Dual Citizenship - How much would you pay?

[Anonymous]

Considering getting dual citizenship in another country (in the EU). How much do you think is worth spending on this prospect? I was quoted more than $15,000 (legal fees, gathering documents, translating etc…) for a family of 3 (spouse not included in this). Seems high, but not necessarily a deal breaker.

I know this decision is very personal depending on life goals…but where would you draw the line at financing dual citizenship? Appreciate your thoughts/considerations.

[Anonymous]

Why Eu? You have a reason to be there or are there some other lower cost countries you’d consider? Canada is looking for people

[Anonymous]

Can you do it yourself? Why do you need a lawyer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why Eu? You have a reason to be there or are there some other lower cost countries you’d consider? Canada is looking for people

It's very hard to get into canada to stay.

[Anonymous]

$5 per person for legal fees seems reasonable.

[Anonymous]

Why do you need a lawyer? I did it all myself, even though it was a huge PITA and took a long time.

Which country, maybe I can help you.

[Anonymous]

I’m paying $75 per person to sort out mine (Canada). Passports will be about that again I guess. Worth it for me, especially since we’re contemplating moving north next year.

[Anonymous]

I'm gonna assume it's Italy.

If you grew up speaking Italian, spent time living in Italy as a young adult, can read Italian websites, could do your own translation of legal documents, and feel confident writing letters in Italian to request things like your grandma's birth certificate from the tiny comune where you are (pretty) sure she was born in Calabria--go for it. If you can't do those things easily, or if you can but you value your time and sanity, 5k is a fair price, IMHO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm gonna assume it's Italy.

If you grew up speaking Italian, spent time living in Italy as a young adult, can read Italian websites, could do your own translation of legal documents, and feel confident writing letters in Italian to request things like your grandma's birth certificate from the tiny comune where you are (pretty) sure she was born in Calabria--go for it. If you can't do those things easily, or if you can but you value your time and sanity, 5k is a fair price, IMHO.

Not OP, but I'm someone who recently has started looking into getting my Italy dual citizenship, so the above is helpful. I do realize I'm going to need to pay for this service because (though my mom does!) I don't speak a lick of Italian!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Considering getting dual citizenship in another country (in the EU). How much do you think is worth spending on this prospect? I was quoted more than $15,000 (legal fees, gathering documents, translating etc…) for a family of 3 (spouse not included in this). Seems high, but not necessarily a deal breaker.

I know this decision is very personal depending on life goals…but where would you draw the line at financing dual citizenship? Appreciate your thoughts/considerations.

I'm curious as to what is the draw/advantage in doing this? Particularly since it appears to be involved/complicated and/or expensive...

[Anonymous]

Both DH and I are dual citizens due to each having a parent born in a (different) EU country. It’s nice to know we have options, but it’s unlikely we will ever live in either country. What benefits are you seeking from citizenship in an EU country?

[Anonymous]

My extended family is originally from
Hong Kong and emigrated all over the world in anticipation of 1997. What I learned from their experience and the last 5 years and our family members who didn’t emigrate is that you get as many passports as you can when you can.

$15k is a *great* deal, especially with kids who might want to work abroad one day. It makes a big difference in the corporate world to be able to take a job or internship for a company that doesn’t need to sponsor you.

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone - for everyone that assumed Italy...you are correct! There are a few reasons why it's so expensive. 1. Translations 2. It's considered a "1948 Case" (applying through a maternal line), which means only an immigration lawyer can file for petition for decent. I am confident I can collect all the birth/death/marriage certificates and have them translated, but I cannot get around the immigration lawyer in the 1948 rule.

I'm particularly interested in making an effort because my kids and their families will have greater opportunities starting w/ college and/or future job opportunities. For me - maybe a retirement opportunity though I don't necessarily feel I actually need citizenship for retirement alone. Thanks again for your thoughts!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks everyone - for everyone that assumed Italy...you are correct! There are a few reasons why it's so expensive. 1. Translations 2. It's considered a "1948 Case" (applying through a maternal line), which means only an immigration lawyer can file for petition for decent. I am confident I can collect all the birth/death/marriage certificates and have them translated, but I cannot get around the immigration lawyer in the 1948 rule.

I'm particularly interested in making an effort because my kids and their families will have greater opportunities starting w/ college and/or future job opportunities. For me - maybe a retirement opportunity though I don't necessarily feel I actually need citizenship for retirement alone. Thanks again for your thoughts!

I have dual EU (france) and US citizenship. It's a great thing to have and could end up being a great benefit to your kids. But for college, I think you need to be a resident to take advantage of tuition for Italian citizen. This goes for most European countries- it is basically no advantage for college having an EU passport.

If anyone can correct me on this, let's hear it. Would love to have this wrong.

[Anonymous]

Just as an FYI, OP, if you’d retire in another country, you can’t use your Medicare benefits. You will have to purchase private medical insurance.