Third-Country Nationals Share Their Ideal EU Citizenship – Ireland’s Passport Most Wanted

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Irish citizenship was the top pick among non-EU citizens in a Reddit thread that asked about EU citizenship preferences.
• Respondents said that Irish citizenship has an advantage that other EU countries do not have.
• German, Dutch, and Belgian citizenship were also among the most preferred among third-country nationals.

Nationals of third countries have shared their preferences regarding EU citizenship, with a high number of them saying that if they were able to choose any EU citizenship, they would opt for Ireland’s passport.

In a Reddit thread that asked about EU citizenship choices, a respondent said they would choose Irish citizenship. Explaining the reason behind this preference, the respondent noted that by holding Ireland’s passport, they would automatically get the right to work and live in the UK, too.

A high proportion of other respondents also shared the same opinion, saying that Ireland is “a strong pick,”.

Under the Common Travel Area arrangement, citizens of Ireland are permitted to live, work, and access public services in the UK without any requirements to obtain a work or residence permit.

Taking into account this “advantage” that Irish citizenship has, many would opt to obtain the country’s passport if they were able to choose.

With Germany deciding to permit dual citizenship, the country’s passport is also one of the most sought-after. Several respondents said that they would prefer German citizenship while highlighting the job opportunities that the country offers, especially for skilled and highly qualified workers.

Preferences for Dutch and Belgian citizenship were also quite prevalent. A respondent who would choose Belgian citizenship said that the country has many job opportunities in their field of work and one of the best healthcare systems in the bloc.

As per Dutch citizenship, respondents suggested that they would choose the country’s passport as the Netherlands is known for its education system, among other things.

When respondents made such choices, they also had passport rankings in mind. Ireland’s passport currently ranks 18th in the world in the VisaGuide Passport Index. Holders of the Irish passport can travel to a total of 111 world countries without the need to apply for a visa and passport-free to 32 countries.

Among all the passports that third-country nationals prefer, Germany’s passport ranks the highest, with it currently placed first in the world. German passport holders can travel visa-free to 106 countries, and they need to apply for a visa for only 18 countries.

Regarding Dutch and Belgian passports, they currently rank sixth and 17th, respectively. At the moment, the Netherlands’ passport allows visa-free entry to 108 countries, and Belgium’s passport allows visa-free entry to 106 countries.