Are you looking to become a Canadian citizen (perhaps you’ve read our full guide on that process), but you’re not sure if you want to give up the citizenship for your home country? For many dual citizenship is an option that will allow you to be a full citizen of both Canada and another country, so you enjoy the best of most worlds.
There are many benefits to adding a dual citizenship with Canada, and in this guide we’ll help you determine if that’s an option for you in your situation, and what steps to take going forward to become a dual citizen of Canada and your home country.
To start, you’ll want to know what countries allow dual citizenship, as it’s important to know. While there are too many for us to list them all, we can definitely list several of the stand out countries that allow for dual citizenships. Countries include: Australia, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Angola, Antigua, Barbados, Belize, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Egypt, Finland, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Switzerland and many more!
While many countries do allow dual citizenship, many don’t and if one acquires citizenship for another country they may be forced to choose, or in some cases automatically stripped of your citizenship. Examples include:
-Japan: Japan allows dual citizenship up to age 22, after which one must decide what nationality they want.
Don't Waste Money With Banks.
Get Exchange Rates Up to 2% Better With KnightsbridgeFX
-China: Chinese citizenship immediately revoked if you become a citizen of another country.
-Singapore: While Singapore has an exception for children born to Singaporean parents, they still force them to choose after age 21, giving a year to make the decision.
-Netherlands: The only way to have dual citizenship is if you’re married to a Dutch national.
-Nepal: No exceptions
-Myanmar: No exceptions
-Indonesia: At age 18 you must choose which nationality to keep.
-Laos: No exceptions.
-Malawi: Not after age 21.
-Kuwait: No exceptions.
The short answer is yes, as long as you live in the countries that allow you to hold multiple citizenships. Those countries generally don’t have any limit, once they allow dual citizenship meaning there is essentially no limit on how many citizenships you can hold.
On Canada’s end of the process, there isn’t an easy to have your citizenship revoked, however, it may be a requirement from another country to revoke your citizenship of Canada (or any other country) if you want to be a citizen there. That means the decision is up to you, and you’d have to go through the process of legally renouncing your Canadian citizenship. You can apply online, and there is an option for those who need to renounce is urgently as it is normally takes about 6 months. Keep in mind the cost, as you will have to pay a $100 fee to renounce your Canadian citizenship.
While we have a more detailed guide on how to gain citizenship in Canada, these are overall steps to gain your citizenship.
-You’ve already gained status as a permanent resident of Canada
-You have lived in Canada for a minimum of 60% of the last 5 years (1095 days), noting that days as a non-permanent resident only count for half days.
-You have legally filed your taxes for a minimum of three years
-You can fluently speak English or French, the two official languages of Canada
-You can pass a citizenship test
-You don’t have a disqualifying criminal record.
While you can check on all of these details on the government website, that’s a general overview of the eligibility for citizenship.
Once you’ve checked your eligibility, and completed all the above requirements, you’ll need to get the application package, put all your documents and proof together, pay your fees ($630 for adults) and submit the application.
Generally the length of time is about a year to process the entirety of your application, but can take much longer so it’s important to keep that in mind and maintain your eligibility throughout the process. If you need it urgently, there may be a process for you, though it isn’t a guarantee.
This answer varies from country to country, though it’s always safest to do your due diligence. If your other citizenship lies with a country that allows dual citizenship, you should have no problems. But, you’ll want to double check with both countries to find their rules and requirements.
If you’re maintaining dual citizenship between Canada and another country, you may find yourself frequently needing to exchange currency for yourself, or if you’re sending money to friends, family or loved ones. If you do, then Knightsbridge Foreign Exchange can help, as we have comprehensive exchange services (including the ability to transfer funds and make international payments on your behalf) all while providing the best currency exchange rates in Canada.
Sources:
https://flagtheory.com/dual-citizenship/
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/fees/fees.asp#citizenship
We are built to beat bank exchange rates and save you money
KnightsbridgeFx is registered with FINTRAC, under the MSB registration number M09819788. Like most financial institutions, we are required to validate the identity of all clients. We have strict measures in place to protect your privacy.
Our Offices
Main office (Appointment only)
First Canadian Place
100 King Street West
Suite 5700 Toronto, ON,
M5X 1C7
(416) 479-0834
Toll-Free: 1-877-355-5239
Fax: 1-877-355-5239
All rights reserved. Knightsbridge Foreign Exchange
Currency Exchange Canada.
