The Easiest Countries to Get Citizenship For Americans

American travelers looking for a permanent home away from home may be surprised to learn that some of the world’s most beloved destinations are also the easiest countries to get citizenship.

Source: media.cntraveler.com

While the US government has no official data on the number of Americans who hold dual citizenship or are actively applying for second citizenships, recent reports from private advisory firms have highlighted the rising trend of Americans seeking residency and second passports abroad.

Source: media.cntraveler.com

“Affluent Americans seek international diversification in unprecedented numbers,” reads a new report from residence and citizenship advisory firm Henley and Partners. According to the report, the number of US applications for golden visas or golden passports (residence-by-investment programs) doubled in 2025 and remain elevated this year.

Source: media.cntraveler.com

In another report from Arton Capital, the number of American applications the firm processes ballooned by roughly 2,400% over the past decade.

There are several paths forward for those pursuing a second passport or permanent residence abroad. One option is to obtain citizenship by ancestry in a country where your parent or grandparent was born. Alternatively, the aforementioned “golden passport” provides citizenship in exchange for a significant donation or investment in the country.

The easiest countries to get citizenship are by and large located in Europe and the Caribbean where the lion’s share of golden passport schemes are offered. Elsewhere, new legislation such as Canada’s Bill C-3 passed in December 2025 have opened up new possibilities of second citizenship by ending the first-generation limit to claiming citizenship by descent.

10 Countries with Streamlined Processes

The reasons for seeking citizenship abroad are sundry, ranging from travelers eager to take advantage of remote work policies to retirees seeking more affordable locales to enjoy their next chapter of life.

Whatever your own reasons may be for seeking dual citizenship, here’s 10 countries with comparatively streamlined processes for obtaining a second passport or permanent residency status.

São Tomé and Príncipe

The tropical West African island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe lays claim to the world’s fastest citizenship-by-investment program, averaging a two-month approval process. Additionally, the application is entirely remote, with no residency or language requirements.

On the whole, the program is also one of the most affordable of its kind. There is a minimum contribution of $95,000 to start, composed of a $90,000 donation to the country’s National Transformation fund and a $5,000 submission fee.

For a family of two to four members, the donation fee increases to $95,000, and each subsequent dependent beyond that requires an additional $5,000. The $5,000 submission fee applies for each individual profile.

Other requirements include being at least 18 years of age and in good health, having a clean criminal record and passing due diligence checks, and proving a valid source of income. Applicants holding three or more citizenships will also be rendered ineligible.

Canada

O Canada, from Celine Dion to Cirque du Soleil, the Great White North has no shortage of iconic cultural exports, and thanks to new citizenship legislation more Americans can get in on the action.

In December 2025, the Canadian Parliament added Bill C-3 to its Citizenship Act, amending how citizenship by heritage applies to children born abroad. The bill eliminated the country’s first-generation limit to citizenship by descent, meaning citizenship can now flow from parents, grandparents, or even great-grandparents with a proven chain of descent from Canada.

The bill has also made it possible for children of naturalized Canadian parents to obtain dual citizenship.

Türkiye

For a meld of Eastern and Western cultures you won’t find anywhere else, timeless Türkiye is hard to beat, and interested travelers have a few ways of pursuing second citizenship-by-investment here.

Applicants may either acquire $400,000 worth of real estate, invest $500,000 into a Turkish bank account, government bonds, a real estate investment fund share or venture capital investment fund share, or commit that amount to a private pension system for a minimum holding period of three years.

Alternatively, applicants may also demonstrate that they have created jobs for at least 50 people in the country, as attested by the Ministry of Family, Labor, and Social Services. Applications may also include spouses, dependents under the age of 18, and of age dependents living with disabilities.

Italy

As one of the most popular destinations in the world for American travelers, Italy is an appealing option for a second passport. If you’re interested in living in the land of “la dolce vita,” you have a few options for citizenship.

Anyone born to an Italian mother or father can obtain Italian citizenship by submitting the right documents. Americans with Italian grandparents can also apply for citizenship, even if their parents were born in the US.

If you don’t have close Italian heritage, you can aim for the country’s investment visa, which is valid for up to five years. But you’ll need to shell out anywhere from 250,000 euros to 2 million euros (about $274,000 to $2.2 million) to start the process, depending on the type of investment.

After 10 years, residents on the investment visa can apply for citizenship.