Indonesia plans to allow limited dual citizenship for the first time for certain members of the national diaspora and highly skilled professionals. President Prabowo Subianto put forward the initiative, proposing that Parliament amend the citizenship law. The president presented the initiative during a speech in parliament on Indonesia’s 2027 state budget proposal.
According to him, the new policy will not apply to everyone who wishes to obtain a second passport. It involves limited dual citizenship for professionals and members of the diaspora in whom the state has an interest.
Among the potential categories, Prabowo named scientists, doctors, engineers, artificial intelligence specialists, researchers, entrepreneurs, artists, and athletes.
“We propose allowing dual citizenship for certain talents that the country needs,” the president stated.
According to him, the authorities should not force Indonesia’s most successful expatriates to choose between an international career and maintaining ties with their historical homeland.
It is expected that potential recipients of dual citizenship will undergo a separate selection process, including a background check. The rights and obligations of such citizens are to be defined separately by law, taking into account national security considerations.
Current Indonesian law generally does not recognize dual citizenship for adults.
Children who have acquired citizenship in two countries may temporarily retain both statuses; however, upon reaching the age specified by law, they must choose one citizenship.
Therefore, implementing Prabowo’s initiative will require amending the current law and obtaining parliamentary approval. A timeline for adopting the relevant amendments has not yet been announced.
The initiative is a continuation of a long-standing discussion on engaging the Indonesian diaspora. As far back as 2024, authorities publicly discussed the possibility of dual citizenship for former citizens and professionals of Indonesian descent.
The authorities cite the brain drain as one of the reasons for the reform. According to Indonesia’s Directorate General of Immigration, nearly 4,000 Indonesians obtained Singaporean citizenship between 2019 and 2022, renouncing their Indonesian passports. The authorities hope that the option to retain Indonesian citizenship will allow professionals to pursue international careers without severing their legal ties to the country.
The involvement of the diaspora is already particularly noticeable in sports. In recent years, the Indonesian national soccer team has included a number of players born primarily in the Netherlands who have Indonesian roots. The authorities implemented special procedures for them to obtain citizenship.
Ahead of a possible reform, Indonesia launched the Global Citizenship of Indonesia (GCI) program.
It allows former Indonesian citizens and certain foreigners of Indonesian descent to obtain a permanent residence permit with the right to enter the country multiple times without renouncing their existing foreign citizenship. However, GCI does not constitute Indonesian citizenship and does not entitle holders to an Indonesian passport.
The program applies, in particular, to former Indonesian citizens, their descendants, and certain categories of family members with ties to Indonesia.
The limited dual citizenship currently being proposed should go much further and allow certain members of the diaspora to simultaneously retain their foreign citizenship and restore or obtain Indonesian citizenship.
CITIZENSHIP, DUAL CITIZENSHIP, IMMIGRATION, INDONESIA, ДІАСПОРА
The number of applications for Armenian citizenship in 2025 exceeded 32,000, marking the highest figure in the history of the independent republic, with a significant portion of the increase attributed to Russian citizens of Armenian descent. This was reported by Armen Gazaryan, Acting Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Armenia.
By comparison, in 2023 and 2024, the number of applications exceeded 20,000 per year, whereas previously the average was about 7,000–8,000 applications annually. Thus, over the course of a few years, the number of people seeking Armenian citizenship has increased approximately fourfold compared to the previous average.
Gazaryan directly linked this shift in trend to the start of the war in Ukraine and the subsequent travel restrictions imposed on Russian citizens. According to him, the majority of Russian citizens applying for Armenian citizenship are ethnic Armenians, so the increase primarily concerns the large Armenian diaspora in the Russian Federation.
However, the data published by the Ministry of Internal Affairs does not mean that all 32,000 applications were submitted by Russians. During the press conference, the Ministry of Internal Affairs did not disclose a detailed breakdown of the 32,000 applications by current citizenship.
Gazaryan cited obtaining a second document for international travel as one of the main reasons for the increased interest. In his assessment, in some cases, Armenian citizenship is effectively used as an additional tool for mobility by people who maintain their primary residence and vital interests outside of Armenia. This is particularly true for Russian citizens of Armenian descent following the introduction of visa and other restrictions on Russian passports.
Armenia permits dual citizenship, so obtaining an Armenian passport does not in itself require a Russian citizen to renounce their Russian citizenship.
Against the backdrop of a record number of applications, the Armenian Ministry of Internal Affairs intends to amend the current rules. Gazaryan noted that the requirements for individuals of Armenian descent are now significantly simpler than the standard naturalization procedure for foreigners. In fact, the main condition for this category of applicants is to provide documentary proof of Armenian descent.
On the official portal of the Migration and Citizenship Service, the documents listed as proof of origin include, in particular, birth certificates and documents belonging to parents, grandparents, brothers, or sisters that indicate Armenian nationality, as well as properly executed documents from religious or foreign government authorities.
Gazaryan considers the near-total absence of additional requirements to be a problem for the institution of citizenship itself.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs is already preparing a draft of legislative changes; however, specific new conditions—such as mandatory residence in Armenia, knowledge of the language, or other requirements—have not yet been officially announced. Therefore, it is premature to say that restrictions have already been introduced.
The revision of the rules is also taking place against the backdrop of Armenia’s dialogue with the European Union regarding visa liberalization. Gazaryan noted that citizenship issues are part of a broader list of institutional reforms that Yerevan is discussing with the EU.
At the same time, the number of foreigners who wish not to obtain a passport but to officially reside in Armenia is growing. According to Nelli Davtyan, head of the Migration and Citizenship Service, 9,534 applications for one-year temporary residence permits were received, of which 6,059 were approved. The number of applications and permits issued is nearly three times higher than in previous periods.
Demand for three-year residency status is also growing: in the first half of 2026 alone, 2,085 applications were submitted, whereas previously the number for an entire year typically ranged from 1,500 to 1,700.
At the same time, in the first half of 2026, Armenia recorded a positive net migration balance for its own citizens: the number of arrivals exceeded the number of departures by 1,347 people, whereas in previous years, a negative balance of approximately 20,000–22,000 people was recorded for the same period.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs’ figure reflects the number of applications, not the number of passports already issued. An application may still be under review, may require additional documents, or may result in a different decision.
In addition, the statistics include various categories of applicants. For example, the process of obtaining Armenian citizenship by displaced persons from Karabakh remains a separate, large-scale process. At the same press conference, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that tens of thousands of such individuals have already received Armenian citizenship.
Turkish authorities have begun the process of revoking the citizenship of 687 foreigners who, according to investigators, obtained Turkish passports through fictitious real estate transactions and forged property appraisal reports. The original source of this information was a statement by Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gürlek, published on August 4, 2026. The operation was coordinated by the Organized Crime Investigation Bureau of the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office. Investigative actions took place simultaneously in 16 provinces across the country.
According to the investigation, participants in the scheme purchased relatively inexpensive real estate and then, using forged expert reports, artificially inflated its value to the minimum threshold required to obtain Turkish citizenship. The transactions were accompanied by fictitious bank transfers designed to create the appearance of investment inflows.
As a result, Turkish authorities estimate that the country was deprived of approximately 2.5 billion Turkish lira—or roughly $52 million—that was supposed to have been invested by foreign applicants.
As part of the investigation, arrest warrants were issued for 90 people, and 72 suspects have already been detained. The government has placed seven companies that may have been linked to the scheme under its control. Additionally, 1,045 properties, a hotel in Bodrum, 15 vehicles, a yacht, and funds in ten bank accounts have been seized.
It is important to note that this does not yet involve the automatic and immediate revocation of passports, but rather the initiation of legal proceedings. Citizenship will be revoked once it is confirmed that a specific applicant obtained it based on fraudulent documents or a transaction that did not meet legal requirements.
Turkey’s investment citizenship program has been in effect since 2017. Currently, a foreigner can apply for a Turkish passport by purchasing real estate worth at least $400,000. The property cannot be sold for three years, its value must be verified by an authorized appraisal company, and payment must be made through the banking system. Alternative options include an investment or a bank deposit of at least $500,000.
The Ministry of Justice, the Istanbul Prosecutor’s Office, and the Turkish media have not yet disclosed the nationalities of the 687 individuals initially implicated. However, data on previous participants in the investment program and foreign buyers of Turkish real estate allow us to identify groups that potentially used such services more frequently.
Between 2018 and 2021, approximately 19,600 foreigners obtained Turkish citizenship through the investment program. Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Russia were cited as the main countries of origin for applicants, and since 2022, Ukrainian and Russian citizens have significantly increased their purchases of Turkish real estate and have become the most prominent groups of applicants for investment-based citizenship.
According to official statistics from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), in 2025, Russians purchased 3,649 residential properties in Turkey, Iranian citizens purchased 1,878, and Ukrainian citizens purchased 1,541. These three countries ranked first among foreign buyers of Turkish housing. This trend continued in 2026. In June, Russian citizens purchased 381 residential properties, while Ukrainians and Iranians each purchased 170 properties.
Based on this data, it is most likely that among the 687 investors under investigation are citizens of Russia, Iran, and Ukraine, who are simultaneously among the largest real estate buyers and the most active participants in the investment citizenship program. The list of those under investigation may also include individuals from Iraq and Afghanistan who participated in the program in previous years.
Additional risks may arise for the spouses and children of investors if they obtained citizenship as family members of the primary applicant. Turkish authorities have not yet clarified whether such relatives are included in the announced total of 687 people or whether their status will be reviewed automatically or through separate procedures. The investigation will likely lead to stricter scrutiny of appraisal companies, bank transfers, intermediaries, and the sources of funds. For new applicants, this may mean longer processing times and additional requirements, but it does not indicate that the investment citizenship program itself is being shut down.
The House of Representatives of Antigua and Barbuda has approved amendments to the citizenship-by-investment program that call for an increase in the mandatory period of physical presence in the country, regular independent audits, and stricter oversight of intermediaries.
The main change will be an increase in the minimum period of physical presence in the country for new citizens from five to 30 days. These days may be spent in Antigua and Barbuda cumulatively over the first five calendar years after obtaining citizenship, rather than annually. The requirement also applies to family members included in the application.
Until now, an investment citizenship holder could lose their citizenship if they did not spend at least five days in the country during the first five years. The amendments replace this requirement with 30 days.
The changes also provide for an annual independent financial audit of the Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU) and an operational audit every two years. The regulator will have the authority to set common standards for the five Eastern Caribbean states offering investment citizenship, vet agents, and revoke the licenses of intermediaries that do not meet the established requirements. ECCIRA is expected to begin operations in September 2026.
The reform is taking place amid increasing pressure from the European Union. In a letter dated June 25, 2026, the European Commission proposed that Antigua and Barbuda gradually phase out its citizenship-by-investment program by June 1, 2028. Brussels also demanded that individuals subject to EU sanctions be excluded from the program and that background checks on applicants of all nationalities be strengthened.
The government of Antigua and Barbuda emphasizes that it does not intend to shut down the program without securing comparable sources of revenue. Authorities cite revenue from the investment citizenship program as a vital component of non-tax revenue, which funds infrastructure, schools, healthcare facilities, and post-disaster recovery efforts.
The latest detailed statistics published by the CIU cover January–June 2024. During this period, 739 applications were received. The official report takes into account the country of birth of the principal applicant, so these figures cannot be directly equated with the number of passports issued. A single application may also include a spouse, children, and other dependents.
The largest number of applications in the first half of 2024 came from natives of:
China—90 applications, or 12.18%;
the United States—81, or 10.96%;
Nigeria—67, or 9.07%;
Lebanon—50, or 6.77%;
Turkey—44, or 5.95%;
Pakistan—32, or 4.33%;
the United Kingdom—25, or 3.38%;
Iraq – 22, or 2.98%.
Over the past six months, 19 applications were received from Ukrainian nationals, accounting for 2.57% of the total. The same number of applications were submitted by Egyptian nationals. India, Canada, and Morocco each accounted for 21 applications.
From the program’s launch through June 30, 2024, Antigua and Barbuda received 5,203 applications. Chinese nationals accounted for 1,117 applications, or 21.47%; Nigerians—496; the U.S. – 347, Lebanon – 342, Russia – 222, and Syria – 208. However, no new applications from natives of Russia and Belarus were registered in the first half of 2024.
The program has been in effect since 2013 and offers several participation options. The minimum non-refundable contribution to the National Development Fund is $230,000; investment in approved real estate starts at $300,000; and direct investment in a business starts at $1.5 million. Another option involves a contribution of at least $260,000 to the University of the West Indies Campus Fund. Government fees and background check costs are paid separately.
Extending the mandatory stay to 30 days does not change the minimum investment thresholds but increases participants’ actual expenses for airfare and accommodation. At the same time, regular audits and unified regional oversight are intended to increase the program’s transparency and help Caribbean nations maintain visa-free travel with European countries.
Antigua and Barbuda, Caribbean region, CITIZENSHIP, INVESTMENT, MIGRATION
According to Experts.news, the Ukrainian passport ranked 65th in the Global Passport Index 2026, which evaluates citizenship based on three key areas: enhanced mobility, investment potential, and quality of life, according to the Global Passport Report 2026 by Global Citizen Solutions.
The report was published on the Global Citizen Solutions website with an update date of July 1, 2026. The study notes that the ranking covers 197 countries and territories and is calculated based on 14 indicators.
According to the index, Ukraine ranked 65th in the overall ranking, 63rd in terms of enhanced mobility, 79th in terms of the investment index, and 82nd in terms of quality of life. According to Global Citizen Solutions, a Ukrainian passport provides visa-free access to 89 countries; however, Ukrainian citizens need a visa to enter approximately 31 destinations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Japan, and a number of countries in Africa and Latin America.
Sweden topped the Global Passport Index 2026 with a score of 96.05 out of 100. It is followed by Switzerland, Finland, and Germany, while Denmark and the Netherlands share fifth place in the interactive table.
The bottom five countries in the ranking were Syria, Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia, and Afghanistan. Afghanistan remained in last place with a score of 23.10 points. The gap between the ranking leader, Sweden, and Afghanistan was 72.95 points.
The Global Passport Index differs from traditional passport rankings in that it is not limited to counting visa-free destinations. The index takes into account the quality of available destinations, the investment climate of the country of citizenship, and living conditions. This is particularly important for Ukraine, as the value of a passport under this approach is determined not only by travel opportunities but also by the perception of the country as a place for business, living, and long-term planning.
In practice, Ukraine’s result reflects a dual situation. On the one hand, the Ukrainian passport maintains relatively high mobility thanks to the visa-free regime with the EU and a number of other destinations. On the other hand, the investment and quality components of the ranking remain below the level of EU countries, which lowers the country’s overall position in the comprehensive citizenship index.
CITIZENSHIP, Global Passport Index, mobility, PASSPORT, UKRAINE
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that children born on U.S. soil to parents who are in the United States illegally or on a temporary basis are U.S. citizens from the moment of birth. The decision effectively blocks President Donald Trump’s attempt to restrict the automatic granting of citizenship by birthright.
The case was heard in connection with Executive Order 14160, “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” which Trump signed on January 20, 2025. The order proposed that children born in the U.S. to parents without permanent immigration status should not automatically be considered U.S. citizens.
The court concluded that such children are protected under the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which states that all persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction are citizens of the United States and of the state in which they reside.
The ruling is significant not only for immigration policy but also for the market for services related to childbirth in the United States. In practice, it means that U.S. passports obtained by virtue of birth on U.S. soil remain valid, and the right to citizenship by birth itself cannot be revoked by presidential decree.
However, the debate surrounding so-called “birth tourism” is not over. Following the court’s decision, the Trump administration may tighten controls over visa applications, travel by pregnant women, and cases of potential fraud upon entry into the United States. But this is a different legal matter: combating visa violations is not the same as revoking the citizenship of a child born on U.S. soil.
For foreigners who view the U.S. as a destination for childbirth, the main takeaway is this: the fundamental constitutional principle has been upheld, but immigration and visa risks may increase. U.S. authorities may scrutinize the purpose of travel, financial documents, medical plans, and any potential concealment of true intentions more closely when issuing visas or at the border.
For the international market for immigration and medical services, the Supreme Court’s decision means the preservation of one of the most well-known mechanisms of jus soli—citizenship by place of birth. The United States remains one of the key countries where the mere fact of being born on U.S. soil grants a child citizenship, regardless of the parents’ citizenship, with the exception of a few specific cases.
Thus, Trump’s executive order has not altered the fundamental principle of U.S. citizenship. Children born in the United States are still entitled to U.S. citizenship, but there will likely be more scrutiny, legal disputes, and political pressure surrounding travel for the purpose of giving birth.
