Why Having Multiple Passports Matters Now More Than Ever Before

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For much of modern history, nationality was treated as a fixed reality. You were born into a country, built your life there, and rarely questioned whether legal status elsewhere might ever matter. 

Today, that assumption no longer holds. 

Global mobility, once associated with expatriates or multinational executives, has become part of a broader conversation around resilience, access, and long-term planning. 

Increasingly, individuals and families are reconsidering whether relying on a single citizenship or legal status is sufficient in a world defined by rapid political, economic, and social change. 

The shift is not about relocation, nor is it about disengaging from one’s home country. It is about optionality. 

As Latitude Group CEO Eric Major has noted, the logic behind holding multiple passports is not unfamiliar. Rather, it mirrors how people already think about other areas of life. 

Citizenship As A Planning Tool, Not An Identity Statement

Second citizenship or permanent residence is often misunderstood as a transactional or emotionally detached decision. In reality, most people retain strong emotional ties to their country of origin while still recognizing the practical value of legal flexibility elsewhere. 

Nationality carries identity, culture, and belonging. Legal status, however, determines access: where you can travel, live, work, or seek safety when circumstances change. These two ideas are related, but they are not the same. 

“Holding multiple passports is no different than why you would hold two or three or four credit cards,” explained Latitude Group CEO, Eric Major.  

“It’s not that you need all four. It’s just in case one isn’t working.” 

The point, then, is not about excess. It’s about having both insurance, and reassurance. Holding multiple passports or residencies safeguards against friction, disruption, or unexpected constraint. 

A Familiar Logic Applied In A New Context

Most people already accept diversification as a sensible approach to financial planning. Assets are spread across classes, currencies, and geographies to manage exposure and risk. 

Legal status is increasingly being viewed through the same lens. 

However, this does not mean citizenship should be treated as a commodity. Rather, it reflects a growing awareness that legal frameworks can either enable or restrict personal and professional choices, often in ways that are impossible to predict in advance. 

When Legal Status Becomes Tangible

For many families, the importance of alternative legal status became clear during Covid-19. 

Border closures, travel bans, and shifting entry rules during the pandemic highlighted a reality that had previously felt abstract: access is passport dependent. 

“In the early days of the pandemic… Americans were not able to take a flight to Toronto or London,” recalled Eric Major.  

“But had you been an Antiguan citizen or a Grenadian citizen… you would have been able to take that flight.” 

In such moments, second citizenship was not about privilege or convenience. It was about continuity and being able to move, reunite with family, or reach safety when the primary option was suddenly unavailable. 

As such, the coronavirus pandemic prompted many individuals to rethink long-held assumptions about nationality. 

Neutrality, Access, And Practicality

Beyond planning for another global crisis, alternative citizenship or residence can also serve more specific, practical purposes. 

In certain professional or geopolitical contexts, for example, the passport one holds can materially affect how they are perceived or treated.  

Eric Major recalls servicing corporate clients operating in sensitive regions where neutrality was a key concern. Instead of having the clients enter certain countries on a U.S. passport, they obtained citizenship from various Caribbean countries, thus helping to neutralize geopolitical concerns at the time.  

Legal status, in this sense, becomes a tool that supports safety, access, and continuity rather than signaling allegiance or intent. 

From Taboo To Accepted Planning

Historically, many such tools that are now considered standard were once viewed with skepticism.  

Eric Major draws a parallel with insurance: 

“Two hundred years ago… insurance was a taboo subject,” he said. 

Today, insuring one’s home, health, or livelihood is not questioned. It is considered prudent. 

Citizenship and residence planning appear to be following a similar trajectory: moving from something unusual or controversial toward something more widely understood as sensible long-term preparation.  

A Broader View of Belonging

Crucially, acquiring additional legal status does not diminish one’s connection to their country of origin. 

“It doesn’t take away my Canadian-ness because I have a UK passport,” explained Eric.  

For most people, second citizenship or residence is additive. It expands choices rather than replacing identity. 

Holding multiple passports can support family planning, professional opportunity, education, and personal enrichment, without requiring permanent relocation or renunciation. 

For a deeper discussion of this topic, including real-world examples and broader context, you can watch the related episode of The Global Passport Investor podcast, where Eric Major explores why having more than one legal status is increasingly relevant. 

If you would like to understand how second citizenship or residence might fit into your own long-term plans, Latitude’s advisors are available for a confidential conversation.