The Power of Diplomatic Passports
A diplomatic passport is like a golden ticket for international travel.
When someone is given diplomatic status by their government, you may be eligible to enjoy special privileges according to international agreements. One big perk is called “diplomatic immunity.”
What is a Diplomatic Passport
Diplomatic passports are typically issued to accredited diplomats senior consular staff, heads of state or government, and to senior foreign ministry employees.
Individuals holding diplomatic passports are entitled to the greatest degree of immunity from border control inspections.
Understanding Diplomatic Immunity
This policy, agreed to under a treaty back in 1961, lets accredited diplomats cross borders, in most cases, without their luggage being searched. It also means they cannot be taxed or prosecuted for crimes in the country they’re visiting. A diplomat may not be sued under the laws of the host country.
They are basically untouchable under local laws. Plus, their homes and offices are off-limits to searches or seizures. If a diplomat misbehaves, the host country’s only choice is to kick them out.
You might wonder why countries agree to this, especially when they often disagree on other things.
It’s because they understand that diplomats sometimes have to do things that might break local laws while doing their official jobs. So, they give each other’s diplomats the same immunity they’d want for their own.
Diplomatic Passports for Sale?
Diplomatic immunity sounds great. So, it’s no surprise that there are shady businesses selling what they claim are “diplomatic passports” for a lot of money.
A friend even showed me a website where you can supposedly buy one for $10,000 – naturally, from an unnamed country.
It sounds amazing to have total immunity from taxes, searches, seizures, and prosecution, no matter where you go, with a diplomatic passport for such a low price.
But here’s the catch: No country in the world sells diplomatic status on an official basis.
How to Get a Diplomatic Passport
The only legitimate way to get a diplomatic passport is to become a diplomat in your country’s foreign service.
There are very few shortcuts, and you certainly can’t buy diplomatic status for a mere $10,000; at least, not without dealing in lost or stolen documents, or by bribing corrupt officials.
How to Spot Second Passport Scams
How can you know whether the passport you’re considering is legitimate? We look for the following red flags:
- Too cheap. The total cost of the lowest-priced, legitimate citizenship-by-investment program, in the Commonwealth of Dominica, comes to about $130,000 for a single applicant or $210,000 for a married applicant with up to two children under the age of 18. Any passport issued for much less than that amount should be presumed to be a grey market passport unless the company offering it can point to a specific law authorizing its issuance.
- Too easy. No country issues a certificate of nationality and a passport without a detailed application process, including a criminal background check.
- Too fast. It takes months, not days, for a country to issue a passport. The levels of bureaucracy are deep, and the wheels move slowly. Anyone promising an overnight solution is working from, at best, the grey areas of the law.
- Too anonymous. Any promoter that tells you that you have to pay cash for your passport, that the ability to issue the passport is based on a secret law or regulation, or that promises to issue you a passport in any name you choose, falls into this category.
- Too limited. Passports that come without a certificate of nationality fit into this category.
- Too late. Some promoters continue to market the now-defunct citizenship-by-investment program in Belize, for instance. Belize ended its program more than 20 years ago, yet you still see offers out there on the internet.
How to Avoid Common Second Passport Program Scams
If you’re looking for a second passport, there are only a few legitimate options.
The best way to qualify for citizenship is through your ancestry. If your parents, sometimes grandparents, were born in another country, there’s a good chance you qualify for citizenship there. Ireland is the best-known example, but there are many others.
Another route to a second passport is your spouse. If they have citizenship other than the one you have, there’s likely a procedure in place where you can acquire it as well.
The best option is ordinary naturalization in another country. In most cases, that requires that you first qualify for residence. You must then live in that country for at least two years, more commonly, 5-10 years, until you qualify for citizenship. Once you do, you can then apply for a passport. Argentina, Peru, and the Dominican Republic are probably the easiest countries to qualify for citizenship after a relatively short period of legal residence.
Finally, there are a handful of officially recognized programs that provide a 100% legal path to citizenship and passports in a reasonably short time. The most affordable of these programs are in the Caribbean: the Commonwealth of Dominica, St. Kitts & Nevis, and most recently, Antigua & Barbuda and Grenada.
More Information on How to Get a Second Passport
- How to Get a Second Passport: 7 Legal Ways
- All about Dominica’s citizenship by investment program
- All about St Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment program
- What is the cheapest citizenship by investment program?
Need Help?
Since 1984, we’ve helped more than 15,000 customers and clients protect their wealth using proven, low-risk planning. In some cases, this also includes helping them get a second passport or residency. To see if our planning is right for you, please book a free no-obligation call with one of our Associates. You can do that here.
