Most countries make it possible to acquire citizenship through residency. After you’ve been a full-time resident of the country for a specific number of years, you can become eligible to apply for citizenship and a passport.
The specific requirements vary depending on the type of residency permit you have and how long you’ve held it, but most countries require you to be a permanent resident for at least three to five years before you’re eligible to apply for citizenship, meaning that time in the country while you hold a temporary residency visa doesn’t typically count toward the years of residency required before you can be naturalized.
That’s the first requirement to consider as you shop for second citizenship-through-residency options—how much time will you have to invest before receiving your second passport?
The second is the level of commitment you’ll be required to make to the country prior to and once you’ve become a citizen. Most countries want to see some connection to the place before they’ll accept your application for citizenship, but, depending on the jurisdiction, this requirement could be met simply by opening a local bank account, for example.
Finally, check for specific requirements of citizenship, such as being fluent in the local language or military service. While you might age out of an obligation to serve in the country’s military, your children might inherit it.
Here are 11 countries where citizenship through residency is relatively quick and painless to acquire and whose passports are worth holding.
Argentina
Residency time required: 2 years (from temporary visa)
Tests administered: Yes—language
Military service: Yes
Visa-free travel options: 170 countries
Commitment level: Low
Much information online contends that you must have at least five years of residency (two as a temporary resident, three as permanent) before being eligible for naturalization; however, that information is outdated. Today you can apply for citizenship after having lived in Argentina continuously for just two years, even if on a temporary residency visa. That’s one of the least onerous residency requirements in the world.
The naturalization proceedings are straightforward. You will be required to appear before a judge and asked to give a reading in Spanish to show language proficiency. If you can speak some Spanish, are in good health, can prove sufficient financial resources or employment, and do not have a criminal record, your application likely will be granted. Unlike in many other countries, you won’t be required to take an exam on Argentinian law or history.
One perk of an Argentinian passport is that it gives you the right to residency and employment in every MERCOSUR country, including (in addition to Argentina) Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay.
A downside to Argentinian citizenship is that it means the possibility of mandatory military service if the number of volunteers ever falls short of the requirement for recruits.
Residency time required: 5 years
Tests administered: No
Military service: No
Visa-free travel options: 101 countries
Commitment level: Low
Put five years of permanent residency under your belt (for a total of six years counting the year it takes to become a permanent resident), and you can apply to become a citizen of Belize.
Belize has no standing army, so no fear of conscription.
A Belize passport, which allows visa-free travel to only 101 countries, is not as useful a travel document as those of other countries on this list. On the other hand, it does mean the right to live and work in any CARICOM country (Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago).
Chile
Residency time required: 5 years (from temporary visa)
Tests administered: No
Military service: Yes
Visa-free travel options: 174 countries
Commitment level: Low
After five years of continuous residency in Chile, you’re eligible for citizenship. The clock starts upon receipt of your first temporary visa, rather than receipt of your permanent residency visa. The application and approval process takes approximately two years.
You’ll be required to sit for an interview in Spanish, but no formal test is required. As in Argentina, Chileans between 17 and 24 can be conscripted if volunteers don’t fulfill the required quota.
Also like an Argentine passport, one from Chile also gives you the right to residency and employment in any MERCOSUR country.
Colombia
Residency time required: 5 years (could be as few as 1)
Tests administered: Yes—history, geography, language
Military service: Yes
Visa-free travel options: 127 countries
Commitment level: Low
After five continuous years of holding permanent resident status in Colombia, you’re eligible to apply for citizenship. If you’re a citizen of another Latin American or Caribbean country, the residency requirement period is reduced to one year. For Spanish citizens and applicants with a Colombian spouse or child, it’s two years.
To become naturalized, you will need to pass a test on Colombian history, geography, and the country’s constitution, as well as a Spanish language test. If you’re over 65 years of age or hold a degree from a Colombian university those requirements are waived.
Colombia has a mandatory conscription. All men are expected to comply at age 18. It’s something to consider for your potential heirs.
Only 127 countries allow a Colombian in visa free, but Colombia is a member of MERCOSUR, meaning residency and employment rights in all other member nations.
Dominican Republic
Residency time required: 3 years
Tests administered: Yes—history and culture
Military service: Yes
Visa-free travel options: 65 countries
Commitment level: Low
The Dominican Republic requires only three years of residency for naturalization, and the government does not stipulate an official time-in-country requirement for residency, making the residency hurdle low.
The naturalization process requires you to show a tie to the country, but this requirement can be met by opening a bank account or owning property. The final step in the naturalization process is an interview, during which you’ll be asked in Spanish to demonstrate basic knowledge of the country and its history.
The country’s constitution allows for conscription of men aged 18 to 54 should more manpower be needed.
Only 65 countries allow Dominicans to visit visa-free, and the Dominican Republic is not part of any regional affiliation, making a DR passport the least useful passport on this list. However, obtaining it also requires the lowest level of commitment.
Ireland
Residency time required: 5 years
Tests administered: No
Military service: No
Number of countries for visa-free travel: 186
Commitment level: Low
Irish citizenship can be obtained after five years of legal residency during the previous nine years leading up to the time of application. The application process is painless and requires neither an interview nor a test. An Irish passport is one of the most widely accepted and respected in the world, and Ireland does not require military service of its citizens. All things considered, Ireland qualifies as offering the world’s best citizenship-through-residency opportunity.
The downside is that it’s no longer easy to qualify for legal residency in Ireland. You must now show 50,000 euros of passive income per year, double that if you’re married.
Residency time required: 5 years (from temporary)
Tests administered: Yes—history, language
Military service: Yes
Visa-free travel options: 159 countries
Commitment level: Low
Mexico offers a clear path to citizenship after five years of residency, and the clock starts when you receive your temporary resident visa.
If you are married to a Mexican citizen or have a child in Mexico, the required residency is only two years. Likewise, citizens of other Latin American countries or the Iberian Peninsula are also eligible for expedited naturalization, with a two-year residency requirement.
As part of the naturalization process, you must take an exam on Mexican history and prove that you can speak Spanish. The Mexican government offers a study guide to help you pass the test. Military service is compulsory, but a “civilian option” offers non-combat service alternatives like street patrolling.
Residency time required: 5 years
Tests administered: No
Military service: No
Visa-free travel options: 141
Commitment level: Medium
The clock in Panama starts after obtaining permanent residency status. Only two residency categories offer permanent residency from the first approval—the pensionado and Friendly Nations programs. The pensionado residency option is available to anyone over the age of 18 who has a government pension. The Friendly Nations program is an executive order put in place by a president from three administrations ago, meaning it could be eliminated by the current or a future president. For now, it’s still valid and one of the world’s easiest residencies to obtain. The key is being from one of the 50 countries on the list of “friendly nations.” The United States and Canada are on the list.
You’ll have to show a connection to Panama to qualify for citizenship, including providing letters from Panamanian friends. Having a bank account and owning property in the country will help your application, as well.
All naturalization applications must be signed off on by the president of Panama, adding a layer of uncertainty to the timing. Some presidents have historically been more interested in signing naturalization approvals than others.
Panama has no military, so no possibility of conscription.
Paraguay
Residency time required: 3 years
Tests administered: Yes—Language
Military service: Yes
Visa-free travel options: 142 countries
Commitment level: High
After just three years of residency in Paraguay, you can apply for citizenship. This gives you the right to reside in Paraguay indefinitely and to work and provides a passport that allows for visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel privileges throughout most of Europe, making it an appealing travel document.
The minimum physical presence requirement before you can apply for citizenship is 183 days a year; you must spend half the year in the country. You have to take a test in Spanish to be approved, but you don’t have to be completely fluent to pass.
You also have to prove your assimilation into local society. You’ll need to show that you have made a legitimate effort to establish a life in Paraguay. Buying property in Paraguay helps, as does having friends, speaking Spanish, and spending time in the country on a regular basis.
While you are eligible to apply for naturalization after 3 years of legal residency, the approval process can take from 12 to 24 months, depending on the volume of applicants in the queue and the mood of the Supreme Court, which must review and approve all applications.
To maintain your citizenship, you cannot live outside the country for more than three years after having obtained it. Like Mexico, Paraguay has a civilian military option that allows you to opt out of combat service.
Paraguay is a member of MERCOSUR, meaning its passport gives you the right to residency and employment in any MERCOSUR country.
Residency time required: 5 years
Tests administered: Yes—language
Military service: No
Visa-free travel options: 186 countries
Commitment level: Low to moderate
Anyone with five years of legal residency in the country is entitled to apply for Portuguese citizenship. You must also prove “sufficient knowledge” of Portuguese, as well as “effective links to the national community.” Those with Portuguese grandparents can skip the residency requirement.
Portugal’s Golden Visa program allows you to obtain residency by investing in real estate. If you buy property for 280,000 to 500,000 euros (the required amount depends on the age and location of the property), you can qualify. When you do, you are required to be in the country on average but one week a year.
The self-sufficiency residency option requires you to be in the country at least 183 days a year, making you a tax resident. However, Portugal has a tax program for new residents called NHR (Non-Habitual Resident) status, providing a 10-year tax holiday on most types of income.
Uruguay
Residency time required: 3 years
Tests administered: Yes—language
Military service: No
Visa-free travel options: 153 countries
Commitment level: Moderate
After making a large investment in the country (amount unspecified) and having been a resident for three years, you are eligible to apply for citizenship in Uruguay. A permanent connection with the country (a domicile, property, activity, etc.) and no absence for more than six straight months for the three to five years prior to applying strengthens your application. If you’re married to a Uruguayan, you can apply after five years without making any investment.
You’ll be required to pass a Spanish-language proficiency test but don’t have to worry about military service. Uruguay does not require it. Uruguay is a member of MERCOSUR, meaning its passport provides access to all MERCOSUR member countries.