Americans Chase Dual Passports As Countries Slam The Door

A growing number of Americans say they want out — but the world may be getting less welcoming just as demand to leave the U.S. hits record levels.

Roughly 1 in 5 Americans now say they would move abroad permanently, according to Gallup. The desire is strongest among women aged 15–44, 40% of whom say they would leave the U.S. if they could — a four-fold increase since 2014. Economic pressure, political exhaustion, and a search for stability abroad are driving the migration mindset.

But just as U.S. citizens chase second passports through ancestry, residency, marriage, or investment —

several top destination countries are quietly tightening the screws.

Portugal has doubled its residency requirement for naturalization from five to 10 years, while Sweden plans to extend its path from five to eight years. Italy has cracked down on citizenship-by-descent and is proposing an annual €2,000 fee for Italians abroad using the national health service — pushing costs closer to what non-EU migrants already pay.

All this comes as Americans increasingly target familiar destinations — Canada, the UK, Australia, France, and Italy rank as the most desirable nations, according to a Harris Poll.

Yet the rush for dual nationality comes with a hard truth: governments worldwide are tightening eligibility just as Americans show unprecedented interest in leaving. And while 123 countries technically allow dual citizenship, what looks simple on paper is becoming anything but in reality.

The American Dream is no longer a one-way ticket in — for many, it now looks like an exit plan. But the exits are narrowing.

Key Takeaways

• 40% of U.S. women aged 15–44 say they’d permanently leave the U.S. if they could.
• Portugal, Sweden and Italy are tightening citizenship eligibility and residency rules.
• Canada, the UK, Australia, France and Italy remain the top relocation targets.

Source: EXPRESS US

I'm an ex-American. I want no association with that dictatorship.

I'm very lucky to have a second passport. So people don't spit on me.