How And Where To Secure A Second Passport

Did you know you don’t actually own your passport?

That’s right… even though you filled in the forms, handed over the fee, and have it in your possession, it’s still not legally yours.

The privilege of ownership remains with Uncle Sam.

It says as much within its pages…

“THIS PASSPORT IS THE PROPERTY OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT. IT MUST BE SURRENDERED UPON DEMAND MADE BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE.”

So you can’t say you weren’t told.

Unless you’ve been up to no good… such as tax evasion, fraud, or worse, the U.S. government are unlikely to come looking to revoke your passport… but the ability to do so remains within their power.

Indeed, last month under the Passport Denial Program, the Trump administration began revoking the passports of U.S. citizens found to be significantly delinquent (to the tune of $100k or more) in their child-support payments.

Previously, the penalty generally only applied when those with this type of debt sought to renew their passports… but government policy has changed, as it so often does, and now plans are afoot for anyone owing child-support payments of $2,500 or more to have their passport yanked.

While I don’t condone any of the activities that could currently see the U.S. government come calling for your passport, I’ve been around long enough to know that the rules change all the time and chances are, sooner or later, they’ll change to impact you.

Putting all your eggs is one basket is never a smart move… not when it comes to income streams and investments, not when it comes to bank accounts, and not when it comes to your right to move freely around the world.

For this and many other reasons—among them personal freedom, the right to live (no questions asked) in another country, and easier and broader travel options—I’ve long extolled the benefits of getting a second, heck, even a third or fourth passport.

I have two—my U.S. passport and an Irish one, obtained during the seven years I spent living in Ireland. After all, as long the countries involved allow dual citizenship—which both the U.S. and Ireland do—why not?

There is one potential downside to the second passport process, however. Getting one usually involves a lot of time—the quickest timeline is Argentina set at two years of continuous legal residence—or a lot of money—the cheapest citizenship by investment program, Sao Tome and Principe’s, requires a $90k investment.

If you’re looking for the easiest, quickest, and cheapest route to a second citizenship and passport then look to your family tree and countries that grant jus sanguinis citizenship.

Jus sanguinis (Latin for “right of blood”) citizenship is passed through blood relation. That is, the parents’ citizenship(s) determines the child’s. Many countries extend jus sanguinis rights deeper into the bloodline, beyond parents, including Italy, Ireland, Hungary, Poland, and Romania.

Canada has also recently joined that list.

In December, the Government of Canada passed Bill C-3 amending the country’s Citizenship Act and ending the first-generation limit to citizenship by descent.

In the months since the change, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued proof of citizenship certificates to 4,075 people under the new provisions—half of whom are U.S. citizens.

So, whether your family tree, your net worth, or your patience with residency rules secures you a second passport, my advice is, go get it.

Stay diversified,

Lief Simon
Editor, Offshore Living Letter