Passport strategy
CITIZENSHIP
Every program on Sedora sits on a longer road:
residency → permanent residency → citizenship.
The comparison below covers every country we track.
The three-stop journey
Grants get you moving and visas get you in — but only the settlement track decides whether you can stay on your own terms.
01 · Residency
Get legal ground
A visa or residence permit puts you in the country — but not all permits are equal. Visitor-class stays (many digital-nomad visas) often never count toward settlement.
02 · Permanent residency
Lose the renewal clock
PR or a settlement permit ends the annual visa scramble and usually unlocks local rights: work freedom, credit, sometimes property. Most countries reach it in 3–5 years of counted residence.
03 · Citizenship
The compounding asset
A passport is the only relocation asset that can't be revoked by a rule change. Language exams, civics tests, and dual-citizenship rules decide how hard the last mile is.
Why plan this now
Property doesn't confer residency. Ireland's island grant and Albinen's housing support are real money — and neither gives you the right to stay. The immigration track is always a separate application.
Many nomad visas never count. Colombia's Visa V, Estonia's DNV, the Barbados Welcome Stamp — time on visitor-class permits often adds zero days to the citizenship clock. If a passport is the goal, the visa you pick in year one matters more than the one you pick in year five.
The spread is enormous. Several countries here can naturalize you in about 5 years with modest requirements; others take a decade, demand renunciation, or offer no realistic route at all.
Pathways compared
Ordinary naturalization routes, sorted by years to citizenship. Tap a country to see its verified programs.
| Country | PR | Citizenship | Dual | Language | Test | Descent | Program time | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbados | 5y | 5y | Allowed | None | None | Yes | Does not count | Verify |
| Chile | 2y | 5y | Allowed | Yes | None | Yes | Partially | Verify |
| Colombia | 5y | 5y | Allowed | Yes | Yes | Yes | Does not count | Curated |
| Ireland | 5y | 5y | Allowed | None | None | Yes | Partially | Curated |
| Japan | 10y | 5y | Not allowed | Yes | Yes | Yes | Does not count | Curated |
| Malta | 5y | 5y | Allowed | Yes | None | Yes | Verify | Verify |
| Mexico | 4y | 5y | Allowed | Yes | Yes | Yes | Counts | Curated |
| Panama | 2y | 5y | Restricted | Yes | Yes | Yes | Counts | Verify |
| Portugal | 5y | 5y | Allowed | Yes | None | Yes | Counts | Verify |
| South Korea | 5y | 5y | Restricted | Yes | Yes | Yes | Verify | Curated |
| Thailand | 3y | 5y | Restricted | Yes | Yes | Yes | Verify | Verify |
| United States | — | 5y | Allowed | Yes | Yes | Yes | Does not count | Curated |
| Costa Rica | 3y | 7y | Allowed | Yes | Yes | Yes | Does not count | Verify |
| Greece | 5y | 7y | Allowed | Yes | Yes | Yes | Verify | Curated |
| Croatia | 5y | 8y | Restricted | Yes | Yes | Yes | Verify | Verify |
| Estonia | 5y | 8y | Not allowed | Yes | Yes | Yes | Does not count | Curated |
| Italy | 5y | 10y | Allowed | Yes | None | Yes | Counts | Curated |
| Malaysia | 5y | 10y | Not allowed | Yes | None | Yes | Does not count | Verify |
| Spain | 5y | 10y | Restricted | Yes | Yes | Yes | Counts | Curated |
| Switzerland | 10y | 10y | Allowed | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partially | Curated |
| Bermuda | 20y | None | Allowed | None | None | Yes | Does not count | Verify |
“Program time” = whether time on the kind of permit behind Sedora's programs (nomad visas, workation stays, relocation incentives) advances the citizenship clock. Hover any cell for the full note.
Read before you plan a decade
- Figures show ordinary naturalization — marriage, ancestry, and special regimes can be faster (or stricter).
- Nationality law moves: Portugal has a residence-term reform in progress and Italy tightened descent claims in 2025. Rows marked “Verify” are exactly that.
- This is curated editorial content, last reviewed 2026-07-12. It is not legal advice. Confirm with the official source linked on each opportunity page — or a licensed immigration professional — before committing.