What Dual Citizenship Is
A dual citizen is a full citizen of two countries. You can hold both passports, live and work in both without a visa, and vote where each country allows it. You also carry the duties of both, such as tax filing or military service rules where they apply.
There is no international rule that grants it. Each country decides whether its own citizens may hold another nationality. If either side says no, you have to choose.
Route 1: Born With It (Citizenship by Descent)
The cleanest way to dual citizenship is to discover you already have it. Several countries pass citizenship through a parent or grandparent even if you were born abroad. These are the descent rules Transita tracks, each checked against the official source:
| Country | Parent | Grandparent | Great-grandparent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | Yes | Yes | Conditional |
| Italy | Yes | Yes | No |
| Germany | Yes | Conditional | Conditional |
| Poland | Conditional | Conditional | Conditional |
| Portugal | Yes | Yes | Conditional |
| Canada | Conditional | No | No |
“Conditional” usually turns on dates: when an ancestor naturalised elsewhere, or when a parent registered. The citizenship-by-descent checker walks through those conditions for each country. The Italian, Irish and Portuguese guides cover the detail.
Route 2: Naturalise and Keep Your First Passport
The second route is to live in a country long enough to naturalise. Whether you keep your first nationality depends on the new country's rule and your old country's rule. This is what the destination side says, read off each official page:
| Country | Rule on a second nationality | Source |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Allowed. You can be a British citizen and a citizen of other countries. | gov.uk |
| Canada | Allowed, but IRCC warns that not every other country allows it. | canada.ca |
| France | Allowed. A foreigner who becomes French does not have to renounce their original nationality. | service-public.gouv.fr |
| Germany | Multiple nationality accepted since the new nationality law of 27 June 2024. Germans who take another nationality keep German citizenship. | germany.info |
| Netherlands | You usually must renounce your current nationality when you naturalise. There are exemptions. | ind.nl |
The Netherlands is the outlier here. It naturalises after 5 years, as fast as anywhere in Europe, but the IND says you usually need to renounce your current nationality, and that if you do not, you may lose Dutch nationality. Check whether one of its exemptions covers you before choosing it for the passport.
The other side of the rule
Even where the new country allows dual citizenship, your country of origin may remove its own nationality when you take another one. IRCC says this plainly on its eligibility page. Ask your current country's embassy or consulate before you apply, not after.
Picking a Destination With Dual Citizenship in Mind
If keeping your passport matters, put the rule next to the timeline. The easiest countries to get citizenship ranking lists how long each destination takes, and the country guides for the UK, Canada, France and Germany cover the full requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is dual citizenship?
Dual citizenship (or dual nationality) means being a citizen of two countries at the same time, with a passport and the rights of a citizen in each. It only works when both countries allow it: each one decides for itself whether its citizens may hold another nationality.
How do people get dual citizenship?
There are two common routes. You are born with two nationalities, for example through a parent or grandparent (citizenship by descent). Or you naturalise in a second country after living there, and neither country makes you give up the first one.
Which countries allow dual citizenship?
Among the destinations in this guide, the UK, Canada and France allow it, and Germany has accepted multiple nationality since 27 June 2024. The Netherlands usually requires you to renounce your current nationality when you naturalise, with exemptions. Always check both countries involved.
Is citizenship by descent a form of dual citizenship?
Usually, yes. Descent recognises that you were a citizen from birth through an ancestor, so you keep the nationality you already have. Ireland, Italy, Germany, Poland, Portugal and Canada all have descent routes with different generational limits.
Can I lose my first citizenship by naturalising somewhere else?
Yes, if your first country does not allow dual nationality. That decision belongs to your country of origin, not the country you are joining. Check with its embassy or consulate before you apply.
Related guides
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