I am sure many of my readers are well aware of the escapades of Jason Bourne either in the book form or through the ever popular movies. One thing in the first movie that caught my attention was the many passports that this super spy had in is Swiss safety deposit box. While illegal to hold many aliases and use them to cross international borders it is possible to have multiple passports through more than one country. How can this be possible? It is called dual citizenship and it is perfectly legal. In fact many millions of Americans are dual citizens.
What qualifications qualify you to become a dual citizen?
- Formal naturalization
- Being born within the borders of the country (United States mostly)
- Being a descendant of a foreign born parent or grandparent
- Marrying a citizen of a foreign country
The benefits of dual nationality are faster visa procedures, having the right to work in the country and faster customs inspections when going through the airport among many others and really depend on the country.
As a side note if you can become a citizen of one of the countries of the European Union you can then have the right to work in any EU nation. Needless to say this can open the door to many possibilities and expand your horizons immensely.
In order to apply for dual nationality I would contact the embassy or consulate of the country that either your relatives or mate descended from in order to gain the most insight. Each country will obviously have their own limits and rules in order to qualify.
The King | 26-Jul-07 at 12:49 am | Permalink
On the other hand, many countries don’t allow you to have dual citizenship. For example, some of the South Asian countries like India doesn’t allow it.
Richard Callaby | 26-Jul-07 at 1:31 pm | Permalink
Good point and I did not know that. Others like Israel, the EU nations and some south American countries however do allow for dual citizenship. It is very important to check to see if this is possible in your country.
schwarzwolf | 04-Aug-07 at 10:28 am | Permalink
not exactly true about EU. the working living situation is a bit messy right now due to all kinds of restriction placed by some EU countries on some other EU countries …
Richard Callaby | 04-Aug-07 at 6:19 pm | Permalink
Sorry I guess I was misinformed about the EU nations. However it is my understanding that alot of them will accept you especially if you have skills that are needed in that country. I do know that there is a lot of in fighting and bickering between the nations and that they are not as united as they would have us believe. Thanks for adding to the conversation.
Lisa | 07-Aug-07 at 11:40 pm | Permalink
You learn something new every day. Thanks for the information!
Aaron at Gyms and Health Clubs | 17-Aug-07 at 6:11 pm | Permalink
If I’m an American citizen but have no ties to any other country, is it still possible to apply for dual citizenship in another country? What are the requirements? Feel free to email me, I feel like being a dual citizen of the EU/US would be huge for business purposes. This is interesting stuff, thanks for sharing
Richard Callaby | 17-Aug-07 at 6:44 pm | Permalink
Well yes you do need to have some affiliation with some member of the European Union. For instance if your mother or father came from a country in the EU you could apply to become a citizen of that country if they allow it. It is also possible if you marry a member of the EU to become a citizen of both countries, depending on the country.
To be completely honest here Aaron the best way to find out is to contact the embassay or consulate of the country you wish to join and find out their rules for citizenship. As it has been pointed out each country is particular and being a citizen in one country does not guarantee an easy passage to the others.
I can help find the information you are looking for if you are really interested but I need some more specifics of where you want to go. It might also help you if you contact the state department as they could help in the expansion of your business overseas. I have heard of some grants that are offered to those that want to “go global” with their business. It is definately worth checking out.