Am I eligible for an EU passport?
 

Both of my father's parents were born in the UK. I am a Canadian citizen.

How do I get one?

If I have one, does that mean that I can live permanently, or almost permanently, in any Eurpoean country? France would be my first choice and Portugal second.

Thanks for your help!

Hi C,

Have you called the UK embassy?

((I))

1. There's no more an "EU passport" than there's a "North American" passport.
2. You're not eligible for British citizenship.
3. You are probably eligible for a British ancestry visa whch gives you the right to live and work in Britain for five years. But since you'd rather live elsewhere that's no use to you.

UK Born Grandparent

It is not generally possible to claim citizenship through an UK born grandparent.

All British citizens are designated as "by descent" or "otherwise than by descent" and only the latter can pass on their status to children born overseas.

Therefore, if you and your parent(s) were born outside the UK and your grandparents born in the UK, your parent(s) will normally be British by descent and unable to pass on their status to you as the second generation born overseas. The following exceptions apply:
a person born overseas to a parent born in the UK is a citizen by descent. However, if they have lived in the UK for a continuous period of three years they can apply to the Home Office to register their children born overseas as British citizens while the child is under one year old. See British Citizenshipfor forms and fees.
a person born overseas before 01 Jan 1983 to a father who was in Crown Service at the time of their birth may have become a citizen otherwise than by descent on 01 Jan 1983 with the introduction of the British Nationality Act 1981. The father must have been recruited in the UK to serve the British government overseas. In these circumstances, citizenship can be passed on automatically to their children born overseas after 01 Jan 1983.
A child born overseas after 01 Jan1983 to a parent in Crown Service will be a citizen otherwise than by descent and able to pass on their status.

If one of your grantparents was born in Ireland (either in Northern Ireland or what is now the Republic), you may be eligible for Irish Passport, which will enable you to live anywhere in EU without limit. This is a time-consuming procedure and takes around 18 months before your name is inserted into the foreign birth register and thus you become an Irish citizen.
If all the grandparents were born in England, Scotland or Wales, you are only entitled to an ancestry visa. You then live and work continually in UK for 5 years, apply for settlement and then for naturalisation as British citizen. While you live in UK under ancestry visa, you can only visit other EU countries as a Canadian citizen, usually restricted to 3 months and no work allowed.