Why UK Nationals Are Looking at Second Passports in 2026
Brexit changed the calculus for British nationals in a way that was easy to underestimate in 2016 and hard to deny in 2026.
Until the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December 2020, a British passport was, in practice, an EU passport. UK nationals could live, work, study, and travel across the EU member states without restriction, access the Schengen Area without border checks, and relocate within Europe on a whim. EU citizenship was a background right that most British people never actively thought about, because they did not need to.
That right is gone. UK nationals now require visas to work in most EU countries, cannot move to France or Germany as a matter of right, and face immigration controls at Schengen borders. UK nationals living within the EU before the Brexit transition deadline retain protected rights under the EU Settlement Scheme equivalents in each member state — but those rights do not extend to their children if the children were not themselves resident in the EU before the deadline, and they do not protect UK nationals who move to Europe now.
The result is a very large, very motivated population of UK nationals — those already living abroad, those considering relocation, those who travel extensively for business, and those who simply want their family's options to remain open — who are actively seeking EU residency or a second citizenship.
We work with a significant number of UK clients. This guide is specifically designed for them.
The Core Reasons UK Expats Seek Second Citizenship
Schengen mobility. For UK nationals based outside the EU — in Asia, the Gulf, or elsewhere — frequent travel to Europe now means managing the 90-days-in-180 Schengen visitor limit. Business travellers, consultants with European clients, and those with family across the EU find this constraint genuinely restrictive. EU residency or citizenship removes it.
EU access for work and business. UK nationals who want to live and work in an EU country need to meet that country's own immigration criteria — work permit, job offer, points-based system, or investment visa. There is no universal EU route. An EU passport or EU permanent residency resolves this without a country-by-country application.
Future-proofing for family. Many UK expats with children or grandchildren growing up in an era of increasing global restriction see a second citizenship — particularly an EU one — as a permanent asset they can pass on. An EU passport provides the next generation with access to the EU's education, employment, and healthcare systems.
Backup passport utility. Political uncertainty in the UK, concerns about long-term UK economic performance, or simply the desire for optionality drive some UK nationals to acquire a Caribbean CBI passport as a backup travel document providing access to 130–140 countries independently of the British passport.
Business interests and tax planning. For UK entrepreneurs and executives with international business structures, a second citizenship in a lower-tax jurisdiction can form part of a legitimate tax planning strategy — provided the individual genuinely relocates. We cover the tax reality in detail below.
The Most Relevant Programmes for UK Nationals
Portugal Golden Visa: EU Residency and the Path to an EU Passport
Portugal is the most recommended EU programme for UK nationals in 2026. It combines a relatively accessible investment threshold with a minimal physical presence requirement and a five-year path to full EU citizenship.
Investment options (2026): All real estate routes — residential and commercial, in every area including low-density zones — were removed from the qualifying investment list in October 2023. Current qualifying routes include:
- €500,000 in a CMVM-regulated qualifying investment fund, including private equity and venture capital funds (the fund must not invest, directly or indirectly, in real estate) — see our separate guide on fund-route citizenship
- €250,000 in cultural production, artistic restoration, or national heritage preservation (reduced in some low-density-area projects)
- €500,000 in scientific or technological research activities
- Job creation, or capitalisation of a Portuguese business creating jobs
Physical presence: Seven days per year in Portugal. This is among the lowest minimum presence requirements of any programme in the world and is the defining feature of Portugal's programme for clients whose primary life is elsewhere.
Citizenship timeline: Five years from the first permit issuance. A2-level Portuguese language proficiency is required for the citizenship application. A2 is beginner-to-intermediate level — conversational basics rather than fluency — and is achievable with 80–120 hours of structured study. We connect clients with online language tutors from year two to avoid last-minute pressure.
The passport: Portugal's passport provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to approximately 190 countries. For UK nationals, this provides everything a British passport already provides, plus unrestricted EU rights. A Portuguese passport holder living in the UAE, for example, can work anywhere in the EU, travel throughout the Schengen Area without controls, and maintain full British citizenship simultaneously.
Greece Golden Visa: Lower Entry Cost, Direct Property
Greece offers one of the few remaining direct property investment routes to EU residency in Europe. For UK nationals who want to own a physical asset — in Athens, Mykonos, Santorini, or other Greek markets — this is frequently our preferred recommendation, though the 2024 reforms raised the thresholds substantially in the most popular areas (see below).
Investment options (2026):
- €800,000 minimum for property in high-demand areas — Attica (including Athens), Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, and islands with more than 3,100 inhabitants (single unit of at least 120 m²)
- €400,000 minimum for residential property in all other regions of Greece (single unit of at least 120 m²)
- €250,000 nationwide for specific projects only (commercial-to-residential conversions and restorations of listed buildings)
Physical presence: None required to maintain the residency permit. This is the most permissive regime available in the EU.
Citizenship timeline: Seven years of residency, with a B1-level Greek language test and integration assessment at the naturalisation stage. Seven years is longer than Portugal's five years, and B1 Greek requires more language study than A2 Portuguese. For UK clients who are strongly motivated by property investment and are comfortable with the longer timeline, Greece is an excellent programme.
The passport: Greek citizenship is full EU citizenship. A Greek passport provides access to approximately 190 countries and all EU member state rights.
Caribbean CBI: The Backup Passport
Several UK nationals we work with are not focused on EU access at all — they want a reliable second passport as a backup travel document, a means of entering certain markets more easily, or the beginning of a tax residency structure outside the UK.
Caribbean citizenship by investment programmes provide rapid, relatively affordable citizenship — direct citizenship, not residency-to-citizenship — within three to six months and at investment levels typically ranging from $200,000 to $250,000 in a government development fund, or from $300,000 upwards in approved real estate.
The most relevant Caribbean programmes for UK nationals:
Grenada (from $235,000 in the NTF): The only Caribbean citizenship that comes with access to the E-2 Treaty Investor Visa pathway to the United States. For UK nationals who are interested in US residency as a longer-term objective, this is a meaningful differentiator. Grenada passport provides Schengen visa-free access and approximately 140 countries visa-free or visa-on-arrival.
St Kitts and Nevis (from $250,000 in the SISC): The oldest CBI programme in the world, established in 1984. The Sustainable Island State Contribution (SISC) replaced the former Sustainable Growth Fund as the donation route in 2024. Strong global recognition. Visa-free access to approximately 150 countries, including the Schengen Area and the UK (note: St Kitts passport holders do not currently need a UK visa). Processing in three to four months under the accelerated timeline.
Dominica (from $200,000 in the EDF): The most affordable Caribbean option. Schengen access retained. Approximately 140 countries visa-free. Processing in three to five months. Dominica is a Commonwealth nation — there may be some cultural familiarity for UK clients.
Antigua and Barbuda (from $230,000 in the NDF): Includes a requirement to spend five days in Antigua in the first five years of citizenship (the only significant residency condition in Caribbean CBI). Approximately 150 countries visa-free including Schengen.
We conduct a full programme comparison for each client based on their specific travel patterns, business interests, family composition, and budget.
UK Documents: What You Need and How to Get Them
All CBI and RBI programmes require extensive personal documentation from each applicant and included family member. For UK nationals, the following documents are commonly required — and all typically need to be apostilled by the FCDO.
Birth certificate. You need a full birth certificate (not the short form). Obtain a certified copy from the General Register Office (GRO) in the UK. Once you have the GRO-issued original, it can be apostilled by the FCDO Legalisation Office. Processing: GRO typically takes 4 working days (priority) or up to 15 working days (standard). FCDO apostille: 3 working days (premium) or up to 10 working days (standard).
UK police clearance (ACRO). This is not the same as a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check used for employment in the UK. You need an International Child Protection Certificate (ICPC) or a police certificate specifically for immigration purposes, issued by ACRO (the ACRO Criminal Records Office). ACRO certificates are apostilled as part of the service — you do not need a separate FCDO step for these. Processing: approximately 10 working days via the ACRO online service.
Passport certified copies. Most programmes require certified copies of all passport pages (current and previous passports). These are typically certified by a notary public rather than apostilled. Many UK expats use a notary in their country of residence.
Marriage certificate (if applicable). Full marriage certificate from the General Register Office (for England and Wales), National Records of Scotland, or General Register Office for Northern Ireland, as appropriate. Apostilled via FCDO in the same process as the birth certificate.
If you have changed name (deed poll or statutory declaration). A certified copy of the deed poll or statutory declaration, apostilled by the FCDO.
Proof of address. Bank statements, utility bills, and similar documents are typically required in original or notarised copy form. For UK expats who no longer have a UK address, this may require using overseas documentation — many programmes accept this provided it is notarised in the country of issue.
One important note: document requirements vary between programmes and are updated periodically. We provide each client with a tailored document checklist at the outset of the engagement, matched to the specific programme they are applying to.
UK Dual Citizenship: The Legal Position
The United Kingdom permits its citizens to hold dual or multiple nationality. There is no requirement under UK law to renounce British citizenship when acquiring a second passport. Nor does acquiring a foreign citizenship automatically result in any change to your British citizenship status.
The British Nationality Act 1981 is clear on this point. British citizenship acquired at birth is not lost by voluntary acquisition of another citizenship. You can hold a Portuguese, Greek, Grenadian, or any other second citizenship simultaneously with your British passport.
The constraint to check is on the other side: the target country's rules. Some countries require renunciation of prior citizenship upon naturalisation — China, India, and several Middle Eastern states operate on this basis. If you are planning to acquire citizenship from a country with a renunciation requirement, you need to understand the implications before applying. Caribbean CBI nations and EU programmes (Portugal, Greece, Malta) all permit dual citizenship — there is no renunciation required.
A separate practical point: UK nationals who acquire a foreign nationality must still use their British passport for entry to and exit from the United Kingdom, under the Immigration Act. This is a travel formality, not a legal restriction on dual citizenship — but it is worth knowing.
Tax Planning: What a Second Citizenship Does — and Does Not — Do
This is the section that matters most, and where we are most direct with clients.
Acquiring a second citizenship or foreign residency permit does not, by itself, change your UK tax position. UK tax liability is determined by the UK Statutory Residence Test (SRT), which looks at your physical presence in the UK, the number of UK ties you have (UK home, UK work, UK family, substantive UK employer), and whether you meet defined thresholds for UK residency.
A Grenada passport sitting in your drawer while you continue to live in London, travel to the UK more than 90 days a year, and maintain a UK home has zero impact on your UK tax liability. HMRC does not consider the existence of a foreign passport or residency permit in its assessment of whether you are UK tax resident.
To change your UK tax position, you need to genuinely leave the United Kingdom. This means:
- Meeting the SRT leavers' conditions (typically, spending no more than 90 days in the UK per tax year, or no more than 45 days in the UK if you retain significant UK ties)
- Notifying HMRC of your departure via a P85 form
- Establishing genuine tax residency in another jurisdiction — which requires that jurisdiction's own presence tests to be met
- Where applicable, ceasing to maintain a UK home accessible to you (this is a particularly sensitive SRT tie)
The second citizenship or residency permit then supports your life in the new jurisdiction. It enables you to live and work in that country with the right to do so — which is a real and practical benefit. It may provide a passport for travel from that location. But it is the move, not the document, that changes your tax profile.
We are transparent about this because we have seen clients arrive with unrealistic expectations — sometimes based on advice from unqualified sources — that a passport purchase is a tax planning tool in isolation. It is not. For genuine tax planning around emigration, we work alongside qualified international tax advisers who understand the SRT, the relevant double tax treaty network, and the tax rules in the destination jurisdiction.
Common Mistakes UK Expats Make
Not apostilling documents before starting the application. UK document authentication takes time — particularly if documents need to be ordered from the GRO before they can be apostilled. UK clients who start an application without this in hand often add weeks to their timeline unnecessarily. We produce a document checklist at engagement and manage this process from day one.
Assuming the EU residency permit solves Schengen access immediately. Portugal and Greece residency permits do grant Schengen residency rights, but the permit takes time to issue — typically 6–12 months from application in Portugal's current processing environment. During that period, applicants are in a waiting status and cannot rely on the permit for travel.
Buying property through the wrong structure for the RBI application. Some clients purchase Greek property (Portugal no longer has a property route) before engaging with an adviser and find the ownership structure — company purchase, joint purchase with a non-eligible partner, below-threshold price, or a unit under the 120 m² minimum — does not qualify for the Golden Visa. The property purchase and the residency application must be structured together from the outset.
Ignoring inheritance planning. UK nationals who acquire property in Portugal or Greece are subject to that country's inheritance rules on those assets. In some cases, this creates complexity against the backdrop of UK domicile rules. We flag this early and refer clients to cross-border estate planning specialists.
Choosing the cheapest Caribbean programme without assessing travel needs. The cheapest option is not always the most valuable. A client who pays $230,000 for a Dominica passport but actually needs Schengen access has purchased the right thing. A client who pays $235,000 for Grenada and later wants to pursue a US E-2 visa has done something that cannot be replicated with any other Caribbean programme. The programme must fit the client's actual objectives.
Treating the process as faster than it is. Caribbean CBI: three to six months. Portugal Golden Visa permit: six to twelve months. Greek Golden Visa permit: three to six months. None of these are immediate. UK clients who urgently need a second passport for travel or business should begin the process early, not under time pressure.
Compliance Caveat
Citizenship and residency laws change. The Brexit transition and the subsequent evolution of EU-UK immigration relations have demonstrated that long-standing rights can be withdrawn with limited individual notice. Programme rules, investment thresholds, and processing timelines described in this guide reflect the position as of June 2026. Nothing in this guide constitutes legal, tax, or immigration advice. Independent advice from a qualified immigration lawyer and, where relevant, an international tax adviser should be obtained before taking any action. Investments may fall in value as well as rise.
How Global Investments Can Help
We work specifically with UK nationals at every stage of the citizenship and residency planning process. Our team understands the particular position UK clients are in post-Brexit — the documentation requirements, the dual citizenship rules, the UK tax considerations, and the travel and lifestyle objectives that drive the decision to seek a second passport or EU residency.
Our process begins with a structured consultation covering your current position (UK resident or expat, primary travel needs, family composition, budget, timeline), your objectives (EU access, travel document quality, tax planning context, specific lifestyle goals), and your constraints (language, property vs fund preference, minimum presence tolerance).
From that assessment, we produce a programme recommendation and a roadmap — investment structure, document preparation, application sequence, and citizenship timeline. We do not recommend programmes speculatively; we recommend the one that fits.
For UK nationals at the earlier stages — curious about options but not yet committed — we offer an initial consultation with no obligation to proceed. We will give you a plain-English assessment of the most relevant routes for your situation and what each genuinely requires. Contact our citizenship team to start that conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the UK allow dual citizenship?
Yes. The United Kingdom permits its citizens to hold dual or multiple nationality. There is no requirement to renounce British citizenship when acquiring a second passport, and becoming a citizen of another country does not automatically affect your British citizenship. You should check whether your target country permits dual citizenship, as some jurisdictions require renunciation of previous nationalities — but the UK side presents no obstacle.
How do UK documents need to be apostilled for CBI or RBI applications?
Most citizenship and residency programmes require UK documents — birth certificates, police clearance letters, marriage certificates, name change records — to be apostilled under the Hague Convention. The UK apostille is issued by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). You must first obtain an official certified copy of the original document (for example, from the General Register Office for birth certificates), then submit it to the FCDO Legalisation Office for apostille. Processing times are currently 5–10 working days for the standard service and 3 working days for the premium service. Police clearance must be obtained from the ACRO Criminal Records Office (ACRO) — not a local police station — and is already issued with the relevant authentication. We manage this process as part of our full-service offering.
Will a second citizenship or residency help me escape UK tax?
Not automatically — and this is where many applicants have badly miscalculated. UK tax liability is determined by your UK tax residence status, which is governed by the Statutory Residence Test (SRT). Acquiring a foreign passport or residency permit does not, by itself, affect your UK tax residence. If you continue to spend significant time in the UK, maintain a UK home, or have close UK ties, you may remain UK tax resident regardless of any foreign residency or passport you hold. To change your UK tax residence status, you need to genuinely relocate — meeting the SRT 'leavers' conditions, reducing UK ties, and typically spending no more than 90 days per year in the UK. The second citizenship or residency may then support your tax-efficient life abroad, but it is the relocation that triggers the change, not the document.
Which EU residency programme is fastest for UK nationals?
Portugal's Golden Visa is the fastest route to EU residency that leads to EU citizenship, with permit processing typically within 6–12 months of application and a five-year path to a Portuguese passport. Greece's Golden Visa can issue a residency permit within 3–6 months but requires seven years to citizenship. For immediate EU access — not citizenship — a Non-Lucrative Visa in Spain or a Digital Nomad Visa in Portugal or Spain can be obtained more quickly, but these do not lead to citizenship on their own without genuine residence.
What is the best Caribbean CBI programme for UK nationals?
The best Caribbean programme depends on your specific travel, tax, and lifestyle objectives. For UK nationals seeking maximum travel access, Grenada (E-2 treaty pathway to US) or St Kitts (one of the oldest and most recognised programmes) are typically the strongest options. Dominica offers lower costs and retained Schengen access. We conduct a programme-matching assessment for each client based on their specific profile.
Can I apply for a CBI programme while living abroad — not in the UK?
Yes. Most CBI and RBI programmes accept applications regardless of where the applicant currently resides. The relevant factor is nationality, not current address. UK expats based in the UAE, Singapore, Hong Kong, or elsewhere apply through exactly the same process as UK residents. You will still need to apostille UK documents through the FCDO in the normal way.
This guide is for general information only and does not constitute legal, financial or immigration advice. Programme details change; verify current requirements with a qualified immigration lawyer before making any investment or application. Investment values can fall as well as rise.