Key Takeaways
- Spain ended its Golden Visa program in 2025, and Italy now limits ancestry-based citizenship to those with a parent or grandparent born in Italy.
- Some Caribbean golden visa programs offer the quickest path to getting a second passport.
- Some Americans qualify for dual citizenship based on their lineage.
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.
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.
Where Americans Still Have Options: Golden Visa Programs
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.
Tip
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.
With golden visas, you can invest in a country and gain residency or citizenship in countries that offer them. This approach isn’t cheap, as countries typically require a six- or even seven-figure commitment. Still, it’s 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:
Antigua and Barbuda
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.
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Antigua and Barbuda grants birthright citizenship, regardless of the parents’ 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.
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:
- Lifetime citizenship
- No dual citizenship restrictions
- No income, inheritance, or wealth tax
- Freedom to live and work
- Dependent visas for children under 30, parents aged 55 and older, spouses (and future spouses), and unmarried siblings
To qualify for the program, you must submit the following:
- A clean criminal record
- A valid passport
- Proof of health insurance
- Proof of investment
You’ll 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.
Dominica
Dominica’s capital, Roseau, at dusk. Known as the “Nature Island,” Dominica offers citizenship with no physical residency requirements.
Westend61 / Getty Images
Dominica’s CBI program works like Antigua and Barbuda’s but only requires a minimum investment of $200,000. The program doesn’t impose physical residency requirements and doesn’t restrict dual citizenship. The application processing takes three to six months and requires the following:
- Proof of minimum investment
- A passport
- A clean criminal record
- Proof of financial stability
- A medical examination
Fast Fact
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.
The benefits of Dominica citizenship include the following:
- No foreign capital gains, foreign income, gift, inheritance, or wealth taxes
- Proximity to the U.S. and Latin America
- Birthright citizenship for future generations
- Visas for spouses, dependent children up to age 31, and parents or grandparents over 65
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.
Greece
Oia, Santorini—Greece’s Golden Visa now requires significantly more in investments in high-demand areas like this iconic island.
Tuul & Bruno Morandi / Getty Images
Greece has become a hot spot for expatriates, 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 €250,000 (around $294,000), though it can be higher in high-demand areas like Athens.
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.
Benefits of Greek residency include the following:
- No physical residency requirement
- Opportunity to apply for citizenship (minimum residency requirements may apply)
To apply for the Greek golden visa, you must pay a €2,000 (about $2,300) investor’s permit fee, plus €150 ($175) per additional family member. First-time citizenship applicants must pay a €700 ($820) application fee.
Best European Options If You Have European Ancestors
The “best” option for obtaining citizenship 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.
Let’s explore a couple of examples:
Ireland
Fanad Head lighthouse, County Donegal—Ireland offers citizenship to anyone with a grandparent born on the island, no investment required.
Tuul & Bruno Morandi / Getty Images
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.
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.
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.
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.
Citizenship is an option if you have at least one grandparent born in Ireland. Once you’re officially an Irish citizen, you’re also recognized as a European Union citizen. This gives you the right to live and work anywhere in the European Union.
Latvia
Riga’s medieval old town—Latvia offers citizenship to descendants of anyone who was a Latvian citizen on June 17, 1940, the date of Soviet occupation.
Alexander Spatari / Getty Images
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.
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.
Tax, Legal, and Reporting Downsides
Just because you decide to retire in a different country doesn’t 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 and pay taxes, depending on your income.
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. 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.
Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, 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.
The Bank Secrecy Act 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.
Fast Fact
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.
What Retirees and “Plan B” Seekers Should Do
If you’re seeking to get a second passport, follow these helpful tips:
- Explore your ancestry to find out if you qualify for citizenship by descent in another country.
- Research golden visa programs to determine which ones you can afford.
- Speak with international financial and tax advisors to learn more about reporting obligations.
- Collect all the documentation you might need for a visa application, including birth certificates, marriage certificates, and naturalization papers. If you’re applying for citizenship by descent, also collect supporting documents that trace your lineage.
- Explore other visa options, especially if you only want residency. Many countries offer visas for retirees, students, property owners, and digital nomads. While these types of visas don’t offer citizenship or a second passport, they let you live abroad without making a substantial investment. Additionally, some types of visas allow you to apply for citizenship after meeting residency requirements.
- Expand your knowledge of the visa process in your destination country. Oftentimes, government and immigration agency websites contain incomplete, incorrect, and outdated information. Some social media expatriate groups are excellent sources of information about current visa procedures, processing times, and requirements.
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.
