See all Posts in the Wanderlust – A Travel Blog Series

Finding Your “Why”

I am on the cusp of obtaining dual citizenship with Luxembourg. The question I get is, “Why? What is the benefit of dual citizenship?”  

Luxembourg is a member of the European Union (EU). Becoming a citizen of Luxembourg means that I can enter and exit the EU and travel between member states as a citizen rather than as a foreigner. While this will result in shorter lines and less hassle at European borders, that is not the reason for doing this.  

One of the main benefits of becoming a citizen of an EU member state is that you do not need a visa for extended stays anywhere in the union. I have long dreamed of spending a year abroad in the south of France or Croatia. We have even considered buying property in the small Italian village where some of our ancestors originated. European Union citizenship makes this significantly less complicated and a real possibility.  

I have also contemplated working abroad. Luxembourg citizenship would give me the right to work in any of the 27 member states of the EU without the hassle of visas or work permits. As a retired person, this no longer has much allure for me, but my adult children look to piggyback on my status, giving them the option to work freely in the U.S. or in Europe.  

Citizens of Luxembourg, find that it has one of the best healthcare systems in Europe. The national health fund, Caisse Nationale de Santé, provides basic medical coverage to all citizens and is based on the principles of compulsory health insurance, free choice of provider and fixed fees for services. While it is a reimbursement model, the state typically covers 80 to 90 percent of healthcare costs, including dental.  

Citizens are also entitled to the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which allows EU citizens to receive medically necessary healthcare in any other EU country at the same cost or free of charge as it would be for citizens of the host country. 

The other benefit for our children and grandchildren is that the government heavily subsidizes public education at the university level. Registration fees for the University of Luxembourg currently range from 200 euro to 400 euro per semester. This feels almost free compared with higher education costs in the United States. 

Downsides

Dual citizenship is not all fairies and pixie dust. I will be expected to obey the laws of both Luxembourg and the U.S. I will also be expected to vote every five years in the Luxembourg national election. I will only owe taxes to the extent that I earn money in Europe. I don’t expect to do that as a retiree, but it would certainly complicate my tax returns if I did. I am also old enough that I no longer have any risk of compulsory military service.  

While it is unlikely to be an issue, as a citizen of Luxembourg, I may not have the same U.S. consular protections that U.S. citizens would have in an emergency requiring consular action. 

Immigration Pathways

Each country that allows dual citizenship has its own laws and pathways. Some countries do not allow it at all. Austria and the Netherlands, for example, require applicants to renounce your prior citizenship except under some very narrow circumstances. 

Immigration pathways typically follow one of three routes: naturalization, investment or descent. 

The naturalization pathway can be long and difficult. It often requires a set number of years of residency, learning the language and passing a citizenship test. 

The investment pathway is not much better. Six-figure investments and long residency requirements are the norm, not the exception.  

My path to Luxembourg citizenship is through descent. Luxembourg allows foreigners to apply for citizenship if they can prove lineage as far back as their grandparents. My great-great-grandfather was born in Luxembourg in 1843 and then emigrated to the U.S. My grandmother was born in the U.S. in 1891. 

I had to go through a reclamation process to establish her citizenship, based on her grandparents, before I could submit my application. This required finding baptismal, birth, marriage and death certificates dating back 175 years. I learned that the farther back in time you go, the less information and official documentation you may find. 

I also found that for very old records, churches often have better information than counties. Most Minnesota counties didn’t collect and store birth certificates until the early 1900s. We were lucky to find what we needed.  

Others may not be so lucky and find that citizenship by descent is impossible. It won’t be an option if the supporting documentation doesn’t exist. Depending on the country, there may be other challenges, as well. Some countries only allow citizenship by descent going back one generation and others only allow it through male lineage. 

If the “why” makes sense for you, and there is an immigration pathway that works, go for it. It never hurts to have options.