obtained by illegal means such as bribery are sadly not uncommon. In many countries it is possible to make (illegal) direct payments to corrupt government officials in return for passports and citizenship documents. Holders of such documents run a serious risk of exposure, arrest and deportation. Even in those countries where the law gives the President, Prime Minister or other government ministers relative discretion regarding the granting of citizenship, if any payments are involved, these are bribes – a crime in almost every country. Often the result is a revocation of previously granted citizenship and passports, for example after a change of government. Persons who have acquired documents this way are also frequently blackmailed and forced to pay further “fees” later on.40 It is therefore crucial that citizenship is obtained based upon specific provisions in the law and clear, official procedures.
A related criterion is that the granting of citizenship and the passports issued in conjunction therewith have to be recognized by other countries. If full citizenship has been granted based on the legal provisions of a country, it will normally be recognized by other countries. However if only non-citizens passports are granted, generally this is not a good option. One example is Panama where a (legal) non-citizens passport under the retiree residence program can be acquired.
Other important points to consider when intending to become a citizen of choice include the geographic location of the country, the official language, political and economic stability, the legal system, the banking and business environment, visa-free travel possibilities for passport holders of that country, the reputation of the country and the passport, and of course initial and future overall costs.
You will also need to consider restrictions on dual citizenship. Some countries do not allow you to hold any other citizenship besides theirs. About half of the world’s countries allow dual nationality, and the other half does not allow you to be a citizen of another country at the same time. Among those countries which do not allow dual nationality, various degrees of strictness can be observed, but often the acquisition of another citizenship without first obtaining a formal permission (which may or may not be obtainable) leads to the automatic loss of one’s current citizenship. Therefore, one needs to carefully check the legal situation in the home country with regard to dual citizenship, prior to taking any steps to acquire another citizenship.
The following is an overview of citizenship regulations in selected countries.41
Among others, the following countries allow the acquisition of another citizenship:
| Antigua and Barbuda | Australia |
| Austria42 | Bangladesh |
| Barbados | Belgium |
| Belize | Brazil |
| Bulgaria | Canada |
| Colombia | Croatia |
| Cyprus | Dominica |
| Dominican Republic | El Salvador |
| Egypt43 | Finland |
| France | Germany44 |
| Greece | Grenada |
| Hungary | Iceland |
| Iran | Iraq |
| Ireland | Israel |
| Italy | Jordan |
| Latvia | Lebanon |
| Lithuania | Macedonia |
| Malta | Mexico |
| Montenegro | New Zealand |
| Pakistan45 | Philippines |
| Russia | Serbia |
| Spain46 | Sri Lanka |
| St. Kitts and Nevis | St. Lucia |
| Sweden | Switzerland |
| Syria | United Kingdom |
| United States of America | Vietnam |
| Western Samoa |
On the other hand, countries which do not allow the acquisition of another citizenship include the following:
| Azerbaijan | Brunei |
| Chile | China |
| Czech Republic47 | Denmark |
| Ecuador | Fiji |
| India48 | Indonesia |
| Japan | Kazakhstan |
| Kenya | Kiribati |
| Kuwait | Malaysia |
| Mauritius | Myanmar |
| Nepal | Norway |
| Papua New Guinea | Peru |
| Poland | Portugal |
| Romania | South Africa49 |
| Saudi Arabia50 | Singapore |
| Solomon Islands | Spain51 |
| Turkey | Ukraine |
| Venezuela |
One of the most important criteria specific to citizenship is of course the overall reputation of the country and its passport. It is futile to obtain a second passport if the country has a poor reputation at a regional and international level, and therefore its passport is not well regarded and does not afford much visa-free travel or causes suspicion at international borders.
18 See for example Torpey (2000), Lloyd (2005), Joppke (2010), Hokema (2002)
19 See The Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index (HVRI) 2011; www.henleyglobal.com/citizenship/visa-restrictions/
20 This can happen even to citizens of small and generally neutral countries, as Danish citizens experienced following the publication of Mohammed cartoons in the Jyllands-Posten newspaper in Denmark on 30 September 2005
21 The Economist, 19 February 2013 “Tourist visas: You’re not welcome”
22 For a good
