In an period of political volatility and rising world uncertainty, a rising variety of People are searching for second passports as a security internet in opposition to future instability.
In keeping with citizenship and residency advisory companies reminiscent of Latitude Group and Arton Capital, demand from United States residents for second passports or long-term residency in different nations – usually via funding schemes provided by these nations – has surged dramatically lately. The election of Donald Trump as US president seems to have turbocharged that pattern.
Arton has reported a 400 % enhance within the variety of its US shoppers within the first three months of 2025 in contrast with the identical interval in 2024, whereas Latitude stated US functions for second citizenship or residency have risen by 1,000 % since 2020, proper after the COVID pandemic hit and journey restrictions had been at their peak.
There aren’t any official data of the variety of Americans searching for second passports.
Nevertheless, business estimates shared with Al Jazeera recommend that of roughly 10,000 world functions for second passports prior to now few years, about 4,000 have come from People. Whereas the general variety of functions has remained constant for a few years, the proportion of them coming from US candidates has elevated considerably because the pandemic.
What was as soon as thought of the area of billionaires and enterprise homeowners is now more and more attracting professionals and politically involved residents searching for a “Plan B” – an exit route if, as they concern, they discover it more durable to dwell within the US.
“It’s higher to have it and never want it than want it and never have it,” stated Christopher Willis, managing associate on the Latitude Group, which helps shoppers safe second citizenship and residency via funding schemes.
What are passport-for-investment schemes?
These programmes, usually known as “golden visas” or “citizenship-by-investment” schemes, enable people to acquire long-term residency and even citizenship in trade for a monetary contribution – normally by way of actual property funding, a donation to a nationwide growth fund or the acquisition of presidency bonds.
Funding necessities fluctuate by programme and placement, starting from as little as 10,000 euros ($10,800) to multiple million euros ($1.08m).
Not all programmes essentially result in full citizenship or a passport, however they do provide the appropriate to residency.
Residency-by-investment schemes, reminiscent of Portugal’s Golden Visa or Greece’s equal scheme, provide long-term residence and the appropriate to freedom of journey throughout the EU’s Schengen Zone however don’t grant citizenship instantly. In Portugal, nevertheless, the programme does present a five-year pathway to citizenship with minimal residency necessities – a median of 14 days each two years.
Citizenship-by-investment schemes, provided by Malta and a number of other Caribbean nations, can result in full passports in as little as 16 months.
In keeping with Latitude, 50 % of its US shoppers now select Portugal’s Golden Visa as their high choose, adopted by Malta (25 %) and Caribbean nations (15 %). About 80 % of these shoppers say they haven’t any instant plans to relocate; they merely need the consolation of understanding they’ve the choice to.
Most nations that present citizenship even have choices to switch this to subsequent generations of youngsters, in addition to grandchildren.
Who’s making use of for second passports?
Second passports are actually being sought by a wider vary of society than simply billionaires and high-net-worth enterprise homeowners.
David Lesperance, a Poland-based worldwide tax and immigration adviser, stated his American shoppers embody LGBTQ people, main political donors and other people involved by what they understand as authoritarian developments in US governance.
“I’ve by no means been busier,” he informed Al Jazeera, including that individuals who have by no means thought of leaving the US are instantly considering “very severely” about it.
Professor Kristin Surak, a political sociologist on the London Faculty of Economics and creator of The Golden Passport, stated she has seen an increase within the variety of what she calls “Armageddon People” – those that really feel that the nation’s course is so unsure {that a} second citizenship is a rational safeguard.
Willis stated People now rank amongst Latitude’s high three shopper teams, after China and India. Arton Capital additionally confirmed a pointy uptick from US nationals – together with each high-net-worth people and professionals who’re anxious concerning the current political climate.
What are the principle causes that individuals need second passports?
The return of Donald Trump to the US presidency in 2025, together with a wave of government orders focusing on civil liberties, immigration protections and minority rights have prompted concern amongst many teams.
“I obtained 9 candidates in seven days after a type of orders,” Lesperance stated, citing a wave of concern amongst LGBTQ shoppers, particularly, following a “gender ideology” government order that recognised female and male as the one two sexes and reversed a number of protections for transgender folks.
Some folks, says Lesperance, fear about being added to political watchlists compiled by allies of the president reminiscent of Kash Patel, Trump’s choose to steer the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Others, reminiscent of supporters of final 12 months’s student-led pro-Palestine protests, say they really feel more and more susceptible amid the Trump administration’s try to crack down on pro-Palestine actions on US campuses and deport several students involved.
Lesperance additionally factors to the rise in frequency of disasters such because the current California wildfires, mass shootings and deepening ideological divides as further drivers of hysteria.
“The US is changing into a wildfire zone,” he stated. “Mass shootings, a dramatic enhance in … racism. And for those who’re politically lively, it means half the nation doesn’t such as you.”
For some households, second citizenship is a monetary determination. Some select actual property investments in Caribbean nations together with Grenada and Antigua and Barbuda that include passports in as little as six months.
One in all Latitude’s shoppers opted to take a position $300,000 in property in Antigua and Barbuda as a substitute of buying a trip dwelling in Florida, gaining a second passport within the course of.
World mobility is one other attraction. Armand Arton, CEO of Arton Capital, stated his shoppers usually mix “bundle” residencies. As an illustration, pairing a UAE Golden Visa with a European one to make sure broader journey entry.
To acquire a Golden Visa within the UAE, people sometimes want to take a position about $545,000, both by buying actual property or making a deposit in an authorised monetary establishment.
One other key issue for some high-net-worth people is taxation.
The US is among the solely nations on the earth that taxes its residents and everlasting residents – also referred to as inexperienced card holders – on their worldwide earnings, no matter the place they’re dwelling. This method, often known as citizenship-based taxation, signifies that even People dwelling overseas should file US tax returns and will owe taxes on their world earnings.
This method has led some high-net-worth People to contemplate renouncing their US citizenship altogether, and inexperienced card holders to relinquish their residency standing.
Whereas it stays uncommon for folks to take that step, it’s changing into a severe consideration for some shoppers.
“I’ve had a number of hundred shoppers over the last decade do that,” Lesperance stated. “We nonetheless imagine there can be a pointy enhance within the numbers of renouncing residents,” he stated, citing financial, political and social uncertainty.
Arton, whose shoppers are primarily high-net-worth people, famous that even earlier than the 2024 US election, 53 % of American millionaires had been actively exploring choices overseas.
Are extra People additionally making use of for citizenship by descent?
Sure. US functions for citizenship by descent – usually a extra reasonably priced path – have additionally surged by 500 % since 2023, with 80 % focusing on Italian ancestry, in response to companies facilitating the method.
This path is pretty new within the business however is “rising so quick”, Willis stated, particularly as a result of it doesn’t require any investments to be made.
These functions enable people to reclaim citizenship in nations the place they’ve ancestral ties. Italy, as an example, permits folks to use if they will show descent from an Italian citizen, usually going again a number of generations, supplied the ancestor didn’t surrender their very own Italian citizenship earlier than their baby’s beginning.
Eire, Poland and Germany have comparable legal guidelines.
Every nation has its personal guidelines – Italy locations no restrict on how far again you possibly can hint your ancestry to assert citizenship, whereas Eire sometimes permits candidates to return as much as three generations.
Not like some investment-based programmes, these citizenships can usually be taken up by descendants pretty simply, making them a lovely possibility for households who can show descent. Candidates should sometimes present beginning certificates, marriage certificates in addition to different paperwork together with a household tree.
Will the demand for second passports proceed to rise?
Most consultants imagine the pattern is much from peaking.
“People are future-proofing their lives,” stated Willis. Purchasers are promoting property, restructuring funds, and making “daring way of life choices” all to safe a second citizenship.
Basil Mohr-Elzeki, managing associate at Henley and Companions, a residence and citizenship-by-investment specialist, stated US nationals are additionally considering generationally. “When a citizenship is obtained, it usually passes down by descent,” he stated. “That creates a Plan B not only for the shopper, however for his or her kids and grandchildren.”
