Second Citizenship Options for Iranian Nationals

Iran’s Low Ranking Passport

Iranian citizens are very limited when it comes to visa-free access and face several international sanctions imposed by a number of countries which unfortunately impacts Iranians ability to travel and invest in various jurisdictions. An Iranian passport holder can access just 50 destinations visa-free. That’s a modest 22% of the 227 countries and territories worldwide. The visa-free countries Iranians have access to equate to only 11.2% of the world’s international travel popularity. Iran’s visa-free list includes countries such as Georgia, Haiti, Zambia and Turkey and does not include destinations such as the EU, USA, China, or the UK. The reality is that when you consider the “quality” of those countries that Iranian citizens have access to, they equate to a mere 6.7% of the world’s GDP.

Second Passport Solutions

From La Vida’s experience of dealing with many Iranian nationals, we understand that global business links and education are some of the driving factors behind the desire for second citizenship in addition to visa-free access. Many Iranian’s wish to educate their children in the world’s top schools or universities located in Europe, the UK or the USA. Holding a second passport in one of these regions makes this goal a lot more achievable.

There is no ”one size fits all” approach when considering your second residency or citizenship options. All countries have their own visa-free travel list but it’s important to consider the quality of those countries included, taking factors such as GDP into consideration, as well as the combined value of countries with your current passport. La Vida’s unique Passport Value report does all of this and more and can be an invaluable tool in such decision making.

Here, we have analysed some of the most popular choices for Iranian citizens and explained why.

Top 3 Passport Recommendations for IRANIAN Citizens

IRANIAN with BULGARIAN second passport

The combination of an Iranian and Bulgarian passport yields the highest results and will grant the holder access to 188 destinations in total, which is a vast improvement from the 50 countries that a stand-alone Iranian passport offers. These countries represent 56.2% of the world’s GDP. Once applicants have gained Bulgarian citizenship they will have the right to live, work and study anywhere within the European Union. Bulgarian passport holders also enjoy visa-free travel to Australia, Russia, Switzerland, as well as Canada through their simple online visa authorisation system. Bulgaria’s Fast-Track Citizenship programme grants investors citizenship following 18 months of residency and an investment of €1,024,000. Iranians face no restrictions in applying for the Bulgarian programme. 

Iranian with Turkish second passport

An Iranian and Turkish passport combination gives the holder access to 126 destinations worldwide which equates to 27.6% of the worlds wealth measured by GDP. Although the figures are lower than some of the other options, Turkey is geographically and culturally closer to Iran so is popular for those who may be considering an option for the main purpose of relocating. One of the main attractions of Turkey is that they hold a E-2 Visa treaty with the US, so Turkish citizens have to ability to apply for US residency upon an additional investment. Investors can gain Turkish Citizenship within 3-6 months following a real estate investment of €250,000, plus fees.

Iranian with DOMINICAN second passport

Dominica is currently the only Caribbean country that does not totally prohibit Iranian’s from applying. Dominica will consider Iranian investors on a case by case basis providing they have resided outside of Iran for 10 years plus, and their funds are located outside of Iran. Pair a Dominican and Iranian passport and the world begins to open up. You gain access to 157 destinations worldwide, which includes the UK and the EU Schengen zone. Now you have visa-free access to 42.6% of the world’s GDP, a huge improvement on the 6.7% that a standalone Iranian Passport offers. Dominica’s Citizenship by Investment programme offers two main routes to investors, a Government donation option starting from $100,000, plus fees for single applicants and a real estate investment route from $220,000, plus fees.

To receive your full passport value analysis and assessment of the options available please contact our specialist consultants today.

 Source