Citizenship by investment has become increasingly popular and gained traction in recent years, as more and more people have recognised the benefits it offers. It is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain citizenship in different countries, with complicated forms to fill out, years of waiting, and still no guarantee of citizenship at the end of the road. Thankfully, citizenship by investment is a simple and easy alternative.
What is citizenship by investment?
Citizenship by Investment (CBI) is a programme that grants citizenship in exchange for an investment into a country’s economy.
CBI is a unique way to acquire citizenship without the hardship of a regular route to becoming a permanent legal resident. The concept is simple, as you are granted citizenship and passport to a country by investing a certain amount of money into their economy.
Not every country offers the opportunity of citizenship by investment. Below is a list of countries who offer citizenship by investment programmes:
Where can I get citizenship by investment?
What kind of people apply for alternative citizenship?
Citizenship by investment programmes attract a specific kind of person due to the financial demands that need to be met to qualify. There is a minimum investment that you need to be able to contribute to be approved for citizenship, meaning you need to have a significant amount of money at your disposal. This means that citizenship by investment is not an option for everyone who is looking to emigrate to a new country.
Why do you need citizenship by investment?
People apply for citizenship by investment for a variety of different reasons. The main reasons why citizenship by investment programmes are used are to widen business prospects, benefit from alternative tax systems and obtain visa-free access to a certain country.
Citizenship by Investment is an alternative route for foreign investors to acquire permanent residency or citizenship through investing in real estate projects in certain territories around the globe. It allows people who want to invest in foreign markets to become citizens of those countries without having to leave their home country. CBI gives investors access to financial opportunities in over 100 different countries around the globe. It also gives them access to social services such as healthcare and education for their children.
CBI programmes are designed to attract foreign capital to invest in specific sectors such as real estate, energy, mining, agriculture, infrastructure development, tourism, and education. It’s an attractive option for people who want to invest their money abroad but don’t want to give up their nationality. It allows them to live anywhere in the world while retaining their original passport and visa status.
How do countries benefit from citizenship by investment?
Countries around the world are increasingly looking for ways to attract foreign capital into their economies. One way to do this is through citizenship by investment, where foreigners invest money in a country and become citizens there. As you are required to invest in the country’s economy, you contribute to and boost their economy.
This investment expands wealth and provides additional opportunities to those in these different countries. Below are some of the areas of the economy which are regularly invested in, which highlight the vast reach that your investment can have in bettering the country as a whole:
- Real estate investment
- Government bonds
- Business enterprise
- Donation to a government supported programme
Which country is best for investment and citizenship?
It really depends on your unique situation which citizenship by investment program is best. If you are thinking of applying for a citizenship by investment programme but are not sure which one to choose, we often recommend applying to either Dominica or St.Kitts & Nevis. Dominica has two main routes that allow you to gain citizenship by investment, you can either make an economic contribution to the country or you can invest in real estate and residential property. St.Kitts & Nevis has no personal income tax in the country and has the most visa free travel of all the Caribbean citizenship by investment programs.
One of the most alluring things about citizenship through investment in Dominica is the fact that the programme starts at just $ 100,000 for a single person citizenship, and rises to only $ 200,000 for a family of four. Moreover, if you have children up to the age of 30 or dependent parents over the age of 55, they can also be included in your programme. St.Kitts & Nevis is often the best priced for families and sometimes offers special discounts for large families.
If it is visa free-travel that you are looking to benefit from, Dominica or St.Kitts are known to be some of the best countries to get citizenship to obtain more unrestricted travel. You will receive a passport with your citizenship which will provide you with visa-free access or visa on arrival to over 150 countries worldwide.
Dominica Citizenship by Investment
Which are the easiest countries to get citizenship by investment?
Many Caribbean countries and European countries have reputations of being the easiest countries to get citizenship by investment.
Here is a list of easy countries to get citizenship by investment:
If you are looking to set roots down in another country and want to do so with minimal effort involved, one of the above countries may be your best option.
Obtain citizenship by investment
Obtaining citizenship by investment is the ultimate solution if you want to gain dual citizenship and all the benefits that come with it without having to endure long processing times, continuous reapplications and complicated systems. Unlike a residency by investment programme where you are simply afforded a resident permit for your contribution to the country, citizenship by investment allows you to live as though you are a native, affording you all the same advantages.
Here are key benefits of cititenzhip by investment:
- Visa-free travel
- Lifetime and irrevocable citizenship
- No need to reside in the country of citizenship
- Protection under the government’s citizenship law
- Easy to obtain visas when required
- Tax advantages
- Business relocation incentives & advantages
- Family members may obtain a second passport & citizenship
- Potential to pass on one’s citizenship to future generations by descent
- Diverse choice of investments
- Often right to work, live and reside in country
- Often no minimum level of English required
- Often no education or business experience required
- Often access to healthcare & education
JH Marlin Law is specialized citizenship by investment law firm. We have helped hundreds of clients establish an action plan to acquire a second passport through passport by investment programmes around the world. We offer Canadian as well as Caribbean legal expertise related to citizenship by investment (immigration), residency by investment, corporate commercial law, and real estate services. Feel free to contact us at: info@jhmarlin.com.
St. Kitts & Nevis
Antigua
Grenada
Dominica
St. Lucia
Malta
Bahamas
Canada
Cyprus
Greece
Malta
Panama
Cayman Islands
Dubai/UAE