The following are quick comparison list of countries offering “Citizenship-by-investment” (CBI) vs “Residency-by-investment” (CBI) programs to third nationals of various countries.
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 tool to compare prices and costs for CBI schemes: http://cbi-compare.com
| 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 | Dual Citizenship | Passport Reputation (out of 10) |
| Australia | A$ 1.5 million | Investor stream | 4 months | 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 | Possible | no | yes | 5 year | 10 years | no | 9.6 | ||
| Antigua & Barbuda | $ 100,000 | Citizenship by investment | 3 months | no | yes (minimum $400,000) | $1.5 million | no requirement | – | – | yes | 8.5 |
| Bahamas | $500,000 | Economic Investment PR | 4 months | yes | yes | yes | Immediate PR | 10 years | no | 8.4 | |
| Bulgaria | € 512,000 (residency) €1 million (citizenship) | Investor visa | 7 months | yes | no | yes | – | Immediate | After 5 years | yes | 9.0 |
| Canada (Quebec) | CAD 1,200,000 Quebec | Immigrant Investor Program | 6 months | yes | no | yes | 2 years | 3 years | yes | 9.1 | |
| 5 years | 10 years | yes | 9.4 | ||||||||
| Costa Rica | $10 million Investor visa | ||||||||||
| Croatia | $100,000 | Business scheme | 5 years | 10 years | yes | 9.0 | |||||
| Cyprus | € 2.15 million (real estate) | Cypriot (EU) Citizenship by Investment | 6 months (Immediate passport) | no | yes | € 5 million | none | 5 years | 8 years | yes | 9.0 |
| Denmark | no program exists | 6 years | 9 years | yes | 9.6 | ||||||
| Dominica | $ 100,000 | Citizenship by investment | 8-10 months | no | $200,000 | – | none | yes | 7.5 | ||
| Estonia | €1 million | Major investor scheme | 4 months | 5 years | 8 years | no | 9.2 | ||||
| France | €300,000 (Talent passport) | 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 | Citizenship by investment | 3 months | no | $220,000 | no | yes | 7.8 | |||
| Greece | € 250,000 (real estate) | Greece Golden visa | 3-4 months | Immediate Residency | yes | no | none | Immediate PR granted | 7 years | yes | 9.3 |
| Hungary | € 300,000 closed | Hungarian Residency Bonds (scheme closed from Mar 20, 2017) | 4-5 months | Immediate Residency | no | no | none | Immediate PR | 8 years | yes | 9.2 |
| Hong Kong | HK$ 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 | 3 months | Immediate Residency | possible | € 1 million | 5 years | 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) | 10 years | 5 years | yes | 9.4 | ||||||
| Malta | €250,000 (Malta Residency Visa) €900K IIP citizenship scheme | Individual investor program (IIP) or Malta Residence Visa schemes | 3 months | 12 months for citizenship | € 350,000 (optional) | no | none | 5 years (waived) | 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 | Investor visa | 3 months | Immediate Residency | yes | yes | 5 years | 5 years | no | 9.6 | |
| Poland | no program exists | 5 years | 8 years | yes | 9.2 | ||||||
| Portugal | € 350,000 | Portugal Golden visa | 3-4 months | yes | yes | € 1 million | 7 days per year | After 5 years | 6 years | yes | 9.6 |
| Romania | €1m Citizenship after 2 years | €100K Business (Residence) | 5 years | 8 years | yes | 9.0 | |||||
| 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 | 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) | 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 | Significant investor | 3 months | 5 years | 8 years | yes | 8.5 | ||||
| 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) | 2 months | yes | no | yes | 9 months per year for UK passport | 5 years | 6 years | yes | 9.8 |
| United States (U.S.A) | $ 900,000 – $1.8 million from Nov 21 | EB-5 Investor visa | 10 months | yes | no | yes | 50% of time in US (2.5 out of 5 yrs) | Immediate | 5 years | yes | 9.7 |
| Liechtenstein | no program exists | 5 years | 30 years | yes | 9.9 | ||||||
| Latvia | €100,000 (business) or €250,000 (real estate/ government bond) | Latvia Golden visa | 4 months | yes | €250,000 | €80,000 | 5 years | 10 years | yes | 9.4 | |
| Lithuania | €250,000 | Business investment | 5 years | 10 years | no | 9.3 | |||||
| Luxembourg | €500,000 | Golden visa | 5 years | 7 years | yes | 9.5 | |||||
| New Zealand | NZ$ 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 | Immediate Residency (PR) | yes | yes | 5 years | 7.9 | ||||
| Serbia | no program exists | 5 years | yes | 8.6 | |||||||
| Sweden | no program exists | 5 years | 5 years | yes | 9.8 | ||||||
| South Korea | Investor visa ($250,000) | F5 PR | yes | no limit | 5 years | yes | 9.2 | ||||
| Singapore | SG$ 2.5 million (approx US$ 2 million) | Global Investor Program (GIP) | yes | no | yes | Immediate Permanent Residency | 2-6 years with PR | no | 9.2 | ||
| Slovakia | €100 million create 300 jobs | Major investor permit | 5 years | 8 years | |||||||
| Vanuatu | $130,000 Citizenship by Investment | Vanuatu Development Support Program (DSP) | 1.5 months | yes | 7.2 | ||||||
| Moldova | €100,000 MCBI launched in 2018 | suspended currently | 10 years | yes | 8 | ||||||
| Montenegro | €350,000 Now open
| Special Citizenship by Investment | 10 years | yes | 8.2 | ||||||
| Turkey | $250,000 (real estate) or $500,000 in Bonds, bank deposit | Citizenship by investment | 4 months | 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 (inclusiv of PR). Some countries require PR status before applying for Citizenship through naturalisation.
