For one reason or another, Americans occasionally find themselves asking what steps are needed to become a citizen of another country. According to the American Bar Association, immigration lawyers in the U.S. are fielding a larger than usual number of questions about getting a second passport or obtaining permanent residency abroad.
America being the cultural melting pot it is, there are many countries its citizens can look to for inspiration.
- How do I get citizenship in another country?
The first step you should take is to contact the embassy or consulate of the country you’re eyeing to see if they offer dual citizenship.
As an example, Ireland and Italy have fairly easy benchmarks a person needs to meet to become a dual citizen.
- How do I get Irish citizenship?
Anyone with a grandparent who was born in Ireland is eligible for Irish citizenship. There are certain other conditions where the Irish authorities will grant citizenship as well, but ancestry is the most direct path.
However, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the processing time for these claims can take between 9 and 30 months as the Irish government conducts a thorough background check on the applicant.
After obtaining an Irish passport, you’ll have access to more than 150 other countries that don’t require a visa. Irish citizens can also go into European Union countries (and the United Kingdom) with only an ID card.
In the EU and Ireland, you’ll be eligible for residency and work freely.
There are some fees associated with getting an Irish passport, starting at 75 euros.
- How do I get Italian citizenship?
Family links are also the easiest way to get Italian citizenship.
Anyone under 18 with a parent who is an Italian citizen can get automatic citizenship. For adults, you can get Italian citizenship through a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent who is a citizen.
Italy will let you tap an even older ancestor under certain circumstances if that ancestor was born an Italian citizen or was eligible to become a citizen. Again, as with Ireland, applicants will have to provide documentation to prove their claim. Unlike Ireland, however, the process can take as few as six months.
Applications must be made in person at a consulate.
You can also obtain Italian citizenship through marriage or long-term residency.
As a country that is also in the European Union, Italian citizens also can live and work in other EU nations.
What other countries offer this type of pathway to citizenship?
Mexico has similar heritage-based citizenship requirements, but requires at least one parent to be a citizen. Germany, Austria, Spain, the Philippines and the United Kingdom have descent-based citizenship people can qualify for, too. Canada, however, does not.
There are even private companies — usually associated with investing — that can assist people in sorting out which countries they may be eligible to obtain citizenship.
- What if I don’t qualify for these programs?
Some countries offer “golden passports” to those who give a sizable donation or investment to that country. Italy, for example, has a five-year investment visa that starts around $275,000 dollars. After 10 years, those people can apply for citizenship.
Greece, Portugal, Malta and a number of Caribbean nations have similar programs that offer a permanent residency visa after buying a certain amount of real estate that can become pathways to citizenship after a set number of years.
Digital nomad visas are another option. Those allow people to live and work remotely in another country. They are typically valid for 12 months, with extension qualifications varying by country. As of now, 58 countries offer digital nomad visas, but the list has been growing in recent years.
In almost all of these situations, you’ll be required to obtain a private health insurance plan.
You can also travel abroad and renounce your U.S. citizenship and become “stateless” if you really, really want to get out of here.
