In our time now, dual citizenship is a big topic. Why? Because having two citizenships can give you tons of privileges. To start, what is dual citizenship? Dual citizenship is a citizenship status that allows a person to be have one or more citizenships considering the laws of those states. Multiple citizenship is the same idea but this would incur three (3) or more. In simpler terms, a person with dual citizenship is a citizen of two (2) countries at the same time.
Today, developed countries such as the United States of America, Australia, and the U.K does not hold anything against having two citizenships. However, there are countries that strictly implement the sole citizenship rule; countries that restrict dual and/or multiple citizenships may lead to automatic loss of citizenship upon acquiring another.
Read: Renewing Your Philippine Passport While Abroad
I’m pretty sure you are curious as to what countries allow and disallow this. However, before we get to that, let’s first try to understand the role of dual citizenship.
Just like any other thing, being a dual citizen has its advantages and disadvantages.
Benefits and privileges
As a dual citizen, you harvest both of the countries’ benefits and privileges. Especially if the country houses benefits that could ultimately help its locals. To give you an example, if that person has access to both social security services, they can use their citizenship to:
Find a job Run for office Vote Be privileged for its loans, benefits, etc. Note that these will all depend on the laws of each country you are a citizen of. Don’t forget to ask and to ensure to avoid unthinkable measures.
Cultural education
Since you are a national of both countries, I’m pretty sure that you have a slight idea of both of their cultures and practices. Governments love to swing its citizens and educate them about their culture for tourism. This actually is one of the best perks and pros of being a dual citizen.
Two passports
Two passports, meaning, you won’t have to go through the hassle of lining up for visas, special checks, etc. Say, you’re a citizen of both the United States of America and New Zealand and you love to travel. Having a U.S passport and a New Zealand passport can immediately eliminate the need for visas, interrogation on the purpose of trip, etc. Thus, you have the right to enter a country you are a citizen in which will make it easier for you to travel.
Read: UPDATED List of Visa Free Countries for Filipinos
Property acquisition
Since you are a citizen of both countries, you have the right to acquire or to buy properties. Some countries have restrictions in terms of property ownership and that gives them a hard time entering one country and another. With dual citizenship, you have the assurance that you can own and acquire properties without question.
Double taxation
There are certain countries, like the U.S that imposes taxes on its citizens for their income anywhere in the world. What does this mean? Well if you are an American citizen and you’re working in the Middle East, you will be taxed in both the country you’re working in and the U.S. Although this is the case, there are countries that have Income Tax Treaties. These tax treaties override the laws and exempt or reduce the liability of income tax. Still, this can be a big issue for money.
Security and government clearances
If you are looking to run for the office, having dual citizenship can be a bit of a problem. There are governments that do not allow people who have dual citizenship to participate in any event that would make them lead the public. I did not mean that in a negative way; to simplify and clarify, if you are a dual citizen, look into running for the government and seek the law to see if you can.
Involuntary instances
There are times when dual citizenship happens automatically. When a child is born in the U.S with foreign parents, they automatically become dual citizens. Correcting this takes time and more often, costly.
In conclusion, being a dual citizen has its benefits and advantages but let’s not forget that it has downsides as well.
Countries that allow dual citizenship:
Australia Barbados Belgium Bangladesh Canada Cyprus United States United Kingdom Switzerland South Korea South Africa (requires permission) Egypt(requires prior permission) Greece France Finland Germany (requires prior permission) Iraq Italy Israel Ireland Hungary Iceland Sweden Slovenia Syria Serbia Armenia Lebanon Malta Spain (allows only with certain Latin American countries); Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay, Andorra, Portugal,, Philippines and Equatorial Guinea Tonga Philippines Sierra Leone Sri Lanka (by retention) Pakistan (accepts only with 16 countries); United Kingdom, Italy, France, Belgium, Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, United States, Ireland, Netherlands, Switzerland,Canada, Egypt, Jordan and Syria Portugal Turkey (requires permission) So, above is the list of countries that do not restrict dual citizenship.
Countries that RESTRICT dual citizenship:
Andorra Austria Azerbaijan Burma Bahrain Botswana Japan China Czech Republic Denmark Fiji India Indonesia, Ecuador Estonia Iran Poland Papua New Guinea Brunei Japan Peru Kuwait Kenya Kazakhstan Chile Kiribati Poland Korea Kuwait Denmark Latvia Singapore Slovakia Ecuador Lithuania Solomon Islands Malaysia Mauritius Netherlands United Arab Emirates (UAE) Romania Thailand Mexico Nepal Venezuela Norway Zimbabwe Mauritius Myanmar Nepal Now that you are aware of what the basics of dual citizenship are, spread the world and let your friends and family know! Who knows? This information might be helpful to them.
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Sources: Investopedia
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