Nicholas (nwhyte) wrote,
Nicholas
nwhyte

The man with three passports

I've just been to the town hall to pick up my Belgian passport. This gives me a grand total of three. Article 1(vi) of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement recognises my right to both British and Irish citizenship; I also acquired Belgian citizenship back in 2008, but had not bothered getting a passport until today. (Neither the British nor Irish object to you acquiring Belgian citizenship; nor does Belgium require you to give up your previous citizenship before becoming Belgian).

So here are my three passports, showing signs of age (on two of the passports themselves, and in the photograph on the third).


I must say I'm fundamentally a bit libertarian about nationalities. It seems to me that if I want citizenship of a country, and they are prepared to grant it to me, it's not really anyone's business whether I am also a citizen of anywhere else. I'm glad that the UK, Ireland and Belgium are relaxed about this. And if the UK ever does leave the EU, I have not one but two backups.
Tags: world: belgium
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