With election day officially here, anxiety over who will be the next US president is hitting a fever pitch—and searches for “easiest countries to get citizenship” are surging. In recent months, a wave of travel-minded Americans have been forming a plan B if the election’s results don’t go the way they’d hoped: According to the American Bar Association, immigration lawyers across the US have reported a jump in the number of inquiries into obtaining a second passport or residency in another country.
For those looking for a second passport or permanent residence abroad, there are a couple of options. The first is to obtain a passport by ancestry in a country where a parent or grandparent was born; the second is through “golden passport” or visa programs that offer citizenship or residency in exchange for a significant donation or investment. The easiest countries to get citizenship are located in the Caribbean and Europe, two of the most popular regions for golden passport schemes. “Most people are interested in gaining citizenship in European Union countries, which brings flexibility by allowing people to study or take a job within the 27-nation group without additional visas, attorneys say,” according to the American Bar Association’s report.
Although election anxiety is likely the driving force behind many of the inquiries, these programs are also popular among travelers taking advantage of remote work policies or planning for retirement. Whatever your reason for seeking dual citizenship, here are seven nations with a fairly straightforward process for obtaining a second passport or permanent residency status.