Citizenship by Investment has become a popular option among high-net-worth individuals and investors hoping to secure a second passport that offers greater global mobility. Here we look at the top countries that have their own Citizenship by Investment program.
There are as many as 30 countries across the globe that are offering some form of citizenship or residency by investment programs. Out of these, there are only 9 countries that are offering a direct route to alternative citizenship and passport through investment. Citizenship by Investment programs are commonly initiated by those countries that wish to attract foreign investment and boost their economy and improve their existing infrastructure. In exchange for a qualified real estate or business investment, the investor will receive full citizenship rights from the country along with its passport, which guarantees greater mobility in terms of worldwide travel. In this write-up, we’ll list the top 5 countries you should consider for citizenship by investment.
Antigua and Barbuda
The Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment program provides high-net-worth individuals with an opportunity to obtain citizenship and passport from the country by making a non-refundable donation of USD 100,000 to the NDF. Additionally, investors can also secure citizenship and passport from the country by either making a real estate investment of USD 200,000 or a business investment worth USD 400,000 or more. The overall processing time for the program is four months, and the program is open to all nationalities.St Kitts & Nevis
First launched in 1984, the Saint Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment program is the oldest one of its kind. The country offers investors an opportunity to secure the country’s citizenship and passport by either making a non-refundable donation of USD 150,000 to the SDF; or investing USD 200,000 or more in an authorized real estate development. The program does not require the investor to fulfil any residency or language requirements. Depending on the number of dependents and investment route, it can take anywhere between 4-6 months to secure citizenship and passport from the country.
Dominica
The Dominica Citizenship by Investment program is arguably the most popular program of its kind, originating from the Caribbean. Why is it so popular? The reason is more so down to its minimum investment requirement of USD 100,000 and its hassle-free application process. Apart from the non-refundable donation of USD 100,000, investors can also obtain Dominican citizenship and passport by investing an amount of USD 200,000 in government-approved real estate development. From the initial application phase to receiving the passport, the overall process can take up to six months.
Vanuatu
The Vanuatu Citizenship by Investment program has the unique distinction of being the fastest program of its kind in the world. Officially titled as “Vanuatu Citizenship Development Support Program (DSP), the program mandates the investor to make a non-refundable donation of USD 130,000 to the country’s local development fund in exchange for Vanuatuan citizenship and passport. Vanuatuan passport allows the holder with the ability to move to more than 130+ countries without a visa and the ability to do business from a country with minimal tax regulations.
Grenada
The Grenada Citizenship by Investment program is the only one of its kind that provides investors with an alternate passport that’ll help them travel to China and Russia without any visa restrictions. In addition, investors can either choose to make a non-refundable donation of USD 150,000 to the National Transformation Fund or invest USD 220,000 or more in an approved real estate development. It is one of the quickest programs in the Caribbean, and for a single applicant, the entire process can be wrapped up within 3-4 months’.
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