Which countries allow dual citizenship in 2026

18 min read · Updated 26 October 2026

Most of the world now accepts a second passport, while about 30 countries still ask you to give up the first one. Here is the list by region, the European rules country by country, the UAE route, triple citizenship and the obligations that surface once the passport is in your hand.

Want a second passport and keep the one you have? A manager will check the rules of both countries and pick a programme that fits. Check my options

Most countries allow dual citizenship in 2026. Germany (since 27 June 2024), France, Italy, Portugal, Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Türkiye and the Caribbean investment states let you keep your first passport. China, India, Japan, Singapore, Austria, the Netherlands and about two dozen other countries still ask you to give it up.

Dual citizenship and a second passport are two different things

Everyday language treats them as synonyms. The law does not. Dual citizenship in the strict sense exists where two states have signed a treaty recognising a person as a national of both at once, with obligations divided between them: where you serve, where you pay tax, whose consul protects you. Such treaties are vanishingly rare.

A second (or multiple) citizenship is the ordinary case: you hold two passports, and each state regards you as exclusively its own national, ignoring the other document entirely. That is how almost every two-passport holder actually lives.

Paraguay is the textbook illustration. Its constitution (Article 149) allows multiple nationality "by international treaty", yet Law 7052, passed in 2022, explicitly removed the obligation for naturalised foreigners to renounce their nationality of origin. Formally it is a second citizenship rather than a dual one - and it behaves exactly the way an investor needs it to. The details are on our page on Paraguay citizenship by investment.

Where a second passport raises no eyebrows

Most of the world is relaxed about multiple nationality, including nearly every jurisdiction that runs a serious investment or naturalisation route.

Paraguay - no renunciation, and a territorial tax system that leaves foreign-source income untaxed.
Türkiye - multiple citizenship permitted; the citizenship-by-investment route has required $400,000 in real estate since 2022.
Argentina - naturalisation is open, and Argentine nationality acquired by birth cannot constitutionally be stripped. The mechanics are covered under Argentine citizenship.
The Caribbean - Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, Dominica. No renunciation, minimal physical presence. Following the islands' 2024 agreement, minimum contributions start at roughly $200,000. See the full citizenship programmes overview.
Portugal, Ireland, the United Kingdom - multiple nationality permitted. One caveat on Portugal: naturalisation timelines were under revision upwards through 2025-2026, so verify the current text of the law before filing.
Germany - since 27 June 2024, multiple citizenship is allowed both for those naturalising and for Germans acquiring a foreign passport. It is a complete reversal of the old policy; see German citizenship.
The United States - dual nationality is not encouraged in principle but recognised in practice. The naturalisation oath contains renunciatory language, yet Americans do not lose US citizenship by taking a second passport.
Malta - multiple citizenship itself is fine, but the investment route is gone: on 29 April 2025 the Court of Justice of the EU found the Maltese investor naturalisation scheme incompatible with Union law. What remains is set out under Maltese citizenship.

Within the EU, Ireland is one country that allows a second passport without giving up the first: Irish citizenship comes after 5 years of residence out of the last 9.

We will review your situation for free

Describe your task in the chat and we will tell you where to start.

Review my situation

Where you still have to give up the first passport

Roughly thirty countries insist on a single nationality, and the mechanisms differ in ways that matter.

China - the strictest model. Chinese nationality is lost automatically the moment a foreign one is voluntarily acquired. No application, no notice, no warning.
Japan - requires a choice. Someone who becomes a dual national after 18 has two years to elect one nationality. Japanese courts upheld the constitutionality of the rule in 2025; no reform has followed.
India - no dual citizenship. The substitute is the Overseas Citizen of India card, which restores most rights but not voting, public office or agricultural land ownership.
Austria - renunciation is mandatory, with narrow exceptions for nationality by birth and for extraordinary service to the republic.
Singapore - single citizenship, documented renunciation required; those born dual must choose by 21.
Kazakhstan - second citizenship is prohibited, and holders must report it and surrender the Kazakh passport within 30 days. Penalties are administrative today, but parliament has been debating criminal liability.
Ukraine - the historic ban has been partly lifted. Law 4502-IX took effect on 16 January 2026, permitting multiple citizenship with countries on a Cabinet-approved list (initially Canada, the US, Germany, Poland and Czechia). Russian citizenship is expressly excluded.

How countries enforce single citizenship and how to keep both passports

Countries apply their rules at three moments: when their own citizen takes a foreign citizenship, when a foreigner naturalises, and when a dual national applies for a public post. Most laws leave a lawful way to keep both passports, and it depends on the order of the steps. Here is how it works in Austria, Mexico and Taiwan.

Austria - an Austrian keeps citizenship when taking a foreign one with a permission to retain Austrian citizenship under section 28 of the Citizenship Act. The application is made in writing, and the written permission must be issued before the foreign citizenship is applied for. It is granted when keeping citizenship is in Austria's interest because of the person's achievements, for particularly important reasons in private and family life, or, for a child, in the child's best interests. The provincial government decides; people living abroad apply through the Austrian embassy or consulate. A child who receives a second citizenship at birth keeps both with no application and does not have to choose on reaching adulthood. A foreigner naturalising in Austria first receives an assurance of citizenship and then gives up the previous one within two years, where this is possible and reasonable.
Mexico - a Mexican by birth cannot be deprived of Mexican nationality: article 37 of the Constitution, in force since 20 March 1998, allows any number of other nationalities. A dual national enters and leaves Mexico as a Mexican, on the Mexican passport (article 12 of the Nationality Law). A foreigner naturalising in Mexico signs a formal renunciation of the other nationality before receiving the naturalisation letter (articles 17 and 19); whether the first country treats it as loss of citizenship is decided by that country's own law. The residence required is 5 years, or 2 years for descendants of Mexicans by birth, parents of Mexican children and people from Latin America or the Iberian Peninsula (article 20). A naturalised Mexican keeps Mexican nationality as long as they do not voluntarily take a foreign nationality, use a foreign passport or live abroad for 5 years in a row (article 37, part B).
Taiwan - Taiwanese nationality does not end when another one is taken: it is lost only on the person's own application, with the permission of the Ministry of the Interior (article 11 of the Nationality Act, as amended on 24 May 2024). A dual national cannot hold government office, with exceptions for some posts in public universities, research and cultural bodies (article 20). A foreigner naturalising in Taiwan provides a certificate of loss of the original nationality within one year of the naturalisation permission (article 9). High-level professionals recommended by the central authorities and people with special contributions to Taiwan are exempt and keep both passports. Ordinary naturalisation needs 5 consecutive years of legal residence with more than 183 days a year (article 3).

The order of checks is the same everywhere: first the law of the country whose passport you hold, then the renunciation rule of the country you are joining. A manager will check both laws for your case and the order of steps that keeps both passports.

Get the document checklist

Leave a contact in the chat and we will send a list for your situation.

Get the checklist

Which European countries allow dual citizenship

14 European countries let a naturalising foreigner keep the previous passport in 2026: Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Moldova, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The nine others in the table below ask you to give up the first passport or allow two only in set cases.

Germany - since 27 June 2024 under the Citizenship Modernisation Act; Germans also keep their citizenship when they take a second one.
Switzerland - since 1992; Luxembourg - since 1 January 2009; Moldova - since 2003.
France, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Romania and the United Kingdom - no renunciation at any stage.
Poland - no renunciation; inside Poland you are treated only as a Polish citizen.
The Czech Republic - no renunciation; since 2025 (Act No. 24/2025) Russian citizens first give up Russian citizenship.

Data for 2026.

Country	Previous passport	When you keep it
Austria	Given up on naturalisation	Citizenship for special merit to Austria, including economic merit (§ 10 of the Citizenship Act)
Netherlands	Given up as a rule	Marriage to a Dutch citizen, birth in the country and other cases in Article 9 of the Nationality Act
Spain	Given up on naturalisation	Citizens of Latin American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal (Article 23 of the Civil Code)
Bulgaria	Kept with conditions	Bulgarian origin, spouses of Bulgarian citizens, EU, EEA and Swiss nationals
Latvia	Kept with conditions	Latvian roots, or an EU, EFTA, NATO, Australian, Brazilian or New Zealand passport
Lithuania	Kept by roots	People who left Lithuania before 11 March 1990 and their descendants
Serbia	Given up on naturalisation	Descendants of Serbs and spouses of Serbian citizens
North Macedonia	Kept with conditions	Citizenship by investment; ordinary naturalisation means renunciation
Monaco	Given up on naturalisation	Residence in Monaco works without naturalisation and keeps your passport

Portugal and Ireland (through residence) and Italy and Romania (through descent) all let you keep your current passport. A manager can check which of them fits your family.

We will review your situation for free

Describe your task in the chat and we will tell you where to start.

Review my situation

Country-by-country: status and the catch

Country	Second citizenship	The catch
Paraguay	Allowed	No renunciation; 0% on foreign-source income
Türkiye	Allowed	Male citizens face conscription; separate rules for naturalised holders
Argentina	Allowed	Nationality by birth cannot be lost
Caribbean states	Allowed	Contributions from ~$200,000 after the 2024 inter-island accord
Malta	Allowed	Investment route closed by the 2025 CJEU ruling
Portugal	Allowed	Naturalisation timelines revised during 2025-2026
Ireland	Allowed	Strong descent route via a grandparent
United Kingdom	Allowed	No cap on the number of nationalities
United States	Allowed in practice	Citizenship-based taxation; expensive to exit
Germany	Allowed since 2024	Reform in force from 27 June 2024
China	Prohibited	Automatic loss of Chinese nationality
Japan	Prohibited	Choose within two years of acquiring the second
India	Prohibited	OCI status is the alternative
Austria	Prohibited	Exceptions rare and case-by-case
Singapore	Prohibited	Documented renunciation required
Kazakhstan	Prohibited	Passport surrendered in 30 days; criminal liability debated
Ukraine	Partly allowed	Only with listed countries, from 16 Jan 2026
Russia	Allowed	Mandatory notification; the second passport is not recognised domestically

Positions are stated as of 2026. Nationality law moves quickly - re-verify before you file anything.

Does the UAE allow dual citizenship?

Yes, for a selected group. Since a January 2021 amendment to the executive regulation of the UAE citizenship law, investors, doctors, specialists, inventors, scientists and creative talents granted Emirati citizenship keep their original nationality, together with their spouses and children.

This citizenship comes by nomination from the UAE authorities rather than by application, and an investor candidate owns property in the country. New citizens take an oath of allegiance and report any other citizenship they later gain or lose. For most families the practical route is the UAE golden visa: residence for 5 or 10 years with no change of nationality.

Can you have triple citizenship?

Yes. No international rule limits the number of nationalities: you can hold three or more passports when every country involved accepts multiple citizenship, as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, the United States and Australia do.

Three passports usually come from a mix of birth, descent and naturalisation, for example a child born in the United States to a British mother and an Irish father, both born in their own countries. The working rules are the same as with two: enter each country on its own passport, and check whether one of the three treats a later naturalisation elsewhere as a ground for loss, as Paraguay and Uruguay do for naturalised citizens.

We will review your situation for free

Describe your task in the chat and we will tell you where to start.

Review my situation

Dual citizenship with Russia country by country

Detailed guides by country: the rule, the legal basis, what Russia requires and how to keep both passports.

Russia: a second passport is allowed and declared within 60 days

Russia does not ban a second passport, but it does require you to declare it. The deadline is 60 days from acquiring the second citizenship or a foreign residence permit. If the document was issued abroad and you remain outside the country, the clock starts on the date you next enter Russia.

Filing is done in person at a migration unit of the Interior Ministry, through the state services portal, or via a Russian consulate abroad. Late or incorrectly completed filings draw an administrative fine of 500-1,000 roubles. Deliberate concealment is a criminal offence carrying a fine of up to 200,000 roubles - or one year's income - or up to 400 hours of compulsory labour.

The practical consequence matters more than the fine: inside Russia, a two-passport holder is treated purely as a Russian national, with every obligation that entails.

Four risks that surface too late

Military service. A second passport can carry a conscription obligation with it - Türkiye, Greece, Israel, South Korea and Singapore are the usual names. Rules for naturalised citizens are typically softer than for those born into the nationality, but that is something to confirm before applying, not after.

Tax. A passport does not by itself make you a tax resident; the notable exception is the United States, which taxes citizens on worldwide income wherever they live. What does change your position is moving - and citizenship applications often come bundled with a move. What happens to your obligations back home is covered in our section on tax and tax residency.

Consular protection stops at the border. This is the most underrated point. Under the master nationality rule, codified as far back as the 1930 Hague Convention, a state is under no obligation to grant foreign consuls access to someone it considers its own national. In the country whose passport you hold, your other passport will not help you.

Arriving on the wrong document. The universal rule is that you enter and leave a country of your citizenship on that country's passport. The US requires it of its citizens outright, and Russia and most other states have equivalent provisions. Attempting to enter your own country on the other passport is not a clever workaround - it is a conversation in a secondary inspection room.

Choosing a second passport without creating a conflict

The sequence is the same at every budget. First confirm that your current country tolerates multiple nationality - if it does not, the question is closed before it opens. Then check whether the receiving country demands renunciation. Then price the tax consequences and any service obligation. Only after all that do you compare timelines, cost and passport quality.

If the direct route to a passport turns out to be blocked, there is almost always an intermediate one. Residency creates no conflict of nationalities and often solves 80% of the actual problem, from banking access to freedom of movement. We set out the trade-offs under residence permits and residence by investment; faster naturalisation routes such as Kyrgyz citizenship only make sense once you have checked them against the passport you already hold.

FAQ

Which countries allow dual citizenship with the UK?

Every country that also allows two passports: the UK sets no limit on the number of nationalities. Ireland, France, Italy, Germany, Portugal, the United States, Canada, Australia, Türkiye and the Caribbean investment states all let a British citizen keep both.

Which countries allow dual citizenship with the US?

The same broad group: the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, Portugal, Türkiye and the Caribbean investment states let an American keep both passports. US citizenship stays with you when you take a second one, and US tax follows citizenship wherever you live.

Which countries allow dual citizenship with South Africa?

Every country that allows two passports on its side: since the Constitutional Court ruling of 6 May 2025, South Africans keep their citizenship when they take another one, with no prior permission. The ruling reaches back to October 1995, so people who lost citizenship this way are citizens again.

How many countries allow dual citizenship?

About three quarters: by 2020, 76% of countries let their citizens take a second citizenship and keep the first. 61% let immigrants keep their previous passport when they naturalise.

How do countries enforce dual citizenship rules?

Through three checks: when a citizen takes a foreign passport, when a foreigner naturalises and when a dual national applies for a public post. China ends its nationality automatically when a foreign one is taken, Austria keeps it with a permission granted before the foreign application, and Taiwan asks new citizens for a certificate of loss of their first nationality within one year.

Does Austria allow dual citizenship?

Yes, in defined cases: an Austrian keeps citizenship when taking a foreign one with a permission to retain it, issued in writing before the foreign application. A child who gets two citizenships at birth keeps both with no application. Foreigners naturalising in Austria without such a permission give up the previous citizenship within two years.

Does Mexico allow dual citizenship?

Yes: a Mexican by birth keeps Mexican nationality whatever other nationalities they take, under article 37 of the Constitution in force since 20 March 1998. In Mexico a dual national uses the Mexican passport. A foreigner naturalising in Mexico signs a renunciation of the other nationality, and its effect is decided by the law of the first country.

Does Taiwan allow dual citizenship?

Yes, for Taiwanese nationals: taking another nationality does not end Taiwanese nationality, which is lost only on application with the permission of the Ministry of the Interior. Dual nationals cannot hold most government posts. Foreigners naturalising in Taiwan give up their first nationality within one year, except high-level professionals and people with special contributions to Taiwan.

Which countries allow dual citizenship by descent?

Ireland, Italy and Romania grant citizenship by descent and let you keep your current passport: Ireland through an Irish-born grandparent, Italy through a parent or grandparent born in Italy, Romania through ancestors who were Romanian citizens. A manager will check which route fits your family.

Which countries allow dual citizenship by investment?

All current citizenship by investment programs: Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Saint Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, Vanuatu, Nauru, Türkiye and Egypt let you keep your first passport. The lowest entry point is Nauru at $90,000 if you apply by 31 December 2026.

Will two passports mean paying tax in two countries?

Tax follows residence: you pay where you live, whatever passports you hold. The main exception is the United States, which taxes its citizens wherever they live.

Check your pair of countries in a minute

Pick the passport you hold and the one you want. The check across 50 countries shows whether you keep both, under which legal rule and what to do step by step, and you can discuss the result with a manager in the chat right away.

Check dual citizenship

The Murblz consultant replies straight away in the chat on this page. Describe your situation and we will work it out together.

Free consultation

FreeConfidentialInstant reply

What happens next

An expert reviews your situation and goal.
We contact you the way you prefer and answer your questions.
You get matching programs, honest timelines and a written quote.

Which countries allow dual citizenship in 2026

Dual citizenship and a second passport are two different things

Where a second passport raises no eyebrows

Where you still have to give up the first passport

How countries enforce single citizenship and how to keep both passports

Which European countries allow dual citizenship

Country-by-country: status and the catch

Does the UAE allow dual citizenship?

Can you have triple citizenship?

Dual citizenship with Russia country by country

Russia: a second passport is allowed and declared within 60 days

Four risks that surface too late

Choosing a second passport without creating a conflict

FAQ

Check your pair of countries in a minute

Read next

How to get New Zealand citizenship in 2026

How to send money to Micronesia in 2026: US dollars, a bank with deposit insurance, land leases and a business permit

How to choose a country for a second passport: a step-by-step guide