[Misc] NSC most cosmopolitan poster

[Herr Tubthumper]

In terms of passports before you accuse me of fishing for compliments.

A discussion in another thread got me thinking this.

I used to work with someone who held 3 (UK, Greece and US) I know many who hold 2, obvs loads with 1 and @GT49er brings up the rear with 0.

Anyone with 4 or more? Any interesting stories of paths to dual/multiple citizenship?

 

[Berty23]

I have Canadian citizenship through my mum who spent some of her childhood there because my grandad was an RAF doctor and involved in some space race type stuff. He died in a car accident when mum was about 5 and by the time they came back they were Canadian citizens. I have never actually used it but my brother emigrated to Canada in 2008.

Interesting story from my dad’s side. His dad was polish (although his town is part of Ukraine post Nazis) and he fled here in the 1940s as did my Slovakian gran (babicka I called her) so I could claim polish or Slovakian passports if I really wanted to.

But I was born here (as was dad) and only actually hold one current passport.

 

[Swegulls]

I watched The Jackal last night and he's got plenty. More seriously, what's the rules when it comes to this? Any upper limit? Depends where you come from? I guess you can't get that many during a lifetime, just by staying X years in a country and then apply for it?

 

[Hamilton]

I am a citizen of the world.

Does that count?

 

[Peacehaven Wild Kids]

I’m still optimistic of a Scottish/EU passport one day

 

[JetsetJimbo]

I have two nationalities and passports for each, but I'm also eligible for a third that I've never bothered to claim

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I watched The Jackal last night and he's got plenty. More seriously, what's the rules when it comes to this? Any upper limit? Depends where you come from? I guess you can't get that many during a lifetime, just by staying X years in a country and then apply for it?

I do not think there's an upper-limit. Some countries might ask you to give-up your former passport if you become naturalised; this was the case for 'third country' passport holders in Germany until a very recent law change. For example, prior to the law change, US citizens had to relinquish the US passport if they wanted to obtain a German one via naturalisation.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I have Canadian citizenship through my mum who spent some of her childhood there because my grandad was an RAF doctor and involved in some space race type stuff. He died in a car accident when mum was about 5 and by the time they came back they were Canadian citizens. I have never actually used it but my brother emigrated to Canada in 2008.

Interesting story from my dad’s side. His dad was polish (although his town is part of Ukraine post Nazis) and he fled here in the 1940s as did my Slovakian gran (babicka I called her) so I could claim polish or Slovakian passports if I really wanted to.

But I was born here (as was dad) and only actually hold one current passport.

If you're the decendent of a family which fled Germany because of the Nazi's you automatically qualify for a German passport. I know a US guy who has a German passport because of this.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

As an aside, I'm quite fascinated by the whole idea of national identity especially when you have mixed parents and grandparents and/or move around a lot.

 

[Happy Exile]

As an aside, I'm quite fascinated by the whole idea of national identity especially when you have mixed parents and grandparents and/or move around a lot.

I had a conversation recently with an American woman about this recently. She described herself as Italian-American - she's never been to Italy, doesn't speak Italian, neither do either of her parents. You have to go back four generations before you get to the bits of her family that emigrated from Italy, yet as far as she was concerned she was just as Italian as she was American and said she even introduced herself to Italian people as if she was "one of them" (her words). The one that fascinates me most is the strength of "Irishness" in the Irish diaspora...that diaspora is 15x the population of Ireland itself and often seems as proudly, if not more proudly, Irish than many in Ireland itself. In reference to the above - go back four generations and part of my family is Irish...but I'd never consider myself Irish-English or part of the wider Irish community in England.

 

[Cheggers]

I spent a week in Benidorm in 1983. Gracias por favor.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I had a conversation recently with an American woman about this recently. She described herself as Italian-American - she's never been to Italy, doesn't speak Italian, neither do either of her parents. You have to go back four generations before you get to the bits of her family that emigrated from Italy, yet as far as she was concerned she was just as Italian as she was American and said she even introduced herself to Italian people as if she was "one of them" (her words). The one that fascinates me most is the strength of "Irishness" in the Irish diaspora...that diaspora is 15x the population of Ireland itself and often seems as proudly, if not more proudly, Irish than many in Ireland itself. In reference to the above - go back four generations and part of my family is Irish...but I'd never consider myself Irish-English or part of the wider Irish community in England.

This is quite a common thought in the US. It's a nation built on immigration so I guess this is where it comes from. Mainland Europe is quite different, i'm not sure many care much about their distant accenstry especially when there's often a lot going on more recently with mixed parentage, border changes, country changes, displaced due to war etc.

 

[South Stand Bonfire]

I have my UK one and my Irish EU one to jump the passport queue at European away days.

 

[AK74]

When I was constantly travelling for work (pre-COVID), I had two UK passports. One was 'clean' and used for travelling to regular places, the other was 'dirty' and had all my visas for unusual destinations. This gave me flexibility, and was definitely beneficial (although work-related travel stops being fun after a handful of trips). I had to submit a justification letter from my employers with the second application, and the process was relatively simple. My 'dirty' one expired last year, and won't be renewed.

I also qualify for a Polish passport, and keep meaning to obtain this.

 

[Coldeanseagull]

Being English, I have but one passport......that seems enough to allow me to travel to the colonies and beyond if needed

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

The one that fascinates me most is the strength of "Irishness" in the Irish diaspora...that diaspora is 15x the population of Ireland itself and often seems as proudly, if not more proudly, Irish than many in Ireland itself. In reference to the above - go back four generations and part of my family is Irish...but I'd never consider myself Irish-English or part of the wider Irish community in England.

That Irish situation is a bit weird in the US. Many millions of Americans claim Irish descent when there is no evidence of Irish heritage in their family, it has simply become trendy. The way Americans define themselves is a bit odd as well, probably due to the war of independence, it hasn't always been favourable to state English ancestry, this has led to a greater number of citizens claiming they are from more recent immigrant waves. English Americans are additionally more likely to define themselves as just 'American' as generally their family has been there far longer than most other European settlers.

If you're the decendent of a family which fled Germany because of the Nazi's you automatically qualify for a German passport. I know a US guy who has a German passport because of this.

I wonder how easy it is to prove this? Are the checks stringent, does such documentation exist?

 

[South Stand Bonfire]

I had a conversation recently with an American woman about this recently. She described herself as Italian-American - she's never been to Italy, doesn't speak Italian, neither do either of her parents. You have to go back four generations before you get to the bits of her family that emigrated from Italy, yet as far as she was concerned she was just as Italian as she was American and said she even introduced herself to Italian people as if she was "one of them" (her words). The one that fascinates me most is the strength of "Irishness" in the Irish diaspora...that diaspora is 15x the population of Ireland itself and often seems as proudly, if not more proudly, Irish than many in Ireland itself. In reference to the above - go back four generations and part of my family is Irish...but I'd never consider myself Irish-English or part of the wider Irish community in England.

She sounds a bit like most “lifelong “ Liverpool fans in the South of England who have never visited Anfield.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I wonder how easy it is to prove this? Are the checks stringent, does such documentation exist?

Good question. I can ask. Documentation can be a bit sketchy, even things like planning applications for old buildings can be problematic; we had a case and there was no evidence of planning permission for a window due to the planning department going up in flames during the war.

 

[Bakero]

I could get a Spanish one but that would mean having to give up my British citizenship, which I'm not ready to do just yet. I have heard that some get their Spanish passport and simply keep hold of their British one too. Technically illegal but low chance of being caught, I suppose.

Hopefully, Spain will decide to allow dual-citizenship soon. At the moment it's only available to citizens from former colonies.

 

[cheshunt seagull]

If you hold passports for more than one country, what happens if you get caught in a warzone or arrested in an authoritarian state? Do you get a choice of countries to help you out or do they all try and fob you off?