Key Takeaways<\/p>\n
Global instability and political uncertainty have led some people to get a second passport as a backup plan. The Harris Poll found in 2025 that 42% of Americans are considering moving out of the U.S., including 26% of Baby Boomers and 35% of Gen X. Respondents cited wanting a lower cost of living and better quality of life.\n<\/p>\n
Popular expatriate havens such as Spain and Italy have tightened their requirements for ancestry-based citizenship. That said, there are still many places where American retirees can get a second passport.\u00a0\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
Where Americans Still Have Options: Golden Visa Programs <\/p>\n
Immigration laws vary by country, but residency visas are typically valid for five years. Residency conditions may require you to stay in the country for a specific period. For example, to maintain some residency visas, you need to be in the issuing country for at least six months per year.\n<\/p>\n
Tip<\/p>\n
Some golden visa programs allow you to reside in the issuing country but don’t grant citizenship or a second passport. However, getting one can sometimes put you on the path to citizenship.<\/p>\n
With golden visas<\/a>, you can invest in a country and gain residency or citizenship in countries that offer them. This approach isn\u2019t cheap, as countries typically require a six- or even seven-figure commitment. Still, it\u2019s a good way to stay legally in a country, no matter where you and your family members were born. Here are a few places that offer them that would make sense for American retirees:\n<\/p>\n Antigua and Barbuda <\/p>\n Antigua’s Jolly Harbour: The Caribbean nation offers one of the fastest paths to a second passport, with citizenship possible in four to five months.<\/p>\n cdwheatley \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n Antigua and Barbuda grants birthright citizenship, regardless of the parents\u2019 nationality, to children born on the islands and those born abroad to at least one citizen. Its Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program enables foreigners to gain citizenship by investing between $230,000 and $1.5 million. The most affordable option is the National Development Fund, but business investment is the most expensive. The visa process takes four to five months.\n<\/p>\n The Antigua and Barbuda golden visa requires you to spend a minimum of five days in Antigua and Barbuda during your first five years of citizenship, and includes benefits such as the following:\n<\/p>\n To qualify for the program, you must submit the following:\n<\/p>\n You\u2019ll pay application and processing fees of $10,000 for a single applicant or $20,000 for a family of up to four, plus $10,000 for each additional dependent.\n<\/p>\n Dominica <\/p>\n Dominica’s capital, Roseau, at dusk. Known as the “Nature Island,” Dominica offers citizenship with no physical residency requirements.<\/p>\n Westend61 \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n Dominica\u2019s CBI program works like Antigua and Barbuda\u2019s but only requires a minimum investment of $200,000. The program doesn’t impose physical residency requirements and doesn’t restrict dual citizenship<\/a>. The application processing takes three to six months and requires the following:\n<\/p>\n Fast Fact<\/p>\n Visa requirements often are not as clear-cut. Some countries give immigration and naturalization agents leeway to request documentation that doesn’t appear on official requirement lists.<\/p>\n The benefits of Dominica citizenship include the following:\n<\/p>\n Required fees include a $1,000 application fee, a $7,500 due diligence fee for the principal applicant, plus additional fees per dependent. The process requires you to work with an authorized agent, who may impose additional fees.\n<\/p>\n Greece <\/p>\n Oia, Santorini\u2014Greece’s Golden Visa now requires significantly more in investments in high-demand areas like this iconic island.<\/p>\n Tuul & Bruno Morandi \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n Greece has become a hot spot for expatriates<\/a>, due in part to its golden visa program. The least expensive way to take advantage of the program is to make an approved real estate investment of at least \u20ac250,000 (around $294,000), though it can be higher in high-demand areas like Athens.\n<\/p>\n Like programs in other European countries, the Greek golden visa grants residency, but not citizenship. After you complete seven years of permanent residency, you can apply for citizenship if you choose. If you marry a Greek citizen and have a child later, you can apply for citizenship after three years.\n<\/p>\n Benefits of Greek residency include the following:\n<\/p>\n To apply for the Greek golden visa, you must pay a \u20ac2,000 (about $2,300) investor\u2019s permit fee, plus \u20ac150 ($175) per additional family member. First-time citizenship applicants must pay a \u20ac700 ($820) application fee.\n<\/p>\n Best European Options If You Have European Ancestors <\/p>\n The \u201cbest\u201d option for obtaining citizenship<\/a> by descent is the one for which you may qualify. Most European countries offer ancestral citizenship, but lineage restrictions differ. For example, some countries offer citizenship to any generation of a native-born citizen, while others limit the right to their children or grandchildren.\n<\/p>\n Let\u2019s explore a couple of examples:\n<\/p>\n Ireland <\/p>\n Fanad Head lighthouse, County Donegal\u2014Ireland offers citizenship to anyone with a grandparent born on the island, no investment required.<\/p>\n Tuul & Bruno Morandi \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n If either of your parents was born in Ireland, you are already an Irish citizen. If any of your grandparents were born in Ireland, you are also eligible for citizenship. You will need to first register with the Irish Foreign Birth Registration. After that, you can apply for Irish citizenship and a passport.\n<\/p>\n If your family connection to someone born in Ireland extends beyond your grandparents, you would still be eligible if at least one of your parents had Irish citizenship when you were born.\n<\/p>\n If you or at least one of your parents was born in Ireland before 2005, you are already an Irish citizen and can apply for an Irish passport. Also, when Irish citizens register their children’s births abroad, the children are eligible for Irish citizenship and a passport.\n<\/p>\n If you were born after 2005, your citizenship eligibility is based on your parents’ citizenship at the time of your birth, as well as their residency history.\n<\/p>\n Citizenship is an option if you have at least one grandparent born in Ireland. Once you\u2019re officially an Irish citizen, you\u2019re also recognized as a European Union citizen. This gives you the right to live and work anywhere in the European Union.\n<\/p>\n Latvia <\/p>\n Riga’s medieval old town\u2014Latvia offers citizenship to descendants of anyone who was a Latvian citizen on June 17, 1940, the date of Soviet occupation.<\/p>\n Alexander Spatari \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n Latvian citizenship is also granted to descendants of Latvian citizens who left during the German and Soviet occupations. So, if one or more of your parents or grandparents were Latvian citizens on June 17, 1940, you qualify for Latvian citizenship.\n<\/p>\n Descendants of Latvian citizens of other generations can apply for a Latvian passport, but must pass a Latvian language examination. However, these descendants can apply for a five-year residency visa without taking a language test.\n<\/p>\n Tax, Legal, and Reporting Downsides <\/p>\n Just because you decide to retire in a different country doesn\u2019t mean you cut all legal and financial ties to the U.S.. As a U.S. citizen living abroad, you may still be required to file a tax return to the IRS<\/a> and pay taxes, depending on your income.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n The U.S. has signed tax treaties with some foreign countries. Such treaties do not cut the requirement to file your taxes with the IRS, but may entitle you to exemptions or a reduced U.S. tax rate. They may also offer exemptions or reduced rates on income received from foreign sources<\/a>. However, their provisions do not allow you to avoid taxes on income received from a U.S. source. All tax treaties have unique provisions, so the reporting rules differ by country.\n<\/p>\n Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act<\/a>, foreign financial institutions must report foreign assets held by U.S. citizens. So, if you have a foreign bank account in a country for which you hold a residency visa, the bank must report your holdings to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Likewise, the HIRE Act requires U.S. citizens to report certain types of foreign assets and financial accounts.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n The Bank Secrecy Act <\/a>requires U.S. citizens to report certain types of foreign financial accounts to the U.S. Department of the Treasury through the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.<\/p>\n Fast Fact<\/p>\n Legal and tax issues vary broadly by country. Reporting laws that apply to a retiree living on a modest income may not apply to a younger, high-net-worth individual. Before moving to another country, consult international tax and financial advisors familiar with the reporting laws of the U.S. and the destination country.<\/p>\n What Retirees and \u201cPlan B\u201d Seekers Should Do <\/p>\n If you\u2019re seeking to get a second passport, follow these helpful tips:\n<\/p>\n If you want to spend retirement in another country, it will take some effort and research, but it is definitely possible given the range of possibilities. By following these strategies, you can find the right spot for your dream retirement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Key Takeaways Spain ended its Golden Visa program in 2025, and Italy now limits ancestry-based citizenship to those…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":678653,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5312],"tags":[2000,299,104],"class_list":{"0":"post-678652","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-spain","8":"tag-eu","9":"tag-europe","10":"tag-spain"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115850650798688210","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/678652","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=678652"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/678652\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/678653"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=678652"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=678652"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=678652"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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