What Countries Allow Dual Citizenship?

Are you looking for Plan B and an escape hatch and hoping to get a second passport for it to become possible? The chances are, you are already considering your options and trying to select the best host jurisdiction to get your second passport. You should know what countries do not allow dual citizenship, so that you won’t lose your precious time. We are listing the countries below that do not recognize bipatrism. We will provide you with the list of countries  that allow foreigners to get their second passports under a simplified procedure. Finish reading the article and contact International Wealth experts to get answers to all your questions.

Many rational and forward-thinking people have thoughts about getting a second passport as they realize how unstable our world is. Having just one citizenship and no second passport, even if it is granted by the most respected, prestigious, and affluent jurisdiction, rather limits your freedom than expands it.

Jim Rogers (a well-known financier, a billionaire, one of the most influential investors in the world, the designer of the RICI commodity index, a graduate of Yale and Oxford, and a professor of Columbia University Business School) said that it would be insane to have only one passport these days, if you are a high net worth individual. The way things have been developing recently shows that Jim Rogers is right on the money.

For some, having just one passport is like trying to pull a heavy weight with just a rope. Sad to say, our environment and obstacles on the way resulting from the actions of rope (i.e., passport) producers don’t let us enjoy the fact that we are saving our valuable goods. A holder of a second passport or even several foreign passports is more independent of government resolutions and other circumstances in their country of birth. 

Whatever your home county is, you shouldn’t think that you are as snug as a bug in a rug with its passport. Such rich and powerful nations as the UK and the USA have been known to strip their subjects of citizenship on some false allegations. A stateless person is a rightless person: they have no legal right to live in the country but are unable to get away either since they have no necessary documents. What if you need to leave your country, and it’s a matter of agency? Your close relative may pass away, you may need to receive a particular treatment available abroad only, or be evacuated in case of an emergency or a natural disaster.

If you don’t have a second passport, you may run a risk of dying even in some everyday situations, let alone terrorist attacks, where the traveler’s jurisdiction is actively fighting terrorism.

Security issues have always been a matter of primary importance. Terrorists may target American citizens in any corner of the world. Russian citizens may also be subject to various unpleasant surprises, especially considering the latest developments in global politics. It makes sense to consider a possibility of getting a second passport to avoid this. The following options are available to those willing to get a second passport:

• Lengthy naturalization, that provides for being a permanent resident of your potential new home country
• Marriage to a foreign citizen (this speeds the naturalization procedure under normal circumstances)
• Military service in a host country
• Proven fact of your ancestors’ foreign origin (these are most often parents, but proof of your grandparent’s or even great-grandparent’s foreign origin may be allowed as well)
• Large investment in the host country’s economy (also known as Foreign citizenship by investment)
• Special merit for the global society or potential new home country (it is of essence for distinguished scholars, cultural figures, or sportsmen).

Some states have unique requirements to foreigners they offer second passports to. Many jurisdictions do not allow bipatrism. The good thing is, their number is never high. It is advisable to sieve them away at the earliest selection stages, so that you won’t waste your time and effort.

Countries that you see in red, do not allow dual citizenship, while those in orange do.

The vital question is, what countries do not allow dual citizenship and second passports. Below you will find the list of such states and destinations. It is for good reason that we do not list the states, whose citizenship is not advisable for many reasons. Their passports may be of low value (too few visa-free destinations available), or they may have high levels of poverty, long-running military involvement, or high crime rates.

Countries that DON’T ALLOW dual citizenship and second passports

•  Austria: This country technically does not allow double citizenship and second passports. It is possible to get your Austrian dual citizen passport in an exclusive way. You may partake in a special program for high-wealth foreigners, allowing them to become a citizen of Austria by investment of several million USD. Such investors may keep their home country passports. One more requirement for high-wealth individuals is that they shall be recommended to the government by a high-rank Austrian official. This means, this option is only available for the selected few. Austria does not allow dual citizenship and only offers citizenship by investment to the upper crust. The law still provides for several exceptions for persons listed below:

• Children, with one parent an Austrian citizen and the other one – a foreign national
• Naturalized persons, who are legally not allowed to renounce their original citizenship
• Children, with citizenship by birth in some other country (the USA, for instance).
• Foreign professors, with a citizen of honor status in Austria.

• Andorra: This European country does not allow double citizenship. The citizens of Andorra that take the citizenship of another country, lose the one of Andorra. If this does not scare you, and you are willing to get a passport in Andorra, you may do it. Lots of patience is all you need. A foreigner may technically become a citizen of Andorra, if they have lived in the host country for at least 20 years. If the applicant is a student of a local educational institution with an official local language certificate, the naturalization period will be twice as short. The International Wealth experts will be glad to assist you with your Residence Permit by Investment in Andorra, so that you could proceed with your naturalization in the country. 
• Bahrain: This tiny jurisdiction in the Middle East has been long issuing passports to foreigners who contributed a lot to improving the country’s international image, developing its culture and arts, as well as science and sports. Bahrain does not officially allow dual citizenship.
• Germany: With several exceptions, the laws of Germany do not provide for double citizenship. The few exceptions include children born in international marriages (with one parent being a German citizen, and the other one – a foreign national). A child born to such parents will become a dual citizen at birth, as provided for by the law on descent and ancestry. Ethnic returnee Germans and their family members may receive their ID documents in Germany by getting an immigration certificate. It is not necessary for them to renounce their original citizenship. Germany DOES NOT ALLOW dual citizenship with naturalization, except where the country of birth does not permit a newly coined German to renounce their citizenship. EU and Swiss citizens may keep their original passports and become German citizens through naturalization.
• India: Due to the conservative views of the Indian government, India does not allow dual citizenship. Local authorities introduced a new program, Overseas Citizenship of India or OCI for short. This program makes it possible to retain the connection with their home country for those persons of Indian origin who left the country and acquired foreign citizenship. Unlike with regular Indian citizenship, persons who became Indian citizens under OCI have no voting rights and may not be elected to any Indian government bodies. Overseas citizens of India enjoy the right for a multiple entry to India and an unlimited residence permit.
• Indonesia: The country’s government does not allow dual citizenship, except for any persons under 18. To keep both their citizenships, dual citizens of Indonesia that haven’t chosen their citizenship yet, shall get a special affidavit by the said age. When they turn 21, such dual citizens will have to either decide in favor of just one option, or lose their Indonesian passport.
• China: The country does not allow dual citizenship, yet many Chinese citizens turn to investment immigration programs to get their foreign IDs. The latter will grant them an opportunity to travel the world visa-free, expand their business globally, and a lot more. Although double citizenship is technically prohibited in China, no grave penalties apply for any violations.
• Lithuania: Lithuania grants citizenship to foreigners with Lithuanian roots. The local legislation obliges applicants to renounce any other citizenships to be admitted to the citizenship of Lithuania.
• Luxembourg: The passport of Luxembourg is valuable and prestigious. This country does not allow dual citizenship yet, and this is seen as a major obstacle by many potential applicants.
• Malaysia: Several investment immigration programs in Malaysia grant residence permits to foreigners under a simplified procedure. This country does not allow double citizenship, and when admitted to citizenship therein, you will have to refuse any foreign passports and IDs.
• Netherlands: With several exceptions, the Kingdom of the Netherlands does not allow bipatrism. It still recognizes dual citizenship for persons who get their foreign passports automatically upon marriage or at birth.
• Norway: This country does not allow dual citizenship for persons that get their Norwegian citizenship through naturalization. Certain exceptions are possible for nationals that may not denounce the original citizenship, as it is prohibited by the laws of their jurisdiction of origin or birth.
• United Arab Emirates: The only way to get a second passport in the UAE is to be born from a citizen of the UAE (father) and a foreign mother. The child inherits citizenship of both their parents. No other exceptions are provided for by the laws of this Middle Eastern country.
• Poland: The country technically does not allow dual citizenship, although bipatrism is allowed in real life. A Polish citizen may not hold themselves out as a foreigner when dealing with Polish authorities.
• Salvador: Persons born in Salvador into a family of the Salvadorans have the right for dual citizenship. They may be naturalized abroad. Naturalization may not serve as a basis for dual citizenship in case of foreigners.
• Saudi Arabia: The laws of this Middle Eastern country do not provide for dual citizenship, with no exceptions possible. Children born to Saudi Arabian fathers become citizens of Saudi Arabia at birth, regardless of the birthplace. Women in Saudi Arabia do not have the right to pass their citizenship to children, and the children take up their father’s citizenship.
• Singapore: The official position of the Singaporean government is that the country does not allow dual citizenship, with children being the only exception. A baby, born to a Singaporean parent and a foreign parent, becomes a dual citizen at birth. Such children shall still renounce their foreign passports when they turn 18.
• Thailand: The laws of Thailand are considered to be among the most stringent in the world. This also applies to dual citizenship. The country does not allow it, and no exceptions are provided for.
• Tanzania: The Tanzanians have no right for dual citizenship. The only exception are women who get a second passport upon marriage to a foreigner.
• Ukraine: The country does not allow dual citizenship. Some Ukrainians try to hide the fact that they hold passports of several states. This may result in serious issues for a passport holder, as their allegiance to the flag is brought into question.
• Montenegro: Montenegro and Serbia held negotiations to allow dual citizenship for their nationals. As of today, Montenegro does not recognize it. The only exception is made for investors under Citizenship of Montenegro by investment program brought into force in 2019. The above program makes it possible for investors to keep their original citizenship while getting the one of Montenegro.
• Sri Lanka: This island country has complex citizenship laws. Sri Lanka does not allow dual citizenship. People born and raised in Sri Lanka who lost their citizenship after getting a foreign passport have the right to apply for the citizenship of Sri Lanka again under some particular circumstances. The applicant shall speak to the head of the Ministry in charge of this. The Minister then either approves or rejects the application at their own discretion.
• Estonia: The country technically does not allow dual citizenship. It does not prevent many Estonians from having second passports. Such second passport is typically a Russian one. The bureaucratic system of Estonia is so complex that the government does not always check whether its naturalized persons have any foreign identification documents. If you become naturalized in Estonia and get a second passport later on, you will lose Estonian citizenship. Estonians by birth may not lose Estonian citizenship, even if they receive a foreign passport.
• Japan: The laws of Japan are rather stringent, as regards bipatrism. A citizen of Japan may hold a passport in Japan only. The government makes children with dual citizenship choose one passport they would like to keep when they turn 18.

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Countries that ALLOW dual citizenship and offer an opportunity to obtain a second passport

We’ve listed the countries that don’t allow dual citizenship. Let’s analyze the states that provide an opportunity for their citizens to hold second passports and offer relatively easy terms to get them. We will name these countries one by one below.

• Australia. It is possible to acquire a second passport of Australia, and the bureaucratic procedures involved are highly efficient. The country allows dual citizenship. You can keep building up your collection of passports when you become a citizen of Australia, as the local authorities do not mind their citizens acquiring foreign citizenship by naturalization, marriage, or investment. 
• Bangladesh. The country does not have anything against dual citizenship. If you have not had criminal convictions for five years prior to applying for citizenship of Bangladesh, you will qualify. The authorities of the country allow its citizens to hold foreign passports. Once you receive your citizen status, it is next to impossible to lose it. Bangladesh does not renounce its citizens, even if the latter receive extra foreign passports.
• Barbados. You may acquire second citizenship of Barbados by naturalization if you have lived on the island for five years. New dual citizens have the right to keep their original passport and receive new ones.
• Belgium. No other European country will grant you second citizenship by naturalization faster than Belgium. You have to live in the country for 3 years only or demonstrate your ‘close ties’ with it and qualify for Belgian citizenship. Dual citizenship has been allowed in the country since 2008.
• Great Britain. For over 65 years, the British Queen’s subjects have been allowed to be dual citizens. If you hold a passport of an overseas territory such as Anguilla, and you apply for citizenship of a third country (that is not Great Britain or any overseas territory), your application for a British passport may be rejected.
• Hungary. Hungary used to offer residence permits by investment to foreigners, and it made speedy naturalization possible. Hungary allowed dual citizenship to take on investors. Legal residence in Hungary may lead to full citizenship of the country. Nowadays, foreigners may apply for a Hungarian passport on grounds of their origin. Such applicants need to prove they have Hungarian ancestors to get their passport.
• Greece. The country allows dual citizenship and lets foreigners get their identification documents in Greece after the expiry of a 7-year naturalization period. The latter starts after the applicant has received their citizen by investment status.
• Egypt. This African country allows dual citizenship, but imposes certain restrictions on holders of multiple passports. First, you are obliged to inform the Egyptian authorities about obtaining a second passport. Second, you must vocally pronounce your desire to keep the Egyptian passport when you become a citizen of a foreign state. Third, persons with dual citizenship are barred from military and police services, and they may not run for seats in the Parliament. Egypt offers an investment immigration scheme simplifying residence and naturalization procedures. 
• Israel. Israel welcomes Jews from all over the world, letting them use a simplified procedure to get Israeli passports, and many newcomers seize the opportunity. You shouldn’t forget about political tensions, though, including many Gaza Strip related controversies and other complicated issues of the Middle Eastern politics. 
• Ireland. This island state has a highly popular origin-based second passport program. You may apply for the citizenship of Ireland if your ancestors were Irish. Irish citizenship brings a number of considerable benefits with it, and Irish passport holders greatly outnumber the residents of the country these days. 
• Iceland.  In 2003, the country’s authorities decided they were OK with their citizens holding foreign passports. Those new Icelanders who had to renounce their home countries’ citizenship when acquiring passports of Iceland were given a chance to restore the original citizenship.
• Spain. The country allows dual citizenship, and offers beneficial terms for certain categories of second passport applicants. The lucky ones are those from Latin American states, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, and Portugal. All other applicants shall denounce their original citizenship. The limitation is partially offset by the possibility to become a citizen by investment. Under the laws of Spain, its citizens shall inform the government of their new citizenship and passport within 3 years after the corresponding passport has been issued.
• Italy. This European country allows dual citizenship and offers the citizenship by investment program to those foreigners who are ready to go through the naturalization procedure. The country’s authorities also grant citizenship to the descendants of Italians living in another countries.
• Canada. This North American jurisdiction welcomes immigrants from all over the world, and its naturalization and immigration programs have no rivals. Quotas for each region exist, but the country is very comfortable to live in. Dual citizenship is allowed in Canada, and residence permits may be issued for businessmen planning to start a traditional company or a start-up in Canada. 
• Cyprus. The island state in the Mediterranean also permits dual citizenship. Until November 2020, Cyprus had a citizenship-by-investment program that enjoyed great popularity in the world, but it has been suspended. As of today, only residency by investment program is available in Cyprus, with an opportunity of naturalization in the future.
• Latvia. Under pressure from the EU authorities, Latvia has granted its citizens the permission to hold foreign passports. These have to be passports of EU or NATO member states. Foreigners may use the Latvian investment immigration program that makes it possible to get your residence permit in a short time.
• Malta. The Republic of Malta allows dual citizenship for both its native-born citizens and newly naturalized ones, as the country administers the citizenship-by-investment program. It is the most expensive European program available at the moment, but the Maltese passport is a very strong travel document.
• Mexico. The country allows dual citizenship, and naturalization procedures are comparatively easy therein. As a first step, it is enough to get your residence permit by investment in Mexico. A person born to Mexican parents anywhere in the world will be considered a citizen of Mexico by default. They may hold passports of other countries, but enter and leave Mexico with the Mexican passport only.
• Peru. As provided for under the Peruvian legislation, citizens of the other Latin American states as well as Spain may become naturalized Peruvians while keeping their original passports. In the real world, foreigners from other countries are also allowed to have dual citizenship.
• Portugal. Foreigners have the right to invest in the economy of Portugal and get their residence permits, with an opportunity to become EU citizens later on. Dual citizenship is allowed, and you won’t have to renounce your original citizenship. The naturalization in Portugal takes around 5 years, and you shall stay in Portugal for at least 1 week every year for it to become possible.
• Romania. The country does not mind its citizens acquiring foreign passports. Yet, if you face any problems after acquiring Romanian citizenship, the government of the country won’t be held responsible for that. So if you are planning to become a naturalized Romanian, proceed with caution.
• Serbia. This Balkan state has a citizenship-by-descent program. This means that if your ancestors were Serbian, you may apply for the citizenship of the country. As dual citizenship is allowed there, you may keep your present passport. Foreigners are offered Residence permits in Serbia by investment program, which will make your naturalization much easier.
• United States. The USA is the most attractive immigration destination for some people, and it permits dual citizenship. If you would like to become a US citizen, mind that you will have to pay taxes to the federal budget, notwithstanding the geographical origin of your income.
• Turkey. Turkish citizenship-by-investment program allows acquiring citizenship of the country by investment. Turkish citizens may cross borders and not use their Turkish passports therefor. To become a  dual citizen in Turkey, you’ll have to go through lengthy and tiresome bureaucratic procedures.
• Finland. Dual citizenship has been allowed in the country since 2003. If you decide to become a naturalized Finn and acquire the Finnish passport, you will obtain the most powerful travel document in the world and keep your present passport at the same time.
• France. Dual citizenship has been allowed in this popular tourist country for years. It permits dual citizenship and sticks to its principles in spite of the migration crisis.
• Czech Republic. Some political parties are against allowing Czechs to have foreign passports. Yet, since the EU authorities require it, dual citizenship is allowed in the Republic. The Czech authorities are also willing to return citizenship of the country to former compatriots, while allowing them to keep the current one.
• Sweden. Dual citizenship was prohibited in Sweden until 2001. From that time forward, Swedish citizens may have foreign passports, and foreign nationals obtaining the citizenship of Sweden may keep their home country’s passports.
• South Africa. The country allowed dual citizenship in 2004. However, you may cross the South African border only with a local passport in your pocket. If a South African national applies for foreign citizenship, they shall notify the country’s authorities thereof in advance. Otherwise, such citizens risk losing their South African passport.
• South Korea. Similarly to other Oriental cultures, the South Koreans are rather conservative. Since 2011, citizens of the country born abroad have been allowed to have dual citizenship. They still have to confirm their desire to keep South Korean citizenship if they have a foreign one till they turn 22. Grown-ups are not allowed to hold second passports. South Koreans born in the country may not acquire foreign citizenship without losing their original one. Foreign nationals may obtain the citizenship of South Korea and keep or restore their home countries’ passports at the same time.

Several other national states have programs allowing double citizenship, with citizenship by investment schemes among them. Such opportunities are offered by 5 Caribbean states: the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, Antigua, the Commonwealth of Dominica, and Saint Lucia. They do not inform the state of origin authorities of your citizen by investment status. This makes things a lot easier for potential investors and dual citizens.

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We hope this article made it clearer for you what countries allow dual citizenship and what don’t. If you wish to get a second passport, contact our experts, who will consult you on this matter and provide you with further information.  All introductory consultations are free of charge.

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