Most people here have citizenship of one country, usually signified by holding a country's passport. There may be a few who have dual citizenship. Here, quite a few people hold dual Irish and British citizenship. I expect there's no one here with no citizenship as such stateless citizens tend to be held in prisons for so-called terrorists in far away countries.
This post is all about what country's citizenship you'd want to hold if you couldn't hold the citizenship of the country (or countries) you now hold.
If you couldn't hold the country/countries of citizenship you have, what other countries' citizenship would you want to have?
If I couldn't have my British citizenship, I'd be happy to have Canadian, Dutch, New Zealand, Norwegian and Swedish citizenship. It used to be the Netherlands but because of the rise of the far right in that country, my preferred choice of citizenship now would be that of Denmark.
Looking at my choices, it seems English-speaking countries, European countries and countries with a welfare state get my nod. I was always proud of being a citizen of the European Union (EU), but because of Brexit I can no longer have an EU passport. I identify with Europe far more than England.
I used to ask this question about citizenship to my students, many of them international students. America always won because there were few American students so there were lots of non-American students to vote America. Chinese students were always reluctant to say what other country's citizenship they would adopt because, I suspect, for fear of another student reporting their unpatriotic views to the Chinese authorities. I had to guarantee anonymity for Chinese students to express an opinion. I suspect they chose America but I have no way of knowing for sure.
Below is a poll where you can anonymously select the country's or countries' citizenship if you had to switch switch citizenship. You can vote for as many countries' citizenship as you like in the poll but you can't vote for the country's citizenship you hold.
There's only room for 20 poll options. Don't worry I'm not going to list the 174 members of the United Nations that I haven't included in the poll!
Given most voters will be American, this poll will be interesting because the USA shouldn't win. But if America wins this poll, I suspect there's some cheating going on. Surely Americans, like Brits, don't cheat!
I'm thinking Canada may win this poll even though the country has been recently caught cheating in the Olympics!
The Little Mermaid, Copenhagen:
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41 comments
I wouldn't trade my citizenship for another country, but I wouldn't mind dual citizenship a few others.
I hope you voted for the country or countries you want dual citizenship of.
Spain because of Barcelona
New Zealand because it’s beautiful and far away
Two great choices.
🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
Thanks for stopping by.
I cannot imagine being a citizen somewhere else. I have often thought of living in another country. I just never really considered changing citizenship. I'm mostly German but unless they have rural countryside, I'm not interested, LOL. I chose New Zealand simply because it is on my bucket list of places to go explore
Germany has plenty of rural countryside. I recommend the Black Forest (Schwarzwald).
Canada would be my top pick since I'm already the northern US anyway.
But I also voted for UK, Sweden, Norway, New Zealand and Italy. I'm easy.
You voted for as many countries as I did. It's interesting you only voted for one hot country, Italy. I didn't vote for any hot country.
Singapore
I've heard that there's very good food served up there.
I love to be Colombian American yees
I think a lot of people would choose American, I'm not so sure so many would choose Colombian.
Factor stuff like this in before you vote...Seriously. ...adultfriendfinder.com
I don't want a red tide!
@spunkycumfun I think we're in the majority on that one
@Spacemountainwu I hope so.
I think most people wouldn't actually want Canadian citizenship nowadays if they were also planning to be resident here because of the punishing capital gains tax increases and lack of economic opportunities as compared to numerous other places, which effectively economically severely disincentivize and penalize a later move if you decide Canada is not the place you thought it was. If you lookup the search phrase "Canada is a shithole" you will find numerous insightful comments on various chatboards from former US citizens and residents who worked in Canada for a time. That being said, there are certain advantages in other countries' citizenship that can sometimes also be parlayed into opportunities in additional countries as well. For example, there are still various historical British Nationality by inheritance exemptions for some residents of former British Overseas Territories, depending on their individual and family circumstances.
There are downsides to any country. Despite Canada's downsides, it is still the runaway leader in the poll.
Thanks for stopping by.
@spunkycumfun You're welcome. As a Canadian resident (for right now) who has pretty much lived and worked here for my entire working career, I wanted to help disspel any inaccuracies as to what it's actually like here in most places now. It wasn't like this preiously. It's gotten a lot worse in th e last 10 years.
@Spacemountainwu I've only visited Canada once - Quebec City. But I'm guessing it's not a typical Canadian city.
Singapore
I hear there's great food served up in Singapore.
Philippines
A very interesting choice.
Thanks for stopping by.
@spunkycumfun , you are welcome
Those danishes look pretty tasty ! My choice would be Canada....montreal or nova scotia.....i need the ocean close by....the culture....and diversity. No energies for navigating the all white world any longer.~
I've been to Canada once, Quebec City. It's a great city.
I added Finland to my list of Brazil, Ireland, New Zealand , Norway . Would have also included Netherlands a few years ago.
Finland is a lovely country; the country nearly made my list.
@spunkycumfun Not forgetting the lovely woman
@taurean62dbn I never met any Finnish women when I went there.
@spunkycumfun add to bucket list
and go in winter..
@taurean62dbn Winter in Finland sounds very cold.
@spunkycumfun it is freezing..but seems to increase libido
.could be due to stuck indoors and no other recreation..
@taurean62dbn I see your logic but I'll forego a Finnish winter!
Living in Japan for so long, if I had to change citizenship, I’d probably choose a country with a decent national health care system. Although I speak the language fluently, I probably wouldn’t pass the Japanese citizenship exam.
The Japanese citizenship exam must be tough then.
I’d love to be a citizen of England and France!
The English and French will have to fight over you!
@spunkycumfun awwww so sweet.
Jamaica mon!
Jamaica is an exciting choice. I hope you like your reggae!
Thanks for stopping by.
Costa Rica
I was tempted to vote for Costa Rica but then realised it would be too hot for me!
Thanks for stopping by.
Scotland , around Fort William
I hope you'll be happy with a UK passport living in Scotland.
Very interesting. My top not on list. In order would be: Qatar 🇶🇦, Switzerland 🇨🇭, Monaco 🇲🇨 , Andorra 🇦🇩, ( that was in order) on the list since lived in Norway 🇳🇴 for about 5 months would have to choose first.New Zealand awsome place. Thailand 🇹🇭 country have considered moving to in past yet would not desire citizenship. Since almost married a Ukranian 🇺🇦 Had been in love with someone from Iceland 🇮🇸. Qatar has worlds think is 9th largest sovereign fund equalling 1 Billion US $ per person.
Qatar is an interesting choice. No alcohol and very hot.
@spunkycumfun can consume alcohol in Qatar unless a Muslim. When in Iraqui Kurdistan for example no problem getting alcohol to drink
Also when in Jordan no problem getting alcohol
@spunkycumfun stay inside at a constant 70 degrees
@bignicktx I guess there's always air conditioning.
My wife and I are internationals EU and American passports!
It's good to be cosmopolitan.
You know what that's a very interesting question that I would really have to think about as the UK , Canada, and Mexico and Australia really have me thinking here. So I will choose Canada as it's closest to me and if a certain someone wins the election here we have been thinking about moving there..
Thanks for a question that makes us all really think.
Oh I really do enjoy those danish pastries you shared too..
I hope your Friday is a great start to an even more wonderful weekend..
You can vote for more than one country. I voted for six!
Canada but being a southerner, the winters may do me in. I chose Australia or Ireland.
In Ireland you have to handle the wind and rain; the country bears the brunt of the storms that America sends over to Europe.
I would not want an American passport as traveling to certain countries with one may put you in harm's way.
For a while I had a laissez-passer document which I feel is a much better system of documentation for the purposes of travel, rather than a nationality-based document. Sadly the EU did not proceed with an actual EU-wide travel document, each nation still retains their own, and the cost / validity duration etc varies from nation to nation.
That's the one big downside of holding an American passport. The same can also be said for holding an Israeli and even a British passport.
I never really thought about it. Guess that tells you something.
But why not go with the large northern US area known as Canada. (Well except for the snooty French part.) I suspect that will be the choice of most and the early results are trending that way.
I think a lot of Americans will opt for Canada.
@LovingOral1964 I hope Canada is preparing itself for a possible influx of Democrat migrants!
@LovingOral1964 Around nearly every election of late there is a core of people saying how they'll leave if this guy, or that guy, wins. Funny thing - they never do!
@LovingOral1964 Thank you. I'd likely try to get you to open up other parts of your body too. 😁
I voted Canada. It's the country I have visited the most. My second choice is Poland since that's where my ancestry lies
Unfortunately I couldn't find room for Poland in my poll.
@spunkycumfun No worries. I actually looked into citizenship based on my grandfathers, but due to a technicality, that area wasn't Poland at that time.
@njfitguy1 Poland's borders have changed a lot over the centuries.