Travelling from country to country without restrictions. Shorter lines at the border. The right to live and work in a dream place or to renew your relation with your family. All this and even more is the dream of people seeking double citizenship. This besides applies to Mr George Clooney, who celebrated the end of 2025, obtaining for himself and his household French citizenship.
Double citizenship – the anticipation of having 2 (or more) countries' citizenship – has long enjoyed popularity among travelers, migrants and dreamers. In a planet of increasing bureaucracy, who wouldn't want to skip long lines for passport control and easy deal with locals? For those who, like Clooney, dream of surviving and working in another country, but do not have an employer to sponsor them, obtaining another citizenship may be the key to this. Even for those who don't plan on moving, it could be a transformation.
However, in 21st century politics, the wave can turn against dual citizenship. In 2025, respective European countries tightened their citizenship requirements on grounds of origin and introduced alleged "gold passport" schemes which grant citizenship to people with advanced spending. In the United States, a Republican senator from Ohio, Bernie Moreno, proposed a "Law on Exclusive Citizenship" that would forbid Americans from having any another citizenship.
Here's all you request to know:
How common is double citizenship?
There is no way to know the exact numbers, says Peter Spiro , prof. of Law at Temple University. This is due to the fact that most countries do not require citizens to declare whether they have more than 1 citizenship.
However, 1 thing seems clear: dual citizenship is becoming increasingly popular. In the UK census of 2021 2.1% of England and Wales had respective passports – about twice as much as in the 2011 census, in which 1.1% of the population declared double citizenship. In a fresh poll YouGov made among Americans, 6% declared double citizenship.
The United States first fell off the list of the 10 most powerful passports in the world
What people have many citizenships?
Since migration exists, many immigrants who naturalize in a fresh country want to hold their citizenship. In fresh decades, wealthy people have besides begun to apply for double citizenship to Increase global mobility.
Now that the planet is becoming increasingly unstable, the interest in emigration is growing. November Gallup poll showed that 1 in 5 Americans would like to emigrate, including 40% of women aged 15–44 – an increase of 40% compared to a akin survey conducted in 2014.
This desire for a fresh start abroad is reflected in the increasing number of people applying for a second passport, says Dominic Volek, head of individual client service in Henley & Partners, a company helping wealthy people gain double citizenship worldwide. In 2025 the company helped customers of 91 nationalities, but the Americans were at the top of the list.
"Three or 4 years ago we did not have an office in the United States, and now we have nine," he says, adding that there has been a "great increase" in the number of Americans applying for double citizenship. Among them are those dissatisfied with American politics (from both sides of the political dispute) and ultrarich people who, at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions, realized that American passports did not open as many doors as they thought. He adds that American customers now account for 30% of the company's turnover.
British citizens besides found themselves in Henley's top 5 rankings, says Volek, after Brexit deprived them of their freedom to decision around the European Union. He adds that the tightening of taxation policy proposed by the current Labour organization government has prompted any wealthy British to search work abroad.
These changes are a reversal of pre-pandemic trends, erstwhile request was driven by people in emerging countries facing political or economical instability, says Volek. Currently, Henley's 5 largest markets are the United States, India, Turkey, China and the United Kingdom.
Volek claims that this trend no longer focuses mainly on relocation. In troubled times, having a second (or 3rd or fourth) passport becomes an insurance policy.
“There are many advantages and no disadvantages,” says Spiro, author of respective Citizenship books. "And the advantages have surely become better understood in the face of political turbulence in the US".
What are the main ways to gain citizenship from another country?
Most people qualify in 1 of 3 ways: through origin, investment or naturalization. Citizenship by origin usually requires showing that the ancestors came from a given country, and the rules vary from country to country as to the number of generations that may qualify, and whether the ancestor inherent in another country breaks the line of family.
Citizenship by naturalization requires legal residence in a given country for a certain period of time – usually from 5 to 10 years – before submitting an application. Requirements frequently include verification of criminal past, language knowledge, past and culture examinations, or proof of flawless character. Even if the criteria are met, citizenship is not guaranteed and the process can take years. It is besides not inexpensive – for example, the naturalization fee as a British citizen is $2335.
Citizenship through investment is simply a completely different matter, designed for wealthy people who can pump capital into the local economy. Applicants invest in a country and receive a passport or residence licence which may yet lead to citizenship.
What are the benefits of double citizenship?
There's plenty of them. Double citizenship can let moving to another country, open the door to employment opportunities and open fresh educational opportunities for children. “If your children are curious in working or studying in the EU, you can do it seamlessly,” Spiro says about highly popular European citizens.
Depending on your passport, it may besides let visa-free travel or the acquisition of real property or setting up a company abroad. “It’s apparent for those who qualify for it,” Spiro says.
On an emotional level, acquiring a second citizenship can strengthen ties with the homeland of the ancestors or supply a relation with a country that has long been admired. any diasporas, specified as Ireland and Italy, have contributed to strengthening the reputation of their home countries worldwide. "This strengthened the transnational Italian cultural identity and strengthened the lasting value that Italy attaches to household ties," says Italian diaspora lawyer Adriana Coco Ruggeri , specialising in matters concerning Italian citizenship.
What are the disadvantages?
Surprisingly little, although they may be significant. The United States and Eritrea impose taxes on citizens regardless of their place of residence, which means that people with dual citizenship have certain obligations even after moving abroad. another countries apply residence-based taxation, which may inactive consequence in higher general taxes.
The hazard doesn't end there. Italy, which in 2025 introduced drastic restrictions on citizenship due to its origin, proposed to levy an yearly fee of EUR 2000 (2350) from Italians surviving abroad for access to the national healthcare system. Citizens could give it up, but anyone who later wants to benefit from healthcare would gotta pay for unused years. This proposal reflects the policy of 2024, which imposes on Non-EU residents in Italy gotta pay the same yearly fee.
"But if you had a Caribbean passport, you could let your Russian or Ukrainian passport expire, and yet you could inactive travel, run business and do what you request to do with your second citizenship."
Another threat is the anticipation of giving up citizenship. any countries, including Argentina and Iran, do not accept resignation. Turkey allows surrender, but in the case of men only after military service or payment of the exemption fee. Men under the age of 45 who do not fulfil these conditions shall be punished as withdrawing from military service and shall not waive citizenship.
Finally, the value of the second passport is not fixed. Grenada's citizenship program in exchange for investments has long been popular, as Grenada's citizens can get an E-2 investor visa to the United States that allows residence. However, in 2025 Washington tightened the rules, requiring applicants to stay 3 years in Grenada. “The host countries are starting to realize these thoughtful ways of utilizing citizenship,” Spiro warns
What is the American Exclusive Citizenship Act?
In December Senator Bernie Moreno, a Republican from Ohio, presented a draft exclusive citizenship bill of 2025. Moreno, who was born in Colombia and gained American citizenship at the age of 18, argued that Americans should be “only loyal to the United States”.
"If you want to be an American, it's either everything or nothing," he said in a message announcing the bill.Spiro rejects this proposal as mostly symbolic. "This is unacceptable for many reasons," he says, providing for "strong" opposition from both political parties. "Many people have dual citizenship, including Donald Trump's wife and child. This will never be done," he adds. What if it did? "This is clearly unconstitutional".
Spiro claims that the most interesting thing about Moreno's proposal is the interest it has generated – which he believes is partially due to the number of Americans with dual citizenship. "This is no longer a marginal phenomenon," he says.
The reactions varied. YouGov poll After the announcement, Moreno showed that 45% of respondents believe that applicants for American citizenship should not be forced to relinquish their first citizenship, while 31% agreed with the Senator. However, attitudes changed erstwhile respondents took into account their own position – 56% stated that Americans who had acquired another citizenship should not be forced to relinquish their American passport, and 65% stated that they would not quit American citizenship if they had obtained another citizenship.
What kind of passport do people with dual citizenship use?
Double citizens usually usage the passport of the country they enter or leave. For example, George Clooney left the United States with an American passport, entered the European Union with a French passport, and then the procedure was reversed.
Is double citizenship prohibited in any countries?
Yeah. If the Moreno Act had always entered into force, the United States would have joined a tiny group of countries that completely ban double citizenship specified as Iran, Cuba and North Korea. More than a twelve another countries apply a akin policy, including Singapore, which Henley claims has the most powerful passport in the world.
China, India and Japan do not recognise dual citizenship, although India allows citizens who gain another citizenship to hold a limited position known as abroad citizenship of India.
Other countries restrict the anticipation of double citizenship. Spain requires foreigners to renounce their erstwhile citizenship – unless they come from a erstwhile Spanish colony or respective another countries specified as Portugal or France. Spanish nationals who gain second citizenship (not included in the list above) will lose their Spanish citizenship unless they formally request the government to keep it within 3 years.
Netherlands besides discourages double citizenship. It frequently requires the surrender of citizenship and in any cases automatically cancels Dutch citizenship at the time of acquisition of another.
Are countries tightening their demands?
Yes, for all 3 ways to citizenship. “The request is unstoppable, it just grows,” Volek says. "But on the supply side there is simply a clear tightening".
In 2025 Italy issued an emergency decree limiting nationality from inheritance to 2 generations, requiring that the last ancestor in the line be born in Italy and die exclusively as an Italian citizen. respective judges have already referred this bill to the Italian Constitutional Court, which planned the trial for March 2026. The controversial, restrictive Italian citizenship law will now be examined by the Constitutional Court.
"It violates constitutional principles due to the fact that it retroactively deprives the rights already acquired and protected by the Italian constitution, specified as citizenship, household unity and individual and collective identity. The law is disproportionate and has been enacted by an emergency decree without urgency, without appropriate legislative review."
Portugal besides sought to tighten the rules by proposing to increase the residence request required for naturalisation from 5 to 10 years. The law was blocked by the Constitutional Court, which suggested non-constitutionality and sent the bill back for revision. Sweden announced plans to rise the residence request from 5 to 7 years, and Poland proposed to rise this threshold from 3 to 8 years.
Some long-term paths are closed. In Portugal, a fast way for the descendants of Sephardic Jews exiled in the 15th century was closed and a akin program in Spain expired. Spain continues to offer a shortened naturalisation way — 2 years alternatively of 10 — for applicants who can prove Sephardian origin.
For those affected by the Holocaust and Fascism Germany offers separate path for those who lost their citizenship under Nazi rule. Italy, which deprived Jews of civilian rights in 1938, offers nothing akin to those who fled Fascism.
What happens to investment-based citizenship?
The European authorities have taken decisive steps to limit the alleged gold passport schemes, arguing that they bring citizenship to a commercial transaction. Malta suffocated its programme in 2025 after the ruling of the ultimate Court of the European Union. Cyprus and Bulgaria have done so before, and Spain has completed its gold visa programme in the same year, following in the footsteps of Ireland and the UK.
But another countries inactive exist. respective Caribbean countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Grenada and Saint Kitts and Nevis, offer citizenship in exchange for investment, providing visa-free access to a large part of Europe and the United States. Volek claims that many investors are Americans who want to get a politically neutral travel document.
Is there another way to qualify?
George and Amal Clooney know that having friends in advanced places is helpful. The couple and their children received French citizenship at the request of the Minister for abroad Affairs of the country within the framework of Appendix to the ‘excellent citizen’ . This happened in late 2025, a fewer days before the language and civic requirements were tightened.
Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson and their children received Greek citizenship in 2020 . Actors own properties in this country and publicize destructive forest fires in 2018, He said formerly CNN Minister for the Interior of Greece .
Such cases may meet with criticism, but Volek argues that governments are increasingly formalising paths for exceptional applicants as conventional investment programmes disappear. "Programs fade, but are replaced by a merit-based framework," he says.
Is there anything else worth knowing?
There is simply a difference between what the regulations say and what people can do in practice. any people can have many citizenships, even under circumstances that should not be allowed – possibly due to the fact that 1 country recognizes them and the another 1 does not. Enforcement can besides be inconsistent.
Governments may not advertise all available paths. In Italy, for example, authoritative guidelines have long established that citizenship could not be passed on by mothers before 1948 – a position that Italian courts have repeatedly repealed since 2009.
For this reason, if you have any ties to another country, it is always worth consulting a specialist who will measure your options.
saiko3p/iStockphoto/Getty Images
What are the benefits of the "host" countries?
Governments give different motives. Italy pointed to the political impact of its extended diaspora, while Spain referred to housing pressures, ending the gold visa program. Others item economical or demographic benefits.
Small or delicate countries experimentation with targeted investment models. Nauru, the 3rd smallest republic in the planet in Micronesia, launched her in 2024 Citizenship Programme for economical and Climate Resistance, requiring a minimum contribution of $105,000 to the island's climate resilience fund. The Nauru passport allows you to travel without a visa to 85 states, including Hong Kong, Singapore and the United arabian Emirates.
Volek, whose company has been working on the project, predicts that the fresh citizens of Naurua will rise about $50 million to “literally save the country... by moving people inside the island and introducing mechanisms to counter climate change”.
Are there any countries worth watching?
Some countries improve citizenship programmes for investment alternatively than giving up. Argentina is expected to launch this year a program requiring a minimum investment of $500,000 and El Salvador introduced a way of citizenship linked to an investment in Bitcoin. no of these programs require permanent residence and the Argentine passport allows access to the powerful block of South American states – Mercosur.
Volek foresees that governments will proceed to narrow the eligibility criteria while developing programmes to channel money to precedence sectors.
Although Spiro claims that EU, US, Australia and fresh Zealand passports are usually desirable, he believes that the Gulf State would be the first among those who may have dual citizenship.
Is it worth applying now, even if I don't request it?
Definitely, according to the insiders. Spiro has German citizenship by origin, which means that although he does not plan to emigrate, his boy could survey in Berlin. "If he wants to work anywhere in the EU, he can do it," he says.
For Volek it is about having a "Plan B" in an increasingly uncertain world. As a native South Africa, he besides holds a Montenegrin passport obtained from investments (which should give him EU citizenship in 2028), a gold visa to Dubai and a permanent residence in Singapore.
“Just look at the news — we live in unstable times and nothing will change,” Volek says. The faster, the better – they say.
"Rules will change and programs will become more costly and a small more burdensome," Volek says. "Irrespective of the financial possibilities, if you can do so through a program to get off course or you have money and you can do so, you should totally opt for it."
Spiro agrees. "Moving to Italy has given a fresh sense of urgency. There is awareness that even if you qualify today, you may not have tomorrow. Eligibility is not the ultimate.
