in your own objective opinion, which is better? US citizenship or EU citizenship?

C

Carlart

New Member
i became a US citizen just this month. my oldest cousin got her EU citizenship(as a naturalized citizen of Sweden) three month ago. she's been teasing me about why i became a US citizen when my house is filled with IKEA(Swedish) furniture from the Elizabeth, NJ, IKEA store and that i've bought/leased 4 new Volvos(technically Swedish) in the past 11 years. :(
not to mention the fact so many native-born American citizens have applied for EU citizenship in the last 4 years...

we've been debating the question below for a while now. but we'd like to hear what people in similary situation think:

in your own objective opinion, which is better? US citizenship or ancestral EU citizenship?

i do realize that this forum is surely going to biased in favor of US citizenship :D but i'm looking for objective opinions only, please. thank you!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
How can you expect an objective opinion on something that is so deeply subjective? That's like asking "Which car is better, Toyota Camry or Honda Accord? Objective opinions please!"

Now if you want us to list the pros and cons of US and EU citizenship, maybe we can have a sensible discussion.
 
They're both great. US citizenship allows you to live in the US and travel easily. EU citizenship allows you to live ANYWHERE in the EU and travel easily. They're both big markets with many opportunities.

A problem with a US passport is travel to Cuba and Iran (maybe other places?) for now, but that may change.

I would love EU citizenship as well. I do want US citizenship because my family are here and I want to be able to be with them for as long as I can. But, I do want to explore the EU as well, at least, right now. I have the bug, I guess. I just can't stay put.
 
cafeconleche,

What are the criteria or eligibility for obtaining the EU citizenship? Probably more "strict" than getting US citizenship or easier?
 
CrossHairs said:
cafeconleche,

What are the criteria or eligibility for obtaining the EU citizenship? Probably more "strict" than getting US citizenship or easier?
Click to expand...

my cousin did say that with her EU citizenship, she can now freely choose to live/work/reside in any one of the 27 EU nations for as long as she likes! :(
 
As a newly dual US/EU national my reason for gaining US citizenship was because the USA is now my home and I intend to make it my home for the future. On that basis I didn't want to remain a non-citizen.
 
Carlart said:
i became a US citizen just this month. my oldest cousin got her EU citizenship(as a naturalized citizen of Sweden) three month ago. she's been teasing me about why i became a US citizen when my house is filled with IKEA(Swedish) furniture from the Elizabeth, NJ, IKEA store and that i've bought/leased 4 new Volvos(technically Swedish) in the past 11 years. :(
not to mention the fact so many native-born American citizens have applied for EU citizenship in the last 4 years...

we've been debating the question below for a while now. but we'd like to hear what people in similary situation think:

in your own objective opinion, which is better? US citizenship or ancestral EU citizenship?

i do realize that this forum is surely going to biased in favor of US citizenship :D but i'm looking for objective opinions only, please. thank you!
Click to expand...


Our world is filled with Chinese goods so what should we take up Chinese citizenship!
 
IMO, it's easier to live and relocate anywhere in the US than it is in the EU due to the difference in language and culture between EU countries. Sure, EU citizenship may allow you to work and live in 27 countries, but each country has it's own language , whereas in the US English is the main language and there's not much of a difference in culture in different US cities. And with dual US citizenship, you have even more options to live in both US and your home country with ease.
 
The best is to stay in your native country of cause. This doesn't applies to all countries.
 
-EU Citizneship will give you access to free healthcare and education that you don't get in the U.S.
-Living and working in any EU country is great and all as long as you know the language and the culture, and make sure they don't look you over giving preference to locals.
-Ultimately is about personal preference and what's important to you.
 
sbernal said:
-EU Citizneship will give you access to free healthcare and education that you don't get in the U.S.
Click to expand...

Only if you're prepared to put up with some very long waiting lists. The reality of socialized medicine is usually a lot different from the way its proponents portray it.

As far as obtaining "EU citizenship", I think you'll find that each member state has its own rules for naturalization. Although I haven't studied them in detail, I am led to believe the requirements for UK naturalization are largely similar to those of the US.
 
MartinAub said:
I have both and wouldn't have given up the EU one to get the US one.
Click to expand...

just wondergin... what if the EU requires that you give up your US citizenship in order to maintain your EU citizenship? :confused:

my home country provides free health care for all citizens, even one who has paid any taxes in the last dozen years. it's not a country in the EU, and the healthcare system is better than almost every EU country's healthcare system...
 
The socialised healthcare backlog is not so bad in ALL EU countries. In the Netherlands, things are pretty oke, as far as I can see.

As for the different languages in the EU, it's actually something that makes it more attractive to me. I get bored easily if things are the same everywhere, like in the US.

Naturalisation laws are very different per EU country. Spain has the easiest, I think. If you marry a Spanish citizen and live in Spain, you can get citizenship in about 3 years.
 
It is very difficult to answer your question objectively as for most people acquiring a Citizenship regardless of where in the world is a very personal matter. I do not think most people simply get to pick where they would like to live and work, it is a merely a matter of circumstance. It all depends on your family ties , career path and life's crazy unexpected turns. I did not have to give up my EU Citizenship to get my US one. So I just like some other lucky dogs in here get to enjoy the privilege of having both. However if I had to pick I would have given up my EU, because my life is here now. I have no intentions on ever going back to Europe other then for visits. But in life one really never knows, so even without having the intention I am happy I still have the option. As for health care, here is my take on it. If you are insured the US has the best health care in the world. If you are not it sucks. I had a condition that required treatment by a specialist. My condition was diagnosed in Europe, the doctors there could not do anything. Here in the US they developed a new procedure and I was able to receive treatment and am now cured of the condition. Now the treatment is becoming available in Europe too albeit 3-5 years later. In conclusion my advise to you is, you know what is important to you so take it from there.
 
Carlart said:
my cousin did say that with her EU citizenship, she can now freely choose to live/work/reside in any one of the 27 EU nations for as long as she likes! :(
Click to expand...

Well, with US citizenship, you can now freely choose to live/work/reside in any one of the 50 states for as long as you like! And 50 is bigger than 27. :)
 
TheRealCanadian said:
Well, with US citizenship, you can now freely choose to live/work/reside in any one of the 50 states for as long as you like! And 50 is bigger than 27. :)
Click to expand...


some members here have both EU and US citizenships.... I think that's the best of both worlds! :D 50 + 27 = 77 countries! :) If you also count non-EU nations that have reciprical agreenments(e.g. EEA), such as Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, then you have 77 + 4 = 81 countries, and don't forget that a few more countries are still trying to join the EU.... total population of EU + US is more than 800 million.... so, a dual EU/US citizenship will allow one to live/work/retire/die in more than half of the nations on this planet! :)
 
Marry an Italian and live in Italy for 6 months and you can apply for citizenship!!!

cafeconleche said:
Naturalisation laws are very different per EU country. Spain has the easiest, I think. If you marry a Spanish citizen and live in Spain, you can get citizenship in about 3 years.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top