There are many reasons to get citizenship in another country, whether it’s for global mobility, financial security, or a fresh start, it will open doors to new opportunities. Most people obtain a second passport for travel mobility, as their existing passport may not offer many visa-on-arrival options.

Are you one of them, dreaming of a second passport?

That’s not as easy as it sounds. Some countries have straightforward, fast, and accessible pathways to citizenship, while others have strict immigration policies.

Let’s explore the easiest countries to obtain citizenship.

Why Get A Second Citizenship?

A second passport can transform your life by offering many benefits, such as

• Having dual citizenship means you can live and work freely in both countries where you hold citizenship. It also opens up more travel opportunities, as different passports allow you to visit more places.
• You will get access to public healthcare and education.
• Tax benefits, business prospects, or investment returns.
• Your family can also receive citizenship.
• If your home country has safety issues, you can easily relocate to a second country.
• Some people face legal issues in their home countries, so they may relocate to a new country to avoid these problems.

Types Of Citizenship

There are many ways to get citizenship in a country. The following are the types of citizenship you can get:

Citizenship By Birth

You are a citizen by birth if you were born in the country. This is regardless of your parents’ citizenship. For example, if you’re born in Brazil, then you will also be a Brazilian citizen. Canada is the same. 

Citizenship By Investment

Many countries offer investment options to attract wealthy individuals from around the world. The amount may vary from country to country, depending on various factors such as the type of investment and the number of applicants. The minimum residency period requirement also varies from country to country. 

Portugal: Portugal has a way for people to get residency through its Golden Visa Program. This program allows you to invest in real estate or qualifying investment funds, make a donation, or transfer funds to obtain legal residency. Once you are approved, you can reside in Portugal, but you don’t have to stay there permanently; you simply need to visit for at least seven days each year. If you want to apply for Portuguese citizenship through this program, you’ll need to pass a basic Portuguese language test. To be eligible, you must keep your investment in Portugal for at least five years, meet the minimum stay requirements, have a clean criminal record, and make sure all your tax obligations in Portugal are current.

The Portuguese passport ranks among the world’s strongest, it is in 4th place in 2025 according to the passport index. You can travel to approximately 185-190 countries, including the Schengen Area, most of Europe, and many destinations in the Americas, Asia, and Africa without a visa or visa-on-arrival. 

Dominican Republic: By investing a $200,000 donation or a $200,000 real estate investment in Dominica’s program, you can become a citizen of this country. Within 6 to 9 months, you can expect to receive approval.  Then you’ll make your investment, receive your certificate of naturalisation, and subsequently apply for your passport. Just like other investment visas, you must be over 18, have a clean criminal record, and prove the legal source of your income. 

The Dominican passport has a good ranking, which is 30, and you can travel to 140-145 countries visa-free with this passport, including the Schengen area, China, Hong Kong, and Singapore, making it a strong Caribbean passport for international travel.

Antigua and Barbuda: You can acquire citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda by donating at least $230,000 to the national development fund or investing $400,000 in approved real estate, which must be held for a minimum of five years.

To qualify, you must be over 18, have a clean criminal record, be in good health, meet the investment or donation requirements, fulfill the minimum stay requirement, and be willing to take the oath of allegiance. With citizenship, you gain visa-free access to 153 countries, making it one of the easiest and most rewarding citizenship-by-investment programs.

The Antigua and Barbuda passport ranks approximately 25th to 27th globally in 2025. It provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to around 151–153 countries, including the Schengen Area, the UK, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

Turkiye: Turkey is one of the countries that offers citizenship easily. If you’re interested in obtaining Turkish citizenship through investment, one popular option is purchasing real estate in the country. The minimum amount is $400,000. The process is quick, and you can expect to receive your citizenship in under six months. The general requirement is as usual. 

The Turkish passport ranks 46th globally, and with this passport you can travel visa-free or with visa-on-arrival access to 116 countries. Turkish citizens can travel to destinations like Japan, South Korea, Brazil, and many Balkan and South American countries without a prior visa.

Vanuatu: Vanuatu offers the world’s fastest citizenship-by-investment program, with passports issued in just 30 to 60 days. A non-refundable donation of $130,000 (plus fees) to the government’s fund is necessary, and there are no residency or language requirements.

Some benefits include visa-free access to over 90 countries, no income or inheritance taxes, and the ability to include your spouse, children, and parents. Its fast processing, ease of use, and low cost make Vanuatu one of the simplest places to obtain a second citizenship.

With a Vanuatu passport you can travel to 47 countries visa-free, it is ranked 55th globally on the passport index.

Citizenship By Descent

If at least one parent is a national of that nation or a child born abroad to a national of that nation, then one may be eligible for citizenship by descent. Citizenship by descent is also applicable to ancestors. You can claim it through parents, grandparents, and in some cases even great-grandparents. Some countries set a specific date that determines when relatives need to have been born for their descendants to be eligible for citizenship. 

• Ireland: If your parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents were born in Ireland and you have Irish ancestry, you can claim citizenship without ever setting foot in Ireland. Since there are no language or residency requirements, the entire process is easy and straightforward. The Irish passport is one of the world’s most powerful, ranking 3rd in 2025, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 189 countries and territories.
• Romania: If your parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents are Romanian, then you are eligible. Even those ancestors who were born in an area that used to be part of Romania but is now in a different country can still qualify. Additionally, descendants of Romanian citizens who lost their citizenship for reasons that aren’t their fault might also be eligible. Currently Romania holds the 6th position on the passport index, and you can travel to 142 countries visa-free.
• Italy: Italy has one of the most adaptable citizenship-by-descent programs, which allows you to obtain Italian citizenship if you have a direct ancestor, such as a parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent, who was born in Italy and didn’t renounce their citizenship before passing it down. There’s no limit on generations, as long as the family line remains intact and the ancestor was still an Italian citizen at the time their child was born. The Italian passport is one of the world’s most powerful, consistently ranking among the top 5 globally, and it grants visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to approximately 190–194 countries and territories.
• Poland: You can apply for a Polish passport if your ancestors were born in Poland after 1900. Poland holds the 7th rank as a powerful passport, and you can travel to 173 countries visa-free.
• Armenia: If your parents, grandparents, or siblings were citizens of Armenia by birth or your ancestors were born before 1920 or between 1941 and 1945. 

Armenia’s current ranking is 73th and with this passport you can travel to 68 destinations visa-free.

• Hungary: Hungary also has similar rules. It offers citizenship to people of Hungarian descent, particularly if they speak basic Hungarian and can prove their ancestry. Currently, Hungary holds the 8th position on the passport index, allowing you to travel visa-free to 184 countries.

Citizenship Through Marriage

Getting married to a U.S. citizen can expedite the journey to citizenship. Although it isn’t always guaranteed, numerous countries provide easier or faster procedures for foreign partners.

Brazil: Citizenship can be obtained after one year of marriage and living in the country. If you have a child who is Brazilian, the process gets even quicker. Brazil allows you to hold dual citizenship and doesn’t ask for any language or cultural tests.

Brazilian passports ranking is 7th globally in 2025. It provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to around 169 countries, including France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, etc

Mexico: You can start the citizenship application after being married and legally residing in Mexico for two years. You will need to take a basic test on the Spanish language and culture. Dual citizenship is permitted.

Just above Brazil, Mexico is currently 16th globally, and it will grant you visa-free travel to 158 countries without visa.

Spain: You can get citizenship after one year of marriage and legal residency. However, you must pass both a Spanish language and culture test. Generally, dual citizenship is allowed for people from Latin American countries.

Currently the 2nd strongest passport in the world, the Spanish passport will give you access to 194 countries without a visa or on-arrival visa.

Portugal: You can apply for citizenship after three years of marriage, and you don’t have to live in Portugal to do so. But you will need to take a Portuguese language test. Dual citizenship is allowed.

France: You can gain citizenship after four years of marriage. If you live outside of France, you must demonstrate proficiency in the language; otherwise, you are required to reside in France. A French language test is also required. Dual citizenship is allowed.

Just behind Spain, the French passport is in third position, granting visa-free travel to 187 countries without a visa.

Dominican Republic: You can obtain citizenship after being married for six months to one year, provided you have been living in the country. Dual citizenship is allowed, and there are no strict requirements for language or cultural tests.

Argentina: You can apply for citizenship after residing there for two years. You don’t have to be married, but it can make the residency process easier. There is no language test needed for naturalization.

The current rank of Argentine passports is 19th globally. It provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to around 105 countries.

In Italy, Mexico, and Colombia, citizenship can be obtained after two years of marriage. Also in

Uruguay, Greece, Poland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Slovenia, the USA, and the UK generally take place after 3 years of marriage.

Citizenship Through Naturalisation

You can apply for naturalisation to obtain citizenship if you meet specific requirements or qualifications and if it’s allowed in that country. This means you are seeking citizenship based on your own desire after meeting certain legal criteria. 

Argentina: To become a citizen in Argentina, you only need to live there for 2 years. Although there isn’t a formal language test, the interview is conducted in Spanish, so having basic communication skills is essential. The rules are simple: be over 18 and declare intent to become a citizen before a federal judge. You must show proof of legal income and no criminal record in the past. 

Peru: Similarly, Peru offers a fast-track to citizenship, requiring only 2 years of residency. Although there is no strict language exam, applicants must attend a citizenship interview in Spanish and pass a test.

Their passport ranks 33th globally.  It provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to around 144 countries.

Paraguay: This country allows you to become a citizen after three years of living there. However, you need to pass a Spanish language exam and a test about politics and history.  

Their passport is in the 23rd position, and it will grant you visa-free travel to 138 countries without a visa.

Ecuador: It also has a fairly straightforward process, requiring 3 to 5 years of residency, along with the ability to speak and write in Spanish, and a test on history, geography, culture, and current events. The Ecuador passport is in the 48th position globally, and it will grant you visa-free travel to 51 countries without a visa.

Dominica: The Dominican Republic grants citizenship after 2 years of permanent residency or even as quickly as 6 months if you have an investment visa. Although there is no formal language test, the citizenship interview is conducted in Spanish, and a test is part of the process.

Canada: you can apply for citizenship after living there for 3 out of the last 5 years as a permanent resident. You need to demonstrate proficiency in either English or French, and a citizenship test is available that covers rights, responsibilities, history, and geography.

Currently the 8th strongest passport in the world, the Canadian passport grants access to 184 countries without a visa or on-arrival visa.

Portugal: Portugal allows you to gain citizenship after 5 years of legal residency, which is pretty quick for an EU country. You must pass the CIPLE Portuguese language exam (at least A2 level) and a citizenship test.

Ireland: Ireland requires 5 years of residency, including continuous residence in the 12 months preceding the application. Interestingly, Ireland does not require a language test or citizenship exam, making it one of the easiest European countries to naturalize.