Dual citizenship for US citizens: all you need to know

Dual citizenship means that you are a citizen of two countries simultaneously and have all the rights and responsibilities that their respective constitutions grant to citizens in both countries. It also means that you must obey the laws of both countries. 

Where is it possible to get dual citizenship by investment?

Having dual citizenship can be beneficial if you want to live and work in another country and not deal with complicated visa applications. It also can open paths to travelling to more countries and relocating to another place if something happens in your country of residence.

Dual citizenship is permitted. The American government doesn’t require American citizens to renounce their US citizenship. However, inside the country, a person with dual citizenship is considered a US citizen rather than a citizen of another country. Due to that, for example, US citizens are required to enter and leave the US with a US passport.

Sometimes, a person can get a second citizenship automatically. For example, a child born on the USA’s soil gets American citizenship even if their parents are citizens of another country. In other cases, you will need to go through the citizenship application process. You might need to fulfil certain requirements, depending on how you obtain your chosen citizenship.

Different countries have different rules, but the easiest countries to get dual citizenship are states like Turkey, Vanuatu, Grenada, and Dominica. They offer citizenship by investment that can be obtained in 2—8 months.

62 countries allow US citizens to have dual citizenship. Most of them are located in Europe and Latin America.

Some countries allow dual citizenship under certain circumstances.

For example, the Netherlands require US citizens to renounce their American citizenship if they obtain a Dutch passport by naturalisation. However, if an American marries a Dutch person, they can get dual citizenship.

1. Work, live, and study in both countries. With dual citizenship, you can move from the USA to the country of your second citizenship. You will be able to stay there for however long you prefer, and you won’t need to apply for a visa or a residence permit.

2. Own a property. Some countries restrict non-citizens from buying property; for example, Switzerland limits the number of foreigners who can buy property each year. But if you become a citizen, you can benefit from the right to buy property freely.

3. Back-up plan. If something unpleasant happens in one of the countries, you can leave it under any circumstances, even if the borders are closed. For example, in 2016, when Trump was elected President, many Americans started seeking Canadian citizenship so that they could move to Canada.

4. Easier access to more countries. Even though the American passport is strong, some countries still require US citizens to obtain visas. Several examples are China, India, Indonesia, and Brazil. A second passport can open a visa-free way to enter them.

5. Healthcare and social services. While medical services are expensive in the USA, some countries offer their citizens relatively cheap and high-quality medical care. For example, Turkey is famous for its high medical standards, and if you have dual American-Turkish citizenship, you can visit Turkey any time and benefit from its healthcare system.

6. Social security. In any country, it is generally easier to access medical, social, and other services if you are a citizen.

Military services. US citizens with dual citizenship may be required to serve in the military in another country. This obligation may be imposed upon the arrival to the country of second citizenship. For example, Israel requires formal military service of their citizens, men and women alike.

Limited assistance abroad. If something happens in another country, the US government may not consider you an American citizen, especially if you’ve entered another country with a passport of your second nationality.

Double taxation. A US citizen living abroad must file taxes with the US government based on original citizenship and the country of residence. And because the US taxes the worldwide income of its citizens, not just US-source income, many dual citizens are also at risk for double taxation.

Barriers to some forms of employment. People who want to pursue a career in the US government or have a job connected with classified information may not be able to get a position.

People with dual citizenship by birth have fewer problems in that respect than those actively seeking dual citizenship. The US government may be concerned about why they need it at all.

Long and complicated process. Generally, the process of getting dual citizenship is tricky and time-consuming. For example, if you plan to obtain one by naturalisation, you might need to wait 5—10 years for a second passport. However, you can obtain citizenship by investment in 2—6 months.

The USA has double taxation avoidance agreements with some countries, such as the United Kingdom, Australia, France, etc. However, if no such agreement exists, dual citizenship holders might need to pay taxes in both countries.

Usually, countries with the highest tax rates either have a double taxation avoidance agreement with the USA or don’t allow dual citizenship with the country.

Claim the Foreign Tax Credit, an IRS provision that aims to eliminate the possibility of double taxation of the same income. If you’re an American living in a country whose income tax rate is higher than the US, claiming the Foreign Tax Credit could give you more than enough US tax credits to eliminate your tax liability for the US.

Choose dual citizenship in a country with zero taxes on income. 14 countries currently have a zero income tax, such as Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts and Nevis, the UAE, and Vanuatu.

A US citizen can get dual citizenship through several options. Among the most popular are by birth or descent, marriage, naturalisation, and investment.

By investment. One of the easiest ways to obtain citizenship is by investment. Not all countries allow it; however, there are a few that offer this option. Among them are Turkey, Dominica, Grenada, and others.

Requirements for obtaining dual citizenship by investment differ from country to country. However, there are some general ones that applicants must meet to participate in the program. An applicant must:

• be over 18 years old;

• have no criminal record or prosecution;

• be able to confirm the legality of the income.

Besides investors themselves, close family members can also participate in the application. That includes spouses and children under 18 years old. Some countries’ programs also allow the application to include adult children, parents, and siblings. The amount of investment starts at $100,000, and the process of obtaining citizenship usually takes from 2 to 8 months.

By birth or descent. Depending on the country’s rules, a child can get citizenship of another country if they were born in it or if one or both of their parents are citizens of that country. For example, everyone born on American territory automatically receives American citizenship, while Turkish citizenship can only be obtained if at least one of their parents holds a passport of Turkey.

By marriage. US citizens can get second citizenship if they marry a citizen of another country. However, not all countries allow that.

By naturalisation. Citizenship by naturalisation is one of the most complicated ways to become a citizen of another country. It requires an applicant to fulfil certain requirements. Usually, it means that the applicant must live in the country for some time, know the language at a level sufficient for everyday life, and pass tests on the country’s history and culture.

Some countries grant citizenship by investment. That means an individual can buy a property or invest and get a second passport. Usually, these states don’t require investors to reside in the country.

Turkey. Located in Eurasia, Turkey has strong ties with the EU countries. It offers wealthy people to get citizenship by investment of at least $400,000. There are several options to choose from, including bank deposits, business investments, the purchase of government bonds, the purchase of units in an investment fund, and the purchase of a property.

Investors can return money or sell a property in 3 years after obtaining a Turkish passport.

The process of getting Turkish citizenship lasts for 6—8 months.

Vanuatu is a country in Oceania that grants citizenship for a non-refundable contribution of $130,000+ to the government fund.

You can obtain Vanuatu citizenship in 1—2 months.

Individual cost calculation of the Vanuatu citizenship

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St Kitts and Nevis is a Caribbean country with three investment options:

• a non-refundable contribution to the Sustainable Growth Fund of at least $250,000;

• a real estate purchase for at least $400,000;

• investments in an Approved Public Benefit Project of at least $250,000.

If an investor decides to buy a property, they can sell it after 7 years. They also earn an income of 2 to 5% per annum from leasing the property.

Getting St Kitts and Nevis citizenship takes at least 6 months.

Grenada located in the Caribbean, offers two investment options: a non-refundable contribution to the National Transformation Fund of $150,000+ and a real estate purchase of $220,000+.

If you choose to buy a property, you can resell it 5 years after obtaining a passport.

The process of getting Grenada citizenship takes 4—6 months.

St Lucia. Located in the Caribbean, St Lucia offers four investment options for wealthy people. They are:

• a contribution to a state fund — $100,000+;

• a purchase of government bonds — $300,000;

• a purchase of real estate — $200,000+;

• business investments — $1,000,000+.

If you buy a property, you can resell it 5 years later. You can also redeem purchased bonds in 5 years after obtaining citizenship.

You can obtain St Lucia citizenship in 4+ months.

Antigua and Barbuda is a country located in the Caribbean that gives investors 4 investment options:

• a non-refundable contribution to the National Development fund — $100,000+;

• a real estate purchase — $200,000+, and the property can be sold 5 years later;

• a contribution to the University of the West Indies Fund — $150,000+, available only for families of at least six people);

• business investments — $400,000+.

The process of getting Antigua and Barbuda citizenship takes 3—6 months.

Dominica, located in the Caribbean, offers one of the least expensive investment programs. Investors can choose from two investment options: contributing $100,000+ to the state fund or purchasing real estate for $200,000+.

In case of buying a property, applicants can sell it and return money 3 years after obtaining Dominica’s passport.

The process of getting Dominica citizenship takes 3—6 months.

Individual cost calculation of the Caribbean passport

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Egypt launched a citizenship-by-investment program with the minimal required investment being $250,000.

Investors do not have to take exams on the Arabic language or Egyptian history. There are no requirements to reside within the country to keep the passport.

Among the benefits of Egypt citizenship are creating a safe haven for the investor and their family, optimising taxes, and opening accounts at local branches of international banks.

Obtaining Egyptian citizenship takes about 6 months.

A wealthy individual can get a Maltese passport for exceptional services by direct investment. To do so, you need to fulfil all investment requirements:

• contribute to the National Development and Social Fund (NDSF);

• donate to a non-governmental organisation;

• buy or rent residential real estate.

Before applying for citizenship, an investor needs to get a residence permit. The citizenship application can be filed after 1 or 3 years of residency in Malta, depending on the sum of contribution. If you contribute €600,000+, you can apply for a Maltese passport 3 years after obtaining a residence permit. In case you contribute €750,000+, the waiting period cuts to 1 year.

The total sum of investment depends on the number of family members. The minimum investment for a family of 4 is €927,000, and the maximum is €1,661,000.

Triple or multiple citizenship means being a citizen of three or more countries. Usually, countries that allow dual citizenship also allow multiple ones. The process of getting it is similar to the process of getting dual citizenship.

There are no limitations in terms of how many citizenships you can have. That only depends on your country of origin and your chosen country. However, before applying for triple citizenship, check the obligations all three countries impose on their citizens and whether they all allow triple citizenship.

1. The USA allows its citizens to have as many passports as they need. They are not required to renounce their American citizenship. However, other countries can demand that a person renounce their US citizenship.

2. The US citizens can have dual citizenship with 62 countries, including the UK, Canada, and Australia.

3. There are several benefits of having dual citizenship for Americans. They are an opportunity to live, work and study in two countries freely, leave and enter both countries even when the borders are closed, and benefit from the medical and social services of another country.

4. However, there are certain disadvantages that Americans with dual citizenship might face: barriers to some forms of employment, the need to serve in the military in another country, double taxation and limited assistance abroad.

5. There are many ways of obtaining a second passport, such as by birth, marriage or naturalisation. However, the easiest path is by investment. In most cases, it takes around 4—6 months and $100,000—400,000.

6. Among the countries that offer citizenship by investment are Turkey, St Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, St Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Vanuatu. Wealthy people can also obtain citizenship for exceptional services by direct investment in Malta.