Now Is the Time to Consider a European Second Passport

If the United States were to enter a state of crisis tomorrow, what would you do? This might sound unlikely, but consider the COVID-19 pandemic for a moment. The idea of a truly global pandemic, widespread enough to cause mass lockdowns across the world—that was the stuff of a Hollywood blockbuster just a few short years ago. Now, the idea of a crisis causing another wave of lockdowns doesn’t seem so farfetched.

The world is in turmoil today. The war in Ukraine, the resulting supply- and food-chain delays, and the increasingly bitter political divide that continues to carve a swath through the U.S.—it’s all contributing to that sense of upheaval.

We’re not doomsdayers here at International Living, but we do believe in being prepared for whatever global circumstances might throw at us. And one of the practical, and achievable, ways to safeguard yourself against economic and political instability is with a second passport. It’s also a way to travel more freely and see more of the world.

“A second passport grants the holder stability, it’s that simple,’ says Joana Mendonça of Global Citizen Solutions, a consultancy agency devoted to helping their clients with their immigration and relocation goals (see their website: globalcitizensolutions.com). “Whether it’s a desire to have increased global mobility with visa-free travel, being able to have a higher quality of life with world-class healthcare, or to feel safer and have your fundamental human rights assured.”

In other words, the ability to obtain a second passport can open doors around the world—it can expand your rights and freedom and offer opportunities offshore that might otherwise be closed to you as an American citizen. It can also be the key to reducing your taxes and increasing your asset protection.

The Benefits of a European Passport

Many passports from around the world offer American citizens these sorts of opportunities. But Joana says among U.S. clients, her firm is seeing greater interest of late in European passports—a trend that’s increased year-on-year since 2016.

“Our U.S. clients are looking for a ‘European’ lifestyle,” Joana says. “They want the certainty their children will be safe in schools, want access to high-quality public healthcare systems, and they are looking for a lower cost of living.” With the dollar at parity with the euro as I write this, that’s a huge advantage to living in Europe right now.

“In addition, a European passport unlocks immediate access across Europe,” Joana adds. You can travel freely around the region without the need for a visa.

Kevin McGoff, who has both an Irish and U.S passport appreciates that flexibility. He says, “I discovered the possibility of getting an Irish passport as my paternal grandparents were Irish. We’d been traveling to Europe each year and thought maybe one day we could live there.

“We have an apartment in the South of France where we live part of the year, and with a second passport, we’re not subject to the Schengen restrictions, which limits U.S. citizens to spending 90 out of 180 days in Europe.”

Europe’s Best Golden Visas Options

Joana says that hands down, the best, and most popular European Golden Visa right now is Portugal’s. “Not only is it an extremely peaceful and tolerant country, it’s renowned for having a sunny, warm climate throughout the year. And residents have a high proficiency in English. The country also offers a very attractive tax regime through the Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) program.

“Although the Portugal Golden Visa is one of the most popular residency-by-investment programs in the world, it is not expensive and the program offers a few different investment solutions,” Joana explains. “The minimum investment starts from €250,000, with relatively affordable investment options in real estate, investment funds, capital transfer or business set-up.”

The success of Portugal’s Golden Visa among U.S citizens has been striking, Joana says. “There is now a growing community of American citizens throughout Portugal, which, in itself, turns out to be an added incentive for compatriots to make the same decision.”

If you’re interested in Portugal’s Golden Visa, Joana says it’s best to start he process as soon as possible. The after effects of COVID and other global factors have meant that there’s a huge backlog in processing visas right now, and applications are taking up to 18 months.

Additionally, there may be changes coming to Portugal’s Golden Visa program in the next few years. Portuguese Prime Minister, António Costa, announced in early November that the program may “have fulfilled its goal” of bolstering the Portuguese industry and real estate market.

Joana doubts that the program will be terminated completely. “But I think something will probably change,” she says. “The Golden Visa was designed to combat Portugal’s struggling real estate in the wake of the subprime mortgage crisis of the late 2000s.

“But now, the real estate market is doing very well. So if I had to guess, I would say there could be changes to the amount required for real estate investment… but no one knows for sure.”

Joana notes that, although it’s possible to get a Golden Visa with that minimum €250,000 investment, investing €500,000 in a rental property will generally provide a quicker path. It’s the most “streamlined, and there’s not as much bureaucracy associated with it.”

Joana’s advice for starting the process of obtaining a Portuguese Golden Visa is to make sure, once you’ve made your investment, that you get your Portuguese taxpayer number (called a NIF) early. “Your NIF is as important as your Social Security number in the U.S.,” she says. You’ll need it for everything in Portugal.

Joana also emphasises the need for patience. In addition to the long wait time in Portugal, Americans report that it’s taking up to 11 weeks to get documents apostilled by the U.S. State Department. For a full guide to the requirements for Portugal’s Golden Visa, see: globalcitizensolutions.com/golden-visa-portugal.

Greece is also another destination with an attractive investor visa. When you purchase a property worth at least €250,000, you’re eligible for a Greek Golden Visa. Joana says, “most investors favor this investment route over others because it enables them to rent out their property and earn back some of their initial investment.”

A Passport Through Ancestry

Getting a second passport isn’t just for folks who have money to invest in real estate, though. “Over 40% of Americans are eligible to apply for a second passport through their bloodlines,” says genealogist Bryan Schneider. Bryan helps clients discover their heritage in Italy through his company My Bella Basilicata (see: mybellabasilicata.com).

In the following video, Bryan gives his advice on how to go about tracing your own ancestry. He offers advice on what records to use, where to find them, and even how to apply for a second passport. See: intliving.com/ancestryvid

Maria DiCicco is one of the many Americans who has traced her Italian ancestry in order to get her second passport. “I was sitting in a café in French-influenced Quebec City some seven or eight years ago, drooling over the charm of the foreign accents and European flared décor,” she recalls. “I had always wanted to spend time in Europe. When I found out that Italy gives passports out by jure sanguinis (right of blood), I started looking into turning a casual dream into reality.” Maria’s father’s grandparents were Italian, so she set about finding out how she could use that heritage to get her second passport.

“Getting started was easy,” she says. “I went onto my nearest Italian consulate website and found of list of the documentation requirements. I needed facts to start, so I contacted family members, including my father, and others who could offer any detail on my great, great grandparents. I also spent two long years scouring New York archives and records looking for all the documents I needed to prove my Italian heritage.”

Maria admits that the road to her second passport was long, and at times, very arduous. Many of the records were manually written, names were often changed or spelled differently from form to form.

“Working with the Italian government was equally challenging, and a painful waiting game,” she says. “In one instance, I had to handwrite a letter and have my father mail it while he was in Italy on vacation, just to try and determine the location of my grandparent’s marriage and where they’d been born. Eventually after pinpointing the right places on the map for the milestone events of marriage, death and so on, I was able to request official records and submit my application.”

Then one day, out of the blue, Maria got an email from the Italian consulate saying she could book her appointment to get her Italian passport.

“My maroon Italian passport was created in minutes before my eyes, and I walked out a proud dual citizen of Italy and America,” she says. “And it was so worth all the effort. I’ve used my European passport to easily travel around Europe, plus my husband and I can spend as much time as we want in our apartment in Spain without having to worry about visas.”