What an ancestry assessment checks
Family ancestry, an ancestor’s citizenship and their birthplace are different facts. We first examine documents and the links between generations, then assess the relevant procedure. A surname or family story alone does not replace the evidence an authority requires. Your current nationality and residence also help determine the appropriate application route.
Countries covered
Hungary
Simplified naturalisation involves checking an ancestor’s Hungarian citizenship or Hungarian origin, knowledge of Hungarian and other conditions, including criminal-record and security requirements. Consular guidance requires an application in person and the ability to communicate in Hungarian; the documents must establish the link to the ancestor. A document review does not replace language preparation.
Romania
Articles 10 and 11 must be distinguished. Article 10 covers former citizens and descendants through the second degree; Article 11 concerns citizenship lost for reasons beyond the person’s control or against their will and descendants through the third degree. For Article 11, the official checklist provides for a language certificate at B1 or above, or a certified academic transcript showing at least three years of study in Romanian at an upper-secondary school or university in the country of citizenship or residence. Exemptions cover former Romanian citizens reacquiring citizenship under this article and applicants aged 65 or older when applying. We check applicability and transitional deadlines for the particular case.
Poland
The Pole’s Card does not automatically confer citizenship. One recognition route in the Ministry’s guidance requires at least one year of uninterrupted residence in Poland under a permanent residence permit granted on the basis of Polish origin or the Pole’s Card. This procedure also requires officially documented Polish at B1 or above and compliance with the other statutory conditions. Recognition as a citizen is distinct from confirming citizenship already held.
Bulgaria
Official consular requirements for citizenship based on Bulgarian origin call for documents establishing a relationship to a direct ancestor of Bulgarian origin through the third degree. We assess not only whether a record exists but also how the documents connect each generation, the applicable legal basis and the receiving authority’s current checklist.
How we work
- You gather available certificates, archival extracts and records of name changes.
- We map the family line and identify gaps or inconsistencies.
- We assess the relevant grounds and requirements for proving ancestry.
- We prepare a written assessment: what is evidenced, what is missing and which requests are needed.
- Further archival searches, translation, certification and application support are agreed separately.
Outcome and price
The ancestry assessment starts at €500. You receive a review of your existing documents and a plan for further checks; the assessment fee does not cover the entire citizenship process. Additional archival requests and document preparation are agreed separately.
The assessment may conclude that the evidence does not establish a sufficient basis. We do not guarantee that records will be found or citizenship granted. We agree the assessment timeframe after receiving your initial documents; archive response times and government processing are separate.
What to provide initially
Useful starting information includes births, marriages and name changes along the relevant family line, your ancestors’ possible citizenship and where records may be held. Do not order translations and apostilles for the entire family archive before identifying a suitable procedure and its requirements.