Citizenship is something we take for granted. Typically you’re born with it by virtue of either our blood (jus sanguinis) or our place of birth (jus soli)?
People born in countries with birthright citizenship automatically or conditionally become citizens of the country they were born in. Meanwhile, jus sanguinis countries automatically or conditionally award citizenship to people with at least one citizen parent, grandparent, or ancestor.
Here’s the thing, though: citizenship is not automatic for everyone, and you can lose it for one reason or another. Thus, we urge you to consider obtaining a second citizenship if you can.
Political turmoil in your country, like a coup d’état, can induce other countries to withdraw or withhold their recognition of your state. If this happens, at least for the countries that refuse to recognize it, your country will cease to exist legally and you, its people, will become “stateless,” i.e., effectively devoid of citizenship in any sovereign state.
You can avoid this outcome if you have dual citizenship.
With a Caribbean passport obtained from Grenada, Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, or other citizenship for investment countries, you can avert statelessness and its attendant disenfranchisement. At the very least, a second passport will let you travel where you will, even if your original passport becomes legally void.
How do you get a second passport? You can apply for citizenship using various pathways, including citizenship by investment.
Common Types of Citizenship
There are several ways you can become a citizen of a country. They’re worth checking out to see if you can use any of the following as a track to multiple citizenship.
1. Jus Soli or Citizenship by Birth
Jus soli literally means right of the soil. In countries with birthright citizenship or jus soli, the place of birth is the primary basis of citizenship.
There are two types of birthright citizenship countries: unrestricted and restricted. If you are born to a country with unrestricted birthright citizenship, you are automatically a citizen of that country, regardless of your parents’ citizenship. However, if birthright citizenship is restricted, you must satisfy other conditions—typically blood ties with citizens—aside from being born in the country.
Jus soli conditions vary from country to country. For instance, in France, birthright citizenship is given to someone born in France only if at least one of their parents is a French national or is a foreigner who was also born in France.
2. Jus Sanguinis or Citizenship by Descent
Jus sanguinis means right of blood, and this type of citizenship is determined by ancestry or bloodline. Typically, in a country with jus sanguinis citizenship, someone automatically becomes a citizen if at least one of their parents is also a citizen.
However, other countries apply jus sanguinis more liberally. In Italy, for instance, you can apply for jus sanguinis citizenship if:
- a grandparent was born in Italy and was an Italian citizen at the time your parent was born; and
- the parent born to your Italian grandparent has not renounced their right to their Italian citizenship.
3. Jus Matrimonii or Citizenship by Marriage
If you’re married to a citizen, you may be allowed to apply for citizenship via jus matrimonii or right of marriage. Some countries allow this, while some don’t, and those that do can interpret the right of marriage differently.
To become a Spanish citizen by marriage, for instance, you must live in Spain with your citizen spouse for at least one year. In Cabo Verde, marriage to a citizen instantly qualifies you for citizenship; you just need to request it.
4. Citizenship by Naturalization
Citizenship by naturalization is the most stringent pathway to citizenship, acquired only after meeting various requirements.
You may have to become a permanent resident first, live in the country for a minimum number of years, and pass language and citizenship tests.
5. Citizenship by Investment
Citizenship by investment is a flexible pathway to citizenship:
For instance, you need to do the following to apply for the Grenada, Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, or Antigua and Barbuda citizenship by investment program:
- Contribute to a national fund (i.e., make a government donation).
- Buy real estate in an approved development, making sure to meet the minimum required investment.
Citizenship by investment programs have quick turnaround times, too. You can become a citizen in just four months.
Countries With Birthright Citizenship
Want to know how many countries have birthright citizenship?
The World Population Review says there are 75. A U.S. Library of Congress record dated in the early 2000s said there are 94 countries with birthright citizenship. This indicates that over time, more countries have been abolishing (or at least restricting) birthright citizenship.
Unrestricted Birthright Citizenship
What countries have birthright citizenship?
Below is a list of 35 countries with unrestricted born-in-a-country citizenship, i.e., that unconditionally endow citizenship to anyone born in their jurisdiction.
Note that this list can change as more countries adopt more restrictive measures on their birthright citizenship laws.
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Barbados
- Belize
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Canada
- Chad
- Chile
- Costa Rica
- Cuba
- Dominica
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Fiji
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Honduras
- Jamaica
- Lesotho
- Mexico
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Tanzania
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tuvalu
- United States
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
Note that Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Lucia all allow unrestricted birthright citizenship. Any children you give birth to in these Caribbean countries will be citizens, even if you yourself are not yet a citizen—e.g., still processing your citizenship by investment or naturalization application.
Birthright Citizenship With Conditions
What countries have birthright citizenship but with attached conditions? The following 40 countries offer conditional birthright citizenship.
- Australia
- Bahrain
- Belgium
- Cambodia
- Colombia
- Cyprus
- Dominican Republic
- Egypt
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hong Kong
- India
- Iran
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Luxembourg
- Macau
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Mongolia
- Morocco
- Namibia
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Pakistan
- Portugal
- Sao Tome and Principe
- South Africa
- Spain
- Sudan
- Sweden
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Tunisia
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
Most of the above countries combine jus soli and jus sanguinis, requiring blood relationships with citizens before automatically assigning birthright citizenship.
Claim Birthright Citizenship
Birthright citizenship is based on the notion that anyone born in a specific country is entitled to citizenship in that country. There are now fewer countries that offer either conditional or unconditional birthright citizenship than there were two decades ago.
If you were born in a country other than your current country of citizenship, and both your home country and country of birth allow dual citizenship, consider claiming your birthright citizenship to get a second passport. Otherwise, you can apply for a second passport via other citizenship tracks, including citizenship by investment.
Citizens International is a second citizenship and offshore investment consultant.
Contact us to learn about and apply for your choice of Caribbean citizenship by investment program.
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