Second passport and residence options for US citizens
Eligible pathways (generic ranking)
Ranked for an American passport holder with no personal budget or no personal budget or timeline assumed. Investment citizenship programs are included where eligible.
Citizenship by investment
| # | Program | Route | Figure · source | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02 | #02Sao Tome and Principe | RouteCitizenship by investment | Figure · source $90,000 NTF donation: US$90,000 single / US$95,000 family of 2–4, plus a US$5,000 submission fee. ConfirmedSão Tomé & Príncipe CIP — Investment Structure (official)checked Jun 2026 | Time~6 months |
| 03 | #03Nauru | RouteCitizenship by investment | Figure · source Verifying Verifyingecrcp.gov.nrchecked Jul 2026 | TimeVerifying |
| 04 | #04Dominica | RouteCitizenship by investment | Figure · source $200,000 EDF donation from US$200,000; real estate from US$200,000 Confirmedcbiu.gov.dmchecked Jun 2026 | Time~6 months |
| 05 | #05Grenada | RouteCitizenship by investment | Figure · source $200,000 NTF donation from US$200,000; real estate from US$270,000 Confirmedcbi.gov.gdchecked Jun 2026 | Time~8 months |
| 06 | #06Saint Lucia | RouteCitizenship by investment | Figure · source $240,000 NEF US$240,000; real estate US$300,000; NAB US$300,000 Confirmedcipsaintlucia.comchecked Jun 2026 | Time~4 months |
| 07 | #07Antigua and Barbuda | RouteCitizenship by investment | Figure · source $230,000 NDF from US$230,000; approved real estate from US$300,000 Confirmedcip.gov.agchecked Jun 2026 | Time~6 months |
| 08 | #08Saint Kitts and Nevis | RouteCitizenship by investment | Figure · source $250,000 SISC donation from US$250,000; approved real estate from US$325,000 Confirmedciu.gov.knchecked Jun 2026 | Time~4 months |
| 09 | #09Vanuatu | RouteCitizenship by investment | Figure · source Verifying Verifyingdsp.gov.vuchecked Jun 2026 | TimeVerifying |
| 11 | #11Egypt | RouteCitizenship by investment | Figure · source Verifying Verifyingcseparegistry.gov.egchecked Jun 2026 | TimeVerifying |
| 12 | #12North Macedonia | RouteCitizenship by investment | Figure · source Verifying Verifyingvlada.mkchecked Jun 2026 | TimeVerifying |
| 14 | #14Turkey | RouteCitizenship by investment | Figure · source $400,000 real-estate route; $500,000 for bank deposit / bonds / capital routes ConfirmedTürkiye Investment Office (Presidential Decree, June 2022)checked Jun 2026 | Time~8 months |
Residence by investment
| # | Program | Route | Figure · source | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | #01Malta | RouteResidence by investment | Figure · source €70,000 Non-recoverable fees ~€70,000 (admin €40k + contribution €28k purchase route + donation €2k) plus qualifying property ≥€300,000 (South/Gozo) or ≥€350,000 elsewhere; lease route ~€100,000 fees plus rent ≥€10,000/yr over 5 years Confirmedresidencymalta.gov.mtchecked Jun 2026 | Time~7 months |
| 10 | #10Hungary | RouteResidence by investment | Figure · source €250,000 EUR 250,000 in approved real-estate fund certificates (5-year maturity) Confirmedoif.gov.huchecked Jun 2026 | Time~4 months |
| 13 | #13Greece | RouteResidence by investment | Figure · source €400,000 EUR 400,000 / EUR 800,000 tiers by zone; 120 sqm minimum; short-let ban ConfirmedLaw 5100/2024checked Jun 2026 | Time~6 months |
| 15 | #15Thailand | RouteResidence by investment | Figure · source $500,000 Wealthy Global Citizen: ≥US$1,000,000 assets plus US$500,000 Thai investment Confirmedltr.boi.go.thchecked Jun 2026 | Time~2 months |
| 16 | #16United Arab Emirates | RouteResidence by investment | Figure · source AED 2,000,000 Property or fund deposit ≥ AED 2,000,000; held three years; no minimum stay Confirmedu.aechecked Jun 2026 | Time~2 months |
| 17 | #17Portugal | RouteResidence by investment | Figure · source €500,000 EUR 500,000 CMVM-regulated fund route (real-estate route removed 2023) ConfirmedLaw 56/2023 (Mais Habitacao)checked Jun 2026 | TimeVerifying |
| 18 | #18United States | RouteResidence by investment | Figure · source $800,000 TEA projects; $1,050,000 outside a TEA ConfirmedEB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022checked Jun 2026 $800,000 (TEA); rises to ~$900,000 on 1 Jan 2027 under the RIA inflation adjustment. File by 30 Sep 2026 to lock the current amount. | Time~3 years |
Americans usually arrive at "second passport" thinking about a plan B or a backup home. The US passport is already strong (around 179 visa-free or visa-on-arrival destinations), so for US citizens this is rarely about travel freedom — it is about optionality, and about one rule that reshapes the whole decision.
Read this first: US tax follows the passport, not the postcode
The United States is one of very few countries that taxes its citizens on worldwide income no matter where they live. A second passport does not change that. You keep filing US returns from anywhere. The only way to end US tax obligations is to formally renounce US citizenship — and renunciation can trigger an expatriation (exit) tax on unrealised gains for higher-net-worth individuals. So for Americans the question is not "can I get a second passport" (you can — the US allows dual citizenship) but "what do I actually want it for."
If you want a fast, clean second citizenship
- Caribbean citizenship-by-investment — St Kitts & Nevis (from US$250,000 contribution, or real estate from US$325,000), Dominica and Grenada (from US$200,000), Antigua (from US$230,000). Months, not years; the US permits dual citizenship. Grenada is notable for Americans because it carries a US E-2 treaty, which can support a US business-investor visa for a non-US spouse.
If you have European roots (often the cheapest path)
- Italy (parent or grandparent born in Italy, under the 2025 two-generation rule), Ireland (Irish-born grandparent via the Foreign Births Register), Poland, or Germany (restoration routes for descendants of those persecuted 1933–1945). These cost mostly time and documents rather than a six-figure contribution, and they deliver an EU passport.
If you want a foothold without citizenship
EU golden visas (Portugal, Greece, Hungary) give residence and the right to spend long periods in Europe without naturalizing.
Cost in context
For Americans the comparison is rarely cost-versus-travel; it is optionality versus the ongoing reality of US worldwide taxation. Before acquiring or renouncing anything, get advice from a cross-border US tax specialist — the tax tail, not the passport, usually drives the right answer.
The pathways here use pass2port's deterministic engine for a generic US passport holder. For a personalized ranking of investment and residence routes, the free quiz takes about three minutes. Descent citizenship is covered in our informational guides — pass2port does not check your eligibility. This is information, not legal or tax advice.
Confirmeden.wikipedia.orgchecked Jun 2026
United States passport mobility
Visa-free or visa-on-arrival to 179 destinations
Ranked 7 of the 44 nationalities pass2port currently covers
Confirmeden.wikipedia.orgchecked Jun 2026
Citizenship by descent (informational)
Some United States holders may have a citizenship-by-descent route if a parent or grandparent was born abroad. pass2port publishes sourced guides to those rules — we do not check whether you qualify. For investment and residence pathways ranked to your passport, use the quiz below.
Tax context for United States holders
United States uses a citizenship-based tax system at the national level. Moving residence or acquiring another citizenship can change what you owe — this is a pointer, not advice.
Common questions
- Does a second passport end my US tax obligations?
- No. The United States taxes its citizens on worldwide income regardless of where they live, so getting a second passport does not stop your US filing. Only formally renouncing US citizenship ends it — and that can trigger an expatriation (exit) tax. This is the single most important fact for Americans.
- What is the fastest second passport for a US citizen?
- Caribbean citizenship-by-investment (St Kitts, Dominica, Grenada, Antigua) typically completes in months and the US allows dual citizenship. EU citizenship by descent is cheaper if you have qualifying Italian, Irish, Polish, or German ancestry, but slower.
- Can Americans hold dual citizenship?
- Yes. US law permits dual citizenship, so you do not have to give up your US passport to acquire another. The constraint is tax, not eligibility.
Get your personalized ranking
These pages use generic passport assumptions. Your budget and timeline change the ranking — take the quiz for a personalized view.
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