Whether you can hold more than one citizenship depends on two sets of rules: those of the country granting the new citizenship, and those of the country you already belong to. Some countries let you keep every nationality you acquire; others remove your original citizenship the moment you naturalize elsewhere. This guide sets out which countries allow dual or multiple citizenship, which restrict or forbid it, and the main routes to a second passport, with current figures for 2026.
Is there a limit to how many citizenships you can hold?
No country sets a numeric cap on how many other citizenships its nationals may hold. In theory a person could hold a dozen, if every country involved permitted it. In practice that is rare: most people with more than one nationality hold two to four. What limits you is not a global maximum but whether each specific country recognizes dual nationality.
Which countries allow dual citizenship? Rules by country
The table below shows how major countries treat holding another nationality. Allowed means you can acquire or keep another citizenship without losing this one. Restricted means it is allowed only in some cases or needs permission. Not allowed means acquiring another nationality causes loss, or you must renounce. Rules change, so confirm the current position with each country's official authority before acting.
| Country | Dual citizenship | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Allowed | No limit; US citizens must enter and leave the US on a US passport |
| United Kingdom | Allowed | No renunciation required |
| Canada | Allowed | Dual citizenship since 1977 |
| Australia | Allowed | Acquiring another nationality stopped causing loss in 2002 |
| New Zealand | Allowed | Allowed unless the other country forbids it |
| Ireland | Allowed | No renunciation, by descent or naturalization |
| Portugal | Allowed | No renunciation (the 2026 reform changed residence years, not the dual rule) |
| Italy | Allowed | Voluntary foreign nationality stopped causing loss in 1992 |
| France | Allowed | No renunciation either way (since 1973) |
| Switzerland | Allowed | Unrestricted since 1992 |
| Germany | Allowed (since 27 June 2024) | Renunciation requirement removed for naturalization and for Germans acquiring another nationality |
| Norway | Allowed (since 2020) | Previously required renunciation |
| Sweden | Allowed (since 2001) | Keep Swedish when acquiring another nationality |
| Brazil | Allowed | Loss now only by explicit request (constitution amended 2023) |
| Mexico | By birth only | Mexicans by birth keep nationality; naturalized Mexicans can lose it by acquiring another |
| Spain | Restricted | Dual without renouncing only with Ibero-American countries, Portugal, Andorra, the Philippines and Equatorial Guinea |
| Netherlands | Restricted | Generally renounce on naturalization, with exceptions (e.g. spouse of a Dutch citizen, asylum) |
| Austria | Restricted | Renunciation required unless you obtain prior written permission to retain |
| United Arab Emirates | Restricted | Naturalized foreigners may keep their original nationality (since 2021); native Emiratis generally may not |
| Saudi Arabia | Restricted | Needs prior Council of Ministers permission |
| China | Not allowed | Does not recognize dual nationality; foreign naturalization causes automatic loss |
| India | Not allowed | No dual citizenship; the OCI card is a long-term visa, not citizenship |
| Singapore | Not allowed | Adults cannot hold dual citizenship; people dual at birth must choose by age 22 |
| Japan | Not allowed | Voluntary foreign nationality causes automatic loss; people dual at birth must choose (the ban was upheld by the courts in 2024) |
Germany, Norway, Sweden and Brazil all moved toward allowing dual citizenship in recent years, so older guides may be out of date. Two common shorthands are worth correcting: countries in the Allowed group set no maximum number rather than granting an unlimited entitlement, and countries in the Not allowed group differ in mechanism (some cause automatic loss, others require you to actively choose or renounce).
The four routes to a second citizenship
There are four main ways to acquire another citizenship. Most people use the one that fits their circumstances rather than choosing freely.
By descent (ancestry)
If a parent, grandparent, or in some countries a great-grandparent was a citizen, you may claim citizenship by descent. Rules vary widely: Ireland and Italy have well-known ancestry routes, while others limit it to one generation. You prove lineage with civil records and usually do not need to live in the country. See our guide to EU citizenship by descent.
By naturalization (residence)
You qualify after living in a country legally for a set period, then meeting language, integration and good-character requirements. Periods range from about 3 years (for example Germany, for well-integrated applicants) to 10 years or more. The qualifying period usually runs from when you first hold legal residence, not from when you arrived.
By marriage
Marrying a citizen usually shortens the residence period rather than granting citizenship outright. Most countries still require a period of marriage and residence and proof that the relationship is genuine.
By investment
Some countries grant citizenship directly in return for a qualifying investment or donation (citizenship by investment). Others grant residence that can lead to citizenship after several years (a Golden Visa). The current figures are below.
Citizenship and residence by investment: 2026 figures
Citizenship by investment (a passport directly)
| Country | Minimum (2026) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dominica | from US$200,000 donation | US$250,000 for a family of up to four |
| St Kitts and Nevis | from US$250,000 contribution | Oldest program (since 1984) |
| Antigua and Barbuda | from US$230,000 donation | Covers a family of up to four |
| Grenada | from US$235,000 donation | Only Caribbean program with US E-2 treaty access |
| Turkey | from US$400,000 real estate | Three-year holding period |
Malta's investor-citizenship route, the only one inside the EU, was ended after the EU Court of Justice ruled it unlawful on 29 April 2025, so it is no longer available to new applicants.
Residence by investment (Golden Visa, citizenship later)
| Country | Minimum (2026) | Citizenship after |
|---|---|---|
| Portugal | €500,000 qualifying fund (real estate ended October 2023) | 10 years (7 for CPLP and EU nationals), under the 2026 nationality law |
| Greece | €250,000 to €800,000 real estate, by area | 7 years |
| Italy | from €250,000 (investor visa) | 10 years |
| United States (EB-5) | US$800,000 (targeted area) or US$1,050,000 (standard) | about 6 years or more |
Spain abolished its Golden Visa entirely on 3 April 2025, so investment no longer leads to Spanish residence or citizenship. For a full cost breakdown of the leading program, see our Portugal Golden Visa guide.
The benefits of holding more than one citizenship
More than one citizenship can give you the right to live and work in each country without a visa; more visa-free travel, because you can use whichever passport opens a given destination; access to healthcare, education and social systems in each country; easier property ownership and business setup; and a fallback if one country faces instability. A second passport can also smooth travel when one of your nationalities faces entry restrictions.
The downsides and obligations
Tax
Citizenship by itself usually does not create a tax bill, residence does, with one major exception: the United States taxes its citizens on worldwide income wherever they live. US citizens abroad can use the foreign earned income exclusion and foreign tax credits to avoid double taxation, but they must still file every year. For everyone else, check where you are tax-resident and whether a tax treaty applies.
Military service and civic duties
Some countries require military or civic service from their citizens. Holding another nationality does not exempt you, and failing to meet a duty in one country can cause problems when you travel there.
Consular protection
While you are in a country where you are a citizen, your other country generally cannot give you consular help there, because that country treats you as its own national.
Entry and exit rules
Some countries require you to use their passport to enter and leave. The United States, for example, requires US citizens to travel on a US passport when entering or leaving the country.
Countries that make you give up your old citizenship
If you naturalize in a country that does not allow dual citizenship, you may have to renounce your original nationality, or you may lose it automatically. Among large countries, China, India, Singapore and Japan are the main examples. Renunciation is serious and often hard to reverse: renouncing US citizenship, for instance, is irreversible, and a former citizen would then have to immigrate like any other foreign national to return.
Rules can also differ by route within one country. In Monaco, applicants who naturalize must renounce their previous nationality, but those who acquire nationality through marriage may keep it. And rules change: South Africa's Constitutional Court, in Democratic Alliance v Minister of Home Affairs (6 May 2025), struck down the rule that automatically stripped South Africans of citizenship when they voluntarily acquired another nationality, backdated to 1995, so people affected are treated as never having lost it.
How to plan a second or third citizenship
Start with what you actually need: visa-free travel, the right to live somewhere specific, business access, or a fallback. Then check three things for each country you are considering: whether it allows dual citizenship, whether your current country lets you keep yours, and which route (descent, naturalization, marriage or investment) you qualify for. Use official applications only, because buying or faking documents can void a passport and bring criminal charges. For anything complex, take qualified legal advice before you commit money or renounce anything.
Sources
This guide is based on official government and primary legal sources, including: the US State Department (Dual Nationality), GOV.UK (Dual citizenship), the Government of Canada, and national nationality authorities for the countries listed.
Portugal: Lei Organica n.o 1/2026 (Diario da Republica). Greece: Law 5100/2024. Spain: Organic Law 1/2025 (Golden Visa abolition). Germany: StAG reform in force 27 June 2024. EU Court of Justice: Case C-181/23 (Malta, 29 April 2025). South Africa: Constitutional Court, Democratic Alliance v Minister of Home Affairs [2025] ZACC 8.
Last verified: 25 June 2026.
