r/Citizenship

Hey everyone,

I’d really appreciate some practical advice based on real experience.

I’ve been living in Dubai for 10 years (originally from North Africa), and I genuinely consider it my base. Even if I move elsewhere, I’d likely keep my residency, banking, and continue visiting regularly.

Recently, I started thinking more seriously about getting a stronger passport. My current one is quite limiting, and now that most of my work is online, I feel more flexible to relocate.

My situation:

• Around $1,000/month passive income
• Some savings
• Background in web development / SaaS (fully remote)
• No strong preference to stay in one place forever — flexibility matters

I’ve been considering two main paths:

1. Ireland (or EU in general)
Ireland seems attractive because:

• Citizenship in ~5 years
• Access to the EU
• Ability to live/work in the UK later

But from what I understand, getting in isn’t easy unless you qualify for a critical skills job. If there are alternative routes, I’d love to know.

2. South America (Chile or Argentina)

• Argentina: very fast citizenship (~2 years), lower cost of living
• Chile: slightly stronger passport, better infrastructure, but more expensive

What I like about this option:

• Faster passport (especially Argentina)
• More relaxed entry requirements
• Ability to explore the continent while living there

One important thing for me:
I’d like a country where I can still travel 3–4 months per year without risking residency or citizenship eligibility.

My real goal after getting the citizenship is:

• To be able to spend ~3 months per year in Europe consistently
• And potentially retire in a country like Spain in the future (I’ve visited twice and really liked it)

I know a Schengen-access passport could allow part of this, but having EU citizenship would make things much easier long-term.

What I’m trying to figure out:

• What are the more realistic EU options that can lead to citizenship in ~5 years with relatively manageable requirements?
• Is pursuing Ireland (or EU) worth the difficulty and time?
• Or is going for a faster passport like Argentina the smarter move?
• How strict are residency requirements in practice (especially in Argentina/Chile)?
• Are there better alternatives I’m missing that balance speed, passport strength, and lifestyle?

I’m not interested in Canada, Australia, or New Zealand mainly due to cost of living, distance, and (in Canada’s case) climate vs reward tradeoff.

Would really appreciate insights from people who’ve actually gone through this or seriously researched it.

Thanks a lot 🙏

Hey everyone,

I’m from a country in North Africa with a relatively weak passport. I have stable passive income from royalties + some savings, and I’m seriously considering relocating to South America. My main goal is to get a stronger passport, and as a side benefit I’d like to explore the continent while I’m there.

I’m leaning heavily toward Paraguay because there’s zero tax on foreign income (which would keep my royalties tax-free), the process looks straightforward, and it gives MERCOSUR freedom to move around South America easily.

I have a few specific questions about the current rules in 2026

1. Citizenship timeline: Is it realistically after 3 years of presence or a total of 5 years? (I see conflicting info — temporary 2 years → permanent → then 3 years permanent for naturalization?)
2. Temporary Residency phase: While I have the temporary residency and I’m working toward permanent residency, do I need to live there full-time? Or is it enough to just show up for one day per year, or maybe one month per year?
3. Permanent Residency → Citizenship: If I get the permanent residency and then want to apply for citizenship, how many months per year do I realistically need to live in Paraguay during those final years?

Any real experiences from people who’ve gone through the process (or tried it while keeping a base elsewhere and traveling)? Pitfalls I should watch out for?

Also, any additional advice or better alternatives in South America for someone in my situation?

Thanks a lot in advance — really appreciate any help!

I am due to submit my naturalisation application but I am having a bit of problem with the continuous residence thing.

I submitted my renewal application for my stamp 1 early enough but there was a delay in the processing time and I got a new one couple of days after my last stamp 1 expired. This happened in the last 12 months preceding my intending naturalisation application which has essentially broken off the required 12 months continuous residency rule.

this is no fault of mine. I still intend to carry on with the application and explain what happened with evidence such as the acknowledgment email I got from them when I submitted my renewal application.

has any one being in this situation before? What do you think I should do?