Easiest Countries to Get Citizenship and Dual Nationality

Dual citizenship means that two countries recognise you as their citizen at the same time. It differs from holding a residence permit, permanent residence or a visa, none of which ordinarily gives you that country’s citizenship or passport. A passport is evidence of nationality; purchasing property does not itself make you a citizen.

Both countries’ laws matter. Permission to retain another citizenship in the country you are applying to does not guarantee that your current country permits voluntary acquisition of a foreign nationality. Check acquisition, retention and renunciation rules before applying, particularly if you intend to keep both citizenships.

Page Contents

• Dual Citizenship: Overview
• Comparison of Citizenship Rules Across Countries
• Ireland
• Spain
• Portugal
• Canada
• Germany
• United Kingdom
• United States
• Italy
• Easiest Countries to Get Citizenship by Descent
• Easiest Countries to Get Citizenship by Naturalisation
• Avoiding Double Taxation with Dual Citizenship
• Countries with the Easiest Citizenship by Investment
• How Can Total Law Help?
• Frequently Asked Questions

Ireland offers several routes to citizenship, with eligibility depending primarily on your ancestry, residence history or relationship with an Irish citizen. Ireland also permits dual citizenship, so becoming an Irish citizen does not generally require you to renounce an existing nationality, although you should check whether your other country permits dual nationality.

If a parent was born on the island of Ireland (including Northern Ireland) and was an Irish citizen at your birth. That includes If a grandparent was born there, you may qualify through the Foreign Births Register. For more distant generations, a parent’s citizenship and the timing of their registration are crucial when applying for Irish citizenship by descent. An Irish great grandparent does not create an automatic entitlement in every case, and it can be at the Minister’s discretion. When Irish citizenship by descent is not possible but you have a clear connection to Ireland, such as a sibling who is a citizen, the minister may grant citizenship by affinity.

For naturalisation, Ireland assesses reckonable permission and physical residence rather than simply counting years since arrival. A qualifying spouse or civil partner of an Irish citizen can use different residence provisions, normally three years in the preceding five on the island of Ireland, including the final continuous year. Marriage itself does not automatically confer citizenship.

Irish citizenship can be particularly valuable because Ireland is an EU member state. Irish citizens have rights under EU free-movement rules to live, work and study across EU countries, subject to the applicable rules, as well as the right to live and work in Ireland and hold an Irish passport. Ireland also offers a high quality of life, employment opportunities and popular cities such as Dublin, Cork and Galway. For those eligible through ancestry in particular, citizenship can provide these rights without first having to complete a lengthy period of residence in Ireland.

Spain offers various routes to citizenship for those with Spanish ancestry, family ties, married to Spanish citizens and for nationals with Ibero American origins. For those who do not qualify for citizenship by descent, through marriage or for a fast-track two year route for nationals of some countries, the typical timeline to Spanish citizenship by naturalisation is 10 years.

• If you have either a Spanish parent or grandparent, you may be eligible for Spanish citizenship through ancestry.
• If you have legally been residing in Spain for at least 10 years on a valid and legal permission, you may qualify for Spanish citizenship by naturalisation (carta de naturaleza).
• A person married to a Spanish citizen may qualify after one year of legal residence in Spain where the statutory marriage and separation conditions are met
• Spain’s reduced two year naturalisation period applies to nationals of origin of Ibero American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal, and to people of Sephardic origin under the applicable provision. It is not available to every person living in Latin America or holding residence there.

Before applying for Spanish citizenship, it is important to note that Spain does not generally allow dual citizenship, meaning that you may need to relinquish your original citizenship status in order to become a Spanish citizen. However, there are some exceptions to this; citizens of Latin American countries are generally allowed to obtain dual Spanish citizenship, for instance, largely owing to the historical colonial ties between the countries.

Portugal permits dual citizenship, provided your existing country’s laws allow it. You may qualify through a Portuguese parent or grandparent, subject to descent requirements, or after more than three years of marriage or a legally recognised partnership with a Portuguese citizen. Marriage does not automatically grant citizenship, and evidence of ties to Portugal may be required.

Since 19 May 2026, ordinary naturalisation requires seven years of legal residence for EU and Portuguese-speaking country nationals, or ten years for others. Applicants must meet language, cultural and civic knowledge, democratic commitment, subsistence and criminal record/security requirements. Nationality applications already pending retain the previous rules; an earlier residence permit alone does not preserve the five-year route.

The Golden Visa offers residence through investment, allowing a later application for Portuguese citizenship under the applicable nationality rules. Investors must maintain their qualifying investment and meet renewal and minimum stay requirements. Property purchases no longer qualify. Available options include:

• €500,000 in qualifying non-property funds, with five years’ maturity and 60% invested in Portuguese companies.
• €250,000 in qualifying arts or heritage support; €200,000 in eligible low-density areas.
• €500,000 through investing in qualifying institutions; €400,000 in eligible low-density areas.
• €500,000 plus creating five new permanent jobs, or maintaining ten existing jobs, including five permanent, for three years.
• Creating ten jobs, or eight in eligible low-density areas, with no fixed investment minimum.

Canada permits dual citizenship, so you do not need to renounce your existing nationality, provided your other country’s laws allow it. Canadian citizenship gives you the right to live and work in Canada and apply for a Canadian passport. Dual citizens generally need a Canadian passport to fly to Canada, with an exception for Canadian-American citizens.

To apply for Canadian citizenship through naturalisation, you generally need permanent resident status and 1,095 days of physical presence within the previous five years. Eligible time before permanent residence counts as half-days, up to 365 days. You must meet applicable tax-filing obligations for three years. Applicants aged 18–54 must also demonstrate English or French ability and pass the citizenship test. Criminal or immigration issues can affect eligibility.

You may already be Canadian through a parent, in which case you can apply for a citizenship certificate. Changes effective from 15 December 2025 expanded citizenship by descent beyond the first generation, potentially benefiting people with Canadian grandparents or earlier ancestors through their parent’s citizenship. For children born abroad on or after that date whose Canadian parent was also born abroad, that parent generally needs to have spent 1,095 days in Canada before the child’s birth.

Germany allows dual citizenship, so you can become German without renouncing your existing nationality, provided your other country’s laws permit this. Reforms in 27 June 2024 also mean German citizens can acquire another nationality without automatically losing their German citizenship.

To obtain German citizenship through ordinary naturalisation, you generally need five years of lawful residence, a qualifying residence status, B1 German, and knowledge of Germany’s legal and social system, usually demonstrated through a citizenship test. You must also meet financial support, identity, criminal record and constitutional commitment requirements. An EU Blue Card or certain other residence permits can qualify.

Spouses of German citizens may qualify after three years of lawful residence and two years of marriage, subject to the other requirements. You may also already be German through a parent, or qualify through routes addressing historical discrimination or Nazi persecution. Having a German grandparent alone does not establish eligibility. Citizenship must have passed through the family, or a specific restoration or declaration route must apply.

The UK allows dual citizenship, so becoming British does not require you to give up your existing nationality. You should still check your other country’s rules. British citizenship gives you the right to live and work in the UK without immigration restrictions and apply for a British passport. You may already qualify through a British parent, depending on where and when you were born and how your parent acquired citizenship.

For most adults applying for British citizenship, the usual requirements are five years of UK residence and at least 12 months with indefinite leave to remain (ILR) or settled status. Your overall journey may take longer, depending on how you qualify for settlement. You must also meet the language and good character requirements and pass the Life in the UK test, unless exempt. Normally, absences should not exceed 450 days over the five years or 90 days in the final year.

If you are married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen, the residence requirement is three years, and you can apply once you have ILR or settled status without waiting another 12 months. However, marriage does not speed up your visa’s settlement timetable, so three years in the UK alone may not be enough. Normally, absences should not exceed 270 days over those three years or 90 days in the final year, and you must have been in the UK exactly three years before your application is received.

The US allows dual citizenship, so you can become American while keeping your existing nationality, provided your other country’s laws permit it. There are practical responsibilities to consider: US citizens generally must use a US passport to enter and leave the country, and may have US tax-filing obligations on worldwide income even while living abroad. Tax relief may reduce what you owe, but does not necessarily remove reporting requirements.

For most adults, the route to US citizenship starts with obtaining a Green Card. You can generally apply for naturalisation after five years as a permanent resident, with continuous US residence and at least 30 months physically present during that period. Eligible spouses of US citizens may qualify after three years as permanent residents, including at least 18 months physically present, while meeting the marriage requirements. Applicants must also meet good moral character requirements, pass English and civics tests unless exempt, and take the Oath of Allegiance.

People born in the US generally acquire citizenship at birth, although exceptions apply, including certain children of foreign government employees. You may also qualify through a US citizen parent, depending on your circumstances and your parent’s time living in the US. Marriage alone does not grant citizenship: it can provide a route to permanent residence and, later, a shorter naturalisation timeline.

Italy allows dual citizenship, so you can become Italian while keeping your existing nationality, provided your other country’s laws allow it. For citizenship through residence, the usual qualifying period is ten years for non-EU nationals or four years for EU nationals, with shorter routes for certain applicants. You must also meet requirements covering income, criminal record and B1 Italian, unless exempt.

If you are married to an Italian citizen, you can generally apply for Italian citizenship after two years of legal residence in Italy following the marriage, or three years after marriage if living abroad. These periods are halved if you have children together, including adopted children. The marriage must remain valid until citizenship is granted, and language, criminal record and security requirements also apply.

Citizenship by descent became more restricted in 2025. For people born abroad who hold another nationality, an Italian parent or grandparent alone is no longer enough. You generally need a parent or grandparent who holds—or held at death—only Italian citizenship, or an Italian parent who lived in Italy for two consecutive years before your birth, after acquiring citizenship. Certain applications and appointments arranged by 27 March 2025 remain protected under the earlier rules. You must also establish that citizenship passed through your family without a break.

Citizenship by descent can offer a route to a second nationality without moving abroad or completing years of residence. The most accessible option depends on your family history, but Ireland, Canada and Poland are three countries that have the easiest process for citizenship by descent. However, you cannot choose where to apply by descent, as it is entirely based on your ancestry.

• Ireland: If you have a grandparent born on the island of Ireland, you can generally become Irish through the Foreign Births Register, without a residence or language test. Your parent does not need to have registered their own citizenship first. Claims through a great-grandparent normally require your parent to have become Irish before you were born.
• Canada: Changes effective from 15 December 2025 expanded citizenship by descent beyond the first generation. Many people born abroad before that date can now establish citizenship through a Canadian parent, including where that parent also became Canadian under the changes. For later births abroad, a Canadian parent who was also born abroad generally needs 1,095 days in Canada before the child’s birth.
• Poland: Citizenship can pass through several generations, potentially allowing claims through a grandparent, great-grandparent or earlier ancestor. The key is proving an unbroken chain of Polish citizenship, rather than simply Polish ancestry. Eligible applicants seek confirmation of citizenship they already hold; historical citizenship losses and missing family records can make the process more complicated.

The easiest country to naturalise in depends on your nationality, family circumstances and ability to qualify for residence. A short citizenship qualifying period is only useful if you can obtain the right immigration status first. These three countries offer relatively accessible routes for eligible applicants:

• Canada: Permanent residents can generally apply after 1,095 days of physical presence within five years. Some time before permanent residence counts towards this total. Tax-filing requirements apply, and applicants aged 18–54 generally need to meet language and citizenship knowledge requirements.
• Australia: Applicants generally need four years of lawful residence, including the final 12 months as a permanent resident. Absence limits, good character requirements and, for most applicants aged 18–59, a citizenship test also apply.
• Ireland: The ordinary route generally requires five years of reckonable residence within the previous nine years, including the year immediately before applying. Eligible spouses and civil partners of Irish citizens may qualify with three years of residence, alongside marriage or partnership and other requirements. Not every immigration permission counts towards citizenship.

Investment routes fall into two groups: programmes that grant citizenship directly after approval, and programmes that grant residence before a later citizenship application. Investment amounts are starting thresholds; government fees, due diligence charges and family costs may be additional.

• St Kitts and Nevis — direct citizenship: Qualifying contributions start at US$250,000, while approved development investments start at US$325,000, with a seven-year holding requirement. Applications go through an authorised agent and involve due diligence and a mandatory interview. Citizenship remains subject to approval.
• Portugal — Golden Visa residence: Options include €500,000 in qualifying investment funds or €250,000 in qualifying cultural support, reduced to €200,000 in eligible low-density areas. Citizenship requires a separate application under the applicable nationality rules: ordinarily seven years of legal residence for EU and Portuguese-speaking country nationals, or ten years for others. The Golden Visa does not retain a separate five-year citizenship route.
• United States — EB-5 permanent residence: The EB-5 route generally requires US$800,000 in a targeted employment area or infrastructure project, or US$1.05 million elsewhere, and creation of at least ten qualifying full-time jobs. It leads to a Green Card rather than immediate citizenship. Investors can generally pursue naturalisation after five years as permanent residents, provided they meet residence, physical presence and other requirements.
• Greece is another popular Golden visa programme worth exploring, while Turkey offers a route to citizenship through investment. Spain has closed their Golden visa to new applicants.