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posted 3 years ago
Citizenship through real estate investment essentially means you can acquire citizenship of a country through investing in real estate, whether it be a full purchase or a purchase of a share in a real estate property. Each country has different requirements and different parameters where an individual can acquire their citizenship.
Example requirements can be a minimum value of property, a minimum number of years you must hold the property or residing requirements where the applicant must reside in the country for x number of days of a year.
There are many countries that grant citizenship through real estate investment, the list goes on and on as some grant citizenship outright where others grant a pathway to citizenship.
Some of the most popular ones are the Caribbean countries such as Grenada, Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, and St Kitts & Nevis, other countries that grant citizenship are Turkey & Montenegro.
There are countries that grant a pathway to citizenship after meeting certain requirements for example the Greece Golden Visa where citizenship can be applied for after 7 years.
Many of the Caribbean countries listed have similar requirements such as similar minimum investment amounts. We have created a table below to show each of the Caribbean countries’ requirements and benefits.
| Requirements | Antigua & Barbuda | Dominica | Grenada | St. Kitts & Nevis | ||
| Visa-free access to countries | 165+ | 140+ | 140+ | 150+ | ||
| Minimum investment (USD) | 200,000 | 200,000 | 220,000 | 200,000 | ||
| Dependents | Children: up to 30
Spouse Parents: 55 & above Siblings: regardless of age |
Children: up to 30
Spouse Parents: 55 & above Siblings: up to 25 |
Children: up to 30
Spouse Parents: any age Siblings: over 18 |
Children: up to 29
Spouse Parents: 65 & above Siblings: up to 30 |
||
| Residency | Yes. 5 days within a 5-year period | None | None | None | ||
| Unique features | Ability to add future spouse and children | Change of name possible & visa-free with China | E-2 treaty with USA & visa-free with China | No diplomatic ties with China & oldest running program |
As mentioned above Turkey and Montenegro offer outright citizenship with real estate investment however there are other countries that offer a pathway to citizenship such as the Portugal or Greece Golden Visa. Following recent updates, Portugal may cancel or increase specific restrictions. Below is another table to sum up the requirements and benefits of each program.
| Requirements | Turkey | Montenegro | Portugal | Greece GV | ||
| Visa-free access to countries | 110+ | 120+ | Within Schengen Area | Within Schengen area | ||
| Minimum Investment (USD) | 400,000 | 450,000 | EUR 280,000 | EUR 250,000 | ||
| Dependents | Children: under 18
Spouse |
Children: under 18
Spouse |
Children: under 18 & children over 18 dependent on parents
Spouse Parents: 65 & above Siblings: minors who are under custody of applicant/spouse |
Children: under 21
Spouse Parents: any age |
||
| Residency | None | None | 7 days per year | None | ||
| Unique features | E-2 Treaty with USA & ease of acquiring travel visa into EU, US, Canada & Australia | E-2 Treaty with USA & low cost/tax efficient jurisdiction | Pathway to citizenship after 5 years | Pathway to citizenship after 7 years & tax efficient jurisdiction |
The answer can vary between applicant, for example if you wish to have a second citizenship as a tax haven then the Caribbean will be a good option, with little to no taxes and a destination for retirement for many the countries listed above can options.
Other applicants might wish to have global mobility for themselves and their family or enjoy the benefits of asylum in the countries where they are citizens. It does vary from applicant to applicant.
In short yes there are, this is mainly in the Caribbean region as many resorts allow foreign investment. Some applicants may prefer to not own a full property as maybe they won’t be travelling to that destination many months of the year, or they prefer to use this investment as another source of income. Another option in the Caribbean is Grenada, more specifically Grenada Hideaway.
This program allows a qualifying share purchase of the project, A highly desirable trait of this investment is Grenada having a E-2 treaty with USA which means path to U.S citizenship.
It is always recommended to speak to professionals who have dealt with CBI (citizenship by investment) programs before making a decision, each program is different to the next. To learn more about each program please visit https://harveylawcorporation.com/citizenship-and-residency-programmes/ and to speak with one of our professionals please email us at contact@harveylawcorporation.com
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