Are you interested in moving to Europe to start a new life? Would you like a laid back lifestyle on a beautiful Greek island? Perhaps you'd like to live in cosmopolitan London or romantic Paris. EU citizenship affords you freedom to live, work and study in any of the 28 member countries of the Europe Union. As an EU citizen, you'll benefit from the same rights as your chosen country's residents. Additionally, depending on the country you select, you may be able to maintain your Australian citizenship too -- Australia allows dual nationality, but you'll need to check that the EU member country does too. Whatever you want to do in Europe, this guide will give you two ways to get EU citizenship.

Use Your Ancestors -- Jus Sanguinis

The principles of Jus sanguinis (Latin for right of blood) mean that you don't have to be born in a country to be considered a citizen. If one or both of your parents have/had citizenship, then you are potentially a citizen too. The exact rules will vary according to the country. For some countries, you'll simply need to make an application and follow a few steps to get your citizenship and passport.

If both of your parents were born in Australia, this route to EU citizenship is not necessarily closed. You may qualify for citizenship by having a grandparent or even a great-grandparent who was a citizen. This rule varies by country; migration agents will be able to tell you whether or not your ancestors were from countries that offer this option. They will also be able to tell you whether your ancestor's country allows dual nationality. Some countries may expect you to relinquish your Australian citizenship to become a citizen.

Invest in the Country of Your Choice

If you're fortunate enough to have money on your side, you could be very close to getting yourself an EU citizenship by investing in your chosen country. All EU countries will have routes to citizenship using investment. These routes are known as Golden Visas. They exist to encourage wealthy people to invest in new or established businesses or to buy real estate. If you're able to take this route, you'll find the price tag to obtain one of these golden visas will vary according to the financial prosperity of a country. An immigration expert will be able to tell you what the cost of investment will be for each European country and whether there are additional rules involved.