Why Venezuelans Should Get a Second Passport

It is no secret to anyone that Venezuela is going through an economic and political crisis. Every day, Venezuelan citizens have to face difficulties: Hyperinflation, corruption, shortages of public services such as electricity and water. Corruption and delinquency are just a few of the problems that individuals in Venezuela have to deal with on a daily basis. Nevertheless, one of the main problems that Venezuelans are enduring is a difficult process to get their personal identification. In Venezuela it is very hard for individuals to obtain an identity card or a passport that allows them to identify themselves as citizens of this country, denying them the possibility of traveling abroad.

Additionally, passports from Venezuela are losing their value, given that month after month more countries are demanding a visa for Venezuelans to be able to enter their territory. Currently, people are leaving the country massively, looking for a better life in other nations, far away from socialism, and it has become a problem for countries of Latin America that are unable to deal with this immense immigration that is coming to the country. Imposing a visa to Venezuelan citizens is a radical measure that foreign governments had to implement in order to reduce the number of immigrants that are coming to their territory. 

Knowing the difficulties that Venezuelans face when they need to obtain a passport and the reduced mobility around the world that this personal document grants to its owners, it is only fair that citizens from the country might look for alternatives in order to travel to different countries without having to deal with the problems that come with a Venezuelan passport. One of the most attractive solutions for this problem for wealthy Venezuelans is to obtain a second passport from another country. 

If you are looking for a second passport for Venezuelans, you have plenty of options. Apart from the common alternatives to obtain second citizenship such as marrying an individual from another country or having ancestors from other parts of the world that they can demonstrate to authorities, there is another option that may interest Venezuelans that want to easily get a passport that also lets them enter a wide variety of countries without needing a visa.

Citizenship by investment is a possibility that many countries have created to attract entrepreneurs to spend and make business inside their territory, granting investors the option of owning a passport from the country. There are various states around the world that have this program, some of the more interesting options are:

• Turkey: With a $250,000 real estate investment you can become a Turkish citizen and travel visa-free to over 100 countries, including Schengen. Plus, you can apply for an American E-2 visa.

• Grenada: With a $220,000 real estate investment you can become a Grenadian citizen. This will give you visa-free access to Schengen, the UK, Russia, and China. Plus, you can apply from an American E-2 visa. Further, this is one of the most extensive programs, allowing dependent children, parents, grandparents, and dependent unmarried siblings of the main applicant and his/her spouse.

• Montenegro: With a real estate investment between €250,000 and €450,000 (depending on where you invest in the country), you can receive a Montenegrin passport. Montenegro also has an E-2 treaty with the US and is set to become an EU member in 2025.