Countries Around the World Where Obtaining Citizenship Is Easiest and Most Hassle-Free

There are more than 5 million Americans abroad, according to estimates from the Association of Americans Resident Overseas and that number may be increasing. A poll by Harris Insights and Analytics published in February revealed that about half of Americans surveyed wanted to explore gaining citizenship to another country and more than half believed their quality of life would improve outside of the U.S.   

American expatriate living consultant Ted Baumann said his phone has been “ringing off the hook” with inquiries. Political instability is the main concern. “I can tell you that the people I’ve spoken to run the gamut—from deep blue to the darkest red. It’s not the occupant of the White House that concerns them. It’s the increasing instability of the American political and economic system that’s got them worried,” he writes in his International Living blog. “The fact is, the United States is moving rapidly toward a place it’s never been. The scope and scale of the changes being pursued by the Trump administration have significant global implications, potentially reshaping the geopolitical landscape and prompting backlash at home and abroad.”

Getting a second passport is not easy though. Most citizenship programs by naturalization take years and plenty of paperwork. In some countries, however, it is possible to speed up the process through investment, so-called “golden visas,” or by proving descent. In other words, if you can prove your parents, grandparents, or sometimes great or great-great grandparents were citizens of another country, you may be entitled to citizenship too.

Dozens of countries offer so-called golden visas. President Donald Trump, for example, is considering a “Gold Card” visa program for those who want a faster pathway to U.S. citizenship. However, the amount of investment and speed of granting citizenship vary by country.

Nauru, the world’s smallest independent republic, has just begun offering one of the cheapest and fastest golden visa programs. It offers citizenship to anyone willing to commit at least $105,000 to its Higher Ground Initiative to combat climate change. This tiny South Pacific island is just 8 square miles, and rising seas threaten the population. To speed conservation efforts, Nauru promises to grant eligible applicants golden visas within three months, allowing dual citizenship without residency. Once accepted, naturalized Nauru citizens can fly to the island for their Oath of Allegiance or take it via video link. The immigration brochure says that in addition to citizenship, a Nauru passport allows visa-free travel to more than 80 countries, including the U.K., Ireland, Hong Kong, and Singapore. 

Other countries with similar golden visa programs include Turkey and Vanuatu, Nauru’s South Pacific neighbor listed as one of the top islands to live on. Vanuatu can issue citizenship in just 45 days with an investment of $130,000. Not everyone is happy about that, however. The EU canceled Vanuatu’s visa-free travel status over security concerns in its golden visa program.

Gaining citizenship by descent is more cost-effective but time-consuming. Applicants need to hunt down a lot of historic paperwork to prove that their ancestry entitles them to citizenship. Furthermore, each country has its own restrictions and limitations. Applicants to Czech, Spain, and Portugal for example, are limited to proving ancestry through parents or grandparents. Generational ties before that are ineligible. The process can also take months, sometimes years, to track down all the family documents needed to prove ancestry. Old passports, birth, death, and marriage certificates are just some of the required documents.

Italy ranks among the favorite escapes for American expatriates but for Gary and Ilene Modica the process took nearly 3 years. They dreamed of becoming Italian citizens but finding all the paperwork was a chore. “The process of obtaining Italian citizenship is not a fast process. You are looking at approximately 38 months to 7.5 years before you become accepted or rejected by the Italian Government,” wrote Gary in their blog Our Italian Journey. “You are probably asking the question ‘Is it worth it’? My answer is simply YES!!!”

Obtaining citizenship is not to be taken lightly. Citizens are granted benefits and privileges but also must uphold responsibilities and obligations, such as paying taxes. Singapore is ranked as having the most powerful passport in the world, for example, but citizenship for men also means completing a mandatory military or civil service requirement. So, consider the options and make sure you want to have that passport, before embarking on a long and bureaucratic journey.