Residency
- Permission to live in the country
- It may expire
- It may need renewal
- It may depend on work, family or investment
Mobility
Citizenship across borders
Understand the pathways, rights and long-term implications of acquiring, retaining or combining citizenships.
Citizenship can affect mobility, family status, legal rights and sometimes tax or estate planning — but the consequences vary by country.
Citizenship is a long-term legal relationship with a country — not simply a longer visa.
It can determine rights to live, work, vote, pass status to children and access consular protection. But it can also create obligations, and those obligations do not always end when you live elsewhere.
Local nationality law varies. Specialist legal advice may be appropriate before you rely on a route.
The status
What citizenship actually describes
Citizenship, or nationality, is legal membership of a country. It is usually more durable than a visa. It may come with a passport, political rights, and the possibility of passing status to a child. It can also come with duties. Which of those apply depends on the country.
Nationality
The legal bond the country’s own law recognises.
Rights
A right to live and work there may follow. Voting and other political rights may follow too.
Obligations
Tax, civic or military duties may exist in some systems, including for people who live abroad.
A passport
Evidence of the status, and a travel document. It is not the whole of the status.
Family
Whether a child, or a later generation, can receive the nationality is a separate rule.
Loss
Some nationalities can be renounced, withdrawn or affected by acquiring another one.
The distinction
Citizenship and residency answer different questions
Citizenship
- Usually a more permanent legal status
- It may include a passport
- It may include voting rights
- It may pass to children, depending on the law
Permanent residence is not the same as citizenship.
Pathways
Countries do not all offer the same routes
A route that exists for one nationality, family history or residence may be closed to someone else. Availability is a legal question. Nothing here is a recommendation.
Birth
Some systems treat the place of birth as a route to nationality. Others do not. The rule is local, and it can differ from the nationality of the parents.
Descent
A parent, and sometimes an earlier generation, may transmit nationality. The chain usually has to be proved with records, not with a family story.
Naturalisation
A longer residence, and other conditions, may lead to an application. Residence alone is not a promise of citizenship.
Marriage / family
A spouse or family relationship may open a route, or shorten one. Marriage does not automatically grant citizenship.
Adoption
Adoption may be relevant to a child’s nationality. Whether it transmits citizenship depends on the law of the countries involved.
Investment or contribution
Some countries publish a lawful route linked to investment or another contribution. This page does not recommend one, and it does not state a threshold.
Restoration
A former citizen, or a family with a historical nationality, may be able to ask for restoration. Historical law and missing records often decide whether the claim can be made.
Naturalisation
Naturalisation is an application, not the automatic end of residence
Where naturalisation exists, it often looks at how you have lived in the country and at other conditions besides time. Language, civic knowledge, character and the state of your records may all be in view. The thresholds, if any, are local. This page does not state them.
01
Residence history
How long you have lived in the country, and on what status, may matter. The period is set locally.
02
Physical presence
Time inside the country, and how absences are treated, can be part of the test.
03
Language
Some routes ask for a language assessment. The level, if any, is set by that country.
04
Civic knowledge
A test or course about the country’s institutions may be required. It is not universal.
05
Good character
Conduct, disclosures and police records may be reviewed. What “good character” means is a legal test, not a slogan.
06
Records
Tax compliance, where a route looks at it, and the paper trail of the residence itself, can sit inside the file.
Ancestry
A descent claim is a chain of people and a chain of documents
Ancestry-based claims can depend heavily on documentation and historical law. The law that matters may be the law as it was when a parent or grandparent was born, married or left the country, not only the law today.
01
The person claiming
Identity, current nationality, and whether a registration window still applies.
02
A parent
The most common link. Birth, marriage and name changes all have to line up.
03
An earlier generation
A grandparent, or an older ancestor, may be relevant in some systems and irrelevant in others.
04
The records
Certificates, registers and the law as it stood at the time. A gap in the paper can stop a claim that the family believes is clear.
Family
Marriage and family can open a conversation. They do not close it.
A spouse, a partner or a child may be relevant to nationality law. Some countries offer a facilitated naturalisation to the spouse of a citizen. Others keep marriage on the residence side and citizenship on a separate track. Family unity, and the right to live together, can exist without anyone acquiring a new nationality.
Marriage does not automatically grant citizenship. Children are a further question, dealt with under the rules on transmission, birth and registration.
More than one
Dual citizenship is allowed somewhere, restricted somewhere else
Holding two nationalities is ordinary in some families and unlawful, or heavily conditioned, in some legal systems. Both countries’ rules can matter at once.
- Some countries allow more than one citizenship.
- Some restrict it, or treat a new citizenship as affecting the one you already hold.
- Some expect you to notify an authority when you acquire another nationality.
- Civic or military obligations may attach to one of the citizenships, including while you live elsewhere.
- Consular protection can be more complicated when you are in a country of which you are also a citizen.
- Tax questions may arise in some systems. Citizenship does not automatically reduce tax.
Dual citizenship rules are highly jurisdiction-specific.
The next generation
What a child receives can differ from what a parent holds
Descent
A parent’s citizenship may pass, may need to be registered, or may stop at a generation. Ask which.
Place of birth
Being born in a country may or may not confer nationality. Do not treat the hospital’s country as the answer.
Registration
Some claims must be made while a child is under a local age, or within a period after birth. The limit is local.
Conflicts
Two countries may both claim a child, or neither may do so automatically. That is a reason to ask before you rely on a passport application.
Document timing matters. A certificate that is easy to obtain around a birth can be harder to reconstruct years later, especially across more than one civil registry.
Presence
Time in the country can be part of the citizenship question
Naturalisation, and sometimes the move from permanent residence toward citizenship, may look at how continuously you have been present. Absences may be ignored, counted, or treated as a break. Travel records are often the evidence. The test itself is local, and it can differ from a tax day-count.
- What residence status you held
- How absences are treated
- Whether the stay has to be continuous
- Which travel records you can produce
- How permanent residence interacts with a later citizenship application
Evidence
The file is often the application
These are document types people are often asked for. They are not a checklist for any one country. Format, age and legalisation vary.
Civil records
- Birth certificate
- Parents’ birth certificates
- Marriage certificate
Identity and residence
- Passports
- Residence records
- Police records
Other evidence
- Tax records, where relevant
- Language or civic evidence, where relevant
- Apostille or other legalisation
- Certified translations
Beyond the passport
Citizenship can have legal consequences that are not immigration consequences
In many systems, tax residence follows where you live, work and keep a home, rather than citizenship alone. Some systems may also apply rules that look at citizenship. Citizenship does not automatically reduce tax, and it does not automatically create a tax bill. That analysis belongs with a qualified adviser.
Estate planning can change when more than one country could claim a say over a will, a forced share, or who inherits. Civic or military obligations, where they exist, are a further legal question. Banks may ask about a new nationality when they review identity or the countries connected to an account. A new citizenship does not, by itself, open or close an account.
Mobility
A passport is one consequence of citizenship, not a ranking
Citizenship may change where you can live without a separate visa, where you can travel with fewer entry formalities, and which consulate can assist you. Regional mobility rights, where they exist, come from the country’s memberships and agreements. They are not a feature of citizenship in the abstract. This page does not rank passports.
- Where you may be able to live
- Where entry formalities may be lighter
- Regional mobility rights, where the country has them
- Which state may offer consular protection
Giving a nationality up
Renunciation is a legal act with a before and an after
Giving up a citizenship, where the law allows it, may require a formal process. It may have tax or other legal consequences. It may affect children or a spouse’s position. It may be irreversible, or reversible only on conditions you should read before you start.
Renunciation should never be treated as a simple administrative step.
Due diligence
Questions worth asking before you rely on a citizenship route
01What legal pathway applies?
Name the route: birth, descent, naturalisation, family, restoration, or a published special route. Official nationality law should be checked. A headline is not the pathway.
02What residence history is required?
Ask whether residence is required at all, on what status, and how the country counts it. This page does not state a number of years.
03How are absences treated?
Ask whether time outside the country interrupts the residence, and how travel is evidenced.
04Can I retain my current citizenship?
Ask both countries. A new citizenship can affect an existing one, and the answer is not the same everywhere.
05Can children acquire it?
Ask whether status passes automatically, by registration, or not at all, and whether a child’s age matters.
06Does marriage affect the route?
Ask what a spouse or partner relationship does, and what it does not do. Marriage is not, by itself, citizenship.
07What documents are needed?
Ask for the current list, including civil records for earlier generations where the claim is by descent.
08Are translations or legalisation required?
Ask which documents need a certified translation, an apostille, or another form of legalisation.
09Are there language or civic requirements?
Ask whether a test, a course or an interview is part of the route, and who is exempt if anyone is.
10Are there tax consequences?
Ask a tax adviser separately. Citizenship and tax residence are different questions, and some systems may look at citizenship as well as residence.
11Are there military or civic obligations?
Ask whether the nationality carries civic or military duties, including for people who live elsewhere.
12Can citizenship be lost later?
Ask what conduct, absence, or acquisition of another nationality could put the status at risk.
13What happens if I move away?
Ask whether leaving affects the citizenship itself, a passport renewal, or only a residence status you still hold.
Watch for
Potential warning signs in citizenship advice
- A claim that citizenship is guaranteed
- An unclear legal basis, with no published route you can read
- Pressure to invest before legal eligibility is confirmed
- No discussion of whether you can keep a citizenship you already hold
- No review of the documents the claim depends on
- No explanation of obligations that may travel with the nationality
- Tax outcomes presented as guaranteed
Situations
Different families arrive at citizenship with different questions
These are situations, not outcomes. Eligibility depends on the countries involved and on the person.
Scenario 1
Long-term resident considering naturalisation
Residence history, presence, language or civic conditions, and what the new status would add to permanent residence.
Scenario 2
Child who may be eligible by descent
The chain of parentage, registration timing, and the records that would have to be produced.
Scenario 3
A family with more than one nationality
What each country allows, what must be notified, and how that affects children.
Scenario 4
An executive living abroad for a long period
Whether residence could later support naturalisation, and what absences would do to that possibility.
Scenario 5
Spouse of a citizen
What the relationship changes, and which steps remain personal to the applicant.
Scenario 6
A former citizen exploring restoration
Historical nationality, the reason status ended, and whether restoration is still open.
Professional support
When specialist nationality advice may be appropriate
This page explains the questions. It does not assess a claim. Specialist legal advice may be appropriate when more than one country, a family history, or a decision to give a nationality up is involved.
- More than one nationality
- A claim based on ancestry
- A complex family history
- A previous refusal
- Renunciation
- A route linked to investment or another contribution
- Military or civic obligations
- Tax implications
- Passing citizenship to children
Compare citizenship & residency advisers
Different providers focus on different routes to long-term status
Citizenship is a legal status, not a product. Different providers focus on very different routes.
Compare citizenship and residency specialists by route, geographic scope, legal model, investment-migration capability and ancestry or descent expertise.
A provider that is strong in citizenship by investment may not be the right provider for an ancestry case, naturalisation matter or complex nationality issue.
Start with the route
Which path are you exploring?
What to compare
Citizenship planning starts with the legal route, not the passport
01
Route
Descent, naturalisation, residence, investment or family?
02
Legal model
Law firm, advisory firm or investment-migration specialist?
03
Global scope
Does the provider cover the jurisdictions relevant to you?
04
Descent expertise
Can they handle ancestry and nationality-evidence cases?
05
Investment migration
Is this a core capability or only adjacent?
06
Family planning
Can a spouse, children and dependants be coordinated?
07
Due diligence
What background, source-of-funds and eligibility checks apply?
08
Long-term consequences
Tax, estate, residence and reporting consequences may need separate advice.
Filter citizenship providers
4 providers listed for comparison.
Arton Capital
Global citizenship and residence advisory
Citizenship by investment, citizenship by merit and second-citizenship planning. Descent is not a core public proposition.
- Global reach
- High
- Best aligned with
- HNW individuals, families and advisers
- Service model
- Investment-migration advisory
- Citizenship by investment
- Core capability
- Citizenship by descent
- Not core
- Residence pathways
- Investment-led
- Research and tools
- Programme tools and indexes
- Pricing model
- Personalised and programme-specific
Programme terms, investment requirements, source of funds and government due diligence must be independently verified.
Global Citizen Solutions
Residency and citizenship advisory
Citizenship-by-investment and citizenship planning alongside residency and relocation programmes.
- Global reach
- High
- Best aligned with
- Individuals, families and entrepreneurs
- Service model
- Programme and mobility advisory
- Citizenship by investment
- Strong
- Citizenship by descent
- Selected routes
- Residence pathways
- Published programme range
- Research and tools
- Passport and programme indexes
- Pricing model
- Consultation-led
Programme rules and investment requirements change frequently. Approval remains with governments and authorities.
Henley & Partners
Residence and citizenship planning advisory
Citizenship-by-investment, residence-by-investment and wider residence and citizenship planning for private clients.
- Global reach
- Very high
- Best aligned with
- HNW and UHNW families and advisers
- Service model
- Residence and citizenship planning
- Citizenship by investment
- Core capability
- Citizenship by descent
- Selective
- Residence pathways
- Broad
- Research and tools
- Residence Program Index
- Pricing model
- Engagement and programme specific
Government approval, due diligence, a qualifying investment and source-of-funds rules apply. Tax and legal advice should be assessed separately.
Latitude
Residence and citizenship by investment advisory
Citizenship by investment, citizenship by merit and selected citizenship-by-descent routes, with residence-by-investment planning.
- Global reach
- High
- Best aligned with
- Private clients, families and advisers
- Service model
- Cross-jurisdictional planning advisory
- Citizenship by investment
- Core capability
- Citizenship by descent
- Strong, selected routes
- Residence pathways
- Investment-led
- Research and tools
- Programme comparisons
- Pricing model
- Consultation and programme-specific
Citizenship and residence routes remain subject to eligibility, due diligence, source of funds and government approval.
Compare citizenship and residency advisers
Short published facts only. Reach is not a country list, and none of these figures is a rating.
Confirm the route with the provider. Residence is not citizenship, and no provider can guarantee approval.
| Provider | Provider type | Best aligned with | Global reach | Citizenship by investment | Citizenship by descent | Residence pathways | Legal model | View |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global citizenship and residence advisory | HNW individuals, families and advisers | High | Core capability | Not core | Investment-led | Investment-migration advisory | View |
| Residency and citizenship advisory | Individuals, families and entrepreneurs | High | Strong | Selected routes | Published programme range | Programme and mobility advisory | View |
| Residence and citizenship planning advisory | HNW and UHNW families and advisers | Very high | Core capability | Selective | Broad | Residence and citizenship planning | View |
| Residence and citizenship by investment advisory | Private clients, families and advisers | High | Core capability | Strong, selected routes | Investment-led | Cross-jurisdictional planning advisory | View |
| Provider | Provider type | Best aligned with | Citizenship by investment | Citizenship by descent | View |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global citizenship and residence advisory | HNW individuals, families and advisers | Core capability | Not core | View |
| Residency and citizenship advisory | Individuals, families and entrepreneurs | Strong | Selected routes | View |
| Residence and citizenship planning advisory | HNW and UHNW families and advisers | Core capability | Selective | View |
| Residence and citizenship by investment advisory | Private clients, families and advisers | Core capability | Strong, selected routes | View |
Arton Capital
Global citizenship and residence advisory
- Type
- Global citizenship and residence advisory
- Best aligned with
- HNW individuals, families and advisers
- Citizenship by investment
- Core capability
- Citizenship by descent
- Not core
- Residence pathways
- Investment-led
- Legal model
- Investment-migration advisory
Global Citizen Solutions
Residency and citizenship advisory
- Type
- Residency and citizenship advisory
- Best aligned with
- Individuals, families and entrepreneurs
- Citizenship by investment
- Strong
- Citizenship by descent
- Selected routes
- Residence pathways
- Published programme range
- Legal model
- Programme and mobility advisory
Henley & Partners
Residence and citizenship planning advisory
- Type
- Residence and citizenship planning advisory
- Best aligned with
- HNW and UHNW families and advisers
- Citizenship by investment
- Core capability
- Citizenship by descent
- Selective
- Residence pathways
- Broad
- Legal model
- Residence and citizenship planning
Latitude
Residence and citizenship by investment advisory
- Type
- Residence and citizenship by investment advisory
- Best aligned with
- Private clients, families and advisers
- Citizenship by investment
- Core capability
- Citizenship by descent
- Strong, selected routes
- Residence pathways
- Investment-led
- Legal model
- Cross-jurisdictional planning advisory
Different citizenship providers do different jobs
Investment migration advisory
Residence and citizenship programmes that require an investment or contribution. The firms listed here publish this as a core or strong capability.
Immigration law firm
Complex nationality, residence and legal-status matters. This comparison does not currently list a law firm.
Citizenship by descent specialist
Ancestry, nationality evidence and citizenship claims. Latitude publishes selected descent routes. None of these firms is listed as a descent-only practice.
Private-client citizenship advisory
Multi-jurisdiction long-term mobility and nationality planning for families and advisers.
Choose the provider model based on your legal route, not the prestige of the passport.
Common scenarios
Which situation is closest to yours?
Explore mobility
Related mobility topics
- ResidencyImmigration residence, tax residence and the tests that sit beside a visa.
- VisasPermission to enter, stay, work or join family.
- RelocationHousing, schools, healthcare and the household move.
- Digital nomadsRemote work, tax residence and employer questions.
Thinking about citizenship as a long-term step?
Start with the legal pathway, then ask what it would mean for family, an existing nationality, and any obligations that travel with it.
WiT Access provides general information and comparison resources. Citizenship, nationality and residence rules vary by jurisdiction and individual circumstances. Nothing on this page constitutes immigration, legal, tax, financial or investment advice.Citizenship and residence decisions are made by governments and competent authorities. No provider can guarantee approval.Investment-migration programmes can involve significant legal, tax, financial and due-diligence consequences that require separate professional advice.