Citizenship by investment

Cosmopolitans with dual citizenship get access to various features:

• travelling the world visa-free;

• preparing a plan B;

• moving abroad;

• providing a better quality of life, education and healthcare to a family;

• reducing the tax burden;

• developing business internationally.

Travelling the world visa-free. A dual citizen can use either of their passports to travel to the desired destination with simplified or no visa requirements. Caribbean passports offer 140+ visa-free destinations, and EU passports open travel without visas to 160+ countries.

Preparing a plan B. With a second citizenship, cosmopolitans can secure personal and financial safety. They can buy real estate, open a bank account abroad in advance, and keep a financial airbag there. In case of danger or emergency in the country of residence, investors can quickly go to a safe place without wasting time obtaining a visa, looking for housing or transferring money.

Moving abroad. An investor with a second passport can move abroad. Often, an investment passport opens several options for relocation. For instance, a Grenada passport allows one to move to this country, any other Eastern Caribbean state or the United States by obtaining an E‑2 visa.

Providing a better quality of life, education and healthcare. Dual citizens can choose which country of citizenship they live, work, study, and get medical treatment in.

Reducing the tax burden. Multiple citizenships provide its holder with an option to cut their tax payments. The person can pick the country with a more beneficial taxation regime to become a tax resident or register a company. Some countries don’t oblige their citizens to pay income taxes or taxes on wealth, inheritance or gifts, and others are a tax haven for businesses.

Developing business internationally. Second citizenship helps register a business abroad, open a corporate bank account, avoid currency control restrictions and expedite money transfers. Some jurisdictions also do not reveal beneficiaries’ personal data, protecting the investor’s privacy.

Before submitting a citizenship application, an investor chooses one of the investment options under the program.

Countries offer various options:

• contribution to a state fund;

• real estate purchase or rent;

• purchase of securities or investment fund units;

• investment in business and job creation;

• deposit in a bank.

Some options allow investors to return their funds after 3–7 years.

Usually, getting citizenship by investment takes several months and doesn’t require living in the country.

Each country sets its own conditions that applicants must meet to be eligible for the citizenship by investment program. Under some investment programs, applicants must undergo medical examinations and prove good health; under others, they do not.

Several requirements for investors are common to all investment programs:

• age of 18 or older;

• clean criminal record;

• legal source of income and funds for investment.

Family members of the main applicant can also get an investment passport and enjoy all the benefits. Under all the programs, you can include spouses and children under 18 in the application.

Participation of other relatives, such as adult children, siblings and parents, is allowed only in several investment programs. In exceptional cases, investors can add grandparents.

The choice of a citizenship program depends on your goals and requests. For example, if you want to travel to the UK and the Schengen Area visa-free, a Caribbean passport might be a good choice. And if you want to live in a European country, Malta citizenship by naturalisation for exceptional services may be a harder but more promising path.

If you need to get a passport in a short time, Vanuatu citizenship may be the right decision. And if you want to run a business in the US, citizenship of Grenada, Turkey or Egypt may be appropriate.

Immigrant Invest is a licensed agent of citizenship by investment programs of Vanuatu, EU and Caribbean countries. We will analyse your case and help you choose a program depending on:

• your goals;

• family composition;

• the desired period for obtaining a passport;

• the budget.

Suppose a second passport does not cover the needs of your family. In that case, we will offer you an alternative: for example, to get two documents or apply for a residence permit by investment.