it's 2024 and a lot of people are asking questions about getting a second passport an EU passport in particular and it makes sense an EU passport gives you access to 27 countries allowing you to live work and travel freely across Europe in today's video we're going to cover the easiest ways to get an EU passport in some of the most popular countries in the EU let's set expectations up front in many EU countries you can get citizenship but it takes 5 years of residency to become eligible while 5 years may seem lengthy all of these
countries offer Visa options that allow you to move now and start your residency Journey immediately and let's also just mention this assumes you don't have another rout to citizenship if you have parents or grandparents who are EU citizens or if you're married to an EU citizen you should likely start there so how does it work let's break down the process step one obtain temporary residency this could be through a digital nomad Visa retiree Visa investor visa whatever the case may be each option will allow you to live in the country of your choice and begin
your path to citizenship step two renew your residen most countries require you to renew these visas or permits within 1 to 3 years the step also typically means that you're going to have to show that you meet any kind of income requirements again step three Meet The Residency and language requirements before actually transitioning to citizenship a lot of countries are going to ask that you meet some qualification in terms of how long you've lived in the country over the past several years and or that you meet basic language requirements and can speak the national language
and finally step four apply for citizenship after completing the required number of years and any other requirements you'll be able to apply for citizenship once you get your EU passport you'll be able to enjoy all of the benefits that come along with it now let's explore the EU countries where you can get citizenship most quickly and easily meaning the Visa options that are going to get you there they aren't going to require that you have a work permit from a company within the country neither are they going to require a large investment of 500,000 yearo
all of these countries offer alternative rots they also happen to be some of the most popular destinations for expats we have five countries to discuss number five is Spain Spain offers a great Pathway to permanent residency after 5 years and then full Spanish citizenship at 10 years some of the most popular ways to get there include the non-lucrative Visa this Visa is perfect for anyone who does not need to work in Spain like retirees or anyone else with passive income for 2024 qualifying requires showing an income of at least 28,800 annually the digital Nomad Visa
is also a great route for Spain the requirement in this case is twice the minimum professional salary for 2024 that means earning at least € 2,646 per month or around $2,900 after 5 years you can apply for permanent residency and then at the 10e Mark you can apply for EU citizenship and get that Spanish passport keep in mind that Spain also ask for knowledge of the Spanish language and culture in order to get your citizenship number four is Greece Greece is another favorite with expats relocating to Europe it offers permanent residency in 5 years and
EU citizenship in 7 years here's how to get started the digital Nomad Visa is a great option for remote workers who are earning at least €3,500 per month you also qualify if you're self-employed or a business owner you can apply from home or if your passport allows for visa-free entry into Greece which it does in the case of the US and Canada and many other countries then you can actually apply for your 2-year residency permit from inside Greece there's also a retirement Visa in Greece it's known as the financial independent Visa this option requires a
monthly income of just €2,000 per month a major perk in Greece is that remote workers are not taxed on their foreign earned wages and if you have a foreign pension it's only taxed at 7% number three France after 5 years of continuous residency in France you'll be able to apply for that prized French passport you will need to show some basic French language skills and also that you are integrated into French society but first how will you get there in France the visc you're going to want to pay attention to is the Visa long sorry
to my college French teacher while France doesn't have specific visas for retirees or digital Nomads like these other countries that we're discussing they do have this Visa which is the go-to option for people that are in those categories it allows you to live in France for one year and then to renew and you can renew for consecutive years after five 5 years on this Visa you'll be eligible to apply for either a French 10-year residency card or citizenship I'll include a link in the description below to the French government website where you can learn more
number two is Italy Italy offers some great Visa options to allow you to acrew the amount of time you need in the country to get that permanent residency and citizenship first is the elective residency Visa this Visa is perfect for those with passive income like retirees the minimum income requirement is just $31,000 per year next is the digital Nomad Visa in Italy this is of course perfect for remote workers again or self-employed individuals this Visa requires proof of at least 28,000 per year in income to qualify you'll also need to demonstrate that you are a
highly skilled worker this could be through showing that you have a University degree or through showing several years of experience in Italy you're eligible for permanent residency after 5 years and after 10 eligible for citizenship just like Spain Italy also expects some knowledge of Italian language and culture to qualify for citizenship and number one on our list Portugal Portugal is at the top of our list because not only does it have great and accessible Visa options that don't require you to have a work permit in the country but it also allows you to get an
EU passport in just 5 years that is not typical and Portugal consistently tops the list of countries that are most popular for expats in fact it was rated the number one country to retire in by international living just last year two really popular Visa options in Portugal are first the D7 Visa perfect for retirees or other people with passive income like rental income there's a minimum monthly requirement here of only the Portuguese minimum wage which in 2024 is 820 a month next is the digital Nomad Visa which of course again is perfect if you are
able to work remotely for a company if you are self-employed or if you own your own business the additional Nomad Visa requires that you make four times Portugal's minimum wage so over 2024 that's € 3,280 per month after just 5 years of residency you'll qualify for either Portuguese permanent residency or citizen ship allowing you access to that incredible EU passport if you like this video please go ahead and subscribe to our Channel and if you are ready to make the move abroad yourself or you want to seriously consider your options and talk to someone knowledgeable
about it please sign up for a free 15-minute consultation at start abroad.com [Music]