What is citizenship through real estate investment?
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.
Requirements for Residency Applicants: Property, Duration, and Residency
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.
What are the benefits of citizenship through real estate investment?
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.
What are the requirements to get citizenship in the Caribbean?
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.
Antigua & Barbuda
Visa-free access to 165+ countries
Dependents
- Children: up to 30
- Spouse, Parents: 55 & above
- Siblings: regardless of age
- Ability to add future spouse and children
Residency Requirements
Must reside at least 5 days within a 5-year period
Minimum investment
USD200,000
Dominica
Visa-free access to 140+ countries
Change of name possible & visa-free with China
Dependents
- Children: up to 30
- Spouse,Parents: 55 & above
- Siblings: up to 25
Residency Requirements
No residency required
Minimum investment
USD200,000
Grenada
Visa-free access to 140+ countries
E-2 treaty with USA & visa-free with China
Dependents
- Children: up to 30
- Spouse, Parents: any age
- Siblings: over 18
Residency Requirements
No residency required
Minimum investment
USD220,000
St. Kitts & Nevis
Visa-free access to 150+ countries
No diplomatic ties with China & oldest running program
Dependents
- Children: up to 29
- Spouse, Parents: 65 & above
- Siblings: up to 30
Residency Requirements
No residency required
Minimum investment
USD200,000
What are the requirements to get citizenship in other countries?
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.
Turkey
Visa-free access to 110+ countries
E-2 Treaty with USA & ease of acquiring travel visa into EU, US, Canada & Australia
Dependents
- Children: under 18
- Spouse
Residency Requirements
No residency required
Minimum investment
USD400,000
Montenegro
Visa-free access to 120+ countries
E-2 Treaty with USA & low cost/tax efficient jurisdiction
Dependents
- Children: under 18
- Spouse
Residency Requirements
No residency required
Minimum investment
USD450,000
PORTUGAL
Visa-free access to Countries Within Schengen Area
Pathway to citizenship after 5 years
Dependents
- Children: under 18 & children over 18 dependent on parents
- Spouse Parents: 65 & above
- Siblings: minors who are under custody of applicant/spouse
Residency Requirements
7 days per year
Minimum investment
EUR280,000
GREECE
Visa-free access to Countries Within Schengen Area
Pathway to citizenship after 7 years & tax efficient jurisdiction
Dependents
- Children: under 21 Spouse
- Parents: any age
Residency Requirements
No residency required
Minimum investment
EUR250,000
Which is the best citizenship by real estate investment option?
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.
Are there options to purchase a portion of a real estate property?
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.
Which program am I eligible for? And which is best?
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 [email protected]
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