3 Solid Second Passport Options For U.S. Citizens

Second passports were once the preserve of billionaires, secret agents, and conmen. Today, in increasingly uncertain times, they’re a valuable asset in anyone’s wealth preservation toolkit.

A second citizenship not only means you have a back-up plan should the situation in your home country no longer suit you, it also opens up a world of opportunities for travel, business, education, and investment outside home borders.

There are many routes to multiple citizenships including through ancestry and investment but today let’s look at one that is open to most everyone: naturalization.

That’s the path my husband and I took to get our Irish citizenship. We were living in Ireland long enough to qualify for naturalization. Our son became a citizen of Ireland simply by being born there. At the time, Ireland still had jus soli or “rights of the soil” but this was removed from the Irish Constitution in 2005.

Ireland numbers among the countries offering the best, quickest second citizenship options for North Americans today. Let’s take a closer look at it and two other destinations where making your home there can lead to a second passport…

Ireland

Ireland has long been a popular destination for American travelers. Like anywhere, it has its pros and cons. For many, the climate is the biggest downside. Though Ireland doesn’t get many extremes it does rain a lot. Generally winters are cool (39°F to 45°F) and summers are mild (57°F to 63°F).

Additionally, the cost of living is high, real estate expensive, and infrastructure reasonable but variable depending on where in the country you are.

On the upside, the Irish countryside is magnificent, the Irish speak English, the crime rate is low, and many health care services are free for residents who require them.

To obtain Irish citizenship you will first need to secure a residency permit. Then, you need a period of one-year continuous “reckonable” residence in Ireland immediately before the date of your application for naturalization and during the eight years prior to that have had a total “reckonable” residence in Ireland of four years.

Reckonable residence means residence in Ireland that counts towards becoming eligible to apply for naturalization. You can use the online residency calculator on the Immigration Service Delivery website to check if you meet the naturalization residency conditions.

Altogether you must have five years of “reckonable” residence out of the preceding nine years before making your application.

To become an Irish citizen through naturalization, you must meet the conditions set out in the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956.

The basic requirements are that you are aged 18 or older, meet the residency requirements, and are of “good character.” This essentially equates to a police (Garda Síochána in Ireland) background check.

Most applications for naturalization in Ireland are processed within 19 months and there is no formal citizenship test, language test, or interview requirement.

The Irish passport is one of the strongest in the world in terms of travel freedom, global reputation, and benefits. Irish citizens can travel to 187 countries visa-free or with visa-on-arrival.

As an EU citizen, holders have the right to live, work, and study in any EU/EEA country (and Switzerland).

It also grants access to EU health care and social services, consular support from any EU embassy, and streamlined travel within the Common Travel Area (CTA) between Ireland and the U.K., allowing free movement and residency rights in both countries.

Uruguay

The second smallest country in South America, Uruguay has a spectacular coastline featuring some of the continent’s most luxurious beach resorts. Despite Uruguay’s abundance of natural attractions, it remains largely undiscovered by North American expats.

The capital city of Montevideo—the southernmost capital in the western hemisphere—is home to almost half of Uruguay’s 3.5 million residents. Roughly the size of Missouri, Uruguay occupies about the same latitude in the southern hemisphere as the state of Georgia does in the north.

Once you’ve established foreign residency, Uruguay is one of the easiest places in the world to obtain citizenship and a second passport. The Uruguayan government is a stable democracy, and the country enjoys a solid banking system, which earned it the nickname “the Switzerland of South America.”

The Uruguayan people are primarily of Spanish and northern Italian descent, with Italians having the most significant cultural influence. Despite being a former Spanish colony, present-day Uruguay has a culture without significant Spanish influence, aside from the language.

Uruguay’s colonial heritage and strong economy give it a European feel. This, combined with its pleasant climate, high standard of living, and beautiful natural features, make it a prime retirement and investment spot for North American expats.

Uruguay has a stated policy of welcoming foreign nationals to live in the country. The residency process is clean and clear-cut, but it does take some time to be completed—up to 18 months.

After you’ve been a resident for five years and having spent at least six months in Uruguay per year, you can start your naturalization process. This period is reduced to three years if you have underage children that are legal residents or if you’re married to a Uruguayan or a legal resident. The start date is the day that you file for residency.

You must have a basic understanding of Spanish as citizenship applicants will be tested in Spanish-language proficiency.

It takes between six and 18 months to be granted citizenship from the time of your application. The decision is made by Uruguay’s Electoral Court.

Uruguay’s passport has visa-free access to 92 countries, visa on arrival in 48 countries, and electronic travel authorization (ETA) in 4. A visa is required in 54 countries. Uruguay’s passport has a 72% world reach.

With a high mobility score, the Uruguayan passport is a great travel document. You have visa-free access to all of South America and MERCOSUR, as well as the Schengen zone.

The Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic (DR) is the largest democratically run country in the Caribbean, it’s easily accessible with daily flights to and from the United States and Canada, and it represents one of the very best options for an affordable life in the Caribbean.

The DR has what is probably the easiest residency permit to maintain, with no time-in-country requirements. Once you have permanent residency, the only requirement you have is renewing your residency card every four years.

The Dominican Republic offers ordinary and fast-track residency options. The fast track includes residency through investment as well as a program for retirees who can prove $1,500 a month in pension income.

If you take the invest-for-residency route, you can start the application process for naturalization after just six months rather than waiting the standard full two years of permanent residency.

Once the Director of Immigration accepts your application for citizenship, the government process of approving your request can take a year-and-a-half to two years.

An interview is required before naturalization is granted, so you’ll need to have a decent level of Spanish. During the interview, the officials will ask you why you want to become a Dominican citizen. You will also be asked to demonstrate knowledge of the country’s traditions, culture, geography, and history.

The Dominican Republic passport has visa-free access to 28 countries, visa on arrival in 48 countries, and Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) in three. Visas are required in 119 countries. The DR passport has a 40% world reach.

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