If you want to become a citizen of another country, one of the quickest ways to gain a dual citizenship may be to make investments in that country. Many countries that have a citizenship-by-investment programme will allow you to become a citizen of their country by buying property. There are only a few countries that allow direct citizenship by making investments, while other countries offer resident visas to wealthier individuals that can eventually lead to citizenship.
Direct Citizenship through Investments
There are a small number of countries that will allow you to become a citizen by purchasing property within their jurisdiction. However, you cannot just buy the cheapest property in the country and expect to gain citizenship. Why? Because there is a minimum investment amount that must be made. Some of the countries that allow direct citizenship through a property, or another investment, include:
- Dominica. For a minimum investment of approximately £66,130 and fees, you can get a Dominican passport in about five to fourteen months. The interview committee only meets once a month, which is why there is usually a delay in obtaining citizenship. Dominican citizens can travel to as many as fifty countries without needing a visa.
- Kitts and Nevis. These Caribbean islands have offered citizen-by-investment since 1984, and there are two ways to gain citizenship there through investments. You can offer a non-refundable donation to the St. Kitts and Nevis Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation for a minimum of £166,300, or you can purchase a piece of real estate for at least £265,000. They did close their programme to Iranian nationals in 2011, since other countries, such as the United States, were concerned that Iranians were using the programme to gain passports.
- Antigua and Barbuda. Their citizenship-by-investment programme started in 2013, and they allow citizenship for a real estate investment of at least £265,000, or for a donation to a charity of at least £133,000. However, the government cautions that the programme is scrutinised, and it isn’t open to everyone.
- Malta. For an investment of at least 1.15 million euros and a one-year residency requirement, the wealthy can gain dual citizenship through their programme. They had to change the residency requirement after the European Union raised questions about allowing citizenship with no residency requirement when the programme first started.
- Cyprus. If you want to become a citizen of Cyprus as an individual, you must make a real estate purchase of at least 5 million euros, or you must invest in one of their banks for the same amount.
Residency Visa Countries
Some countries that offer residency visas for investments include:
- Australia
- Belgium
- Portugal
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Singapore
- Spain
In most of these countries, wealthy individuals have to make investments and create jobs in order to get a residency visa, which can eventually lead to citizenship in that country. A second citizenship by investment is easy to obtain for people who have the money to make the necessary investments and who can wait the necessary amount of time.