In today’s capitalist world, money can literally buy anything, not limited to passports. In case you haven’t heard the news, there are 7 countries, “selling their citizenship” for six or seven figures ($$$$$$) and you can be their citizen in just about few months.
Passport shopping is a $2 billion dollar industry. The truth is Governments are embarrassed to advertise their citizenship schemes as “passport shopping” or “passports for sale”, instead marketed under a nicely coined name “citizenship-by-investment”. According to their program rules, only wealthy, talented, and high net worth investors can apply for their Citizenship by Investment programs (CIP).
I will show you the countries offering citizenship by investment programs and how you can become a second country citizen, in no time.
You have to remember that there are additional fees involved such as Government fee, Due diligence fee, lawyer fee etc. than the minimum amount quoted below.
A word of caution with the these citizenship programs:
- You cannot apply for any of these citizenship programs if you have a visa denial by any country, which has visa waiver agreement with the country you are applying. (eg. Italy is a schengen country which has denied your visa only and you want to apply for St Kitts or Antigua program) You must have successfully received the refused visa.
- You must not have any criminal background and pass due diligence test done by the Governments
To my surprise, many clients applying for citizenship programs, so keen to apply for citizenship, not aware where that country exists in a map. For proper guidance, i am including google maps (might take a while to load)
1. Moldova
Moldova launched citizenship by investment in Nov 2018 and expected to raise 1.3 billion euros from citizenship by investment
| Minimum Investment | |
| Public Fund | EUR 100,000 |
| Real Estate | EUR 250,000 |
| Processing time | 3 months |
2. Montenegro
Montenegro government launched new citizenship by investment program in Jan 1, 2019 to limited 2000 applications. The scheme will be Grant + Investment model.
| Minimum Investment | |
| Real estate option 1 | EUR 250,000 (real estate) + EUR 100,000 contribution |
| Real Estate option 2 | EUR 450,000 (real estate) + EUR 100,000 contribution |
| Processing time | 3 months |
3. St Kitts and Nevis
St Kitts and Nevis is the birth place of citizenship by investment and has one of the oldest platinum standard economic citizenship schemes in the world.
| Minimum Investment | |
| SIDF Donation | $150,000 (SGF fund) or $250,000 (SIDF) |
| Real Estate | $200,000 |
| Processing time | 3 months |
4. Antigua & Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda offers one of the best and cheapest citizenship by investment program in the Caribbean. The Government offers 50% discount by the end of Oct 2018, after that the prices will be increased to $200,000. Real estate can also be purchased jointly for $200,000 per person.
| Citizenship by Investment | |
| NDF Donation | $100,000 |
| Real Estate | $400,000 |
| Processing time | 2 months |
Antigua passport has visa free travel to EU schengen area, UK/Ireland and over 150 countries
5. Malta
| European Citizenship by Investment | |
| 1. Donation | € 650,000 |
| 2. Real Estate | optional |
| 3. Government Bonds | €150,000 |
| Total :(1 + 2 +3 + other agent fees) | €900,000 |
| Processing time | 12 months |
6. Cyprus
| European Citizenship by Investment | |
| Real Estate | €2,000,000 |
| Processing time | 6 months |
7. Dominica
Dominica has the cheapest citizenship by investment programs in the Caribbean.
| Citizenship by Investment | |
| NDF Donation | $100,000 |
| Real Estate | $200,000 |
| Processing time | 4 months |
8. St Lucia
St Lucia has one of the cheapest citizenship by investment programs in the Caribbean.
| Citizenship by Investment | |
| NDF Donation | $100,000 |
| Real Estate | $350,000 |
| Bonds | $500,000 |
| Business | $3,500,000 |
| Processing time | 2 months |
9. Grenada
| Minimum Investment | |
| Fund Donation | $150,000 |
| Real Estate | $350,000 |
| Processing time | 2 months |
10. Turkey
Turkey launched citizenship by investment program in 2017 and in 2018, the minimum requirement was reduced to $250,000 in 2018
| Minimum Investment | |
| Real estate | US$250,000 |
| Bank deposit | US$ 500,000 |
| Government bonds | US$ 250,000 |
Turkish passport has limited visa free travel freedom.
11. Vanuatu
Vanuatu is the only citizenship by investment program in the south pacific. Applicants has to pay $160,000 to DSP or contribution program of Vanuatu.
| Minimum Investment | |
| Fund Donation | $160,000 (single) or $180,000 (family) |
| Real Estate | not available |
| Processing time | 2 months |
Vanuatu passport has visa free travel to Russia, EU schengen area, United Kingdom.
But why people want a citizenship in another country?
Here is why: Consider these scenarios, where
- Mr. Ahmed, millionaire lives in UAE, frequently travels to Germany to do business. He is so tired of applying for schengen visa now and then. He wants to travel without visa. A passport from Antigua or St Kitts or better European citizenship will help him to achieve his goals.
- Mr. Mohammed, a billionaire and tycoon, living in Kuwait, wants to immigrate to Europe for education of his children and wants a quick citizenship solution in Europe. He can apply for Cyprus investing €3,000,000 euros in real estate and become EU citizen in 3 months. He does not need to live in Cyprus after getting the passport.
But why citizenship through investment rather than naturalization?
Citizenship through investment is quicker within months (issued passport), whereas naturalization takes lot of time (you must live in a second country for over 5+ years and satisfy residency requirements and wait for citizenship). Residency requirements are waived under the citizenship-by-investment program.
