To apply for dual citizenship, first confirm that both countries involved allow it, then identify your legal pathway (birth, ancestry, marriage, or naturalization), gather and authenticate your civil and identity documents, file the application with the appropriate government, and complete any required biometrics, interview, language and civics testing, and oath ceremony. The specifics shift depending on which country’s citizenship you’re pursuing and how you qualify, so the order below is the shape of the process; the details you’ll fill in from the country you’re applying to.
Confirm Both Countries Permit Dual Citizenship
The United States does not require you to choose. The State Department states that “U.S. law does not require a U.S. citizen to choose between U.S. citizenship and another (foreign) nationality” and “does not impede its citizens’ acquisition of foreign citizenship whether by birth, descent, naturalization or other form of acquisition.”1U.S. Department of State. Dual Nationality
Federal law does list acts that can cost you your U.S. nationality if performed voluntarily and with the intent to give it up, including naturalizing abroad or swearing allegiance to a foreign government.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1481 – Loss of Nationality by Native-Born or Naturalized Citizen The controlling phrase is “with the intention of relinquishing United States nationality.” Simply acquiring a second passport does not strip your American citizenship, and the State Department presumes you intend to keep it unless you explicitly say otherwise.
The harder question is usually the other country. Several nations flatly prohibit dual citizenship: China requires renunciation of any foreign nationality, Japan requires citizens to choose, and India offers only its Overseas Citizenship of India card as a compromise. Singapore, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the Netherlands (with limited exceptions) restrict or prohibit it as well. Austria, Spain, and Lithuania sit in a gray area with carve-outs for specific situations like birth or marriage. Check with the embassy or consulate of the country you’re applying to before spending money on documents; general lists go stale, and only the consulate can tell you how your particular case is treated.
Identify Your Pathway
Which route applies to you depends on your family history, where you were born, and where you’ve lived.
Birth and Ancestry
The most direct path is automatic citizenship at birth. Under jus soli (right of the soil), you gain citizenship by being born in a country’s territory. Under jus sanguinis (right of blood), you inherit citizenship from a parent regardless of where you were born.3U.S. Embassy and Consulate General in the Netherlands. Child Citizenship Act Many people already qualify as dual citizens from birth without knowing it. A child born in the United States to an Italian or Irish parent, for example, likely holds both nationalities from day one.
Ancestry claims often reach further than parents. Ireland, Italy, Poland, and Hungary allow claims through grandparents or even great-grandparents. You’ll need to build a documentary chain proving the ancestor was a citizen, that they did not renounce before your parent was born, and that the lineage connecting them to you is unbroken.
Naturalization and Marriage
Without a birthright claim, the usual route is naturalization through long-term residency. Timelines vary by country, from as few as two years to more than ten. In the United States, a lawful permanent resident generally must live continuously in the country for at least five years before filing for naturalization; spouses of U.S. citizens qualify with a shorter residency period.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 12 Part D Chapter 3 – Continuous Residence
Marriage to a foreign national typically shortens the residency clock but rarely eliminates it. Most countries still require one to three years of residence even when you’re married to a citizen, and many ask you to prove the marriage is genuine through joint finances, shared housing, or interviews.
Gather Your Documents
The paperwork stage is where most applications stall. Start collecting months before you plan to file, because pulling older records from a foreign government can take far longer than you expect.
Expect to need, at minimum, your current passport, your original long-form birth certificate (the version listing parental details, not the short-form abstract), and proof of your current legal status. If your claim runs through ancestry, add certified birth certificates, marriage licenses, and naturalization records for every relative connecting you to the foreign country. Those legacy documents are the backbone of any jus sanguinis application.
Criminal background checks are standard. In the United States, that means an FBI Identity History Summary Check, which requires fingerprinting and costs $18.5Federal Bureau of Investigation. Identity History Summary Checks Frequently Asked Questions Some countries also require police clearances from every jurisdiction where you’ve lived for more than six months, so you may need to contact law enforcement or justice ministries in several countries.
Any document not in the receiving country’s official language needs a certified translation. In U.S. immigration filings, every foreign-language document must include a full English translation with a signed certification that it is complete and accurate.
Apostille Authentication
Many countries will not accept a birth certificate or marriage license without an apostille, a standardized certificate that verifies the authenticity of a public document for international use. The system comes from the Hague Apostille Convention, which currently has 129 member countries.6HCCH. Apostille Section In the United States, apostilles are issued by the secretary of state’s office in the state where the document originated. Fees are modest, typically under $20 per document. Without one, a foreign consulate may treat your civil records as unverified and refuse to process the file.
File the Application
How you submit depends on the country. Some accept online filings through immigration portals; others require you to appear at a consulate in person. For U.S. citizenship, you file Form N-400 with USCIS. The filing fee is $710 online or $760 by paper.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. N-400, Application for Naturalization Other countries set their own fees, and the range is wide.
Once the application is accepted, most countries schedule a biometrics appointment. For U.S. naturalization, USCIS collects your fingerprints, photograph, and signature at a local Application Support Center and uses that data to run background and security checks.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Preparing for Your Biometric Services Appointment
Interview and Testing
For U.S. naturalization, you’ll sit for an in-person interview with a USCIS officer who reviews your application, verifies your identity, and tests your English. The English test has three parts: speaking (assessed through your answers during the interview), reading (you must read one of three sentences correctly), and writing (you must write one of three sentences correctly).9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 12 Part E Chapter 2 – English and Civics Testing
You’ll also take a civics test. For applications filed on or after October 20, 2025, the test draws 20 questions from a bank of 128, and you need at least 12 correct to pass. The test stops if you miss 9. Fail either the English or civics portion and USCIS schedules a re-examination rather than denying you outright.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 12 Part E Chapter 2 – English and Civics Testing
Other countries have their own interview and testing regimes. Language proficiency exams are common, and some nations test knowledge of their history, constitution, or cultural norms. Processing times after the interview run from a few months to well over a year depending on the country and the complexity of your case.
Take the Oath and Use Both Passports Correctly
In the United States, naturalization concludes with an Oath of Allegiance ceremony, where you formally pledge loyalty and receive your Certificate of Naturalization.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 12 Part J Chapter 2 – The Oath of Allegiance Many other countries hold similar ceremonies. That certificate is your primary proof of citizenship and the document you’ll use to apply for a passport, update government records, and establish your rights.
Once you hold two passports, use each in the right place. Federal law requires U.S. citizens to enter and leave the United States on a U.S. passport.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1185 – Travel Control of Citizens and Aliens When traveling to your other country of citizenship, use that country’s passport to enter and exit. Arriving in your second country on a U.S. passport when you hold their citizenship can create confusion at the border and, in some countries, legal complications. Keep both passports current and carry both when moving between the two.
What to Weigh Before You Apply
A second citizenship brings obligations that outlast the application. Consider these before you file.
U.S. taxes follow you. The United States taxes its citizens on worldwide income regardless of where they live.12Internal Revenue Service. U.S. Citizens and Residents Abroad Filing Requirements If you become a dual citizen and live abroad, you still owe the IRS a return every year, and your other country will likely tax income earned there. The foreign tax credit on Form 1116 offsets your U.S. bill by taxes already paid to a foreign government on the same income.13Internal Revenue Service. Foreign Tax Credit (Individual, Estate, or Trust) Dual citizens living abroad may also qualify for the foreign earned income exclusion, which for tax year 2026 allows up to $132,900 of foreign earned income to be excluded from U.S. taxation.14Internal Revenue Service. Figuring the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion
Foreign accounts trigger reporting. If the combined value of your foreign financial accounts exceeds $10,000 at any point in the year, you must file the FBAR (FinCEN Form 114) by April 15, with an automatic extension to October 15.15FinCEN.gov. Report Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts16Internal Revenue Service. Details on Reporting Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts Separate FATCA reporting on Form 8938 kicks in at higher thresholds that depend on filing status and whether you live in the U.S. or abroad.17Internal Revenue Service. Do I Need to File Form 8938, Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets The two forms overlap but are not interchangeable, and penalties for missing them can dwarf the taxes involved.
Security clearances get harder. Dual citizenship does not automatically disqualify you from a U.S. security clearance, but under Security Executive Agent Directive 4, exercising foreign citizenship, holding a foreign passport, voting in foreign elections, accepting foreign benefits, or serving in a foreign military are all conditions that can raise concerns under Guideline C.18Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Security Executive Agent Directive 4 Adjudicative Guidelines If your career touches classified work, talk to a security clearance attorney before applying.
Military and consular limits abroad. Some countries impose mandatory military service on all citizens, including dual nationals, and the State Department warns those obligations may be enforced as soon as a dual national arrives. Inside your other country of citizenship, local authorities may not recognize your U.S. citizenship at all; if you’re detained, officials may refuse to notify the U.S. embassy and deny American consular staff access to you.19Travel.State.Gov. Dual Nationality Your U.S. passport provides less protection there than it does where you’re purely a visitor.