The Dual Citizenship Dude

One man's resource repository and expert guide to affordably and efficiently obtaining dual citizenship and maximizing the benefits of a second passport

[dualcitizenshipdude]

Introducing the Dual Citizenship Dude: A Russian-Zimbabwean Citizen of the U.S. and Latvia (Seriously!)

The topic of dual/multiple citizenship has attracted abundant media attention in the last several years.  Perhaps no geopolitical event in modern history has heightened interest in dual/multiple citizenship as much as Brexit, the impending withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU), triggered by the UK’s 2016 referendum. Indeed, the number of UK citizens attempting to obtain citizenship in one of the EU’s 27 other member countries (presumably to preserve their ability to live and work elsewhere on the continent) has skyrocketed since the vote was held. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-44629193

This surge of interest in EU passports among citizens of the UK has highlighted the complicated patchwork of nation-specific laws and regulations concerning the legality of dual nationality and, in countries where dual citizenship is permitted, the conditions of eligibility. While many UK citizens qualify for an Irish passport, due to the Republic of Ireland’s relatively generous eligibility requirements, others with ancestral or familial ties elsewhere on the continent are not as fortunate due to laws prohibiting dual citizenship or severely limiting the number of qualifying individuals. More recently, Brexit has also served to highlight the fluidity of citizenship laws as, just this month, Austria announced that it will create an exception to its long-standing ban on dual citizenship for Austrian nationals living in the UK. 

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/austria-to-loosen-ban-on-dual-citizenship-for-brexit-hit-nationals-11099530

Meanwhile, 15,000 kilometers away in Australia, the issue of dual citizenship caused what many considered to be a constitutional crisis, as the eligibility of several sitting members of Australia’s parliament (including the Deputy Prime Minister) was questioned. While the Australian Constitution clearly prohibits parliamentarians from holding foreign citizenship, the Australian parliamentary eligibility crisis of 2017-2018 again highlighted the complexity and nebulousness of international citizenship laws, as many of the members in question claimed they were unaware that they had inherited or received automatic citizenship of a nation other than Australia.  

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-44049929

At this point, you’re probably wondering why I’ve created this blog. In order to explain, I should briefly introduce myself. I’m a 35-year-old American-born, Philadelphia-based physician of mixed Russian-Zimbabwean ancestry who, as of September 2018, is also a proud (and very appreciative!) citizen of the Republic of Latvia (and, by extension, the EU). I don’t speak Latvian, I’m not ethnically Latvian, and prior to visiting Rīga to pick up my passport this Fall, I didn’t know any Latvians, had never set foot on Latvian soil, and knew very little about Latvian history. While I’ll provide the convoluted explanation of how I was able to obtain Latvian citizenship in my next post, my point here is to highlight that it was certainly not intuitive that I would be eligible for a Latvian passport. I was fortunate enough to have asked the right questions of my relatives at the right points in time and, subsequently, to have had the dedication and financial resources necessary to successfully pursue the process. I suspect, however, that many who would otherwise be interested in obtaining dual citizenship aren’t even aware that they would be eligible. One of the purposes of this blog is to reveal to those with a “soft” interest in a second passport the broad categories through which they may be eligible for dual citizenship and to outline the “first steps” necessary in determining eligibility. 

For those who already know that they qualify for dual citizenship, this blog is designed to simplify the application process and minimize the associated frustrations and costs. To this effect, this blog will serve as a repository of useful information (e.g. detailed explanations of the steps common to dual citizenship applications) and resources (e.g. provision of common documents in multiple languages, referral to cheap and reliable translators, archivists, local immigration lawyers, etc.) that can used by individuals at all stages of the process. 

Lastly, as I highlighted earlier, dual citizenship laws are in constant flux. Just because you don’t qualify for dual citizenship based on current laws, doesn’t mean that things won’t change at some point in the near-future. Accordingly, this blog will be speckled with up-to-date news and information about changes in dual citizenship laws around the globe. 

While many aspects of my application process were tedious and extremely frustrating, becoming a Latvian citizen was the most rewarding undertaking I’ve pursued in my lifetime. At various stages in the process, I was obligated to learn more about my mother’s family’s life and history in Europe, the circumstances of their arrival as refugees in the United States, and the fascinating history of Latvia and its Baltic neighbors. My recent visit to Latvia to pick up my passport was truly the trip of a lifetime, and I am excited to contribute substantively to Latvia’s future. I wish all of you interested in obtaining dual citizenship much success, and I hope you find the process to be just as rewarding (but hopefully, through the use of this blog, less frustrating and costly!) as I did. Stay tuned to this space!