How to get European citizenship by investment: complete guide

1. Free residence in any country of the European Union (EU).

2. The opportunity to get a job in any EU country with an EU passport.

3. Travel without visas in the EU and Schengen countries.

4. Visa-free travel to over 170 countries.

5. Purchase of real estate in any of the 27 EU countries.

6. Access to social security, including pensions and benefits.

7. Opportunity to educate children in prestigious universities.

8. High-quality healthcare.

9. A stable high standard of living and safety.

There are three main ways to become a citizen of the European Union:

• by repatriation;

• by naturalisation;

• by investment.

Each option has its own limitations. They are not available to everyone and the programs do not work in every country.

Repatriation programs operate in Hungary, Germany, Finland and some other countries. Their participants receive a residence permit or an EU passport. The main condition is the presence of close relatives who were citizens of the country.

Some programs impose restrictions based on participants' date of birth or the period during which their relatives lived in the country. For example, in Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania, citizenship can be obtained only if relatives lived there during the countries' periods of independence. If relatives lived in these countries during the Soviet era, it will not work to obtain a passport upon repatriation.

Citizenship by naturalisation assumes that a person first receives a residence permit, then a permanent residency, and only then a passport. The procedure takes 6 to 12 years.

It is difficult to obtain citizenship by naturalisation. First, a residence permit is issued, but it is not easily granted, as you need a valid reason to move. Acceptable reasons include: an invitation from an employer, university studies, or marriage to a citizen of the country. After several years of permanent residence, you can apply for a permanent residence permit, and later, citizenship.

Citizenship for exceptional services by direct investment is offered by Malta. Malta passports are issued on the basis of naturalisation after a few years in resident status.

Portugal, Greece, Spain, Hungary, Italy, Cyprus, and Malta offer residency by investment programs. In Austria and Switzerland, you can get a residence permit card for financially independent people. These statuses will allow you to solve some of the tasks now to eventually get citizenship.

Wealthy individuals can obtain status in several countries of the European Union. In most cases, we are talking about a residence permit and less often about citizenship. It is not possible to buy a passport, as states have strict requirements for applicants, and the process of obtaining the status takes months.

Depending on the program, the applicant meets a number of investment conditions. These may include:

• non-refundable contribution to a state fund;

• purchase or long-term lease of real estate;

• buying government stocks or bonds.

In a number of countries, the state becomes the guarantor of the return of funds for several years. Given the stability of the economies in EU countries, the investor receives a significant guarantee of return on the money invested.

It is impossible to obtain citizenship immediately. We will explain what are the stages previous to citizenship.

A residence permit is the first step towards obtaining citizenship. Many countries only offer residence permits for investment. These include Portugal, Greece, Hungary, and Spain.

After the residence permit, the investor can obtain citizenship by naturalisation. To do this, you need to live in the country for five to ten years.

Citizenship for exceptional service by direct investment is available in Malta. This is also citizenship by naturalisation. The investor receives a residence permit and, after one or three years, citizenship.

Investors can also obtain citizenship in Bulgaria. At the beginning of 2021, the program was updated: applicants contribute approximately one million euros, receive permanent residence and then citizenship after five years of resident status.

A passport of any EU country is relatively expensive, and it takes several years to obtain a status. In some countries, you have to live there permanently to become a citizen. Therefore, there is no easiest country to get citizenship in Europe.

If you need to obtain conveniently cheaper citizenship by investment, we suggest considering alternatives outside the European Union. For example, the programs of the Caribbean states: Saint Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Dominica.

Caribbean citizenship allows you to visit the Schengen area and the UK without a visa. The only exception is Dominica: holders of Dominica passports have to get a visa to enter the UK. This is an alternative to European citizenship by investment.

Cost of participation for family members. Together with the investor, their relatives can obtain European citizenship, including the spouse, children, and parents. Each country has its own requirements, such as the age limit for children and parents with complete financial dependence on the investor.

In some countries, extra fees apply for family members' status. For example, the additional investment for obtaining citizenship of Malta is €50,000 for each relative.

Additional expenses. In addition to the investment, the applicant pays duties, fees, taxes, and legal services. The amount depends on the country, selected status, options, and family composition.

Living in the country. Malta does not require living permanently in the country in order to obtain citizenship. To maintain a residence permit in Portugal and eventually obtain citizenship, you need to spend seven days a year in the country. But there are also stricter conditions.

You need to live permanently in Greece and Spain to obtain a passport, but you cannot leave the country for more than six months. The same rule applies to those who have received permanent residence in Malta and want to become a citizen. To maintain resident status, you do not need to permanently live in any of these countries.

In some European countries, such as Greece, there is a condition: to obtain citizenship, a resident cannot leave the country for more than ten months within the last five years.

Ban on second citizenship. Some countries do not allow second citizenship. For example, to obtain a Spanish passport, one has to renounce the citizenship of another country.

In Malta, Portugal, Hungary, and Greece you can get a second citizenship as you do not have to give up the first one.

1. Portugal, Greece, Spain, Hungary, Italy, Cyprus, and Malta offer residency by investment programs. To obtain citizenship by naturalisation after receiving a residence permit, one needs to live in the country for five to ten years.

2. EU citizenship can be obtained by repatriation, naturalisation, and investment. The most common reasons for naturalisation are marriage, employment, and business registration.

3. An EU passport offers its holder the opportunity to travel visa-free to over 170 countries, improve the quality of life, educate children in prestigious schools and universities, as well as work or run a business in any EU country.

4. Some countries do not permit second citizenship. For example, obtaining a Spanish passport requires renouncing any other nationality.

5. Most investment programs do not require living in the country if a resident status is enough. Obtaining citizenship often requires spending at least 183 days a year in the country.