Second Passports through Adoption or Marriage

Second Passports through Adoption

An unusual route to some first-world passports

One somewhat unorthodox way of getting a second passport is through adoption. Despite what you might think, this is not an option only available to the very young.

In some coutries, persons of any age can be legally adopted by a willing (and presumably economically rewarded) family. As there is apparently no age restriction on this procedure, it is possible to be adopted by a parent half your age.

Naturally, the process requires careful professional handling and observance of the law in the two jurisdictions, both the applicant’s and the adoptive parents’. The procedure is carried out with the full knowledge and assistance of the relevant authorities.

Second Passports through Marriage

For the sake of completness

For the sake of completeness, it should be mentioned that there are nations that will give instant citizenship and a passport upon marriage to a local citizen (in contrast to many that will just offer residency, with passport to follow in a few years’ time).

In any case, the author does not wish to advocate the use of marriage as a means of obtaining a second passport. Marriage was invented to serve a different purpose all together.

Second Passport through Ancestral or Ethic Connection

Second Passports through Ancestral or Ethic Connection

Sometimes surprisingly easy and quick

Obtaining a passport on the basis of ancestry is a common route; having parents each with a different nationality will often enable a child to claim dual citizenship. This is common and widely understood.

However, what is worth noting here is that numerous countries have legislation which enables a second passport seeker to exploit a much farther ancestral connection than one that goes back just a generation or two. This is the case in countries as disparate as Latvia, Israel, Germany and Spain.

Some countries’ legislation takes the ancestral connection yet further. To give an example, those with indigenous Jewish connection may take up Israeli citizenship — this is not unusual. However, under certain circumstances, some can even become citizens of Germany or Spain — by taking advantage of legislation designed in response to the Holocaust and the Spanish Inquisition of the 15th century.

History throws up some fascinating opportunities if only you know where to look. There must be millions of people worldwide who could probably claim an instant second passport of one country or another on the basis of their origin alone — regardless of which country they call their own now.

It must be noted here that obtaining a second passport through ancestry is not in itself a route to lower taxation or other freedoms if your original nation still can hold claim over you.

For example, one Norman Dacey, author of “How To Avoid Probate”, chose to obtain Irish nationality on the basis that he could claim ancestry there.

Dacey duly moved to Ireland some years ago and declared himself an Irish citizen. The Internal Revenue Service of the United States however saw things differently and confiscated royalties even though Dacey had been outside of the USA and held an Irish passport. Formal renunciation of US citizenship at the US embassy quickly followed.