As mentioned in the Investment Migration Insider newspaper, Nigerians face a high rate of visa refusals in the UK and the USA — 32% and 67% respectively.
To avoid it some of them decide to obtain double or multiple citizenships. With it, Nigerians can travel without visas to more countries than before, move to a place with a higher level of life, and expand businesses.
The Immigrant Invest expert explains how to become a dual citizen if you’re a Nigerian.
How Nigerians can obtain a passport in another country
You can get citizenship by descent, marriage, naturalisation, and investment. The requirements for filing an application depend on a specific country.
Investment. Some countries such as Turkey, Vanuatu, St Lucia, and Grenada have citizenship by investment programmes. Each programme allows Nigerians to get the country’s passport by investing in the economy. To be eligible to participate one needs to:
- invest in real estate, government bonds, business, or other projects;
- meet general and other requirements implied by a programme;
- pass background checks known as Due Diligence;
- file an application for citizenship through the appropriate government body.
Descent. Citizenship by descent can be obtained if one has close family members that are citizens of the specific country. In most cases, it is either a parent or a grandparent. So if you have family ties with another country it might be a good idea to get citizenship by descent there. To be able to apply you would need to:
- provide proof that you’re related to a citizen of the desired country (e.g., a birth or a marriage certificate);
- meet residency and language criteria, if needed;
- file an application through the appropriate government body.
Marriage. Nigerians can become citizens through marriage if they marry a citizen of another country. Some requirements include to:
- officially register marriage or partnership in the destination country;
- live with a spouse or a partner for a specific period of time (e.g., 3 years);
- prove language proficiency, knowledge of culture, and integration into society, if needed;
- file an application through the appropriate government body.
Naturalisation. Application for a passport by naturalisation can be filed if a Nigerian legally lives in another country for a specific period of time: usually for 5—10 years. Other requirements are:
- be a person of good morals;
- have crime-free background;
- pass language and culture exams as well as prove the integration into society;
- take an oath of allegiance;
- file an application through the appropriate government body.
Multiple citizenships for Nigerians
If you’re a Nigerian you can have two or more citizenships. That means you will be recognized as a citizen in several countries and can live in all of them. You also have the same rights and responsibilities as citizens with one passport.
Nigerians can have triple citizenship as well but there are some exceptions. If you’re a Nigerian by birth you can get passports in two or even more countries. If you’ve acquired citizenship by naturalisation or marriage you will need to forfeit your Nigerian citizenship to apply for another one.
Some countries don’t permit their citizens to have multiple citizenships. For instance, if you’re applying for an Austrian or German passport you would need to forfeit any other citizenship you have. To make sure you can have two or more passports, check in advance if it is possible with a chosen country.
Pros and cons of dual citizenship
Dual citizenship has several advantages. For example:
- full access to social services — dual citizens can benefit from services designed for citizens: healthcare, pensions, etc.;
- opportunities for business — a person can establish businesses in a greater number of jurisdictions and diversify their financial portfolio;
- safety and stability — a person can have a safe haven and move from one country to another which is especially useful in case of political, social, or other problems;
- political rights — dual citizens can vote, run for office and participate in the political processes in all countries of their citizenship.
However, you must understand that dual citizenship has some drawbacks as well. They are:
- double taxation — Nigeria has signed double taxation avoidance treaties with 15 countries which means you would need to pay double taxes if you’re a tax resident in any other country;
- double responsibilities — dual citizens must know the laws in both countries and follow them;
- a hard and long process of acquiring — if you plan to get citizenship by marriage or naturalisation you would need to wait for 3—10 years.
Losing citizenship
Nigerians can be deprived of their dual citizenship if they commit a crime. The most popular reasons are:
- spying against the country;
- being sentenced to imprisonment for 3+ years;
- committing treason.
In most cases, losing citizenship due to acting against the country is only possible if a person obtained it by naturalisation or marriage. Citizens by birth can’t be deprived of their status.
The authorities can’t deport dual citizens from the countries of their citizenships. That can be done only if an individual was deprived of their passport.
Where to obtain citizenship by investment
Investment is the fastest path to citizenship if you don’t have close ties with a country. That means if a Nigerian invests a certain sum of money in real estate, funds, business, or securities in a specific country, they can become the country’s citizen.
Among the states that offer such services are Turkey, Vanuatu, and some Caribbean countries.
Turkey offers five investment options under its citizenship programme. They are:
- investing $400,000+ in real estate;
- investing $500,000+ in business;
- depositing $500,000+ in a Turkish bank;
- purchasing government bonds for $500,000+;
- purchasing units in an investment fund for $500,000+.
Investment money can be returned three years later after becoming a Turkish citizen.
Vanuatu. The main advantage of the Vanuatu citizenship programme is that everything can be done remotely — the investor is not required to visit the country at any step.
To apply for Vanuatu citizenship one must contribute $130,000+ to the National Development Fund. The required investment sum depends on the composition of the investor’s family. The investment money can’t be returned.
You can get a passport in 1+ months.
Caribbean countries that have investment programmes are Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Lucia. The average time for obtaining a passport in one of these states is 3—6 months.
Antigua and Barbuda offers four investment options:
- a non-refundable contribution — $100,000+;
- a real estate purchase — $200,000+;
- a contribution to the University of the West Indies Funds — $150,000+;
- a business investment — $400,000+.
Dominica has two investment options: a non-refundable contribution of $100,000+ and purchase of a property for $200,000+. In the case of buying real estate, the investor can sell it five years after acquiring citizenship.
Grenada offers the same two options as Dominica but the prices are different. To participate in the Grenada programme you would need to make a non-refundable contribution of $150,000+ or purchase real estate for $220,000.
St. Kitts and Nevis has three investment options: a non-refundable contribution of $125,000+, a real estate purchase for $200,000+, or an investment of $175,000+ in the Approved Public Benefit Project.
In St. Lucia, there are four options:
- a non-refundable contribution — $100,000+;
- a purchase of bonds — $300,000+;
- a purchase of real estate — $200,000+;
- business investment — $1,000,000+.
Adola and Kelechi from Nigeria obtained St Lucia passports by investment and now they can travel to 146 countries without visas.
Investors who choose Caribbean countries usually invest in government-approved real estate or make a non-refundable contribution to funds.
Each country listed above has its own requirements for participating in citizenship by investment programmes. However, the most basic ones are the following:
- age — in most cases, the investor must be 18 or older, some programmes can also have higher age limits or additional requirements for minor investors;
- criminal-free background — to ensure that, the investor must undergo Due Diligence and submit police clearance certificates;
- the legality of income — the applicant’s income and investment money must come from legal resources, and that must be proven by documents such as tax returns or bank statements.
In brief: multiple citizenships for Nigerians
- Nigerians can have two or more citizenships.
- Dual citizenship has both pros and cons. Pros are opportunities to create a safe haven, expand business, and have political rights in two or more states. Cons are double taxation and double responsibilities, as well as a long and tough process.
- Dual citizens can’t be deported, however, it is possible to lose citizenship in case of committing a crime.
- You can get citizenship by investment in Turkey, Vanuatu, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Lucia.
- The investor who would like to get a passport by investment must be at least 18 years old, have a crime-free background, and legal sources of income.
Immigrant Invest has been helping investors to become citizens and residents in other countries since 2006.
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