Did you know that property is one of the most popular routes to Citizenship by Investment (CBI)? If you’re looking to get your hands on a second passport, purchasing a stylish condominium or unit in a stunning government-approved development is one of the most straightforward paths to follow. In this article, we’ll outline the best countries for citizenship by real estate investment in 2024.
Thursday, March 28, 2013 was a decisive day in both the history of Antigua and Barbuda and investment migration. This august date marks the passing of the Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Act by the government.
You can acquire Antigua and Barbuda citizenship by making a qualifying investment.
Currently, Antigua and Barbuda offers four CBI options. The citizenship by real estate investment avenue involves 2 choices relating to the acquisition of a property close to a palm-fringed white sand beach.
Either, you opt to invest $200,000 in fractional co-ownership of a property or $400,000 in full real estate ownership.
Whichever route you select, you must maintain ownership for at least 5 years. You can add a wide range of dependants to your application, including your spouse, children, and stepchildren under 30, and parents, grandparents, parents in law, unmarried siblings of any age, and grandparents in law over 55.
Expect to wait between 5 and 7 months to receive your Antigua and Barbuda citizenship.
Citizenship by Investment is even more established in Dominica. CBI has been available in this fellow Eastern Caribbean country since 1993.
Presently, Dominica allows for two Citizenship by Investment options. The citizenship by real estate investment course is the path taken by comfortably more than 50% of investors looking for a rainforest paradise on Nature Island.
Buy property worth at least $200,000 in a government-approved development. You must remain the owner of this slice of Caribbean real estate for at least 3 years. The property will be eligible for resale under the citizenship programme after five years.
You can resell units after 5 years of ownership. Qualifying dependants include your spouse, children aged 18-30 in full-time study, and unmarried daughters or step daughters under 25. Authorities process Dominica Citizenship by Investment applications between 6 and 8 months.
On another Eastern Caribbean island, Grenada Citizenship by Investment has a more contemporary origin story than in Dominica. Like Antigua and Barbuda, it dates back to 2013.
These days, there are two ways to Grenada CBI. Again, the citizenship by real investment trail is the track most travelled in the quest to land a slice of the Spice Isle. Eligible routes involve purchasing a $220,000 share in an approved development or investing $350,000 in such a project.
You must maintain ownership of the property for 5 years following the granting of citizenship. Dependants you can add to your application include your spouse, dependent children up to the age of 30, dependent parents above 55, and childless, unmarried siblings.
In Malta, Maltese Exceptional Investor Naturalization (MEIN) is the replacement for the Maltese CBI frontrunner, the Malta Individual Investor Program (MIIP). Malta is the only European country where you can invest in a citizenship. MIIP came into being in 2014 whereas MEIN was born in 2020.
Malta’s two Citizenship by Investment options both involve real estate with Maltese properties ranging from rural villas with a pool to urban apartments with a Mediterranean view.
The first requires you to obtain residence in Malta for 12 months and pay €750,000. You will then need to purchase a residential property in Malta with a minimum value of €700,000 or rent residential real estate in Malta with a yearly rent of no less than €16,000.
The second necessitates an acquisition of residence in Malta for 36 months and the payment of €600,000. Next, you must buy residential real estate in Malta worth at least €700,000 or rent residential property that amounts to a minimum annual commitment of €16,000.
For either option, you must also donate €10,000 to an approved registered philanthropic, cultural, sporting, scientific, animal welfare, artistic non-governmental organization or society.
The property that is leased or purchased for the MEIN must be retained for a minimum period of 5 years after the final acquisition of citizenship.
St Kitts and Nevis run the world’s longest-running Citizenship by Investment Programme. They have been accepting CBI from 1984 onwards.
There are 3 Citizenship by Investment options to select from in St Kitts and Nevis with beachside properties fragranced by tropical flora. The citizenship by real estate investment includes various subdivisions.
With the Developer’s Real Estate Option, you must buy a property worth at least $400,000 and hold onto the real estate for a minimum of 7 years.
Another way is to purchase an Approved Private Home. This must be of a value of no less than $400,000 for a condominium and a minimum of $800,000 for a single-family dwelling.
By way of contrast, St Lucia Citizenship by Investment is the most junior Caribbean CBI. It has been available since December 2015.
Of the four Citizenship by Investment options viable in St Lucia, one is based on luxury real estate lapped by the gentle waves of the Caribbean or facing the fantastic Atlantic. This requires a minimum $200,000 investment in an approved touristic real estate development.
You must retain ownership of this property for no less than 5 years. Eligible dependants include children and stepchildren no older than 31, parents and parents 55+, and mentally or physically challenged children, stepchildren, or parents of any age. 7-8 months is the average processing time.
Turkish Citizenship by Investment is another relative newcomer to the investment migration landscape. It was launched in January 2017.
There are six Citizenship by Investment options in Türkiye, pronounced Tur-kee-yeah, and two of them involve real estate. This should come as little surprise as the programme was introduced to stimulate interest in the Turkish property market, ranging from Istanbul skyscapers to apartments overlooking the Aegean Sea.
The first real estate citizenship by real estate investment option is to make a property purchase worth at least $400,000. Alternatively, you can make a minimum $500,000 investment in a Turkish real estate fund.
Deciding which is the right real estate citizenship by investment for you can be tricky and is not an undertaking to be taken lightly. This is where the advice of an expert investment firm can prove invaluable. So, don’t delay and contact RIF Trust today.