Many people have considered the idea of living somewhere new — even if just for a while. Whether it’s dreams of sipping your morning coffee on a cobblestone street in Europe or just a Plan B if things aren't going well at home, passports from other countries are an intriguing idea. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes for an American to get one, this guide breaks down your possible options.
Being a Citizen vs. Holding a Passport
First and foremost, let’s clarify the difference between holding a passport to a country and being a citizen of that country. Citizenship is a permanent legal status that grants a person full rights and protections in a country, such as voting, holding public office, and indefinite residence, while holding a passport simply means possessing an official travel document that proves nationality and allows for crossing international borders. Not all passport holders are necessarily citizens, and a passport can expire or be held without full citizenship in some cases. Citizenship itself is a deeper and more permanent relationship with a nation.
Birthright Citizenship
U.S. citizens can obtain passports from other countries by qualifying for foreign citizenship through various means. The specifics depend on the country's nationality laws. For example, you could be born in that country. Many countries in the Americas, including Canada, Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil, offer birthright citizenship with few restrictions.
What's more, a person born in another country can automatically acquire U.S. citizenship at birth if at least one parent is a U.S. citizen and that parent meets specific physical presence or residence requirements laid out in U.S. law. If both parents are citizens, generally the child qualifies more easily.
Many countries allow individuals to retain U.S. citizenship while holding citizenship and a passport of another nation. These include most nations in Europe (such as the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Sweden, and Portugal), the Americas (like Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile), and several parts of Africa, Asia, and Oceania. But a few countries like China, India, and Japan do not generally permit dual citizenship and require citizens to renounce their existing nationality upon acquiring a foreign passport.
Getting a Foreign Passport by Descent
If a U.S. citizen has parents from another country, getting a foreign passport through them can be pretty straightforward in countries that offer “citizenship by descent.” Many countries offer citizenship to the children of citizens who are born abroad, and more than a few extend this to grandchildren. European countries that offer citizenship by descent for grandchildren include Czechia, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, and Spain. Some even allow great-grandchildren to get citizenship relatively easily. Countries like Hungary and Latvia extend this citizenship to infinite generations down, although this is rare and getting rarer (for example, Italy used to do the same, but has recently curtailed it).
In order to do this, you’d need to show official documents that prove the relationship (like birth certificates, old passports, or sometimes even just records from the community or church) plus paperwork showing the relevant parent's nationality. Each country has its own rules about who qualifies and which generations count, but once the documents check out, the process lets a person apply for citizenship and then request a passport from their parents’ homeland, often without having to move there or learn the language.
Getting a Foreign Passport by Marriage
Plenty of countries (including the U.S. itself) offer a path to citizenship by marriage, which is also a way to get a foreign passport. The process usually starts by proving the marriage is real with official paperwork, then living together for a few years in the spouse’s country, as most places want to see that the relationship isn’t just for immigration.
After meeting the residency requirement and sometimes passing a language or civics test, the foreign spouse can apply for citizenship. Once approved, getting a passport from that country is usually as simple as applying for one.
Getting a Foreign Passport by Naturalization
If a U.S. citizen wants a passport from another country by naturalization, they’ll usually have to move there and live legally for a few years. But it doesn’t have to be long; in places like Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, France, Portugal, and Sweden, it’s just five years or less.
During this time, they’ll need to learn some of the local language, support themselves financially, and sometimes pass a basic test on history or government. The trickiest part is getting permission to stay long-term. This is often done by landing a job within that country and working there for a certain period of time. Once they’ve been there long enough and ticked off the requirements, they can apply for citizenship, and then for a local passport (no need to give up their U.S. one if the country allows dual citizenship).
You may have heard of the "digital nomad" visa. Historically, countries did not allow visitors to work for foreign employers while staying in the country. However, the Netherlands created the digital nomad visa program in 2000 to attract foreign workers, largely in tech, who could work from anywhere. Other countries quickly adopted similar programs. Germany, the Bahamas, and most recently New Zealand have digital nomad visa programs with no income requirements. Others may require you have a certain monthly income to qualify. However, there are restrictions on how long you can stay in the country on a digital nomad visa (usually 6 months to 2 years), so you would have to obtain employment from a local employer or otherwise work with that country's immigration laws to stay permanently.
Getting a Foreign Passport by Investment
If a U.S. citizen wants a second passport quickly and has the funds to spare, getting citizenship by investment is one of the easiest shortcuts out there. Some countries actually let people “buy” citizenship by making a large donation or investment (think anything from $100,000 up to $750,000) into their local economy, national development fund, or real estate. These programs are mostly found in smaller nations, especially in the Caribbean, like St. Kitts & Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Saint Lucia, but also Malta in Europe and Vanuatu in the Pacific.
To make this happen, a person chooses a country offering citizenship by investment, makes the required donation or investment, and provides documents proving their background checks out. As long as everything is legit and passes the country’s screening, citizenship (and a passport) can be granted. The process is usually quick, sometimes just a few months, and you don’t even have to live there to qualify.
It’s a great way to boost travel options or have a Plan B for the future, but it isn’t cheap. To avoid any future headaches, it’s also important to target countries with transparent, well-regulated programs. For people with the cash, though, it can be one of the fastest and most straightforward ways to get a second passport and unlock new opportunities around the world.
Some Local Research Needed
While the legal requirements vary, it is relatively straightforward in many countries to get a passport, the right to stay long-term, and even citizenship. The issue generally comes down to money and family. If you can find work, have family or ancestors from that country, or are able to buy your way in, you have possibilities. Regardless, it's important to have a plan in place regarding where you will work, live, and what your options will be in a few years. Overstaying your visa in another country, as in the U.S., can lead to legal trouble, difficulty finding work, and deportation.
Related Resources:
- Spouse Immigration (FindLaw's Learn About the Law)
- The Massive Increases for H-1B Visa Workers, Explained (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
- What is an Investment Visa? (FindLaw's Learn About the Law)
