What is EU Citizenship?
The European Union is a unique organization that combines features of both federations and confederations, bringing together most of Europe. According to the European Commission, anyone who holds the nationality of an EU member country is automatically an EU citizen. In other words, if you are a citizen of any of the countries in the European Union you are, in practice, a citizen of all the 27 participating countries, which allows you to enjoy all their benefits in full.
How You Can Get the EU Passport
There are several ways a third-country national can obtain an EU Passport, which according to the European Commission is: “Any person who is not a citizen of the European Union (...) and who is not a person enjoying the European Union right to free movementâ€. The question then arises by itself: if I’m a third-country national, how do I get an EU passport?
You may be able to claim EU Citizenship by descent if you happen to have ancestry connecting you to a country that allows for that type of request, or even by marrying an EU citizen, although not all countries accept this as grounds for granting a second Citizenship.
However, the most independent way to an EU Citizenship is to hold legal residency in one of the EU countries that allow for naturalization after a certain period of time, which can be achieved through the right investment program. In short, that is the only opportunity completely within your control and we have some great options for that.
Read more:
How to Get a Second Passport: a Guide for 2025
What is the Easiest European Country to Get Citizenship?
Thankfully, the benefits of the European Union are not exclusive to people who were born in the bloc. In fact, you can obtain an EU Passport quite easily, especially when choosing countries that allow naturalization after a certain period of residency. Each EU country will have its own set of requirements for applicants seeking their Citizenship status, but among the most common are proof of eligibility, legal residency status, some degree of language proficiency, and standard documentation.
Note that investment immigration programs that immediately grant citizenship status are extremely rare in the European Union. The workaround is to first obtain residency status, possible through Residency by Investment programs, also referred to as Golden Visas, and then apply for citizenship if that is your aim.
When it comes to feasibility, there is one country that stands out for being the one that asks for the least amount of residency years and also has good flexibility in terms of language tests: Portugal. However, there are other interesting pathways towards an EU Passport, that might also suit your goals and preferences.
Best Countries to Get a Second Passport and Fastest Pathways
As ancestry is something that is out of your personal control and marriage is a decision driven by other factors, we have gathered a list of places that are the best countries for dual citizenship or that have easy access to a second good passport either through naturalization or through Citizenship by Investment programs. That means that they are realistic options, with clear pathways towards citizenship and the travel document that comes with it.
Portugal’s Residency by Investment Programs
Portugal currently has the #3 most powerful passport in the world, letting its holders enter visa-free or with a simple e-visa in 170 countries.
Residency by Investment in Portugal is obtainable through 2 distinct programs: the Portugal Golden Visa, with the preferred investment option starting at €500,000 and the D2 Visa, with variable investment amounts.
For those seeking an EU Passport, Portugal offers one of the fastest pathways, since you can apply for citizenship 5 years after you start your application. And although it does require knowledge of Portuguese, you can still apply by completing a language course, eliminating the need for a proficiency test.
Greece Golden Visa
Greece is among the most popular EU countries for a second residency and future citizenship, with a passport that also ranks #3 in the raking of most powerful, unlocking visa-free entry or visa on arrival to 170 countries.
The Greece Golden Visa is the country’s prime Residency by Investment program, and even though its price has recently increased, it can still be obtained for the minimum investment amount of €250,000 for real estate purchase, which is a highly attractive option. This program allows for you to become a citizen after 7 years of living in the country, proving you have enough knowledge of the Greek language and culture.
Cyprus Golden Visa
Tucked away in the corner of the Mediterranean Sea, Cyprus may not be the first European Union country you may think of, but it is an interesting choice, especially after the announcement that the country aims to become a full Schengen member by the end of 2025.
The real estate option for its Golden Visa program requires a minimum €300,000 investment, though this amount may increase once Cyprus fully joins the Schengen Zone. EU Citizenship is unlocked after 7 years of residency and 12 months of actively living on the island. Applicants must also prove they have a B1 level of Greek, an understanding of the Cypriot culture and their real intention to reside in the Republic, among other requirements.
Malta Citizenship for Exceptional Services Regulations
Malta is the only country in the EU that has a direct pathway towards citizenship, through the Malta Citizenship for Exceptional Services Regulations program. That means that investing in the island will land you the #7 most powerful passport in the world, one that will open the doors of 165 other nations.
In order to do so you can either acquire property on the island with a minimum value of €750,000 or pay a minimal annual rent of €16,000, then hold a residency card from 12 to 36 months before being able to move on to become a full citizen.
Reasons to Become an EU Citizen
You might think that a European citizen is any person who holds nationality from a European country like the United Kingdom, Türkiye, Norway or Switzerland, for example. But that is not the case because there is no such thing as being a citizen of a continent. However, since the European Union functions, in many dimensions, as a unified territory, if you hold a passport from a country that is a European Union Member State, you can in practice be considered an EU citizen and enjoy some exclusive benefits no matter where you go within the EU.
Access to the Schengen Zone
While half the world has to worry about what types of Visas, whether residential, for work, study, etc., to get to enter countries like Portugal, Greece, France, Spain, or Germany, EU passport holders do not have such concerns. Because of the EU’s right to freedom of movement, its Citizens are entitled to live, work, and study in any of the 29 countries in the Schengen Zone, a common travel area that includes 25 of the 27 countries in the European Union (excluding Cyprus and Ireland), plus Norway, Lichtenstein, Iceland, and Switzerland.
EU Citizens do not even have to worry about the Schengen 90/180 Rule and can effortlessly become Residents in another country just by informing the local authorities of their intent to stay beyond 3 months.
Visa-Free Travel to Other Countries
EU Passports are among the most powerful in the world, with all 27 Passports in the top 10 out of 91, according to the Global Passport Index. This automatically means all EU citizens are able to travel visa-free or with a visa on arrival to, at the very least, 165 countries out of the 193 recognized by the United Nations, and up to 170 if EU Citizenship is acquired from a country in top 3 positions, like Spain, Greece and Portugal, to name a few.
Higher Standards of Living
The European Union is known worldwide for its higher standards of living. To join, countries must meet a set of standards across important aspects: like a strong enough economy, ready to join the EURO and compete in a single, common market; high adherence and practice of universal human rights, and the willingness to join a transnational and cultural space. Almost every country in the Union has public and universal healthcare coverage, access to excellent education systems, and some of the best air quality in the world.
Safety
European Union citizens are rest assured, knowing they can roam the streets without having to concern themselves for their well-being. According to the 2024 Global Peace Index, Europe is the Safest Region in the World. Out of the Top 10 Safest Countries, 7 of them are located in Europe, and 5 of them are part of the European Union. The other 2 countries, Iceland, and Switzerland are part of the Schengen Area, the common travel zone shared with most European Union countries.
Dual Citizenship
Whereas countries like China or India limit their Citizens, only allowing them to hold 1 Citizenship, almost all the countries in the European Union enable their nationals to hold Dual Citizenship. Each country’s national laws supersede EU law in this regard, and it is always something worth investigating to see what is applicable under different situations. Desirable countries like Portugal, Greece, Malta, and Cyprus, all allow their nationals to hold another country’s Citizenship.
Legacy for the Future
As the world harbors in the uncertainty of what the future might bring, it becomes significantly more important to ensure one’s family’s safety. EU Citizenship is something that can be transferred onto the next generation, to one’s children and grandchildren, and beyond.
Here is How to Make the Right Move to Get Your EU Citizenship
Now that you know that Residency by Investment programs can open up the path toward the desirable EU passport, without the need to count on external factors such as ancestry and marriage, the only thing you have to do now is to choose the best option for your goals. Is it Portugal’s D2 Business Program, the Greece or Cyprus Golden Visa or the Maltese Citizenship for Exceptional Services option?
Well, the only way to know for sure is by getting a deep understanding of each of them and also about the country you are about to become a citizen of. The complexities are many, but luckily you can count on Investment Visa’s experts to help you make an informed decision.
Our services range from the early onset of the residency application to the moment the passport is finally within your grasp, and even further beyond. We never had an application rejected and we are here to assist you with a combined experience of decades.
That will vary from country to country and will also depend on whether you are eligible to become a resident through descent, marriage or naturalization. If you wish to take the path that is more within your control – through an investment program – our advisors can help you with the whole process.
Obtaining an “EU passport†means gaining citizenship in one of the European Union’s 27 Member States, since there is no single passport issued directly by the EU. Each country sets its own rules, but common pathways include descent (having parents or grandparents who were citizens), birthright citizenship (if you were born in an EU country that grants nationality by birth), marriage to an EU national (with varying residency and language requirements), naturalization (which typically involves living legally in the country for a certain number of years), and investment-based programs (sometimes known as “Golden Visas†or “citizenship by investmentâ€).
“Easiest†can be subjective, but Malta is often cited as having one of the most straightforward routes to EU citizenship through investment. Officially called the “Maltese Citizenship by Naturalization for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment,†it requires a financial commitment—ranging from donations to the national development fund to real estate investments—as well as a period of residency.
Portugal on the other hand, has a longer pathway, that can be unlocked after 5 years of a Golden Visa application, but that involves a more affordable financial investment and poses less conditions of physical presence in the country, while still having minimum extra conditions, such as cultural tests.
An “EU passport†isn’t a single unified passport issued by the European Union itself, but rather a term commonly used to describe the individual passports issued by each EU Member State. These passports often share certain standardized features—like a burgundy cover and the words “European Union†on the cover—yet they are still issued by the specific country of citizenship. Holding an EU passport grants you rights such as visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel to many countries worldwide and the freedom to live, work, or study in any of the 27 EU Member States.
“European citizen†is an informal term used broadly to describe anyone from the continent of Europe, including countries that may not be part of the European Union. By contrast, “EU citizen†is a specific legal designation that only applies to individuals who hold the nationality of an EU Member State. Therefore, while anyone from Europe can be informally described as a European citizen in a general sense, only those who hold the nationality of an EU country are formally recognized as EU citizens.
European Union comprises 27 member countries which, in alphabetical order, are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.
Although all European Union citizens are from a European country, not all European citizens have EU Citizenship. That is because being born in a European country that is not part of the European Union does not automatically grant you EU citizenship. EU citizenship is tied to holding the nationality of an EU Member State, so if the person was born in a European country outside the EU—like Switzerland, Norway, or Serbia—they would not be considered an EU citizen unless they later acquire the nationality of an EU member through naturalization, descent, or other permitted pathways.
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