Getting a second passport

Being a citizen in a country means in practice you have that nationality.

Legally and technically, there are exceptions and citizenship/nationality are not fully the same, but the words can be used interchangeably for our purposes here.

For example, if you are a citizen of America, you are an American, meaning you have that nationality.

Citizenship usually endows a lot of rights.

You have the right to reside in a country and go back there however much you want (unless the government imposes restrictions due to a pandemic, of course).

You can use all public facilities, avail health care (if applicable in your country), vote, join their army, run for public office, and so on.

A rule of thumb of having international Bases is that you should not live where you have a passport, because being a citizen ánd a resident of a country often comes with plenty of obligations.

If you are a citizen and live in that country, you are a subject of that country, a minion, a peon.

This means that they can, for example, stop you from leaving that country.

The government can also force you to vote (or pay a fine), enforce heavy taxes, limit your source of income, in some cases even draft you into their army, and so on.

You should set up your Citizenship Base in at least 2 countries – but you should ideally not live in those countries.

Having a second and third passport ensures that you will always have somewhere to go even if your primary citizenship or residence runs into trouble.

Ideally, you should be a citizen of tax free countries, so you do not have to pay taxes on your income that you make while you do not live there.

Fortunately, this is rarely the case, and out of all the Western countries, only Americans are in a very bad position concerning this issue.

The United States, land of the “free”, is one of the very few countries in the world where citizens have to keep paying taxes even if they do not live there anymore.

Once you have citizenship in a few other countries, you should seriously consider renouncing your American citizenship. Those taxes can really add up.

You can read more about it The Ridiculous US tax system.

In addition,

• Hungary levies tax on foreign earnings of Hungarian citizens who do not hold another tax residency.
• Many Western countries (such as Germany, France, Australia, and Spain) enforce strict exit taxes, trailing tax rules, or extended residence tests that can keep you tied to their tax system for several years after you physically move away, unless you formally sever ties.

Having citizenship in one nation often means you have free (or at least easier) access to other countries where it has an agreement with.

For example, if you get a Paraguayan passport, you can easily go to other countries in the MERCOSUR group, such as Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil.

Under the MERCOSUR Residence Agreement, native-born citizens of member and associate states enjoy freedom of movement, residence, and work rights across member nations (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, etc.).

However, naturalized citizens of Paraguay do not automatically enjoy these MERCOSUR freedom-of-movement benefits in other member states until specific time and permanent residency requirements are met in those individual countries.

Simply acquiring a Paraguayan passport through naturalization does not give you immediate settlement rights in Argentina or Brazil – but you could GO there more easily.

How to get citizenship ?

Becoming a citizen is usually a very lengthy and often costly affair.

Naturalization

In many cases, citizenship is only possible for residents who have been living in that country for X amount of years.

This is called naturalization, and is an option in most countries.

Examples are:

• Argentina and Peru (2 years)
• Canada, Ecuador (3 to 5 years of physical presence and continuous, lawful temporary/permanent residence)

• Israel (3 to 5 years of physical presence – but why would you do that? For individuals qualifying under the Law of Return (Jewish heritage/descent), citizenship is granted immediately upon immigration (Aliyah) without a 3-year waiting period.)

• A whole bunch of countries where it’s possible after 5+ years, such as Barbados, Chile, Fiji, Uruguay and Japan

Buy it

If you have a couple of hundred thousand dollars to spare, you can also just purchase a passport in countries such as Vanuatu.

Cyprus, a former option, permanently abolished its Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program in November 2020 following high-profile corruption scandals. You can no longer buy a Cypriot passport.

Additionally, Malta does not technically allow you to purchase a passport outright. Its current program (MEIN) requires 12 to 36 months of official legal residence, a direct non-refundable government contribution (€600k–€750k), a mandatory €10,000 charitable donation, AND a real estate purchase (€700k+) or long-term lease.

It’s not a cash-for-passport transaction, but it does amount to the same thing.

Citizenship by descent

Another pathway to citizenship is citizenship by descent, which can be one of the fastest and cheapest options available. Many countries allow you to claim citizenship if you have parents, grandparents, or sometimes even great-grandparents from that country.

This is particularly common in Europe, where countries like Ireland, Italy, and Poland have relatively accessible ancestry-based programs.

The requirements vary, but if you can document your lineage properly, you may be able to obtain a passport without ever having lived in the country.

It’s also worth noting that immigration and citizenship laws are constantly evolving. Programs that are relatively easy or affordable today can become stricter, more expensive, or even disappear entirely within a few years. Governments adjust these policies based on political, economic, and demographic considerations.

For that reason, timing can play a significant role. If you identify a viable pathway to a second passport, delaying action can sometimes mean missing the opportunity altogether or facing less favorable conditions later on.

Random scenarios

There are other specific scenarios where countries would just grant you a passport with little to no hassle or questions asked, such as when you’re an international celebrity, exceptionally talented individual (like a rocket scientist), and so on.

(I mentioned this already in the Residence article, and it most likely does not apply to you.)

Can you get dual citizenship?

On another note, not every nation allows you to have dual citizenship.

That means that if you want to get a second passport, you’d have to renounce your first one.

This is not a good idea, and I would advise you to seriously think about it before renouncing your primary passport – unless you’re an American and are sick of paying taxes even if you do not live there anymore.

It’s important to understand that dual citizenship rules vary widely from country to country, and sometimes even within different regions of the same country.

Some nations, like Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany and a lot of the EU, generally allow dual citizenship without major restrictions.

However, Austria, Spain, the Netherlands, Estonia, Lithuania, and Slovakia enforce severe restrictions or outright bans on dual citizenship for naturalized citizens, barring narrow exceptions (such as citizenship by birth/ancestry or bilateral treaties).

Others, such as Japan and Singapore require you to renounce your original nationality before you can become a citizen.

The key is to research each country’s laws carefully before making any commitments, because renouncing your first passport can carry long-term consequences, including loss of access to your home country’s healthcare, voting rights, or social benefits.

Even when a country allows dual citizenship, there can still be hidden complications. For instance, tax obligations, military service requirements, and legal responsibilities may apply to both countries simultaneously.

Some governments also make it difficult to maintain passports in practice, requiring periodic declarations or proof of allegiance.

Because of this, most people pursuing a second passport try to select countries that permit dual citizenship while offering additional strategic benefits, such as visa-free travel, low taxes, or a stable political environment.

Carefully weighing these factors can help ensure that acquiring a second passport enhances your freedom and security rather than creating unforeseen burdens.

Best countries to get citizenship

In general, I would suggest the following nations to get citizenship, based largely on the ease of attaining it, and sometimes an absence of taxes if you do not make your income there:

• Colombia, Mexico and Chile (If you live there for more than 183 days, you are taxed on your global income)
• Panama
• Paraguay
• Uruguay
• Belize
• Bolivia
• Armenia

These are in no particular order, and you can check out articles about specific countries to learn more about them.