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The Real Perks of Dual and Triple Citizenship (From Someone Who’s Lived It)
Hello, my loves, and welcome back to the Wanderlover Podcast. Today we’re diving into a topic that so many of you ask and DM me about, especially after hearing my journey living abroad. First as a single gal, then as a couple, and now as a family of three. This week, I’m sharing the real perks of dual and even triple citizenship.
For those of you who don’t know, I am American. My husband is British, and our baby was born in Brazil earlier this year with triple citizenship—American, British, and Brazilian. Ragz and I are now in the process of getting Brazilian citizenship ourselves, which would make us both dual citizens. I love talking about this topic, so whether you’re a full-time traveler, an aspiring digital nomad, planning to have a family abroad, or simply curious about what’s possible with multiple citizenships, this episode will open your mind to a whole new world.
How My Citizenship Journey Started
I’ve been traveling extensively for the past 12 years, starting with studying abroad twice in college, then backpacking solo and volunteering abroad. After graduating and quitting my corporate job, I’ve basically lived abroad and traveled full-time since 2018 – so for almost eight years now.
When you travel, you learn so much about other countries and cultures. Sometimes you realize that your home country might not be the best for what you want to do or how you envision your life. After reading a book by Nomad Capitalist, I knew I wanted to have my children abroad, especially not in America, but that’s a story for another day.
Over the past decade, I’ve navigated visas, residency, healthcare, and business structures. I’ve seen firsthand how citizenship shapes your lifestyle and your opportunities. We live in such a global world now where everything and everyone is connected through social media and the internet. We can make money online from anywhere and live anywhere. It is truly such a privilege and an exciting time to be alive. Because my business is online, it’s incredibly important for me to be able to work from anywhere and stay as long as I’d like, and to invest in the places I want to be.
A Quick Disclaimer
Everything I’m sharing is based on my personal experience as an American citizen. I was born in China and had Chinese citizenship until I was a teenager, but had to give it up when I naturalized in the United States. So I know this doesn’t apply to all countries. China doesn’t allow dual citizenship; Indonesia makes you choose. But here’s what’s crazy: most people who do qualify for dual citizenship don’t even realize the options they already have or could obtain by choice.
Historically, citizenship was only acquired by birth, ancestry, or purchasing it. Many people think dual citizenship is elite or unattainable, but many countries offer it through descent, marriage, birth, investment, contribution, entrepreneurship, or residency. If you’re a digital nomad or an international family, I want to open your eyes to the opportunities that most people don’t realize exist.
What Multiple Citizenship Actually Gives You
When I tell people I wanted to give Leven three passports, or that I wanted to become a Brazilian citizen, the first question is always: Why?
Most Americans say, “Brazilians are all trying to immigrate to America, why would you want to go there?”
Here’s why:
Visa-Free Travel and Global Mobility
Different passports unlock different parts of the world. Some get you into Europe easily; some open up South America, some Asia or Africa. When you have more than one passport, your freedom multiplies. You can enter a country with the passport that treats you best and lets you stay the longest.
The Right to Live, Work, and Stay Without a Visa
This is massive. I’ve stayed in countries as an American where I had to do multiple visa runs just to stay longer. As a digital nomad, sometimes you simply want to stay without leaving. Citizenship gives you permanent permission to:
- start a business
- buy property
- send your kids to school
- access healthcare
- live indefinitely without being kicked out
It changes how you structure your life as a nomad and as a family.
With Brazilian citizenship, we get automatic access to Mercosur, which is huge for mobility. This means we can live and work long-term in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, Bolivia with far fewer restrictions. We could move to Buenos Aires or Santiago without long, complicated visa processes.
Generational Benefits
Your children often automatically inherit your citizenships. You’re not just changing your life, you’re changing the life of your entire family tree.
Imagine your kids being able to study, work, and live across multiple continents without international tuition fees. That is one of the biggest gifts you can give them.
Access to Multiple Healthcare Systems
Not relying on one country’s healthcare system is a game changer, especially as an American, where healthcare can be extremely expensive.
In the UK and Brazil, for example, they have universal healthcare. In Brazil, the Seuss system is truly universal. Free emergency care, free routine care, free maternal care, free hospitalization—even for tourists.
We’ve used it for some of Leven’s vaccines. The other day, we passed a cancer research center run by Seuss. Completely free. In the US, that would be millions of dollars without insurance.
Access to Multiple Education Systems
International students pay significantly more for university. Because Leven has triple citizenship, he won’t need to pay international tuition at US, UK, or Brazilian institutions. Future schooling also becomes flexible, do we want him learning Portuguese in Brazil, or studying in England? Options matter.
More Business Opportunities and Better Tax Structures
Different citizenships offer access to better tax systems, easier company registration, different bank accounts, investment markets, grants, incentives, and more.
For example, high-yield savings accounts in Brazil right now are around 10–15% interest. In the US, they’re around 4%.
Because I’m a resident abroad, I can also leverage the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE) to deduct $130,000 in taxable income using the bona fide residence test instead of the physical presence test. When you play internationally, you gain leverage.
You can check out the full blog post on how to navigate taxes as a digital nomad here.
Safety, Security, and Stability
Your home country may be stable today, but what about in 10 or 20 years? What if there’s a war or a draft? Multiple citizenships give you security and options.
Our Experience With Birth Tourism and Brazil
After reading Nomad Capitalist, the concept of birth tourism stood out as one of the most powerful long-term freedom strategies for global families. You get:
- a baby with a lifelong freedom passport
- residency pathways for parents
- more mobility
- diversification
- better business and tax options
- low-cost, high-quality maternity care
- generational advantages
I flew to Brazil at 28 weeks pregnant. Brazil offers jus soli, meaning citizenship by being born on Brazilian soil. We considered other countries, but I knew I wanted an elective C-section, high-quality doctors, and a sunny environment for my last trimester and postpartum period. Rio checked every box.
Having our baby in Brazil gave him citizenship automatically. It gave us a pathway to residency and, eventually, citizenship for ourselves. Brazil has been an emerging market for decades, and Florianópolis has an incredible tech and digital nomad scene—with conveniences similar to any major developed country.
Brazilian citizenship also unlocks full access to South America and creates residency pathways in other countries. We love the culture, food, music, beaches, and the lifestyle. The healthcare options are incredible. If anything happens, we can see a doctor or go to a hospital for free. The worldview here is so good for our mental and physical health.
How People Qualify for Multiple Citizenship
Some people qualify through:
- descent (parents, grandparents, even great-grandparents)
- birth (jus soli countries)
- marriage
- residency
- investment
- cultural, historical, or humanitarian programs
Many people are sitting on eligibility without realizing it. If you’re already traveling full-time or in any of my communities, you’re already closer to these opportunities than you think.
If today’s episode sparks ideas and possibilities, if you want the freedom to live abroad, build a digital nomad business, raise global kids, and design a life on your own terms, you can learn more inside the Digital Nomad Society. I teach you how to set up your business and life so you can work from anywhere.
Thank you so much for tuning in. Have an amazing week, my loves. I’ll see you in the next episode.
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