How to Get an EU Passport in 2026: The Smartest and Fastest Legal Paths

Getting a passport to the European Union is potentially one of the most life-improving things a traveler, nomad, or retiree can do. Whether you want to set up a new home in the Mediterranean, have dreams of wandering Europe for more than 90 days at a time, or simply want to start a new legacy and life in Europe, getting a passport to an EU country is a smart and worthwhile first step.

Unfortunately, nothing good in life comes completely easy or cheap, and the most talked-about options for getting an EU passport require a lot of luck (being born with blood ties) or a lot of money (500,000 to 2,000,000 for citizenship by investment). Luckily for you, there is a proven path to EU citizenship that anyone can take, cheaply and easily, and it is potentially the most pleasant way to get an EU passport.

In this article, I’ll share how to get an EU passport, the quickest, cheapest, and most pleasant way possible, in addition to the six easiest countries in the EU to get citizenship from. Read on to discover everything you need to know to get a European Union Passport.

Contents

• Introducing the Three Ways of Getting EU Citizenship: Time, money, and ancestry
• The Easiest Countries to Get EU Citizenship: Spain and Portugal
• EU Citizenship and the Passport: What are they and how will they benefit you?
• Why is it worth it? To work and live freely in the 27 countries of the EU
• Details on the Paths to EU Citizenship: Residency, Descent, Investment
• Citizenship by Residency: The simplest and easiest option for EU citizenship that anyone can do within 2 to 5 years
  • Spanish Citizenship by Residency in 2 to 5 years
  • Portuguese Citizenship by Residency in 5 years
  • Alternate “Easy” Countries for Citizenship by Residence: France and Sweden
  • Citizenship by Residence Requirements for the Remaining EU Countries
• EU Citizenship by Descent
  • EU Countries Currently Granting Citizenship by Descent
• Citizenship by Investment: A dying form of “buying citizenship”
• A Key Caveat: Immigration and the courts have the last say, so research options, then contact an immigration lawyer
• Why EU Permanent Residencies May Be Better Than EU Passports
• Is EU dual citizenship possible? Yes, but it depends on the country
• An Important Note: Taxes and tax treaties

How to become a European citizen: The three ways of getting citizenship in the EU: Time, money, and ancestry

The path to becoming a citizen of a country in the EU, and the EU passport that comes with it, may seem like a daunting process. In actuality, earning EU citizenship is a straightforward process with four options that take between two and ten years to complete.

The primary paths to EU citizenship are:

1. Citizenship via Residency (The Best Option): Time spent staying legally in a country long enough to be then awarded citizenship in that country, generally two to five years, is the best option. Costs only patience and allows a “healthy taste” of your future country before committing to its bureaucracy, tax requirements, and culture.
2. Ancestral Descent (The Luck Based Option): Proving heritage tied to ancestors that were previously citizens of the country via family records – (the most commonly pitched, but more time-intensive and more difficult than advertised)
3. Citizenship by Investment (The Dying Option): Paying a specific amount to a country and then receiving citizenship by merit, ultimately buying a passport (a dying path to citizenship as “golden passports” draw skepticism)
4. The Double Passport Shortcut (Bonus Option): Citizenship by Residency with a shortened minimum period after achieving citizenship via a formerly colonized country (Bonus Best Option), then applying for an EU passport via residency.

Takeaway: Weighing the cost, complexity, and “luck required” between the options for EU citizenship, aiming for citizenship via residency and spending time in a country (and learning the language) is the simplest and most practical way to an EU passport and citizenship for most people.

We will review each of these options, why citizenship via residency is the best option, which countries are the best options to target, and the process from foreigner to citizen via residency.

The Easiest Countries to Get EU Citizenship: Spain and Portugal

While many of the EU’s 27 countries offer reasonable paths to citizenship via Residency, Spain and Portugal are the easiest countries to attain citizenship as a foreigner with no ancestral ties to an EU country and without enough money to donate to a citizenship by investment scheme. Their categorization as “easiest” is based on residency time required, language requirements, bureaucracy, and real-world reports of whether or not the immigration officers are actually likely to approve the naturalization applications or leave them in limbo indefinitely.

Portugal and Spain both offer citizenship after 5 years of continuous legal residency and proof of competency in the local language (Portuguese or Spanish) – and a “requirement” to continuously live in Portugal or Spain isn’t exactly a prison sentence. Additionally, both countries have convenient and relatively easy visa options that offer long-term stays.

To achieve the required time spent in the country for citizenship, Portugal offers the D7 “Independent Means Visa” and the D8 “Digital Nomad Visa” in addition to student and entrepreneur visas that qualify for minimum residency time for citizenship.

In Spain, there are Digital Nomad visa (1 year), Telework Visa (3 years), and the non-lucrative visa, which all contribute to the minimum residency time required for citizenship. Note that the Spanish DN visa can be applied for abroad, but if you apply for the same process while in Spain, you get the Telecommuter visa with 3 years’ validity. Additionally, Spain also offers a shortened time to citizenship of only two years for all nationals of Latin American countries and former Spanish colonies, many of which award citizenship with very reasonable requirements between 2 and 4 years.

Additionally, both countries, Spain and Portugal, allow dual citizenship and have tax treaties with many countries, preventing double taxation in most cases. Spain has tax treaties preventing double taxation with 90 countries, and Portugal has tax treaties with 79 countries, while the US only has 67 active tax treaties.

European Union Citizenship and the EU Passport: What are they and how will they benefit you?

To be clear, while a Spanish passport or Portuguese passport does offer unfettered access to the European Union, they are not themselves “EU Passports” simply because no such passport exists. However, they both offer the travel, work, and living benefits you would expect of an “EU passport” if it did exist.

While there is technically no single passport to the European Union, also known as the “EU,” a passport to a single EU country allows you to freely live and work in all 27 countries for an unlimited period, with no additional visas or applications required. The nature of the union between the 27 member countries within the European Union allows anyone who holds a passport to one country in the EU to travel, live, and work within any other country in the EU without needing visas or work permits. As such, according to the European Union, an EU passport is a passport from any country within the European Union.

Why is getting EU citizenship and an EU passport worth it? To work and live freely in the 27 countries of the EU and gain visa-free global travel

Holding citizenship in an EU country and additionally receiving the passport of that country affords the holder these excellent benefits according to EU law:

1. Opens the 27 countries of the EU for living, working, and investment without worry of visas, work permits, or restrictions commonly placed on foreigners
2. Opens up visa-free travel around the world to (up to) 176 countries on the most preferred EU passports
3. A hedge against global economic, political, and security instability (as a second passport), especially when paired with an Asian or South American/MERCOSUR passport
4. A powerful addition to a retirement plan (retiring in a region with a high quality of life and low cost of living)

According to EU law, a few of the specific rights EU citizens and EU passport holders have are:

• Freedom to travel throughout the EU, indefinitely, visa-free
• Freedom to work in the EU, without a work permit
• Freedom to own property in the EU

Ultimately, nomads and expats aspiring for a second passport, once you achieve citizenship of a single EU country, you gain rights to live and work unimpeded in any other EU country, online and offline.

Let’s review these reasons for getting the EU passport in depth, so you understand why the process and investment are worth your time

Reason #1 for an EU Passport: Free travel throughout the EU
The value in getting a European passport is not only the right to live and work in your chosen country, but also in the 26 other countries of the EU as well. Non-EU citizens are limited to a total stay of 90 days across all EU countries within 180 days. By contrast, EU citizens (and passport holders) are free to make any EU country their new home, working and living freely, as long as they wish.

Even if you do have a temporary residency in an EU country, like the D7 or D8 temporary residencies, you are limited to 90 days in all other EU countries outside of your host country. The only way to get free access to all of the EU is as an EU citizen.

Reason #2 for an EU Passport: Easy travel around the globe, visa-free
Beyond the rights to live and travel in the EU, a second passport from within the EU offers excellent visa-free access to most other countries of the world. EU passports consistently rank as some of the “strongest passports in the world” due to their perk of visa-free travel to most countries of the world. Keep in mind that visa-free travel and bilateral visa agreements vary by EU passport country, and some EU passports allow more visa-free travel than others.

Spain, which is coincidentally the easiest citizenship and passport to attain, allows visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel to 194 countries – more than any other EU country. Tied with many countries for second is Portugal, which allows visa-free travel to 191 countries around the world. By comparison, US citizens can visit 182 countries visa-free.

A point to highlight in the benefits of an EU passport as a second passport is the global access that each EU passport provides, based on its country’s foreign relations. Because individual EU countries negotiate trade and diplomacy based on their values, each EU passport allows unencumbered travel for nationals of other strong passports and passports from notoriously powerful countries, such as the US, Canada, Russia, and China, that are difficult to achieve with their own “strong passport.” For example, while US citizens travel much of the world freely, Russia and China are quite cumbersome to visit, due to visa and diplomatic issues created by the US international policy. By contrast, Spanish passports allow visa-free travel to China, travel to Russia with a quick e-visa, and can even visit Iran with a visa on arrival at specific airports. Ultimately, the potential pairing of a strong passport with an EU passport, such as the Spanish passport, makes a strategically chosen EU passport valuable for virtually any non-EU national.

The 27 EU Countries and the Respective Number of Visa-Free or Visa-on-Arrival Destinations

The following is a ranked list of EU passports by “strength,” also listing the number of countries that offer visa-free travel on the respective country’s passport.

France 194
Germany 194
Italy 194
Spain 194
Finland 193
Sweden 193
Netherlands 193
Austria 192
Denmark 192
Ireland 192
Luxembourg 192
Belgium 191
Portugal 191
Greece 190
Malta 190
Czech Republic 189
Poland 189
Hungary 188
Lithuania 188
Estonia 187
Slovakia 186
Slovenia 186
Latvia 186
Croatia 183
Cyprus 181
Romania 179
Bulgaria 179

Accurate as of May 20, 2025

Liechtenstein and Switzerland are also part of the Schengen free border area, meaning EU citizens can still travel freely through both as well.

Reason #3 for an EU Passport: EU Citizenship as a Global Hedge
With increasing economic and security instability around the world, one of the greatest forms of insurance anyone can have is mobility. For those with concerns about shifting security and political conditions in their home regions in the Americas, Middle East, Africa, and parts of Asia, having an additional passport that allows a permanent stay in Western Europe, both to live and work, is an excellent backup plan as geopolitical centers of gravity shift between China, Russia, and the US. While Europe does have its own security and economic issues, the EU does generally have locations that are consistently safe havens and perfect places to live, work, and invest.

Beyond the EU as an escape route, the “passport strength” mentioned above allows for plenty of places to relocate to outside of the EU, visa-free, if the crisis requires it.

Reason #4: EU Citizenship as Part of a Retirement Plan
For the youthful nomad and traveler, the dream of unfettered access to wander the EU is reasonable and a very justified target. Even better, an EU passport will gain more value with age – the increasing age of the owner, not the passport.

While there are plenty of beautiful islands and megacities around the world to globetrot in youth, accessible high quality medical care, low cost of living, and easy transportation and accessibility throughout southern Europe – specifically Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Croatia – and eastern Europe – in the Balkan states that are vying to join the EU – make both regions excellent options for retirement. Gaining a passport to any EU country puts these retirement options within your sights as clear possibilities.

Your average American may lament the idea of nearly 50% tax rates; however, the average American also can’t afford to pay for medical treatment for a critical illness without taking out a loan. Weigh those options as you get older – gambling that you’ll never get a critical illness before you die or voluntarily pay a reasonable amount of your taxes, and have access to any preventative care that you need. This is in addition to lifestyles in many areas that are in line with “blue zone” principles, healthy aging, and longevity. While Italy and Greece officially house the longevity coaxing blue zones, it is more than easy to find a city on the Mediterranean, in Spain or Portugal, where you could do the same.

While quality of life in this region is high enough to not only be vacation worthy but also create “blue zones” with some of the longest lived people on the planet, it is achieved with some of the lowest costs of living in the world – allowing those who retire early in “Lean Fire” fashion to additionally retire comfortably. 

Example European Monthly Costs of Living:

• Portugal: $2,366
• Spain: $2,329
• Italy: $2,929
• Greece: $1,843
• Croatia: $1,871 monthly

Source: A Brother Abroad Global Cost of Living Meta Study

Now that we have you convinced that EU citizenship is, in fact, worth the effort, let’s discuss the possible paths to citizenship and detail the one path to EU citizenship that anyone can qualify for.

The Paths to EU Citizenship: Residency, Descent, Investment

Now, let’s view the three realistic options for getting citizenship in an EU country: Residency, descent, and investment.

Additionally, we’ll break down why residency is the best and most viable option for most aspiring Europeans.

Citizenship by Residency: The simplest and easiest option for EU citizenship that anyone can do within 2 to 5 years

Citizenship by residency is almost exactly what it sounds like.

For many countries in the world, if a legal resident holding a specific class of visa (generally temporary or permanent residency) remains in the country for a specific unbroken time or can show primary residency for a specific time, they are eligible to apply to the immigration courts within that country for naturalized citizenship. In receiving that citizenship, they are eligible to receive a passport for that country and all other rights afforded to citizens.

Before we review the best candidates for citizenship by residency, let’s clear up two key requirements.

1. Legal residency staying on a qualified visa
2. Staying for a determined, unbroken period or providing a period of primary residency

Legal residency staying on a qualified visa
Staying legally within the country essentially means having a valid visa or residency permit and no history of overstaying your authorized visa period. If you do decide to overstay your visa, your chances of receiving citizenship are likely finished.

Staying on a “qualified visa” varies from country to country and generally means staying on a temporary resident permit, such as an independent means visa, an investor visa, a retiree visa, or a permanent resident permit. The important fine print is that tourist visa stays generally do not count towards citizenship, and student visa time varies by country. For instance, time spent on a student visa in Argentina does not count towards residency for citizenship, but does count for citizenship in France and comes with a shorter required residency period for French citizenship.

Staying for a determined, unbroken period or providing a period of primary residency
Whether the required 2 to 5 years must be spent completely within the borders of the country in a single unbroken period or if prospective citizens are allowed to leave varies by country. However, in all cases, you will need to show compliant tax residency (filing and paying your taxes annually) for the period.

Now, let’s review the two best options for naturalized citizenship in the EU: Spanish Citizenship by Residency and Portuguese Citizenship by Residency.

Spanish Citizenship by Residency

While Spain generally offers one of the longest residency paths to citizenship, with a 10-year required residency period, Spain offers a shortcut to citizenship via the “Ibero-American citizenship pathway,” allowing citizenship of Latin American countries and the Philippines in only 2 years.

For those who take the longer 10-year path, they must spend at least 6 months per year in Spain each year of the 10 years. Time spent on the Spanish Digital Nomad Visa (1 year renewable), The Telecommuter Visa (3 year renewable), the Golden Visa (3 year renewable 5 times), the Non-Lucrative Visa (2 to 5 years, convertible to permanent residency), the Family Reunification Visa, the Student Visa, and the Entrepreneur Visa all count for residency time towards citizenship.

Now, the hack is actually applying via the Ibero-American pathway after receiving a passport from a Latin American country. This is a hack because most Latin American countries offer relatively straightforward citizenship after 2 to 5 years as a resident. Combining the achievement of a Latin American passport with a Spanish passport offers full working, traveling, living, business rights, and real estate rights throughout MERCOSUR and the EU.

• Source: Spanish Civil Code (Article 22.1)
  Translated Code:
  “To be granted nationality by residence, the duration of the residence must have been ten years. Five years will be sufficient for those who have obtained refugee status, and two years for nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, or Portugal, or Sephardim.“

Original Text:
“Para la concesión de la nacionalidad por residencia se requiere que esta haya durado diez años. Serán suficientes cinco años para los que hayan obtenido la condición de refugiado y dos años cuando se trate de nacionales de origen de países iberoamericanos, Andorra, Filipinas, Guinea Ecuatorial o Portugal, or for Sephardic Jews“

Spanish Government Source Site

The Ibero-American citizenship pathway is open to the following countries
Argentina (2 years residency to Argentine citizenship)
Bolivia (3 years residency to Bolivian citizenship)
Brazil (4 years residency to Brazilian citizenship)
Chile (5 years residency to Chilean citizenship)
Colombia (5 years residency to Colombian citizenship)
Costa Rica (7 years of residency to Costa Rican citizenship)
Cuba
Dominican Republic (7 years of residency to Dominican citizenship)
Ecuador
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Mexico (5 years of residency to obtain Mexican citizenship)
Nicaragua
Panama (5 years residency to Panamanian citizenship)
Paraguay (3 years residency to Paraguayan citizenship)
Peru (2 years residency to Peruvian citizenship)
Uruguay (5 years of residency to Uruguayan citizenship)
Venezuela
Cuba
Dominican Republic
Philippines (former Spanish colony with strong legal-historical ties)
* Equatorial Guinea (a Spanish-speaking country in Africa with historical ties) (3 years residency to Guinean citizenship)

Portuguese Citizenship by Residency

Portuguese citizenship by residency offers a more straightforward, forward-balanced approach with no hacks, and arguably the simplest and shortest path to residency in the European Union.

Portuguese citizenship is achieved via 5 years of residency and a language test (A2 level). During that period, residents must spend at least 6 months in Portugal each year, leaving 180 days free to wander the Schengen zone every 90 days.

The 5 years of legal residence in Portugal for Portuguese citizenship by residency can be achieved via the following visas:

• D7 visa (Passive Income Visa) to permanent residency to citizenship
• D8 visa (Digital Nomad Visa) to permanent residency to citizenship
• Golden visa to permanent residency to citizenship
• Student visa (via student visa): 5 years residency required, with time waiting for the visa counting towards the minimum residency time
• Work visa
• Entrepreneur visa

Sources:

Original Law: Law no. 37/81 of October 3 (Lei da Nacionalidade)

Amendments: Lei Orgânica n.º 2/2018 and Law no. 2/2020 Link

Article 6, Paragraph 1 of Lei da Nacionalidade:

• Translation (unofficial):
  • The government grants Portuguese nationality by naturalization to foreigners who, at the time of the request, cumulatively meet the following conditions:
    • Are of legal age
    • Have legally resided in Portugal for the 5 years immediately prior to the request
    • Have sufficient knowledge of Portuguese
    • Have no serious criminal convictions
    • They are not a threat to national security
• Original Text
  • “O Governo concede a nacionalidade portuguesa, por naturalização, aos estrangeiros que, à data do pedido, satisfaçam cumulativamente as seguintes condições:
    • a) Sejam maiores ou emancipados à face da lei portuguesa;
    • b) Tenham residido legalmente no território português nos cinco años imediatamente anteriores ao pedido;
    • c) Conheçam suficientemente a língua portuguesa;
    • d) Não tenham sido condenados, com trânsito em julgado da sentença, com pena igual ou superior a três años de prisão, por crime punível segundo a lei portuguesa;
    • e) Não constituam perigo ou ameaça para a segurança ou a defesa nacional, pelo seu envolvimento em atividades relacionadas com a prática do terrorismo, nos termos da respetiva lei.”

Additional Reasons Why Spain and Portugal Make the Most Sense

• Livable for virtually everyone: Spending 5 to 10 years in Portugal or Spain will be some of the best years of your life, and add up to a powerful passport.
• Great cost of living, likely to remain that way: The sleepy Portuguese and Spanish economies translate to a historically low cost of living that is likely to continue and is perfect for financially independent nomads and sovereign expats.
• Accessible from everywhere else in the world: Whether you’re flying from the US East Coast, Brazil, Dubai, Istanbul, or Bangkok, Lisbon is an easy and cheap place to get to, making either country a perfect half of the split year nomadic living
• Pace of life and culture amenable to most: As long as you don’t plan on getting anything done, the pace of life will add happiness and years to your life.
• Languages are among the easiest and most useful to learn: While Portuguese is generally slightly harder to pick up than Spanish, it is still one of the easiest languages in Europe to learn for a passport, and Spanish is arguably the easiest and most acceptable language in Europe to learn (besides English).

Alternate “Easy” Countries for Citizenship by Residence: France and Sweden

• France: France offers French citizenship after 5 years of legal residence or 2 years of legal residence after graduating from a French University
• Sweden: Sweden offers Swedish citizenship after 5 years of legal residency, with no language test required, just a lightly bureaucratic process in exchange for a passport with Viking roots

Citizenship by Residence Requirements for the Remaining EU Countries

Though Spain, Portugal, France, and Sweden are arguably the easiest options for citizenship within the EU, every EU country has a path to citizenship via residency. However, be warned that the remaining countries have reportedly more strict bureaucracy and “stonewalling” in the immigration process, stricter language standards, and stricter requirements for actual continuous time spent in the country before application.

• Austria – 10 years
• Belgium – 5 years
• Bulgaria – 5 years
• Croatia – 8 years
• Cyprus – 7 years
• Czech Republic – 5 years
• Denmark – 9 years
• Estonia – 8 years
• Finland – 5 years
• France – 5 years
• Germany – 8 years
• Greece – 7 years
• Hungary – 8 years
• Ireland – 5 years (must have 4 of the previous 8 years with physical residence and other requirements)
• Italy – 10 years for non-EU citizens
• Latvia – 5 years
• Lithuania – 10 years
• Luxembourg – 5 years
• Malta – 5 years
• Netherlands – 5 years
• Poland – 3 years (with permanent residence)
• Portugal – 5 years
• Romania – 8 years
• Slovakia – 8 years
• Slovenia – 10 years (with the last 5 years continuous)
• Spain – 10 years (reduced in some cases, e.g., 2 years for Latin Americans, Andorrans, etc.)
• Sweden – 5 years

EU Citizenship by Descent

Citizenship by descent is as straightforward as it sounds. As such, it is the luck of the draw based on who you were born to that determines if and where you may be eligible for citizenship by ancestry. If you do have provable ancestral ties to a citizen of an EU country within 1 to 2 generations (and more in some cases), you may be granted citizenship. Note that those precious DNA tests from Ancestry.com, 23andMe, and National Geographic do not qualify you for citizenship, although they do for some African countries, but that is a citizenship strategy for another article.

Instead, for an EU country, citizenship by descent, you will need records such as birth certificates and passports to prove family ties to your heritage country, with your ancestral family members as legal residents and citizens.

Specific requirements, in terms of how many generations back is acceptable and acceptable documentation, vary by country, so be sure to review the country’s relevant immigration laws and meet with an immigration lawyer in the country to discuss “common practice” in the immigration department.

EU Countries Currently Granting Citizenship by Descent

The following is a list of EU countries granting citizenship by descent, the individuals they grant it to, and the high-level requirements.

Italy: Descendants of Italian citizens are eligible, with no limit to the number of generations removed.
Ireland: Descendants of Irish citizens up to the great-grandparent
Poland: Descendants of Polish citizens, typically up to great-grandparents
Hungary: Ethnic Hungarians abroad who are able to prove Hungarian ancestry and the ability to speak the Hungarian language
Germany: All descendants of German citizens. Nazi victims are eligible, typically 1–2 generations removed.
Greece: Greek citizens or ethnic Greeks up to grandparents, and in rarer cases, great-grandparents
Romania: Descendants of Romanian citizens (including those from Moldova/Ukraine) Up to great-grandparents
Bulgaria: Descendants of Bulgarian citizens or ethnic Bulgarians, up to great-grandparents, but must be able to prove Bulgarian ethnicity.
Czechia: Descendants of former Czechoslovak citizens admitted on a case-by-case basis, typically 1–2 generations removed
Slovakia: Descendants of former Slovakian citizens can apply for the “Slovak Living Abroad” card, akin to permanent residency, which leads to citizenship
Lithuania: Descendants of Lithuanian citizens who left before 1990, up to great-grandparents
Latvia: Ethnic Latvians or Livonians abroad who can prove pre-WWII descent
France: Individuals born abroad to French citizens, limited to just 1 generation
Spain: Citizens by descent for up to two generations
Austria: Restitution for Holocaust victims’ descendants, with unlimited generations removed for Nazi-era victims
Portugal: Descendants of Portuguese citizens (1 generation) or Sephardic Jews, Parents (regular), but Sephardic Jews (many generations)

Citizenship by Investment: A dying form of “buying citizenship” that, currently, is only available in Malta

As of 2025, Malta is the only country that still offers citizenship in exchange for investment, with prices starting at €600,000 for citizenship after 3 years or €750,000 after 1 year. Note that these funds are essentially a “donation” under the Maltese Citizenship by Naturalisation for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment (MEIN) program, and that the new citizen will not receive back, and no interest or dividends are received on the funds. Additionally, an option is available to buy real estate worth €700,000 or rent property in Malta for 5 years.

In addition to the “permanent investment without returns,” the Maltese citizenship by investment program still requires a residency waiting period of 1 to 3 years before being awarded citizenship, which in some cases is longer than the citizenship waiting period for countries such as Spain, Argentina, and others. Ultimately, the last citizenship by investment program isn’t worth the cash, hassle, and wait, with so many other, better options on the table.

Aspiring “golden citizens” should note that the European Commission has initiated infringement proceedings against Malta (and previously Cyprus and Bulgaria) for these programs, citing risks to EU security and values.

Contrary to information currently circulating, Cyprus terminated its golden passport program in 2020, and Bulgaria terminated its program in 2022.

A Key Caveat: Immigration and the courts have the last say, so research options, then contact an immigration lawyer

Contrary to what many may assume, while immigration matters such as visas, residence permits, and border controls are typically handled by administrative immigration officers (often functioning more like regulators or police), citizenship through naturalization is usually governed by a country’s civil law framework — often overseen by civil registries, interior ministries, or in some cases, courts or administrative judges.

Applying for citizenship is not like a simple visa application. It’s often more akin to building a legal case: you must present thorough documentation, demonstrate compliance with all applicable laws (including tax filing, clean criminal records, language and integration requirements), and show long-term residency with legal continuity. Your application is then assessed against the country’s nationality law, which is usually published and accessible.

Because the naturalization decision often involves discretion — especially in countries where officials can deny based on vague criteria like “lack of integration” or “threat to national interest,” the details matter. Small missteps, like overstaying a visa or failing to maintain tax residency when required, can derail your path to citizenship.

As with all things legal, consulting a competent and experienced immigration lawyer in your target country is essential before building your long-term plans. They can help tailor your case, identify hidden pitfalls, and ensure you’re meeting the specific legal thresholds needed to acquire citizenship.

Why You Should Consider Permanent Residencies instead of Passports (European Residency / EU Residency (as an alternative))

All of this talk of courts and years of stay to obtain that passport may be reasonable for such a valuable document, but it may almost feel like an intense commitment. Suppose it does feel like too intense a commitment. In that case, that is perfectly fine, and I recommend you acknowledge that gut instinct and instead opt for a temporary or permanent residency as your median goal.

For most people, that EU passport is actually overkill. If you are aware of which European country you love, and the love affair is strong enough that you’ll be satisfied with spending 6 to 12 months a year there, a temporary residency, leading to a permanent residency, is likely a much better option.

Very few residents of the EU actually intend to wander all 27 countries in the EU full time. Additionally, suppose you’re reading an article on my site. In that case, you are less likely interested in taking a job in the EU (they only work half the year anyway) and more interested in earning a remote income and using geoarbitrage to enjoy a European lifestyle cheaply. Living in Portugal on the average Portuguese person’s salary is very different than living on the average Californian’s (remote) salary. If you do not need to work in Europe, and only need permission to stay, the passport is much less useful, and a temporary residency may suffice, with a lot less paperwork and less taxes.

Additionally, temporary residencies in every EU country lead to permanent residencies in their respective countries. While these residencies won’t offer 365-day yearly access to the other countries, they will offer 180-day access, and if you choose your new “home” country wisely, the remaining 185 days will be pretty awesome. Finally, that permanent resident can generally be converted to a passport later if they feel the itch in the future.

Let’s review the quick pros and cons of aiming for permanent residency instead of a passport:

Pros:

• Faster: Living in any EU state for a continuous period of 5 years gives permanent residency. After applying for permanent residency documentation, which confirms your right to live in the country permanently without conditions, the document/status is renewable without conditions (Source: europea.eu).
• Cheaper than the passport process: Simple immigration application fees, no lawyer required
• Simpler living is long-term than temporary residency: No longer required to prove to authorities that you have a job, resources, insurance, etc.)
• Permanent residency (for non-EU citizens) can lead to citizenship.
• Gives you access to the country of choice in close proximity (train/driving distance) to every other EU country
  Cons
• Lost if you live outside of the country for 2+ years, while citizenship is yours for life (Source: Europa.EU)
• Still limited to 90 days in 180 for all other Schengen countries – creates a hiccup if your goal is to be “everywhere else” in the EU

Practical Considerations:

• Aim for a PR within the cluster of countries in the EU you would want to travel to, and split time
• Do not aim for PR in a country that you would not want to live in full time. Yes, travel can be a main reason, but continuously living in a country should be an equally acceptable fallback plan.

Is EU dual citizenship possible? Yes, but it depends on the country

For nomads, expats, retirees, and travelers aiming for a new passport for strategic reasons, the smartest move is to get a second passport that allows you to keep your old passport and ultimately dual citizenship. While there is a lot to research, the question you should ask is whether your target EU country allows dual citizenship.

Eighteen countries in the EU allow dual citizenship. Nine countries in the EU do not allow dual citizenship.

The following EU countries  allow dual citizenship:
Germany, Greece, France, Ireland, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Poland, and Sweden.

The following EU countries do not allow dual citizenship:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Romania, and Slovakia.

Also, consider whether a tax treaty exists between your future country and your home country.

After checking to ensure your (prospective) new citizenship is possible while keeping your old citizenship, be sure to check whether a “tax treaty” exists between your two countries of citizenship to avoid double taxation. If a tax treaty exists between the two countries, you will likely only be taxed once, and reasonably so between the two countries. If a tax treaty does not exist, you will likely be at risk of double taxation with your dual citizenship. Additionally, check whether your new country only taxes income earned within the country, or if it taxes global income, to estimate what your new citizenship will really cost you in the long run.