Eight countries where you can obtain a second passport without paying for it or having foreign ancestors

For those of you who have no foreign ancestors or want to avoid paying, today we are going to explain which countries allow you to obtain citizenship the fastest by naturalisation and what their requirements are.

Acquiring a second nationality (and more) is the key discipline within the Flag Theory, the crucial link that opens the door to a life which is as free from the state as possible.

Ultimately, being tied down to only one passport means you are beholden to the whims of the state that issues it. This can lead, from one day to the next, to situations where citizens have to pay taxes because of their nationality (for example, United States passport-holders); where they lose of freedom of movement, have to enlist in the country’s military or face challenges when opening bank accounts or registering companies, as has happened in Iran, North Korea, Somalia or Sudan, and to a lesser extent, Cuba and Venezuela.

Without doubt, those who do not experience these problems will struggle to understand the need to acquire another passport, but you can be sure that a Syrian or Iranian would be willing to do practically anything in exchange for a second passport in a Western country. In particular considering that the vast majority of countries do not share information about who their nationals are.

Regrettably, the topic of second passports is also the most complex part of Flag Theory. It is the aspect which, for the most part, requires the most time and money, which is why we have published an eBook about it. You can access our Encyclopaedia of Second Citizenships here.

You must know that not all governments permit dual nationality or obtention of a second passport, and there are even some which do not let you give up the one you had beforehand.

If you are native of Mexico, you are lucky because you can obtain dual nationality. That said, dual nationals are unable to run for office as they are considered politically “ineligible”.

Argentina accepts dual nationality with several countries and many Argentines have second passports because of their ancestors. If you are an Argentine national, you cannot renounce your nationality.

Colombians can also obtain dual nationality, so too can Spaniards, Peruvians and Nicaraguans. Panama, in principle, does not recognise more than a single nationality, apart from the countries that it has signed an agreement with.

Within the European Union, generally speaking, dual nationality is permitted between member states.

However, there are also countries such as Germany and Austria which only accept dual nationality with countries outside the EU following prior application submitted to the local authorities. In other countries like Saudi Arabia, it is forbidden to hold two passports.

Be that as it may, let us get to the topic that concerns us today.

What options do I have for obtaining a second passport if I have no foreign ancestors?

As we were saying, it is almost always an advantage to hold several nationalities, even if you already have a passport which allows you to travel to nearly every country in the world.

However, not everyone is fortunate enough to have the right ancestry, and fewer people still are married to someone of a different nationality and as such obtain additional nationality.

For those belonging to neither group, the only option left to obtain a second passport is through purchasing or investing, or through a long-term residence in another country.

Anyone who is lucky with their antecedents will have to, in any case, wait one or two years and wade through lots of bureaucracy, while those getting married will also have ahead of them a long process of naturalisation involving several citizenship tests.

Those wealthy enough will always be able to resort to purchasing or investing in an appropriate scheme. The better the country is or the more straightforward the process, the more expensive it will be. Nationalities obtained by donation or investment do not require presence in the country, but they also present a cost. We have outlined what these are in our article about six low-cost passports.

You must bear in mind that these schemes can disappear from one day to the next. As a result, relying that the present options will continue into the future, for when you might need them, could be unwise.

The most reliable option, and by far and away the cheapest, is acquiring a second nationality through naturalisation because of permanent residence in a place.

Depending on the country, after having spent sufficient time there, applications for nationality can be made at any time. Though it is also true that there could be changes to the criteria, this option is planned out much more in advance compared with the option of obtaining citizenship through donating or investing.

Eight countries where you can become naturalised relatively quickly

To become a naturalised citizen of another country, the first thing you must be aware of is that you will have to spend time there. In this sense, naturalisation is like air miles: to obtain a better air mile status you have to fly.

In the following countries you can start the process of naturalisation simply by residing legally there. The key here is that it varies hugely from one country to the next how much time you need to spend in the country.

8. Brazil

While there are several countries which can grant citizenship more quickly, we have decided to add Brazil into this list because of the appeal of the country and the value of their passport, as well as the relative ease of obtaining a passport without having to spend much time there.

In Brazil you can become naturalised after four years of residency. The maximum time you can be absent during that period is 18 months.

That said, if you are a national of a Portuguese speaking country you can obtain nationality after just a year of residency. Moreover, if you have children in Brazil or have a Brazilian parent you can become a citizen after just a year in Brazil.

To get a passport you will need to pass a Portuguese language test.

7. Honduras

In Honduras you can become a citizen after three years of residency. What’s more, if you are Spanish or from a Latin American country from birth, it only takes two years. For Central American nationals the wait is even shorter, just one year. In any case you must prove knowledge of Spanish.

It is worth bearing in mind when you acquire Honduran citizenship, if you were not born in the country, you have to forego your previous citizenship. (Foreigners must give up their old passport when they become naturalised and then would not be able to obtain a new, additional citizenship without losing the Honduran one.) However, if you are a Spanish citizen, there is an agreement between the two countries which does allow dual nationality in such a case.

Living in Honduras has an additional advantage, along with being able to obtain a passport: the country has a territorial tax system which means as a tax resident there you do not pay tax on your income earned abroad.

6. Ecuador

Another interesting option for those wanting an additional passport by living in another country is Ecuador. Here you can request citizenship after just three years of residency. As an additional requirement you will have to know something of the national history and, of course, speak Spanish.

The maximum time that you will be able to be absent from Ecuador is 180 days per year of residence. In other words, by spending just six months and a week in the country for three consecutive years you can apply for citizenship.

5. Peru

In the case of Peru, you can obtain a passport even more quickly, after just two years in the country. A point to bear in mind is that to become a naturalised Peruvian you will need to carry out a profession, trade, an art form or run a business in the country. That is, you will have to pay some taxes there and show proof of it.

Also, in this case you are allowed a maximum period of absence of six months per year. In practice, you only have to spend 12 months of a two-year period there to be able to apply for a Peruvian passport.

4. Panama

For those that prefer to combine the flag of citizenship with that of personal residency, Panama could be an even better option, as this destination offers the possibility of living without paying taxes, in addition to obtaining another passport. Another advantage of this Central American country is that for citizens of friendly countries it is very easy to obtain a residence permit: you simply have to set up a company there.

Panama grants citizenship after five years of residency, though that period is shortened if you have a child born there. However, the most interesting thing is, as a Spaniard you can obtain a passport after just two years of living there.

In the case of other Latin American nationalities, citizenship is obtained after the same number of years of residency as is required in a reciprocal manner to Panama natives. That is, for a Peruvian it would be two years, for an Ecuadorian, three, and so on.

An additional requirement as well as staying in the country you will need to speak Spanish and pass a knowledge test about Panama.

3. Paraguay

Another country in which it is very straightforward to obtain a second nationality is Paraguay. The country is very open to immigration, although it is more difficult for Africans and people coming from the Middle East.

A permanent residence permit can be obtained by placing a deposit of $5,000 in a Paraguayan bank account. This opens the door to a process towards citizenship, which you can apply for after three years of residency there.

The best thing is that as a resident in Paraguay you do not pay tax on your income earned abroad, because, in the same way as Panama, Paraguay is a territorial tax country.

Even if this landlocked South American country is somewhat lesser-known, it offers good freedom of movement, with access to almost 120 countries, and a relatively liberal environment to live in.

It is important to bear in mind that you may lose your passport if you reside outside of Paraguay for more than three consecutive years without an adequate justification.

2. Dominican Republic

We must not confuse the Dominican Republic with Dominica, which is also in the Caribbean. While Dominica is among the most appealing and economical countries in which to purchase a second nationality, in the Dominican Republic you can apply for nationality after just two years. Also, if you want to invest, the process becomes much quicker—after just six months you would be able to apply for citizenship.

Regrettably the country has attracted a rather poor reputation as a result of falsified and illegally sold passports, which has decreased the value of the passport. As a result, residents of the Dominican Republic cannot travel to many countries without a visa. Meanwhile, the administrative process is very complex, so the two-year duration can quite easily become arbitrarily extended a while longer.

On the other hand, in the Dominican Republic you have the advantage of not needing to pay tax on your income earned abroad, which undoubtedly represents a significant incentive for choosing this option.

Bear in mind that if you live outside the country during the year when you become naturalised or for more than ten consecutive years you can lose citizenship.

1. Argentina

Lastly, we have Argentina. This large country neighbouring Paraguay and Uruguay could indeed be a great choice: after two years’ residence there you can obtain nationality, while its passport, which allows travel to more than 150 countries visa-free, is in no way inferior to that of many European countries.

Regrettably, Argentina has been governed by a long list of spendthrift psychopaths who have completely impoverished a country which at one point came to be among the richest in the world. Among other measures, it imposed controls on the movement of capital.

Without doubt, if you choose Argentina, be careful to ensure your assets and businesses are kept well clear of the country.

The only condition to obtaining nationality after two years of living there is having stayed in the country on an ongoing basis. For those that have foreign-based income this can be done without difficulty owing to low prices there. The country is large and offers sufficient variety to spend time traveling within it.

You must remain in the country for at least six months of the year, but once you have completed the two years, obtaining citizenship can be achieved without any problem, though with some bureaucracy. Argentina even naturalises illegal immigrants after a certain period of time.

To conclude

As you can see, there are many ways to obtain a second nationality. Anyone who sees no problem in spending time in one of these named countries will be able to obtain an additional passport in an affordable way.

Another question to consider is whether it is worth acquiring nationality in a given country. What is easier to obtain is not necessarily the best. You must consider what you want to achieve with the passport.

Whatever it may be, if you are considering obtaining a second nationality, you have a lot more information on our Citizenship Encyclopaedia or you can book a consultation so we can help you decide which is the best option in your case.