The Easiest Ways to Get Citizenship

Today, migration is at an all-time high, driven by technological advancements and the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic. One such consequence is the rise of digital nomad programs in numerous countries. These programmes enable freelancers worldwide to settle legally with minimal bureaucratic hassles.

While these initiatives enhance mobility, they don't exempt travelers from visa requirements unless they possess a robust passport. Additionally, a residence permit often comes with temporal limits and doesn't grant the full rights enjoyed by native citizens. Thus, many seek enhanced relocation opportunities. Thankfully, numerous nations allow foreigners to gain citizenship, albeit through varying procedures. Some even offer passports without investment or necessitating a visit, while others remain elusive despite prolonged residency and assimilation.

• What Is a Passport?
• The Easiest Countries to Buy Citizenship
• Which Country is the Easiest for Naturalisation?
• Which Countries Grant Citizenship by Marriage?
• Which Countries Grant Citizenship by Descent?

What Is a Passport?

In this article, a 'passport' denotes an identification document facilitating international travel and affirming an individual's association with a specific nation.

We're excluding non-citizen passports such as diplomatic, refugee, Panamanian pensioner passports, and others. Our focus lies on documents procured upon the easiest citizenship to get.

Internationally, there are several pathways:

• Investments: Some countries essentially commercialise their passports. You can procure one without ever setting foot in or residing within that nation. While certain countries offer residency permits against investments, others don't provide any tangible benefits.
• Naturalisation: A majority of nations allow long-standing foreign residents to attain citizenship. The requisite duration varies, ranging from a mere three years in some places to over a decade in others.
• Marriage: Not all countries grant automatic citizenship upon marrying a native. In many places, prior residency is mandatory, though the duration might be shorter than standard naturalisation requirements.ion, but not everywhere.
• Descent: This is feasible for those with overseas relatives. Ancestral roots, rather than current residency of relatives, play a pivotal role in some nations.

The Easiest Countries to Buy Citizenship

Several nations have streamlined the citizenship process for affluent individuals. For instance, the U.S. offers the EB-5 investment visa, which initially grants a green card, eventually leading to naturalisation-based citizenship. However, while this process might span years or even decades in the U.S., other countries allow direct passport purchases. Neither renouncing one's original citizenship nor relocating is necessary. Some of the top countries with straightforward citizenship-by-investment programmes include:

While many countries don't allow the direct purchase of passports, they do offer an indirect route via residency permits contingent on investments. With a streamlined process, one can relocate and eventually naturalise. Countries like Australia, Greece, Italy, Malta, and Portugal follow this approach.

Which Country is the Easiest for Naturalisation?

Naturalisation involves legally entering a country, securing a residence permit, and maintaining continuous residence over a stipulated period. While this pathway exists universally, its practicality varies. In Qatar, for instance, even individuals with a Qatari mother face significant challenges in acquiring citizenship. Furthermore, a 25-year stay, with limited absences, is mandatory. Conversely, countries like Argentina and Peru are quite welcoming, offering passports after just two years of residence.

While many countries may appear less accommodating to foreigners, several remain open to immigration. Some examples include:

• Poland: This country offers citizenship after three years of continuous residence to individuals over 18 who have a stable income and established residence. To acquire a Polish permanent residence permit, one must reside in the nation under a work, study, or family reunification visa for a minimum of five years.
• Paraguay: Here, citizenship applicants need to have lived in the country consistently for three years, with a presence of at least 183 days annually. The process for obtaining a permanent residence permit is relatively straightforward. One option is to set up a business with a registered capital of $70,000, which can be contributed over ten years. The residence permit is typically issued without delay.
• Serbia: Serbia mandates three years of permanent residence and the renunciation of one's original passport for naturalisation. To secure permanent residency, a five-year stay with a temporary residence permit is necessary. However, individuals with Serbian ancestry have a streamlined process. Furthermore, spouses of Serbian citizens can apply for a passport immediately after obtaining permanent residence, provided they've been married for at least three years.

Which Countries Grant Citizenship by Marriage?

Globally, marrying a local often paves the way for citizenship, albeit under varying conditions. In countries like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Bangladesh, male foreigners marrying locals don't gain any citizenship advantages. However, places like Cape Verde, Grenada, and São Tomé and Príncipe offer more lenient or immediate paths. Still, most nations mandate specific residency durations and additional criteria, like financial stability, clean criminal records, and cultural assimilation.

There are countries where this period is very short or non-existent, for example:

• Cape Verde. If you marry a local resident, you can apply for citizenship right away.
• Grenada. If you married a Grenadian after 6 February 1974, you can obtain citizenship through registration.
• São Tomé and Príncipe. To obtain a passport in this country, you need to renounce your previous citizenship and move in with your spouse. However, there are no requirements for length of stay.

Yet, the absence of requirements for naturalisation is the exception, not the rule. Most national laws require proof of cohabitation for a certain time:

• Spain: One year.
• Mexico: Two years.
• Italy:  Two years if you reside in the country, three years if you live abroad.
• Brazil: One year if you have a permanent residence permit which you can obtain immediately. However, with the local bureaucracy, the whole process might take two years or even longer.
• Belize: One year.

Obviously, being married for a certain time is not the only condition for obtaining citizenship. In most cases, you will have to prove your financial solvency, lack of criminal record, knowledge of the language and traditions. Very often a foreigner needs a temporary or permanent residence permit.

Which Countries Grant Citizenship by Descent?

Many countries offer citizenship based on descent. Yet, the criteria vary widely. While some nations limit citizenship to the children of current citizens, others extend it to grandchildren. Remarkably, there are countries that grant citizenship even to those who trace back to distant ancestors within their populace.

Some of these countries are, for example:

• Poland: In Poland, descendants up to great-grandchildren of Polish residents can be eligible for citizenship. If an individual's ancestor held Polish citizenship from 1920 onwards, they might be qualified to obtain a passport. Interestingly, even if a direct ancestor emigrated post-1920, the principle of "jus sanguinis" implies that Polish citizenship would have been transferred across generations, unless specific events negated it, such as an ancestor renouncing the Polish citizenship before the birth of the subsequent generation. For instance, if one's great-grandfather was a Polish citizen in 1920 and later emigrated without relinquishing his citizenship, his offspring would inherently be Polish. This citizenship would cascade down the lineage unless a direct parent renounced it before the birth of their child. While this eligibility offers an opportunity, even to distant kin, to claim a Polish passport, it's essential to substantiate these claims with appropriate evidence and reasoning.
• Italy: Italy's criteria for citizenship by descent bear similarities to Poland's. A critical aspect is the continuity of the Italian lineage. Historical records can trace this lineage back to 17 March 1861. If someone has direct ancestors born post this date, they are typically eligible for an Italian passport, provided none of these ancestors renounced their Italian citizenship before the subsequent generation's birth. Intriguingly, if one can demonstrate a link to an Italian ancestor born prior to 17 March 1861, there's potential to pursue citizenship under exceptional circumstances. Much like Poland, various situations in Italy can disrupt this citizenship lineage. However, having Italian heritage, even from remote generations, can be a compelling impetus for individuals to explore and potentially secure an Italian passport.
• Bulgaria: Bulgaria offers citizenship to individuals up to the third generation of descent. This means if you can establish that either your great-grandmother or great-grandfather was Bulgarian, you are eligible for citizenship. However, tracing lineage beyond this, to more distant ancestors, would not be sufficient for citizenship eligibility.

Of course, this is not the full list of countries. Many of them, including Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Israel, Portugal, Greece, and many others, have programmes for citizenship by descent.

In a Nutshell

Foreigners have multiple avenues to citizenship: through descent, naturalisation, marriage, or investment. However, options and prerequisites differ across countries.

While not the most straightforward, one of the most cost-effective methods to secure citizenship is through naturalisation. This involves relocating to the desired country and establishing residency for a stipulated duration, which varies across nations. For instance, in Argentina and Peru, a mere two-year residency allows one to apply for citizenship. However, in many other countries, the required residency period can extend to three, five, seven, ten years, or even longer.

Typically, the duration for naturalisation is shortened for individuals married to local citizens, with the reduction varying from substantial to minimal. In countries like Cape Verde, Grenada, and São Tomé and Príncipe, one can apply for citizenship immediately following the marriage ceremony.

If you have or had ancestors abroad, you can try to get citizenship by descent. Some countries offer favourable conditions for their fellow nationals, for example, Italy, Poland, Bulgaria, Germany, and Israel.

Wealthy people can leave all conditions behind and simply buy a passport. A number of countries provide this option, among them are Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Malta, North Macedonia, Turkey, and others.

Cover photo: New York. ben o'bro (Unsplash)