
from

See which routes are worth checking for you

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