Dual citizenship: which countries allow it

Dual citizenship is now the norm across much of the world: as of June 2026, roughly three quarters of the 195 UN member states accept it, up from just one third in 1960. But that acceptance is neither universal nor automatic: major countries such as China, India, Japan and most of the Gulf states expressly prohibit it, while in others —such as Japan or Singapore— you can hold two nationalities as a minor, but the law forces you to choose one upon reaching the age of majority.

This guide reviews which countries currently allow you to hold two passports, which ones require renunciation, and what Spain —the big special case— does with Ibero-American nationals. Before taking any step, remember: what determines whether you can hold two nationalities is the combination of both countries’ legislation, not just one of them.

Which European countries allow dual citizenship?

Most of the European Union now accepts dual citizenship, but the most recent shift is Germany’s: since June 27, 2024, the German citizenship modernization law allows naturalization without renouncing your previous nationality, and Germans can obtain foreign passports without losing their own (German citizenship). Previously, a retention permit (Beibehaltungsgenehmigung) was mandatory.

These European countries allow dual citizenship as a general rule:

• Spain: the most relevant case for readers from Latin America — nationals of Ibero-American countries are exempt from renouncing their nationality of origin, and Spain has dual nationality agreements with Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay and Peru (Mexico and Venezuela are not included). For everyone else, the theoretical renunciation is rarely enforced at the time of application (Spanish citizenship).
• France and the United Kingdom have accepted it without restrictions for decades (French citizenship, British citizenship).
• Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Romania, Croatia, Switzerland (except specific cantons under facilitated naturalization) and the Nordic countries except Denmark, which has allowed it since 2015.
• Germany (since 2024), Belgium, Hungary, Finland (since 2003) and Sweden (since 2001).

European countries that still restrict or prohibit it:

• Austria: general renunciation rule, with limited exceptions (born with both, exceptional merit, refugees). It is one of the best-known regimes for its strictness (Austrian citizenship).
• Netherlands: requires renunciation in ordinary naturalization, except in cases such as marriage to a Dutch national or if your country does not allow renunciation.
• Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia maintain variable restrictions, although the Baltic countries have been opening exceptions for their diasporas.

Which countries in the Americas allow dual citizenship?

Latin America is by far the world’s most open region to dual nationality. Barring very specific cases, the rule is total tolerance or express constitutional acceptance:

• Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela accept dual citizenship with no mandatory renunciation. The Chilean case goes even further: a 2025 regulation consolidated the right to keep it unless expressly renounced.
• Central American countries generally accept dual citizenship, with nuances: Panamanians by birth never lose it; for naturalization, each country file should be reviewed.
• In the Spanish-speaking Caribbean (Cuba, Dominican Republic) there is also de facto tolerance.

Spain is estimated to have more than 2.5 million registered Ibero-American dual nationals, making it one of the developed countries with the most holders of two passports.

If you want to know exactly what applies to your case, every TransitNous nationality file shows the cost, the residence timeframe and, where documented in law, whether renunciation is mandatory.

Is dual citizenship allowed in Asia and Oceania?

Asia is the most restrictive region, with huge differences:

• Expressly prohibit it: China (Chinese citizens who naturalize abroad lose their nationality automatically), India, Japan (adults must choose within a set period, and the law provides loss mechanisms if they don’t), Singapore (automatic loss upon naturalizing abroad), most of the Gulf (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar), Brunei, Kazakhstan, Indonesia and Malaysia.
• Accept it with nuances: South Korea allows keeping dual citizenship if you do not formally renounce the Korean one; Taiwan, the Philippines (former Filipinos can recover it under RA 9225), Israel, Turkey and Pakistan (the latter with bilateral agreements with Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, etc.).

Oceania is the opposite: Australia, New Zealand and Fiji allow dual citizenship without restrictions, and your migration plans in that region will almost never involve renunciations (Australian citizenship).

Africa: from the Nigerian prohibition to the opening of Kenya and South Africa

The recent trend in Africa is opening up. Kenya has allowed dual citizenship since its 2010 Constitution; Uganda authorized it by law in 2019 (except for specific public offices) and Tanzania maintains a strict renunciation regime with limited exceptions.

• Accept it: South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria (with the caveat that in the Nigerian case someone who naturalizes does not lose their original Nigerian nationality, only the acquired one), Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Ethiopia (for Ethiopians by origin: the Ethiopian origin card allows documenting yourself as a national without renouncing).
• Prohibit or restrict it: Tanzania, Rwanda, Malawi (until the 2019 reform), some monarchies of the north.

Which countries have a dual nationality agreement with Spain?

Given its relevance for Spanish-speaking readers, it deserves its own paragraph. Spain has bilateral agreements on dual nationality with 13 Ibero-American countries —Argentina (1971), Chile, Peru, Paraguay, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Bolivia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Colombia and Panama—, plus El Salvador with an equivalent regime, and Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal as privileged nationalities under Article 11.3 of the Civil Code. A national of these countries who naturalizes in Spain does not renounce their own; the sworn renunciation made during the procedure is, in these cases, purely declarative.

Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic need special attention because the rules on the other side change the outcome. That is why TransitNous files detail, for each country, whether the official sources contemplate mandatory renunciation or not.

Special case: India and the OCI card

India is the canonical example of prohibition: section 9(1) of its citizenship law provides that an Indian who voluntarily acquires another nationality loses the Indian one automatically, with no renunciation or additional procedure. For its vast diaspora, the country created the OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card: a lifelong status that allows you to live, work and enter without a visa, but which is not citizenship — it grants no Indian passport and no voting rights. If your family has Indian roots and you are considering naturalization in a third country, this is a fact you need to know before signing anything (Indian citizenship).

Children with dual citizenship from birth

An increasingly common phenomenon: children of binational couples who accumulate two or even three nationalities at birth by combining both parents’ ius sanguinis and, depending on the country of birth, ius soli. Panama, Costa Rica, the United States or Canada grant nationality to anyone born on their territory, so a child born in Panama to a Colombian mother and a Spanish father can hold three passports from day one (Panamanian citizenship). These cases involve no naturalization procedures: they are nationalities of origin, and each country’s legislation determines whether they are kept for life or must be “activated” at a certain age, as with the Japanese nationality option or the Belgian declaration.

The global trend: more openness, not less

The historical direction is clear and worth knowing for medium-term planning: since 1960, the share of countries accepting dual citizenship has grown from one third to three quarters. New reforms appear every year —Germany 2024, the relaxation for descendants in Italy (although Law 74/2025 limited generational ius sanguinis), Chile’s 2025 consolidation— that open or refine the framework. Closing exceptions are few and usually tied to specific political contexts.

What should you check before applying for a second citizenship?

1. Check both countries: you can only hold both nationalities if both legal systems allow it.
2. Watch your age: Japan and Singapore set limits on dual citizenship at the age of majority.
3. Mind the tax effect: holding two passports does not change your tax residence by itself, but renouncing —or not— can have consequences.
4. Stay current: laws change (Germany 2024, Italy 2025, Chile 2025, Switzerland debates regularly). Always confirm with official sources before making a decision.

In summary

Dual citizenship is the norm in Western Europe, Latin America and Oceania, but remains prohibited in China, India, Japan, Singapore, most of the Gulf states and specific European countries such as Austria. If you are Ibero-American, your case with Spain is especially favorable thanks to the historic bilateral agreements.

In our nationalities section you will find the details file by file: timeframes, renunciation requirements and documentation demanded by more than 190 countries with our own analysis.