European citizenship is a legal status that grants individuals the rights and responsibilities of being a citizen of a European Union (EU) member state. It allows individuals to live, work, and study in any EU country, as well as to vote in European Parliament elections and stand for office in local and European elections. Additionally, EU citizens have the right to consular protection from any EU embassy or consulate when traveling outside the EU.
There are a number of ways to acquire European citizenship, including: being born to an EU citizen, marrying an EU citizen, or naturalizing after residing in an EU country for a certain period of time. The requirements for naturalization vary from country to country, but generally involve passing a citizenship test, demonstrating sufficient knowledge of the local language, and having a clean criminal record.