17 Easiest Countries to Get Citizenship: Complete List

49% of countries recognise dual nationality, meaning that they allow their citizens to obtain citizenship of another state.

To become a person with dual citizenship, an individual can get married, confirm family ties with a citizen of the country, live in the country for a certain number of years, contribute to culture or science, or participate in an investment program.

Citizenship by origin or descent. In some countries, there is a "blood law", meaning that a foreigner can obtain a passport by confirming their relationship with a country’s citizen. Known as citizenship by descent, it is available even if the applicant was born abroad and returns to their historical homeland.

Citizenship through marriage. An individual can obtain a passport after marrying a citizen of the country. The obtaining period depends on the state legislation.

For example, in Italy, spouses must live together officially for at least two years. In Spain, the requirement is just one year. In the United States, a foreign spouse of a US citizen obtains a Green Card and becomes eligible for citizenship 3 years later.

Citizenship by naturalisation. To acquire second citizenship by naturalisation, candidates must reside legally in the country for a specified number of years, according to state legislation.

Typically, the naturalisation procedure is as follows:

1. A foreigner receives a visa to enter the country to work or study.

2. After the legal entry, they apply for a residence permit.

3. After several years with a residence permit, they apply for permanent residency or directly for citizenship.

In most countries that grant citizenship by naturalisation, a passport can be obtained in between 5 to 10 years. However, one can become a citizen of Argentina in just 2 years, and a citizen of Uruguay in 3 years.

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Comparison of citizenship and residency by investment programs

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Citizenship for exceptional services. Passports can be granted for contributions to the arts, sciences, or sports. Generally, this pathway to citizenship cannot be planned as it lacks specific criteria and decisions are made by the head of state on a case-by-case basis.

Citizenship by investment. In some countries, a passport can be obtained by investments in the economy. At the same time, there is typically no requirement to constantly live in the country and take exams on knowledge of language and history.

In Vanuatu, citizenship applications can be submitted online. On average, obtaining a passport from this Oceanian country takes between one and four months.

Caribbean citizenship has become popular among entrepreneurs due to various benefits that help optimise operations. For example, Dominica tax residents do not pay dividend taxes. With a Grenadian passport, one can open a branch of a company in the United States.

Malta citizenship can be obtained by naturalisation for exceptional services by direct investment of at least €690,000.

In most cases, family members such as spouses, children, and parents gain citizenship alongside the investor. To ensure credibility, all applicants undergo thorough Due Diligence.

Each country has its conditions for obtaining citizenship, so the same path might take a different amount of time depending on the location.

Obtaining citizenship by naturalisation generally requires passing tests to confirm the knowledge of the history, culture, and language of your new country. Those obtaining citizenship by descent or investment may be exempt from such requirements.

Ranking of the fastest citizenship in the world

Ranking

1

Country

Vanuatu

Easiest paths to citizenship

Investment

Time to citizenship

1+ months

Ranking

2

Country

Dominica

Easiest paths to citizenship

Investment

Time to citizenship

6+ months

Ranking

3

Country

St Kitts and Nevis

Easiest paths to citizenship

Investment

Time to citizenship

6+ months

Ranking

4

Country

Antigua and Barbuda

Easiest paths to citizenship

Investment

Time to citizenship

6+ months

Ranking

5

Country

St Lucia

Easiest paths to citizenship

Investment

Time to citizenship

6+ months

Ranking

6

Country

Grenada

Easiest paths to citizenship

Investment

Time to citizenship

8+ months

Ranking

7

Country

Malta

Easiest paths to citizenship

Naturalisation for exceptional services by direct investment

Time to citizenship

1 or 3 years

Ranking

8

Country

Turkey

Easiest paths to citizenship

Investment

Time to citizenship

8+ months

Ranking

9

Country

Argentina

Easiest paths to citizenship

Naturalisation

Time to citizenship

2 years

Ranking

10

Country

Paraguay

Easiest paths to citizenship

Naturalisation

Time to citizenship

4 years

Ranking

11

Country

Uruguay

Easiest paths to citizenship

Naturalisation

Time to citizenship

3 or 5 years

Ranking

12

Country

Brazil

Easiest paths to citizenship

Naturalisation

Time to citizenship

4 years

Ranking

13

Country

Portugal

Easiest paths to citizenship

Naturalisation

Time to citizenship

5 years

Ranking

14

Country

Italy

Easiest paths to citizenship

Marriage

Time to citizenship

2 years

Ranking

15

Country

Greece

Easiest paths to citizenship

Marriage

Time to citizenship

3 years

Ranking

16

Country

Cyprus

Easiest paths to citizenship

Naturalisation

Time to citizenship

7 years

Ranking

17

Country

Canada

Easiest paths to citizenship

Naturalisation

Time to citizenship

6 years

Caribbean citizenship by investment programs feature favourable conditions and a relatively low cost of participation starting at $200,000. These programs are chosen by cosmopolitans looking for the fastest way to get a passport.

The popularity of the programs is also associated with the opportunity for the investor and their family members to travel to the Schengen countries.

In some countries, such as Dominica, St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, and Antigua and Barbuda, investors can obtain a 10-year visitor visa to the United States in a simplified manner. If one acquires a Grenada passport, they are also eligible for an E‑2 visa to the USA, allowing them to live and run a business in the country.

Buying real estate is one of the most popular program options. Once registration of ownership is completed, the investor can lease the property. After a few years, the property can be sold, and the invested money returned.

The fastest and easiest second citizenship by investment can be obtained in Vanuatu. Investors can participate in the program remotely, and the application is processed within four weeks. The minimum investment is $130,000.

Together with the investor, a spouse, children under 25, and parents over 50 can be included in the application.

With the Vanuatu passport, the investor acquires the opportunity to travel to 100+ states without applying for a visa at a consulate, including Australia, India, and Singapore.

Until July 2023, Vanuatu citizens could also visit the UK visa-free. However, now Vanuatu passport holders are required to obtain a visa to enter the country.

Argentina is the most popular country for obtaining a passport by birth. The state’s law allows not only the newborn but also their parents to obtain citizenship.

A newborn child is granted citizenship automatically, while the parents must first get permanent residency. Then, they must live in Argentina for 2 months and apply for citizenship. Passports are issued within 4 to 9 months.

In Uruguay, a newborn child receives citizenship upon registration if the parents stay there for 3 months after the birth. Foreign parents can obtain citizenship by naturalisation within 3 years.

Canada also recognises jus soli, or citizenship by birth. Every child born in Canada becomes a Canadian citizen, including those born by non-Canadian parents. Parents are not granted citizenship and can only obtain it by naturalisation.

In Spain, children can obtain citizenship by naturalisation if they are born to parents with a residence permit. To qualify, a child must stay in the country uninterruptedly for one year after birth.

In Portugal, citizenship is granted to children born to parents who have held the country’s residence permits for at least a year before the birth. This applies to parents who have obtained residence permits for any purpose, including digital nomads, financially independent individuals, or investors.

Countries with similar fast and straightforward procedures include Barbados, Costa Rica, Fiji, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, and Peru.

The only exceptions in all countries are children of diplomats who are normally not eligible for citizenship by birth.

Israel, Poland, and Italy are considered to be states where it is simple to obtain a passport if one’s ancestry can be traced. One of the requirements is that the ancestors never lost their citizenship nor acquired another one.

Countries specify the date after which relatives must have been born for their descendants to qualify for citizenship. For example, one can apply for a Polish passport if their ancestors were born in Poland after 1900. The same applies to Italy, where the year is 1861.

Here are other countries that allow obtaining citizenship by descent through a facilitated procedure under certain conditions:

1. Armenia — a parent, grandparent, or siblings were citizens of Armenia by birth.

2. Hungary — ancestors were born before 1920 or between 1941 and 1945.

3. Ireland — born in Ireland before 2005, citizenship is granted automatically.

4. The UK — born outside the UK after January 1st, 1983, to a British citizen.

5. Spain — ancestors such as parents or grandparents are Spanish citizens by birth.

6. Romania — one or both parents or grandparents are Romanian citizens by birth.

7. Luxembourg — an ancestor was a Luxembourg citizen on January 1st, 1900.

8. Lithuania — an ancestor was a citizen of Lithuania before June 15th, 1940, or lost their nationality between 1940 and 1990.

9. Latvia — one or both parents or grandparents are citizens of Latvia by birth.

10. Greece — one or both parents or grandparents are citizens of Greece by birth.

11. Germany — one or both parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents are German citizens by birth.

Argentina provides the easiest way to obtain citizenship through marriage. The application can be submitted the very next day after the wedding.

14 more states grant citizenship to foreign spouses of their citizens:

• Brazil, Spain, and Belize — after 1 year of marriage;

• Italy, Mexico, and Colombia — after 2 years of marriage;

• Uruguay, Greece, Poland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Slovenia, the USA, and the UK — after 3 years of marriage.

The marriage must be authentic for a foreigner to be eligible for their spouse’s citizenship. Countries are introducing additional checks to identify those who enter into fictitious marriages.

The top 13 countries with the fastest ways to obtain a passport by naturalisation are the following:

• Argentina — 2 years;

• Paraguay — 3 years;

• Armenia — 3 years;

• Uruguay — 3 or 5 years, depending on the marital status;

• USA — 3 to 5 years;

• Brazil — 4 years;

• Portugal — 5 years;

• Germany — 5 years;

• Sweden — 5 years;

• Canada — 6 years;

• Norway — 7 years;

• Denmark — 7 years;

• Cyprus — 8 years.

The average term to get citizenship by naturalisation around the world ranges from 5 to 10 years. However, investors usually do not need to reside in the country if they have obtained citizenship by investment.

The attractiveness of a passport depends on the goals of the cosmopolitan and the state‘s status in the international arena.

Some of the easiest EU countries to get citizenship are Portugal, Spain, and Italy. They offer so-called Golden Visas, allowing foreigners to obtain a residence permit and apply for citizenship in 5—10 years.

With a passport of Malta or some Caribbean countries, it is possible to visit the UK and the Schengen countries without a visa. With US and Canadian passports, more than 160 countries are available visa-free.

If obtaining a passport swiftly is a priority, consider citizenship by investment programs in Vanuatu and select Caribbean countries. These programs often enable applicants to acquire citizenship in less than a year.

There are no direct citizenship by investment programs in EU countries. Investors wishing to acquire an EU passport must first obtain residency by investment in one of the states offering such an opportunity. After holding residency for a specified number of years, they become eligible for citizenship by naturalisation.

In Malta, citizenship can be obtained by naturalisation for exceptional services by direct investment in one or three years.

The investment amount depends on the period of obtaining a passport and the number of participants.

There are several mandatory conditions that the investor must meet to be eligible for the program:

1. A contribution to the National Development and Social Fund of €600,000 for applicants who want to apply for citizenship after three years of residency in Malta. If they want to become Malta citizens after one year of residency, they must contribute at least €750,000.

2. Renting real estate for 5 years for €16,000 per annum or purchasing one for €700,000.

3. A charitable donation of €10,000.

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Turkey citizenship can be obtained by investing $400,000 in real estate. Apartments, villas, plots of land, and shares in real estate projects all qualify.

Foreigners can also invest in business, open a bank deposit, and purchase government bonds or investment fund units. Under these four options, the minimum sum is $500,000.

The processing time of the Turkey CBI program is 3 to 6 months. A foreigner can return the invested capital three years after obtaining a Turkish passport.

Residency by investment is the first step to citizenship in a number of European countries. Offers for investors are available in Portugal, Italy, Spain, Malta, Greece, Cyprus, and Hungary.

First, the applicant gets a residence permit card and can apply for a passport after a few years. This option is suitable when speed is not essential: on average, this path takes at least five years.

The holder of a residence permit enjoys almost all the privileges of a citizen within the country, except the right to vote in elections and hold public offices. Opening a business and freely entering the territory of all Schengen Area states for 90 days out of 180 are all possible with a residence permit card.

Visas for freelancers and digital nomads usually allow foreigners to obtain a one-year residence permit. Obtaining residency will require registering for taxation and proving sufficient income. In most cases, digital nomads can apply for citizenship by naturalisation after several years of living in the country.

The Spain Digital Nomad Visa is granted to foreign remote workers who earn at least €2,646 per month. A 3-year residence permit can be extended for an additional 2 years. After that, digital nomads who reside permanently in Spain become eligible for permanent residency. After five years, they can apply for citizenship.

The Italy Digital Nomad Visa can be issued to a remote worker who earns at least €32,400 per year from sources outside Italy and has €30,000 in savings. The residence permit card is valid for one year and is subject to extension every year. As in Spain, digital nomads can become permanent residents in five years and citizens in 10 years.

The Portugal Digital Nomad Visa is one of the options to become a resident of this country. It can be obtained in over 6 months by foreigners with a monthly income of at least €3,280. Digital nomads must buy or rent real estate and live in Portugal.

The residence permit is issued for 2 years and can be extended for 3 years provided that the applicant continuously resides in Portugal. After 5 years of residency, the digital nomad can apply for citizenship.

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Financially independent cosmopolitans can also apply for a long-term visa in several EU countries. In this case, they need to prove sufficient passive income. The applicant is assumed to refrain from conducting professional activity in the country.

Programs for financially independent cosmopolitans operate in Austria, Switzerland, and Portugal. These are some of the easiest countries to immigrate to. In the future, applicants can get permanent residency or citizenship.

The Austria Residence Permit is issued to financially independent persons and does not grant the right to work in the country. Requirements include buying or renting housing in Austria, having basic proficiency in German, and earning a stable income. The minimum income is not specified.

To retain residency, a foreigner must spend at least 183 days a year in Austria.

The Switzerland Residence Permit allows foreigners to reside in the country without the right to work there. To be eligible, foreigners pay a lump-sum tax of at least ₣450,000 each year. The actual sum is calculated individually.

Foreigners must stay at least 183 days a year in Switzerland to maintain residency.

The Portugal D7 Visa is a Passive Income Visa granted to foreigners with a monthly passive income of at least €820. Financially independent people must buy or rent a property in Portugal and spend most of the year there. They can apply for Portugal citizenship after five years of residency with a D7 Visa.

The list of countries that allow US nationals to obtain a second passport includes 62 states, most of them from Europe.

Second citizenship by descent is an obvious choice for the country as many of its citizens have ancestors from abroad.

The Republic of Ireland grants citizenship to US nationals with an Irish-born grandparent or great-grandparent. Italy citizenship can be obtained if any of the applicant’s relatives were born in Italy after 1861.

Second citizenship by investment is a popular option for US citizens who want to optimise their taxes. Caribbean countries, such as Dominica, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Lucia, offer a simple path for investors to obtain citizenship in as little as 6 months.

Not all states are open to new citizens. In some countries, programs for immigrants simply do not exist.

The Vatican is the smallest country in the world, with only 800 inhabitants and 450 citizens. It does not offer any programs for foreigners. Only cardinals who live in the Vatican, diplomats representing the Holy See, or employees of the Catholic Church can become citizens of the Vatican or Rome.

Liechtenstein is a mountainous country between Austria and Switzerland with a population of 40,000 people. A country’s passport is issued after 30 years of uninterrupted residence in the country. However, it is possible to become a Liechtenstein citizen after being married for 5 years to a citizen of the country.

There are no immigration programs in Liechtenstein. Each case is considered individually. As the application is processed, the country of origin, financial condition, and availability of real estate in the country, as well as services to the state are taken into account.

China allows foreigners to become citizens if they have relatives with a Chinese passport. Naturalisation is possible, but the law does not specify the period during which it is necessary to live in the country.

1. A foreigner can obtain citizenship by ancestry, naturalisation, marriage, investment, and special merits. The requirements depend on each country and the chosen way to get a passport.

2. The easiest country to obtain citizenship by naturalisation is Argentina. Other countries with a quick path to passport by naturalisation are Paraguay, Uruguay, and Brazil. Argentina also offers the fastest way to citizenship by marriage.

3. Israel, Poland, and Italy are countries with the simplest paths to citizenship by descent. On the other hand, countries like Argentina, Uruguay, Canada, Spain, and Portugal, offer citizenship by birth.

4. Some countries have citizenship by investment programs. They are Turkey, Vanuatu, and some Caribbean states such as Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Lucia.

5. One of the most popular ways to get a European passport is obtaining a residence permit by investment and, after several years, obtaining citizenship by naturalisation. Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Portugal, Greece, Hungary, and Malta offer residency by investment programs.