The Netherlands and Belgium, like many Western European countries, have what we call a “good” passports. This means you can travel to many countries visa-free, unlike less fortunate people with Iranian, Iraqi, Egyptian…passports. The Dutch can only have one nationality, whereas e.g. Belgians or French, British are unlimited. We want to emphasize again that it can be advantageous to have an additional nationality. This can be a clever move since fiscally your nationality is of no importance (Except for Americans, who are indeed taxed based on their nationality!)
Nationality or citizenship is the legal status of an individual which indicates that this person is a subject of a state. Each state determines who their subjects are by means of nationality laws (who are its subjects). On the one hand, citizenship gives a citizen certain rights and a degree of freedom such as the right to participate in the political process of a country. On the other hand, citizenship also gives a citizen certain responsibilities and duties such as being subject to the laws of the state.
Historically, people have evolved from being subjects of a particular ruler, such as a king or a count, to being citizens of a particular territory. This is no longer a subservient relationship to the government of that territory, but rather a bond between an individual and a state in terms of both rights and duties.
On the basis of an individual’s citizenship, governments issue passports that serve as personal identification documents and international travel passes. It follows therefore that one must always acquire citizenship before one can legally acquire a passport.
In many cases, one can enjoy the benefits of a second passport without having to give up one’s original citizenship. In other words, it is possible to be considered a citizen by two or more states at the same time (assuming the laws of those countries allow it).
Thus, one should never fail to analyze the laws of the current and future country of citizenship and to check whether it is legally permissible to acquire a second citizenship.
In fact, some countries do not allow their citizens to acquire another citizenship without automatically losing their current one. In addition, there are also countries that do not accept applications for citizenship from applicants without giving up their current citizenship.
It is also possible that a particular person is not considered a national by any state. Such persons are then called stateless.
Motives for alternative citizenship
Possessing a second passport (via alternative citizenship) can be very convenient or may even be crucial in various scenarios:
Situations where you cannot use your passport
Maybe your passport expired without you noticing or maybe you just lost it and therefore do not have a valid passport while waiting for a new one. In some cases, the passport needs to be sent to an embassy abroad to have it stamped. Or perhaps your document simply cannot be renewed because there is political or civil unrest in your home country.
In all these cases, you are dependent on potentially slow and inefficient government services to process your application. As such, your passport is not available for travel abroad during this processing period. A second passport gives you the peace of mind you need in such scenarios.
Travel Restrictions
Countries have a duty to protect themselves and their citizens from an influx of unwanted non-citizens crossing their borders for the wrong reasons. Think terrorists, wanted criminals or “tourists” who want to visit the country only to stay there illegally. While most are simply legitimate travelers, others may be illegal immigrants bent on abusing the country’s social safety net (think health care, tax-free living wages or financial support for the unemployed).
These are just some of the reasons why countries require visas from non-citizens who want to cross their borders. Citizens of several countries thus experience great difficulties when traveling abroad because they are always required to carry the correct visa to enter another country. These visa requirements may be due to political circumstances, temporary trade sanctions between countries, terrorist threats or other forms of inhospitality based on nationality.
These are just some of the reasons why countries require visas from non-citizens who want to cross their borders. Thus, nationals of several countries experience great difficulties when traveling abroad because they are always required to carry the correct visa to enter another country. These visa requirements may be due to political circumstances, temporary trade sanctions between countries, terrorist threats or other forms of inhospitality based on nationality.
Hence, visa requirements are an indication of a country’s international status and its relations with other countries. Being a citizen of a country that is internationally respected can therefore be a great advantage. This is because of the possibility to travel visa-free to a whole list of other countries, with which the country of the citizen has good international relations.
Tax aspects
Most countries tax individuals based on their residency (official state residency). The major exception to this general rule is the United States: it taxes people based on their U.S. citizenship, regardless of their state residency. Unfortunately, more and more countries are being seduced by the idea of taxing non-resident citizens. In addition, citizenship can also be used as a deciding factor in double tax treaties, which are concluded between countries to decide which country can levy taxes.
Attention: One should always be aware that the acquisition of alternative citizenship does not automatically mean a change in one’s tax obligations. This is because of the general rule that most countries apply, which is that individuals are taxed on the basis of their residence.
Personal investment and security
Business people who operate internationally and travel abroad frequently find that, in addition to being very convenient and useful, it is a wise investment to have a second passport. Not only for the sake of freedom and flexibility in travel, but also for peace of mind for the rest of their lives (and those of their spouse and children).
Governments of countries, ties between countries, and the domestic situations of countries are constantly changing and may not be the same in five years. If times of hardship should arise such as terrorist attacks, political instability, civil war or other delicate geopolitical issues, an alternative citizenship with accompanying passport can save the lives of you and your family.
Opportunities to acquire nationality
In a nutshell, a person may be eligible to become a citizen of a particular country if they meet one or more of the following conditions:
- Be born in the territory;
- Have parents who are citizens of the country;
- Are married to a citizen; and
- Having been naturalized.
- The specific requirements that determine whether or not an individual is eligible for naturalization vary from state to state. Possible requirements include:
- Having family ties in the country;
- Being a citizen of the country and having resided in the country for a certain number of years before applying; or
- Having knowledge of the local language as proof of adequate integration into society.
- On top of the above examples, some countries have introduced an alternative route to citizenship: by investing. The requirements vary from country to country, but it always comes down to making a substantial investment for the benefit of the local economy. Individuals who invest are then granted the right to citizenship based on economic reasons and without having to actually reside there.
