Most individuals looking for a second passport want one in a European country, as these passports are considered highly valuable and provide stability, a high quality of life and great opportunities. If you want to learn more, check out How to Become a European Citizen and the Easiest and Cheapest Second Residencies in the EU.
Below are some of the easiest passports to get in Europe through different routes to citizenship.
Not only does Armenia have a short timeframe to qualify for citizenship, but it’s also a country that’s going places. If you’re interested in opportunities to hire, invest and bank in a fantastic emerging market, look to Armenia.
You can start by getting a residence permit, which generally involves investing in the country. You can invest in a company or real estate, with minimum investments starting at around US$50,000. For more specific information on residence through banking in Armenia, read How to Get Residence by Opening a Bank Account.
Excellent options exist for investing in real estate in Armenia. For those interested in furthering their education, attending an Armenian university is another great way to establish residency.
Due to its history, Latvia has some interesting citizenship-by-descent options.
The first is if you were exiled due to foreign occupation between June 17, 1940 and May 4, 1990 and this option also applies to the children of exiles born before October 1, 2014. If you’re in this category, you are eligible for citizenship and can maintain dual citizenship in another country. The process usually takes about four months if your documents and fees are in order.
The second option is for those born outside of Latvia, have reached the age of 15, and have one parent who was a Latvian citizen at the time of the applicant’s birth.
In this situation, dual citizenship is only allowed for countries in the European Union (EU), European Free Trade Association (EFTA), The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), or if you are a citizen of Australia, Brazil or New Zealand. Once you’ve reached the age of 25, if you’re not from a country that’s on this list, you’ll need to choose which one to keep. For this type of citizenship, a fully complete application can be processed in as little as a month.
The third option is if you are ethnically Latvian but were born outside Latvia. To apply, you must have documentation that shows:
The processing time for this type of citizenship by descent is longer, taking over a year at best.
Ireland closed its Golden Visa in February 2023 and, shortly after, Portugal made significant changes to its program, removing the highly sought-after real estate route.
Malta’s golden visa program is now the biggest game in town, but its days are likely also numbered. The Maltese government is under considerable pressure to close it down and is battling the EU in court to avoid having to.
One by one, these opportunities are being shut down and rest assured, when the door closes, it won’t reopen.
Malta is the top-tier solution for several reasons: it’s a safe, stable, English-speaking country with low taxes and year-round sunshine. Its golden visa program offers applicants and their dependants a clear path to EU citizenship in 12 to 36 months.
Starting at €600,000 for direct investment, it’s not the cheapest CBI option but right now it’s the best, and, as we said, it may not be around for much longer. So, if you’d like to learn more about Maltese citizenship or compare golden visa programs, don’t waste another second: contact us now to discuss your options.
Ireland is one of our favourite countries. Its streamlined citizenship-by-descent program has helped almost 15 million people gain Irish passports, despite the island’s population only being around six million.
If you are married to or in a registered civil relationship with an Irish citizen, you can also obtain citizenship. This includes same-sex marriage, which has been recognised in Ireland since 2015.
After one year of ‘reckonable residence,’ you may apply for an Irish passport but you must have been married to or in a civil union with your Irish partner for at least three years to be eligible. That means you’ll have to endure Ireland’s high-income taxes for at least one year, but its corporate taxes are among the lowest in Europe despite a recent, small, increase in 2024.
You’ll also need to spend a reasonable amount of time in Ireland but once you have an Irish passport, which takes 2nd place in our 2024 Nomad Passport Index, you can live anywhere in Europe and travel almost anywhere on Earth.
For your greater ease of purpose, Ireland has simplified the process and, while there are a number of other European countries where you can obtain citizenship by marrying a citizen, Ireland is considered the most straightforward option.
The required marriage duration in Ireland is shorter than in countries like Switzerland or Portugal and, unlike other nations such as Serbia, you don’t necessarily have to declare Ireland your home country.
The process for obtaining an Irish passport is less bureaucratic than elsewhere –think Spain or Italy – which often results in a quicker immigration timeline.
Best of all, if you’re not married to an Irish citizen but can claim parents, grandparents or even great-grandparents who were Irish citizens, you can claim citizenship through Ireland’s fantastic Citizenship-by-Descent program. At Nomad Capitalist, we’ve helped many people obtain an Irish passport so we’ve some good connections that simplify the process.
The Caribbean
Most Caribbean countries are tiny islands with small populations, so very few people can claim citizenship by descent. The main path to citizenship here is through investment. The Caribbean offers the twin benefits of tax havens and beautiful beaches, but you will have to pay for the privilege.
So, while most of these countries offer citizenship-by-investment programs, we’ve placed them in different categories below, based on the advantages they offer. All in all, if your definition of easy is a fast track to citizenship, then look no further than the Caribbean.
Note: The minimum investment for Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada and Saint Kitts and Nevis will increase to US$200,000 starting from June 2024, so if you’re looking to enjoy all the benefits that come with Grenada CBI, now is the time to act.
Easiest Passport for Citizenship by Descent: Grenada
You may not be able to claim citizenship by descent on the tiny island of Grenada, but it’s the easiest passport in the Caribbean to pass down to your children and grandchildren. If you gain citizenship by investment (CBI), you can pay an additional fee to pass it to your children or add them as part owners of your investment.
Grenada’s citizenship-by-investment program is fairly straightforward and offers a passport with visa-free travel to more than 140 countries. It’s the only program in the Caribbean offering visa-free travel to China and Russia and also gives you access to the US E-2 investor visa.
You can obtain the passport by donation or by purchasing a pre-approved property. The donation for a single person is US$150,000 and US$200,000 for a family of four. Grenada’s definition of who qualifies as family members is pretty liberal and can mean a spouse or children, dependent parents over the age of 55 and even unmarried siblings over the age of 18.
The real estate option is more expensive, but you can recoup some of your investment after holding the property for at least five years. For a single investor, your property value must be at least US$350,000 but if you invest with a partner, the minimum investment per person drops to US$220,000 for a combined total of US$440,000. The fees are around US$58,000 or more, depending on how many people you add to the application.
For more information on this passport opportunity and the benefits of passing citizenship on to your children, see our Ultimate Guide to Citizenship in Grenada.
Easiest Passport via Citizenship by Investment: St Lucia
St Lucia has a highly reputable CBI program with several investment routes. It requires one of the lowest investments if you’re a single applicant and offers a respectable yet affordable passport with visa-free access to more than 140 countries.
There are a number of investment options for St Lucian citizenship. The first is to simply make a one-time donation of US$100,000 (or US$140,000 if you want to add a spouse) to St Lucia’s government development fund.
There’s a real estate option which is more expensive but comes with the opportunity to recoup some of the investment after five years. A single investor must invest US$200,000 in pre-approved real estate, plus fees. Naturally, the price increases as you add a spouse and children.
The last option is to invest in a local business. A single applicant must invest a minimum of US$3.5 million in a pre-approved enterprise project. This is by far the most complex option and comes with hefty fees but, if you are an entrepreneur looking to invest in a business, this could be a good option.
For more on each option and the step-by-step process, see our Ultimate Guide to St Lucian Citizenship.
Easiest Passport Through Family Ties: Antigua and Barbuda
Until the end of June 2024 at least, Antigua and Barbuda CBI remains the cheapest way for a family of up to four to get a Caribbean passport. That’s because you can claim a spouse and up to two kids under the same investment fee of US$130,000 (including fees). There’s even an option to include adult, dependent children aged 18-26 who are full-time students.
You can make your investment as a donation, in real estate or in business and receive citizenship in three to four months. This CBI program is both quick and straightforward. You are required to spend at least five days a year in the country to renew your passport, but the islands’ beauty and luxurious living make the process far from painful.
On top of that, the Antiguan passport is one of the most powerful in the Caribbean, giving access to more than 140 countries visa-free.
Honourable Mentions
- St Kitts and Nevis
Asia and the South Pacific
Asia, on the whole, remains a deeply nationalistic continent where your cultural background influences your chances of ever gaining second citizenship there, though there are a few countries that are starting to open up. Asia also has several second-residence opportunities, but not all of them lead to citizenship.
If you’re interested, you can start by checking out How to Get Second Citizenship in Asia to better understand the benefits and drawbacks before reading about the Most Liveable Cities in Southeast Asia for the best destinations on the continent.
Below, is an expanded section which includes good second citizenship options in the Middle East.
Easiest Passport Through Naturalisation: Taiwan
One second passport option you may not have considered is Taiwan. In a region where few countries award citizenship to foreigners, Taiwan offers citizenship after five years of consecutive legal residency. If you’re a Hong Kong or Macau resident, you can obtain Taiwanese citizenship after 18 months of being a resident of Taiwan.
This isn’t a passport you can get without spending time in the country. You’ll need to live there for at least half of each year and be a tax resident for at least five years. You must also have no criminal background, pass an exam in Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese and prove you can support yourself financially.
Taiwan allows dual citizenship but you’ll need to assimilate there to be eligible for the passport. However, if you are willing to do this, there are some major perks as Taiwan boasts a solid passport with visa-free access to countries in the entire European Union.
Taiwan also has the fourth-best healthcare system in the world (as ranked by the Health Care Index 2023) and is also one of the safest and cheapest countries in which to live.Taiwan’s precarious relationship with China may be a concern but it’s important to note that, despite China’s regular sabre-rattling, there has been no conflict between the nations for 70 years.
In Taiwan, you also have access to a robust economy, a highly educated workforce and good investment opportunities in IT, manufacturing as well as research and development. Taiwan could also be your gateway to the rest of Asia. For more information, check out our Ultimate Guide to Taiwanese Citizenship.
Easiest Passport for Citizenship by Descent: New Zealand
You can get citizenship by descent in South Korea, Indonesia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and India. However, of these, New Zealand citizenship by descent is probably the quickest and least expensive path.
Its program is fairly simple – if you were born outside New Zealand but one of your parents was a citizen by birth, you may be entitled to citizenship.
You can submit an application online or in person at the Department of Internal Affairs offices in New Zealand, Sydney or London. It takes 30 working days to process your application, but you can pay an additional fee to expedite the process.
New Zealand’s passport is the sixth strongest in the world, according to our Nomad Passport Index, with access to 173 countries. Citizenship grants access to a friendly, diverse country with excellent weather, cuisine, healthcare and public education.
New Zealand is the most economically free of the major English-speaking countries of the region, although being a citizen requires you to pay significant income and corporate taxes.
For all the details and other options for citizenship in New Zealand, check out our Ultimate Guide.
Easiest Passport via Citizenship by Investment: Vanuatu
Traditionally known as a place to hide money, Vanuatu’s banking and foreign investment programs have fought hard to become legitimate and respectable. It is still a remote tax haven – the Bahamas of the Pacific, so to speak – with no income tax, inheritance tax or capital gains tax but much more international transparency.
Vanuatu has the only CBI program in the Pacific region with more than 35% of total government revenue, its biggest source of income, raised by multiple citizenship programs geared towards foreigners. While this doesn’t contribute to a very diverse economy, it does mean that Vanuatu’s programs are here to stay and continue to be attractive to foreigners.
Some of the investment programs available are complicated and hard to understand, so the popular option is to donate a non-refundable lump sum to the local government fund. Though it’s not the cheapest, Vanuatu’s donation option is still relatively low: US$130,000 for a single person, US$150,000 for a married couple and $180,000 for up to four family members. You’ll also pay about US$5,400 in fees (plus more for each person added to the application) and must prove that you have no less than US$250,000 available in banking assets and at least US$500,000 in net assets.
Still, at just eight weeks to obtain a passport, Vanuatu has made its CBI process extremely speedy, arguably the fastest in the entire industry. It doesn’t require the investment sum up front so all you pay is the US$5,000 fee to start the application process and get government approval. Once your application is accepted and the oustanding amount is paid, your passport will be available.
A passport from Vanuatu gives visa-free access to over 90 countries, its official language is English, it has good offshore banking options and is open to international business.
For more on this fast and easy process, read our Ultimate Guide to CBI in Vanuatu. If you’re interested in other citizenship options in Vanuatu, discover how to obtain residence and citizenship here.
Easiest Passport Through Family Connections: Israel
Israel’s Law of Return is somewhat complicated but allows Jews and their descendants to obtain permanent residence in Israel relatively quickly.
A ‘Jew’ is defined as anyone whose mother or grandmother is Jewish or has converted to Judaism. In the 1970s, the Israeli government extended the rules to allow the spouses, children and grandchildren of Jews to qualify. So, even if you are not Jewish by birth, you may qualify by falling into one of these categories.
Upon arrival in Israel, there is a 90-day waiting period before you can be awarded citizenship. However, citizenship is then automatically granted unless you specifically ask the government not to.
It’s important to know that while citizenship can be conferred within a few months, you will not receive a full passport until a year later. The goal of the Law of Return is that Jews come back and remain in Israel. You must show you have established ties in Israel to qualify for and maintain your passport.
An Israeli passport restricts you from travelling to most of the Middle East, Malaysia and Indonesia and living in Israel comes with a high tax burden. There’s also the matter of personal safety to consider. However, this is still an above-average travel document for the right person.
To learn more about Israel’s option for Citizenship by Descent, see How to Get Citizenship under Israel’s Law of Return.
Honourable Mentions
- TURKEY
- SOUTH KOREA
- MONGOLIA
- AUSTRALIA
- THAILAND
- MALAYSIA
Latin America
Generally speaking, Latin America’s colonial history has led to a more open border policy than other regions. Its citizenship programs are affordable and less stringent eligibility requirements make it easier to qualify.
If you’re from the United States, it’s also a place that’s similar in terms of its culture and influences, so you won’t have quite as much culture shock travelling between a country in Latin America and the US.
On the downside, Latin America is well-known for its bureaucracy, which takes time and effort to navigate. Procedures can be drawn out, meaning more time spent on the ground and more paperwork to deal with. In short, Latin America is open to foreigners but the process can be tedious and time-consuming.
Easiest Passport Through Naturalisation: Ecuador
The beautiful and quiet country of Ecuador has great potential for second citizenship.
It’s fast emerging as an expat haven and, notwithstanding recent violence, it’s still one of the cheapest and safest countries to live in, with alow cost of living. It is consistently ranked as one of the best countries for retirement.
While Peru has a shorter time frame to become a citizen (two years), Ecuador delivers in terms of residence in Latin America, with only three years of residence required before applying for citizenship. Ecuador also outperforms Panama when it comes to its track record of granting citizenship.
There are several residence options in Ecuador. The first is by investing around US$45,000 in a bank and there is also an option to invest a similar amount into a company (or business that you start yourself) or qualifying real estate or land.
Once you’ve made your investment, you can apply for a two-year temporary residence permit. After two years of temporary residence, you can apply for permanent residence and then apply for citizenship a year later.
You don’t need to be physically present in Ecuador to maintain your residence permit, but if your goal is citizenship, there is a hefty requirement for physical presence of at least half the year. Unlike the Caribbean programs, with Ecuador you must commit time to get the passport.
If you’re a Westerner looking for an alternative passport, consider Ecuador. Unlike the US and other Western countries, an Ecuadorian passport grants you the benefit of visa-free travel to countries that are typically difficult to access, such as Russia, China, South Africa and Israel.
Easiest Passport for Citizenship by Descent: Mexico
Mexico gets a lot of bad press, which is unfair because it has good opportunities for residence, doing business and investing.In fact, Mexico City is one of our favourite cities in Latin America, and we named it the most liveable city in the region in our Nomad Guide.
It’s also quite easy to get citizenship by descent there. If you have a Mexican parent, you can get citizenship in as little as six months for less than US$100.You don’t even need to have Mexican heritage to be fast-tracked to citizenship by descent, as simply having Latin American descent will do.
If you can show proof of blood relatives in Mexico or other Latin American countries, you can qualify immediately for a permanent residence permit. Then, after two years, you can apply for citizenship.
Initially, you don’t have to spend much time in-country, which can be an excellent way to transition from your home country. This gives you time before committing to a residence or real estate location. Get more detailed information in our article on Mexican residency and citizenship.
Easiest Passport Through Family Ties: Brazil
Hands down, Brazil is the easiest place to get citizenship through family ties. If you have immediate family ties to a Brazilian citizen, you are entitled to Brazilian citizenship within one year through marriage, giving birth or adopting a child. Brazil also offers a fast-track option for parents to obtain Brazilian citizenship without having to navigate its tedious investment immigration program.
Brazil is a popular destination for medical tourism with a great reputation for low-cost, high-quality health care. It also has a Tier-A passport with great travel options (including Russia) without the hassle that can come with most Western passports.
Anyone planning on giving birth in Brazil, will first need to arrange a visa unless they’re from the EU, which grants visa-free travel to Brazil. Because they’ll be staying in Brazil for at least two to three months, they’ll need to find suitable long-term housing and select a hospital.
The next step, after giving birth, is to make sure to get a birth certificate. When the mother, their partner and new-born leave the hospital, the hospital will provide a document that confirms the child was born in Brazil. That document must be taken to a government office to get the child’s birth certificate in Portuguese.
If the new parents are also looking to get Brazilian citizenship, Brazil offers a fast-track naturalisation option for parents willing to live there for the majority of the year, pay taxes and learn Portuguese. The whole process can be completed in just one year.For more details, check out giving your child Brazilian citizenship by birth.
The last option is through marriage. Those who’ve had a Brazilian spouse for at least a year qualify to apply for a second citizenship. After a year of uninterrupted residence in the country, citizenship can be granted.
It’s usually necessary to work with someone who knows the system and the language well, as all paperwork will need to be done in Portuguese. Brazil is notorious for its bureaucracy, so hiring the right attorney or person to do the paperwork correctly is highly recommended.
See our article on how to get citizenship through marriage in Brazil for more details.
Honourable Mentions
- NICARAGUA
- PERU
- BELIZE
- PANAMA
By now, you have a bit more knowledge of the different citizenship programs and requirements. However, this list is by no means exhaustive. The Nomad Capitalist team is more than happy to help you with any specific questions you have. Please do not hesitate to contact us or apply to become a client here.
