Dual citizenship is the situation where you are a legal citizen of two countries. Lots of countries in the world provide this status. Today, more than 100 countries allow dual nationality.
You can benefit from many advantages of holding such a status. The critical point is that your native country needs to allow dual citizenship as well. Let’s get you introduced to these advantages one by one.
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Dual Citizenship: Advantages
- Countries that allow dual citizenship permit you to work in the country as well. So, you don’t need to get a work visa for this
- Family members like children, siblings, and parents can get dual nationality with you
- You can live in and leave the country whenever and for how long you want
- You can get two passports when you become a dual citizen. So, you can get access to travel to more countries with a second passport
- You don’t need to worry about healthcare services. Most countries that allow dual citizenship provide great healthcare facilities
- Once you and your family become citizens of another country, your children can have access to the country’s education system.
Ways To Get Dual Citizenship
Several routes are available to apply for multiple citizenship. These are naturalization, birth, marriage, and investment. Be sure to check if the country you apply to allows dual citizenship as well. It’s better to consult this issue with a professional.
Naturalization
Naturalization exists when you stay in a country for a sufficient amount of time to get citizenship. This applies to individuals who work or study in that particular country. Each country requires its own criteria for naturalization. The USA, for example, requires five years of residency if you have a green card. Or, three years of residency if you’re married to a US citizen. The UK, on the other hand, requires five years of residency for naturalization.
Birth
The easiest way to get dual nationality is by birth. You absolutely don’t have to do anything. Even if your parents are from one country but you’re born in another, you become a citizen of that country, too. It’s still highly advisable to check each country’s procedure about this in detail.
Marriage
Marrying someone from another country can make you a citizen of your spouse’s country too. However, you may still need to reside in that country for a certain amount of time. In Canada, however, it’s a bit different process. The Canadian spouse applies for a spousal sponsorship while marrying. Still, it takes a while for around between 12 months and 36 months.
Investing
Investment is another option for dual citizenship. Some countries that allow dual citizenship offer this option as well. It takes less time to get second citizenship through investing in another country. The investment amounts and types vary according to the country in question. Second citizenship comes with a second passport as well. Let’s get to know about this option more elaborately.
Dual Citizenship and Golden Visa
There is citizenship by investment programs in the world that offer citizenship after completing a qualified investment. Turkey and Malta offer this investment schedule for foreigners. Turkey requires at least a $250,000 investment in the country. It provides citizenship within a few months at most. Malta requires a minimum of €690,000 investment. Depending on the investment amount, you can reduce the time to get your citizenship. You can get Maltese citizenship in either 12 or 36 months.
There’s also the Portugal Golden Visa program which is a residency program. However, it may end with citizenship if you reside there for five years. You can get your Golden Visa by investing €280,000 in real estate in Portugal.
So, countries that allow dual citizenship provide many additional benefits including the right to work and gather your family. If one of the abovementioned options is suitable for you, go for it today!
