The World’s Easiest Passports and Citizenships in 2023

One of our most sought-after services here at Nomad Capitalist is helping people get second residencies. Clients often come asking what is the quickest and easiest way to get residency somewhere outside of their home country. 

Some want to have a Plan B, which includes a place to go should things go badly in their home country. Others want a Plan A, someplace nice to go to as they’re developing their Trifecta Strategy, building a new business, or growing their current one. 

There are many reasons people choose to find a second, third, or even fourth place to reside and become a citizen.

Whatever your reasons, I highly encourage you to go beyond a second residence and get a second passport. Residence is temporary and, even with a permanent residence, you are not a citizen. There may be benefits to not being a citizen in some countries (think mandatory military service in Singapore). But, if a country decides to change its policies or not renew your visa, then there’s not much you can do as just a resident. 

Only as a citizen do you have the right to a guaranteed place to live. 

There is also a difference between having citizenship and having a passport. Being a citizen of a country means you qualify to get a passport from that country, but it does not mean you have one. 

For example, for Christmas one year, I asked my sister to join me in Mexico for the holidays. She lives in the US and has access to one of the most powerful passports in the world. Except she had zero travel privileges because she hadn’t gone through the process to get a passport. 

So yes, you may have acquired a second citizenship somewhere, but be sure to obtain and keep your passport up to date so that you have the travel privileges that go with that country’s passport.

Now that we have cleared up that confusion between residencies, citizenships, and passports, one question remains: Where can you get the easiest citizenships and passports?

In this article, we will first give a quick look at the different ways you can obtain citizenship, take a moment to define exactly what we mean by “easiest citizenship”, and then look at the easiest way to get a second passport with each different method in four separate regions of the world: Europe, the Caribbean, Asia and the South Pacific, and Latin America.

We’ll sum things up with a few frequently asked questions and give you plenty of resources along the way to aid your search for the perfect second passport for your unique needs and desires.

How to Get Citizenship

There are 5 ways to get citizenship: 

• Naturalization – the most common method is to establish residency in a country, spend time there for a certain number of years, pay your dues, and become a citizen.
• Citizenship by Descent – you may qualify for a second passport through your ancestry.
• Economic Citizenship – you can obtain citizenship through a monetary investment or donation to certain countries. 
• Exceptional Citizenship – through exceptional circumstances as determined by a country’s leader. (As this is something individually and circumstantially determined, we will not be discussing this method in this article.)
• Familial Ties – you can often qualify for citizenship through a legitimate marriage to a partner that is a citizen of the country or through other family connections such as giving birth to a child who obtains citizenship by birth.

How to Define the Easiest Citizenships

Now, let’s take a minute and talk about what we mean by easy. This is a term that will be different for each person. For some, easy means as fast as possible. For others, it may mean the least expensive. And yet for others, it may be the country with the lowest physical presence requirements. It all depends on what you’re looking for and where you feel like you’re treated best.

As you consider getting an easy second citizenship and passport, you should always keep your overall strategy in mind. Ask yourself what your goals are in moving to a new country and what is most important to you. Here are some general questions to consider when deciding what easy means for you: 

• What are the requirements to qualify for citizenship and who can be approved?
• How many years does it take to get citizenship?
• What are the in-country physical presence requirements?
• What is the amount of investment required?
• Where do you feel culturally comfortable?
• What are the tax implications of becoming a citizen?
• Will I need or want to purchase real estate?
• Can I qualify for citizenship through descent?
• How much paperwork and bureaucracy is involved?
• Is the program available to many people?
• How efficient is the country at processing paperwork?

If speed is your top requirement and money, location, or amount of paperwork are low priorities, then you should check out our article on the fastest countries to become a citizen. 

If you’re simply looking for a no-tax country, check out our Ultimate Guides for citizenship in Monaco, St. Kitts and Nevis, Vanuatu, and the Cayman Islands. 

In this article, we’ll discuss several countries in which it is “easy” to get citizenship and a passport. We’ll do this by offering one country for each type of citizenship in several regions around the world, as well as some honorable mentions you might find interesting. As you read through these countries be sure to consider your definition of easy so that you can find what fits best for you.

Easiest Passport for Citizenship by Descent: Latvia

Due to its history, Latvia has some interesting options for citizenship by descent. The first is if you were exiled between June 17, 1940, and May 4, 1990, due to foreign occupation. It also applies to the children of an exile born before October 1, 2014. If you fit in this category you are eligible for citizenship and can maintain dual citizenship in another country. The process usually takes about four months if all your documents and fees are in order.

The second option is for someone who was born outside of Latvia, has reached the age of 15, and has one parent who was a Latvian citizen at the time of the applicant’s birth. In this situation, dual citizenship is only allowed for countries in the EU, EFTA, NATO, or if you are a citizen of Australia, Brazil, or New Zealand. For children under 25, dual citizenship is granted with any other country, but at age 25, those not of a country listed above will have to make a choice of which to keep. 

For this type of citizenship, the application can be processed in as little as one month as long as all the paperwork, documentation, and fees are in order.

The third option is if you are ethnically Latvian or Liv, but were born outside of Latvia. For this type of application you must have documentation showing 

1. Your ancestor’s place of residence in Latvia between 1881 and June 17, 1940,
2. Your relationship to this ancestor, 
3. Your ethnic background or that your parents or grandparents are/were Latvian, and
4. That you can pass a language exam in Latvian.

The processing time for this type of citizenship by descent is longer. If all your paperwork, documentation, and fees are in order, the fastest that citizenship will be granted is after one year.

If you qualify for one of these categories, Latvia is a great second citizenship. It’s one of the cheapest countries to live in Europe, it has been rising as an offshore banking hotspot, and has some fantastic real estate investment opportunities. 

If you aren’t lucky enough to claim Latvian heritage, there are other great options for getting citizenship there. Check out our Ultimate Guide to Latvia’s Golden Visa or our article on Latvian Residency and Citizenship.

Easiest Passport Through Familial Ties: Ireland

Ireland is one of my favorite countries in the world. They’ve made their citizenship programs very open. Ireland has a population of 5 million, but almost 15 million people hold Irish passports, thanks in large part to its streamlined citizenship by descent program.

You can also gain citizenship through other familial ties. Those married to or in a registered civil relationship (Ireland now recognizes gay marriage) with an Irish citizen can apply for an Irish passport after one year of “reckonable residence.” You must have been married to or in a civil union with your partner for at least three years.

That does mean you’ll have to pay Ireland’s high income taxes for at least one year, but corporate taxes are quite low. You’ll also need to spend a good amount of time in Ireland, but once you have the Irish passport, you’ll be able to live anywhere in Europe and travel almost anywhere on earth.

In terms of easy, Ireland has really simplified the process and made its policies quite open. There are several other great options for citizenship through marriage in Europe, but we’ve named Ireland as the easiest citizenship because you don’t have to be married for as long (as in Switzerland or Portugal) or declare the country your home country (like in Serbia), plus the Irish passport doesn’t come with all the bureaucracy of the Spanish government that can often lead to prolonged immigration timelines.

Best of all, if you’re not married to an Irish citizen but you can claim parents, grandparents, or even great-grandparents that were Irish citizens, you can gain citizenship through Ireland’s fantastic Citizenship by Descent program. We have helped many people with this passport and have several connections that make the process quite simple. 

Easiest Passport for Citizenship by Descent: Grenada

You may not be able to claim citizenship by descent on the tiny island of Grenada, but this is the easiest passport in the Caribbean to pass down to your children and grandchildren. For other Caribbean countries, if you get your citizenship through citizenship by investment (CBI), it doesn’t pass to your children without fees or without adding them as part owner of your investment. For Grenada, however, once you get citizenship, it will pass down.

Grenada’s CBI program is fairly straightforward and offers a great passport with visa-free travel to more than 135 countries. It’s also the only program that offers visa-free travel to both China and Russia. In addition, Grenada’s passport gives you access to the US E-2 investor visa.

You can obtain the passport by either a donation or through the purchase of a pre-approved property. The donation for a single person is set at $150,000 and for a family of four, $200,000, with additional processing and application fees. Grenada’s definition of who classifies as family members is fairly liberal and can mean a spouse or children, but also extends to dependent parents over the age of 55 and even unmarried siblings over the age of 18. 

If you decide to go through the real estate option, it will be more expensive but does have the possibility to recoup some of your investment after holding the property for at least five years. For a single investor, your property value must be at least $350,000, but if you’re investing with a partner, your minimum investment drops to $220,000 with a total investment of $440,000. There are also additional fees that run around $58,000 or more depending on how many people you’re adding to the application.

For more information on this great passport opportunity with benefits to pass down citizenship to your posterity, check out our Ultimate Guide for Citizenship in Grenada.

Easiest Passport Through Familial Ties: Antigua and Barbuda

Now, this is not your typical marriage or birth type of citizenship, but this is the easiest passport for a family. Antigua and Barbuda has become the cheapest option to get a Caribbean passport for a family of up to four members and made our list of Discounted Caribbean passports not to miss out on.

Where most countries increase the required investment amount per person that you add to the application, in Antigua and Barbuda, you can claim a spouse and up to two kids under the same investment price of $100,000 — plus fees which run about $30,000 a person. 

They even have an option to include adult-dependent children aged 18-26 that are full-time students. If you contribute $150,000 to the University of the West Indies, you can add up to six applicants (+$15,000 for each additional family member) and one member of the family will receive a one-year scholarship to the university. All of this is not very common in the CBI world (at all) and gives Antigua and Barbuda a clear advantage.

You can make your investment in real estate, as a donation, or in business, and receive your citizenship in three to four months. It’s a quick, simple, and straightforward program. You will be required to spend at least five days a year in the country to renew your passport, but the islands’ beauty and luxurious living make that anything but painful.

On top of that, the Antiguan passport is one of the most powerful in the Caribbean, allowing you to access 142 countries visa-free. Check out our Ultimate Guide for all the details on this great family option.

Easiest Passport for Citizenship by Descent: New Zealand

For this region, we have confirmed that you can get citizenship by descent in South Korea, Indonesia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, and India. But among these, New Zealand citizenship by descent is probably the quickest and least expensive path to citizenship and a passport. 

Its program is fairly streamlined and straightforward. If you were born outside of New Zealand, but one of your parents was a citizen by birth, you may be entitled to citizenship.

To apply for citizenship by descent, you’ll need to download the application form online and send it in with the requested original documents and fees. Fees depend on which office you send your application to and whether or not you want to receive a passport at the same time as citizenship. It may be worth weighing your options or having someone help you with the application process to decrease your fees. 

You can also submit your application in person to one of the Department of Internal Affairs offices in New Zealand, Sydney, or London.

It takes 30 working days to process your application, but if you need your passport urgently, you can pay an additional fee to expedite the process to 10 days. 

A passport from New Zealand ranks as the eighth strongest in the world with access to 173 countries. Citizenship also grants you access to a friendly, diverse country, with excellent weather and cuisine as well as healthcare and public education. 

Of the six major English-speaking countries (the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand) New Zealand easily leads the pack as the most economically free, though becoming a citizen will require that you pay the significant income and corporate taxes.

For all the details and other options for citizenship in New Zealand, check out our Ultimate Guide.

Easiest Passport Through Familial Ties:
Israel

If you happen to be married to a Jewish man or woman, no matter where you’re from, you are in luck in terms of getting a second passport from Israel. Israel’s Law of Return is somewhat complicated but allows Jews and their descendants to obtain permanent residence in Israel rather easily and quickly.

 A “Jew” is defined as anyone whose mother or grandmother is a Jew, or has converted to Judaism. In the 1970s, the Israeli government extended the Law of Return rules to allow the spouse, children, and grandchildren of a Jew to also qualify. It is possible to use the Law of Return, even if you are not Jewish, by falling into one of these categories.

Upon your arrival in Israel, there is a 90 day waiting period before you can be awarded citizenship. However, citizenship is automatically granted unless you specifically ask the government not to grant you Israeli citizenship.

It’s important to know that while citizenship can be conferred within a few months, you will not receive a full passport until a year after that. The goal of the Law of Return is for Jews to come and remain in Israel. You must show that you have established ties in Israel in order to qualify and maintain your passport.

An Israeli passport does restrict you from traveling to most of the Middle East, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and living in Israel comes with a high tax burden. However, it is an above average travel document for the right person.

For all the details and pros and cons about this option or to learn about Israel’s option for Citizenship by Descent, check out our article on How to Get Citizenship under Israel’s Law of Return.

Easiest Passport for Citizenship by Descent: Mexico

Mexico is a country that’s gotten a lot of bad press, but is actually a large country with many good options for living, doing business, and investment. It has a fantastic passport that ranks as the 26th most powerful passport in the world, easily making it the most underrated passport out there. Mexico City is my favorite Latin American city to visit. I even named it the most livable city in Latin America in my Nomad Guide.

It’s also quite easy to get citizenship by descent there. If you have a Mexican parent, you can get citizenship in as little as six months for less than $100. 

But you don’t even need to have Mexican heritage to be fast-tracked to citizenship by descent, any Latin American descent will do. You start the process by getting residency. If you can show proof of blood relatives in Mexico or other Latin American countries, then you can qualify right off for a permanent residence permit. Then, after two years, you can apply for citizenship.

You don’t have to spend much time in-country initially, which can be a nice way to transition from your current country. This gives you time to find a great real estate location that fits your style and then lock something in. Overall, it’s a fairly straightforward process. For more detailed information you can look at our article on Mexican residency and citizenship. 

Easiest Passport Through Familial Ties: Brazil

Hands down, Brazil wins out as the easiest place to get citizenship through family ties. If you have immediate family ties to a Brazilian citizen, that entitles you to Brazilian citizenship within one year. That means citizenship by marriage is possible, as well as by giving birth or adopting a child. The options don’t stop there. Brazil also offers a fast-track option for parents to obtain Brazilian citizenship without having to navigate Brazil’s tedious investment immigration program.

So, let’s get to some of the details. 

Out of all of the countries that offer citizenship by birth, Brazil is the best place to give birth thanks to its advanced medical facilities and valuable passport. Brazil is an ideal country for medical tourism due to the country’s low-cost, high-quality health care. It also has what I call an A- level passport — great travel options (including Russia) without the hassle that can come with most western passports.

In preparing to have your child’s birth in Brazil, you will first need to arrange for a visa — unless you’re from the EU which grants visa-free travel to Brazil. Because you will be staying in Brazil for at least two to three months, you will need to take the time to find suitable long-term housing. You will also need to select a hospital. 

After those things are in order, the next step is to give birth and make sure to get a birth certificate. When you, your partner, and your newborn leave the hospital, the hospital will provide you with a document that confirms that your child was born in Brazil. You can then take that document to a government office to get your child’s birth certificate in Portuguese.

Once you have a birth certificate, you can use it to get your child a Brazilian passport.

If you and your spouse are looking to get Brazilian citizenship as well, Brazil offers a fast-track naturalization option for parents. It does require you to live in the country for the majority of the year, pay taxes, and learn Portuguese — and, of course, contend with Brazilian bureaucracy. But the whole process can be done in just one year.

For all the details, check out our article on giving your child Brazilian citizenship by birth.

The last option is through marriage. Those who have a Brazilian spouse of at least one year qualify to apply for a second citizenship. After just one year of uninterrupted residence in the country, your citizenship can be granted. 

As in many other countries in the world, it is necessary to work with someone who knows the minuscule details, as well as the Portuguese language, as all paperwork will need to be done in Portuguese. Brazil is notorious for its bureaucracy. It can prove to be very important to hire the right people to do the paperwork and documentation correctly. 

For more details, check out our article on how to get citizenship through marriage in Brazil.

CONCLUSION

There is a lot to consider when looking into getting a second or even multiple passports. While we say “easy,” it may not mean a simple process, but just simpler than other options. It also will depend on what you’re looking for as you develop your holistic plan.

We’ve provided some of the easiest passports for each region in different categories that might fit your strategy, but be sure to not stop here as there may be more options that fit your needs best. Each country offers unique options and each passport provides different benefits. So find what countries work best in developing your passport portfolio.

The main thing is to start now to create a diverse plan that covers your bases and protects you and your assets. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Prepare yourself with a plan that is exactly tailored to your needs to go where you’re treated best.

Get in touch with us today and let our team help you develop a plan that fits you.