Advantages of Dual Citizenship

Most people are citizens of a single country, usually the one where they were born or have resided for many years. However, it is possible to hold citizenship in multiple countries

simultaneously. A person who is born in one country but has lived for many years in another may be eligible for dual citizenship. Holding citizenship in two or more countries affords special privileges, such as the ability to travel between the two nations without obtaining visas. In some cases, though, dual citizenship may not afford an individual all the rights granted to full citizens.

Advantages of Dual Citizenship

Dual citizenship typically affords privileges such as the right to travel freely between two countries and the ability to work in both countries. For people who have family, businesses or significant cultural connections in two or more countries, this can be extremely important. Without dual citizenship, traveling between two countries or working in two countries often requires extensive paperwork, visas that are difficult to obtain and related expenses. In some cases, obtaining visas can be so difficult that an individual will not be able to travel or work as they wish, even if they have close family in another country.

Dual Citizenship in India

The laws governing dual citizenship differ with each country offering it, but to examine a concrete case, let’s take India as an example.

India grants a form of dual citizenship called Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) to persons of Indian origin residing abroad. OCI affords eligible individuals many privileges not ordinarily offered to foreigners, although some rights remain restricted to individuals who are solely citizens of India. Overseas citizens are granted a lifelong visa that allows them to visit and stay in India at any time for any length of time and the right to work in most occupations in India. But overseas citizens do not have the right to vote, the right to hold an Indian passport, the right to hold political office or government employment, or the right to buy agricultural lands.

Eligibility for Dual Citizenship in India

Eligibility requirements for dual citizenship vary significantly from nation to nation. In order to hold dual citizenship, an individual must meet the citizenship requirements for two nations that both allow dual citizenship. For instance, most people who have been citizens of India in the past or who are descended from Indian citizens are eligible for OCI, provided that the nation of which they are already a citizen allows dual citizenship. The application process for OCI involves an online form, the submission of relevant documents and a fee (usually $275 for U.S. citizens).

Dual citizenship is a valuable asset to many international travelers, and it is essential to some people who are very involved in two or more nations. The legal regulations around citizenship in some countries can be complex, and you may have to do some research and paperwork to determine if you are eligible. For instance, some nations require you to symbolically renounce other citizenships as part of the naturalization process, but this symbolic renunciation may not carry any legal weight. In such cases, it is often worth jumping through the hoops to obtain dual citizenship.