The following are quick comparison list of countries offering “Citizenship-by-investment” (CBI) vs “Residency-by-investment” (CBI) programs available to third nationals..
The key difference is “Citizenship-by-investment” programs offer investors direct passport to investors within few months or a year. “Residency-by-investment” aka “Golden visa” or “Investor visa” programs initially offer residency to investors, and then after certain number of years of living, it is possible to apply for the Citizenship and passport (indirect route) through naturalisation. The common route is residence permit converted to PR then PR later converted to citizenship.
Note: UK is not a schengen member country. The visas and residence permits issued by schengen countries to non-EU citizens, is not valid to travel to UK. Therefore a separate UK visa needed. Only EU citizens and EU passport holders can visit UK without visa.
Please use our new CBI Price calculator to compare prices and costs for CBI schemes
| Country Passport | Minimum Investment | Program Name | Processing Time | Residency by Investment | Real Estate Investment | Business Investment | Minimum Stay Requirements | Permanent Residency (PR) | Naturalisation Time for Citizenship (ordinary) | Dual Citizenship | Passport Reputation (out of 10) |
| Australia | A$ 1.5 million | Significant Investor stream | no standard processing times | yes | yes | 40 days per year | After 4 years | PR + 4 years | yes | 9.4 | |
| Austria | €100,000 (Residence scheme) | No official citizenship by investment exists | 3 months | Possible | no | yes | 5 year | 10 years | no | 9.6 | |
| Albania | $100,000 | opening in the future | 3 months | TBA | Unknown | 5 | yes | 7 | |||
| Antigua & Barbuda | $ 100,000 (donation) $200,000 (real estate) | Citizenship by investment | 3 months | no | yes (minimum $400,000) | $1.5 million | no requirement | – | – | yes | 8.5 |
| Anguilla | $750,000 (real estate) or $150,000 (donation) | Anguilla Residence by Investment (ARBI) | 3 months | yes | $750K | none | 5 years | 5 years | yes | ||
| Bahamas | $500,000 | Economic Investment PR | 4 months | yes | yes | yes | Immediate PR | 10 years | no | 8.4 | |
| Bulgaria | € 512,000 (residency) €1 million (fast track citizenship) | Investor visa | 3 months | yes | no | yes | – | Immediate | After 5 years | yes | 9.0 |
| Canada (Quebec) | CAD 1,200,000 or C$350,000 financing | Immigrant Investor Program | 40 months | yes | no | yes | Immediate | 3 years | yes | 9.1 | |
| Cambodia | $250,000 (cash donation) or $1.5m (business) | Citizenship by Investment | Unkown | Possible | no | yes | required | 7 years | yes | 6.0 | |
| Costa Rica | $10 million Investor visa | ||||||||||
| Croatia | $100,000 | Business scheme | 3 months | 5 years | 10 years | yes | 9.0 | ||||
| Cyprus | € 2,150,000 (real estate) €300,000 Golden visa | Cypriot (EU) Citizenship by Investment | 6 months (Immediate passport) | no | yes | € 2 million | none | Immediate | 8 years | yes | 9.0 |
| Czechia | €2,800,000 | Significant Investment | 3 months | yes | yes | 5 years | 8 years | yes | 9.0 | ||
| Denmark | no program exists | 6 years | 9 years | yes | 9.6 | ||||||
| Dominica | $100,000 (donation) $200,000 (real estate) | Citizenship by investment | 3 months | no | $200,000 | – | none | yes | 7.5 | ||
| Estonia | €1 million | Major investor scheme | 2 months | 5 years | 8 years | no | 9.2 | ||||
| Egypt | $250,000 (donation) or $500,000 (real estate) | Citizenship by Investment | 3 months | 10 years | yes | 6 | |||||
| France | €300,000 (Talent passport) for startups | Investor Residence | 3 months | 5 years | 10 years | yes | 9.6 | ||||
| Germany | €300,000 real estate or €100,000 Business | Residence by Investment | 3 months | no | € 100,000 | 5 years | 8 years | no | 9.8 | ||
| Grenada | $150,000 (donation) $220,000 (real estate) | Citizenship by investment | 3 months | no | $220,000 | no | Immediate | yes | 7.8 | ||
| Greece | € 250,000 (real estate) No plans to open CBI scheme | Greece Golden visa | 3-4 months | Immediate Residency | yes | no | none | Immediate PR granted | 7 years | yes | 9.3 |
| Hungary | € 300,000 closed | Hungarian Residency Bonds (scheme closed from Mar 20, 2017) | 4-5 months | Immediate Residency | no | no | none | Immediate PR | 8 years | yes | 9.2 |
| Hong Kong | HK$ 10 million | Capital Investment Scheme (suspended) | 3-5 months | Immediate Residency | no | yes | yes | After 7 years | no | 9.1 | |
| Iceland | No such program exists | 4 years | 7 years | yes | 9.2 | ||||||
| Ireland | Irish Immigrant Investor Program (IIP) | €500,000 endowment or €1,000,000 enterprise or €2 million (Bonds) or | 6 months | Immediate Residency | possible | € 1 million | 1 day | Immediate Stamp 4 | 5 years | yes | 9.5 |
| Italy | €500,000 startups | Golden visa | 2 months | Residency | yes | yes | 5 years | 10 years | yes | 9.5 | |
| Japan | Investor visa ($50,000) | Residency | 10 years | 5 years | yes | 9.4 | |||||
| Malta | €250,000 Govt stocks bonds or €100,000 financing for Malta Residency Visa €900,000 Malta citizenship by investment | Individual investor program (IIP) or Malta Residence Visa schemes | 2 months | 12 months for citizenship | € 350,000 (optional) | no | none | Immediate | 5 years (waived) | yes | 9.5 |
| Monaco (Monte Carlo) | € 1 million | Investor visa | 3 months | Immediate Residency | optional | no limit | 6 months per year | 5 years | 10 years | no | 9.9 |
| Malaysia | $125,000 (RM 500K) | MM2H Residency | 2 months | Immediate | 5 years | 10 years | no | 8.0 | |||
| Netherlands | € 1.25 million (startups or funds) | Investor visa | 3 months | Immediate Residency | yes | yes | 5 years | 5 years | no | 9.6 | |
| North Macedonia | €400,000 investment with 10 jobs | Citizenship by Investment | 5 years | 8 years | no | 7.0 | |||||
| Poland | no program exists | 5 years | 8 years | yes | 9.2 | ||||||
| Portugal | € 350,000 (real estate) | Portugal Golden visa | 3-4 months | yes | yes | € 1 million | 7 days per year | Immediate | 6 years | yes | 9.6 |
| Romania | €1 million Citizenship after 4 years | €100K Business (Residence) | 2 months | 5 years | 8 years | yes | 8.5 | ||||
| Russia | $300,000 | pending | yes | yes | 2 years year | 3-5 years | yes | 7.0 | |||
| Spain | €500,000 (real estate) | Spain Golden visa | 3-4 months | yes | yes | no | none | After 5 years | 10 years | only with spanish speaking countries | 9.5 |
| Switzerland | CHF 1 million | Swiss Lump Sum Taxation | 3 months | yes | no | CHF 1 million turnover | yes | 10 years | 12 years | yes | 9.8 |
| St Lucia | $100,000 (donation) $300,000 (real estate) | Citizenship by investment | 2-3 months | no | $300,000 | $3.5 million | none | yes | 7.9 | ||
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | $150,000 (Sustainable Growth Fund) $200,000 (real estate) | Citizenship by investment | 3 months | no | $200,000 | none | yes | 8.3 | |||
| Slovenia | no limits | Economic investor permit | 5 years | 10 years | yes | 8.5 | |||||
| Slovakia | €100 million and create 300 jobs Citizenship on state’s interest | Major investor scheme | 2 years plus | 5 years | 8 years | no | 9.2 | ||||
| Thailand | $15,000 | Elite Visa | 1 month | Residency | 5 years | 6 years | Yes | 7.0 | |||
| United Kingdom (UK) | GBP £2 million | Investor visa (tier-1) | 1-3 weeks | yes | no | yes | 9 months per year for UK passport | 5 years | 6 years | yes | 9.8 |
| United States (U.S.A) | $ 900,000 – $1.8 million from Nov 21 | EB-5 Investor visa | 15-20 months | yes | no | yes | 50% of time in US (2.5 out of 5 yrs) | Immediate | 5 years | yes | 9.7 |
| Liechtenstein | no program exists | 5 years | 30 years | yes | 9.9 | ||||||
| Latvia | €100,000 (business) or €250,000 (real estate/ government bond) | Latvia Golden visa | 4 months | yes | €250,000 | €80,000 | Immediate | 10 years | yes | 9.4 | |
| Lithuania | €250,000 | Business investment | 5 years | 10 years | no | 9.3 | |||||
| Luxembourg | €500,000 | Golden visa | 1 month | 5 years | 7 years | yes | 9.5 | ||||
| New Zealand | NZ$ 3 million | Investor 1 and 2 scheme | 3-4 months | Immediate Residency | Possible | yes | 146 days per year | 2 years | 5 years | yes | 9.6 |
| Norway | no program exists | 3 years | 7 years | no | 9.6 | ||||||
| Poland | no program exists | 5 years | 10 years | yes | 9.4 | ||||||
| Panama | $300,000 | Real Estate | 2 months | Immediate Residency (PR) | yes | yes | 5 years | 7.9 | |||
| Serbia | unknown | 5 years | yes | 8.6 | |||||||
| Sweden | no program exists | 5 years | 5 years | yes | 9.8 | ||||||
| South Korea | Investor visa ($250,000) | F5 PR | yes | no limit | 5 years | 5 years | yes | 9.2 | |||
| Singapore | SG$ 2.5 million (approx US$ 2 million) | Global Investor Program (GIP) | 2 months | yes | no | yes | Immediate Permanent Residency | 2-6 years with PR | no | 9.2 | |
| Vanuatu | $130,000 (donation) Citizenship by Investment | Vanuatu Development Support Program (DSP/VCP) | 1.5 months | yes | 7.2 | ||||||
| Moldova | €100,000 MCBI launched in 2018 | suspended currently | 10 years | yes | 8 | ||||||
| Montenegro | €350,000 (real estate) Now open
| Special Citizenship by Investment | 1 month | €5m hotels, €2m agriculture | Immediate | 10 years | yes | 8.2 | |||
| Turkey | $250,000 (real estate) or $500,000 in Bonds, bank deposit | Turkish Citizenship by investment (TCBI) | 3 months | Immediate | 5 years | yes | 7.0 |
The table was prepared assuming you are Non-EU/EEA foreign national who wish to immigrate. Please note that most european country passports require electronic registration prior to visiting USA. Please check with the US embassy. Naturalisation time is total number of years spent living (inclusive of PR). Some countries require PR status before applying for Citizenship through naturalisation.
