Easiest Countries to Gain Citizenship: The Ultimate 2025 Guide

Easiest Ways to Gain Citizenship

There are multiple ways to gain citizenship, and some are easier than others. Among the several options listed below, there is only one that really stands out as the best: investment, as all others are fully dependent on external factors, including time, availability, and familial ties.

By Investment 

The easiest way of gaining a second citizenship is by investment. Some countries offer legal, government-approved pathways, which can either get you a passport at the end (CBI programs), or provide a residency permit (RBI programs), which would enable you to apply for citizenship after a certain amount of time has passed.

What makes investment the most compelling option is that it is completely within your control.

It requires no extensive background and family checks to see if you fit the descent criteria, if the country of your choice even offers it.

The investment part also implies a potential return—most of the time, in the form of a second passport, which is a tangible asset that builds your family’s legacy. However, depending on the chosen option, and if it’s carefully and legally structured, you can also get a return in capital too.

Unlike naturalization, investment routes typically don’t require any deeper cultural or language knowledge or extensive physical stay requirements. More often than not, since the intent behind investment is to capture wealthy individuals, they’ll often sweeten the deal by allowing them to include their entire family in the process.

For high-net-worth individuals, investors and retirees, it’s the smartest and most advantageous way of unlocking a second citizenship, especially when you factor in additional benefits a country may have, like tax regimes, as well as always serving as a Plan B solution.

By Birth 

If a country has jus solis inscribed in its law, citizenship is automatically granted to those born in the country.

Unless you’re planning on childbirth abroad, this route offers little to no interest to investors and adult applicants.

By Descent 

You may gain citizenship by descent if a country has jus sanguinis in its law, allowing descendants from citizens up to the second or third generation to become a passport holder.

With that being said, it requires verified documentation, ancestral checks, it will often involve long administrative and bureaucratic delays, to ensure everything is accordingly.

By Naturalization

After spending a set amount of time, as a resident in a country, you may become eligible to apply for citizenship via naturalization. How much time depends on each country’s law.

While this option is the most common one, it’s also the slowest one, requiring years of actively residing and participating in the country’s daily life without any actual guarantee of citizenship at the end of the process.

By Marriage 

If you marry a citizen of the country where you’re seeking to obtain a passport, you may apply for the passport, though you should always check with the respective’s country laws.

This path is often highly scrunitized and questioned for legitimacy, with additional legal hurdles and longer processing times.

Easiest Countries to Gain Citizenship by a Residency Investment

There are countries that offer Residency by Investment (RBI) programs, which pave the path for Citizenship. The following are especially interesting for investors, retirees and expats seeking an EU passport, as they are the easiest countries in Europe to get citizenship.

Portugal

The Portugal Golden Visa is a RBI program which offers immediate residency rights and:

• Citizenship After 5 Years of Minimum Stay – Under 90 Days Over 5 Years
  
  
• Visa-free travel to the 29 EU Schengen countries
  
  
• You can bring your spouse, children and other dependents, like siblings and parents
  
  
• Potential Return on Investment via the Funds option
  
  

Greece

The Greece Golden Visa is another RBI program that offers immediate residency rights and:

• Citizenship After 7 Years of Living and Being in Greece
  
  
• Alternatively, it offers Permanent Residency, a similar status to Citizenship, after 5 Years
  
  
• You can add your spouse, children under 21 and dependent parents in a single application
  
  
• Visa-free travel to the 29 EU Schengen countries
  
  
• Potential high return from rental income and with the cheapest golden visa option

Easiest Countries to Gain Citizenship by Direct Investment

For those who’re looking for the fastest path to a second passport, Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programs are the alternative path, granting immediate status, even if limited in terms of benefits, at least in comparison to Portugal and Greece’s RBI.

The Caribbean 

With five different countries, there’s no lack of choice when it comes to Citizenship by Investment in the Caribbean.

Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Saint Lucia all offer direct citizenship programs with various real estate investment thresholds.

Türkiye

Also boasting its own Citizenship by Investment program, Türkiye is an option for those who prefer to keep closer proximity to Europe.

With an option exclusively dedicated to Real Estate investment, it’s one of the easiest countries to gain citizenship.

Gain Citizenship Easily with Investment Visa

If you’re looking for the easiest countries to get citizenship, chances are you also want an easy and smooth process, where your only worry is where you’ll be traveling after you get your new passport. You’ve come to the right place. With Investment Visa’s team of experts on your side, you can unlock:

• Our Exclusive €155,000 Portugal Residency solution with potential access to NHR 2.0 benefits (5 Year EU Citizenship Path)
  
  
• The Portugal Golden Visa (5 Year EU Citizenship Path)
  
  
• The Greece Golden Visa (7 Year Citizenship Path)
  
  
• Citizenship by Investment programs (usually taking around 3-6 months)

With decades of experience helping global investors, we guide you toward the easiest, most strategic path to second citizenship or EU residency. Our team handles bureaucracy and legal compliance, ensuring you don’t just gain a passport, but also build a brighter future.

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