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.
| Country | Minimum Investment | Program Name | Processing Time | Permanent Residency (PR) | Naturalisation Time |
| Australia | A$ 1.5 million (closed) | Significant Investor stream | no standard processing times | After 4 years | PR + 4 years |
| Austria | €100,000 (Residence scheme) | No official citizenship by investment exists | 3 months | 5 year | 10 years |
| Albania | $100,000 | opening in the future | 3 months | 5 years | |
| Antigua & Barbuda | $ 230,000 (donation)$300,000 (real estate) | Citizenship by investment | 3 months | – | – |
| Anguilla | $750,000 (real estate) or $150,000 (donation) | Anguilla Residence by Investment (ARBI) | 3 months | 5 years | 5 years |
| Bahamas | $500,000 | Economic Investment PR | 4 months | Immediate PR | 10 years |
| Bulgaria | € 200,000 (residency)€1 million (fast track citizenship) closed | Immigrant investor program | 3 months | Immediate | After 5 years |
| Barbados | $2,000 | Digital Nomad Residence | |||
| Bangladesh | $500,000 | Citizenship investment | Unknown | ||
| Canada (Quebec) | CAD 1,200,000 or C$350,000 financing | Immigrant Investor Program | 40 months | Immediate | 3 years |
| Cambodia | $250,000 (cash donation) or $1.5m (business) | Citizenship by Investment | Unkown | 7 years | |
| Costa Rica | $10 million Investor visa | ||||
| Croatia | $100,000 | Business scheme | 3 months | 5 years | 10 years |
| Cyprus | €300,000 Golden visa | Cypriot (EU) Citizenship by Investment | 6 months (Immediate passport) | Immediate | 8 years |
| Czechia | No limits | Significant Investment | 3 months | 5 years | 8 years |
| Denmark | no program exists | 6 years | 9 years | ||
| Dominica | $200,000 (donation) $200,000 (real estate) | Citizenship by investment | 3 months | ||
| Estonia | €1 million | Major investor scheme | 2 months | 5 years | 8 years |
| Egypt | $250,000 (donation) or $500,000 (real estate) | Citizenship by Investment | 3 months | 10 years | |
| France | €300,000 (Talent passport) for startups | Investor Residence | 3 months | 5 years | 10 years |
| Germany | €50,000 Business residency | Residence by Investment | 3 months | 5 years | 8 years |
| Grenada | $235,000 (donation)$270,000 (real estate) | Citizenship by investment | 3 months | Immediate | |
| Greece | € 250,000 (real estate) or €400,000 (bank deposit or bonds)No plans to open CBI scheme | Greece Golden visa | 3-4 months | Immediate PR granted | 7 years |
| Hungary | €250,000 Real Estate | Guest Investor Residency | 4-5 months | Immediate PR | 8 years |
| Hong Kong | HK$ 10 million | Capital Investment Scheme (suspended) | 3-5 months | After 7 years | |
| Indonesia | Golden Visa | $2.5 million | 3 months | 5 years | 10 years |
| Iceland | No such program exists | 4 years | 7 years | ||
| Ireland | Irish Immigrant Investor Program (IIP) closed | €400,000 joint endowment or €1,000,000 enterprise or €2 million (funds) or | 6 months | Immediate Stamp 4 | 5 years |
| Italy | €250,000 startups | Golden visa | 2 months | 5 years | 10 years |
| Japan | Investor visa ($50,000) | 10 years | 5 years | ||
| Jordan | $1.5 million (bank deposit or bonds) | Citizenship Investment scheme | |||
| Malta | €100,000 Malta Residency€600,000 Malta citizenship by investment | Individual investor program (IIP) or Malta Residence Visa schemes | 2 months | Immediate | 5 years (waived) |
| Monaco (Monte Carlo) | € 1 million | Investor visa | 3 months | 5 years | 10 years |
| Mauritius | $350,000 (business or real estate) with fast track citizenship in 2 years. | Golden visa | |||
| Malaysia | $125,000 (RM 500K) | MM2H Residency | 2 months | 5 years | 10 years |
| Netherlands | € 1.25 million (startups or funds) closed | Foreign Investor visa | 3 months | 5 years | 5 years |
| North Macedonia | €200,000 investment donation | Citizenship by Investment | 5 years | 8 years | |
| Poland | no program exists | 5 years | 8 years | ||
| Portugal | € 250,000 artistic or cultural (real estate closed) | Portugal Golden visa | 12 months | Immediate | 6 years |
| Romania | €1 million Citizenship after 4 years | €100K Business (Residence) | 2 months | 5 years | 8 years |
| Russia | $10 million or $160,000 | Simplified or Discretionary Naturalization only | 2 years year | 3-5 years | |
| Spain | €2m bonds (real estate closed) | Spain Golden visa | 3-4 months | After 5 years | 10 years |
| Samoa | $1.2 million | Citizenship Investment Program | |||
| Switzerland | CHF 1 million | Swiss Lump Sum Taxation | 3 months | 10 years | 12 years |
| St Lucia | $100,000 (donation) $300,000 (real estate) | Citizenship by investment | 2-3 months | ||
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | $250,000 (Sustainable Island Fund)$400,000 (real estate) | Citizenship by investment | 3 months | ||
| Slovenia | no limits | Economic investor permit | 5 years | 10 years | |
| Slovakia | €100 million and create 300 jobsCitizenship on state’s interest | Major investor scheme | 2 years plus | 5 years | 8 years |
| Solomon islands | coming soon | Economic Citizenship Program | |||
| Thailand | $15,000 | Elite Visa | 1 month | 5 years | 6 years |
| United Kingdom (UK) | GBP £2 million closed | Investor visa (tier-1) | 1-3 weeks | 5 years | 6 years |
| United States (U.S.A) | $500,000 | EB-5 Investor visa | 15-20 months | Immediate | 5 years |
| Liechtenstein | no program exists | 5 years | 30 years | ||
| Latvia | €100,000 (business) or €250,000 (real estate/ government bond) | Latvia Golden visa | 4 months | Immediate | 10 years |
| Lithuania | €250,000 | Business investment | 5 years | 10 years | |
| Luxembourg | €500,000 | Golden visa | 1 month | 5 years | 7 years |
| New Zealand | NZ$ 3 million | Investor 1 and 2 scheme | 3-4 months | 2 years | 5 years |
| Norway | no program exists | 3 years | 7 years | ||
| Poland | €100,000 business investment | 5 years | 10 years | ||
| Panama | $300,000 | Real Estate | 2 months | 5 years | |
| Serbia | unknown | 5 years | |||
| Sweden | no program exists | 5 years | 5 years | ||
| Sri Lanka | Golden Paradise ($100,000) | 3 months | 5 years | 5 years | |
| South Korea | Investor visa ($250,000) | F5 PR | 5 years | 5 years | |
| Singapore | SG$ 2.5 million (approx US$ 2 million) | Global Investor Program (GIP) | 2 months | Immediate Permanent Residency | 2-6 years with PR |
| Vanuatu | $115,000 (donation) Citizenship by Investment | Vanuatu Development Support Program (DSP/VCP) | 1.5 months | ||
| Moldova | €100,000 MCBI launched in 2018 closed | closed | 10 years | ||
| Montenegro | €350,000 (real estate) closed | Special Citizenship by Investment | 1 month | Immediate | 10 years |
| Turkey | $400,000 (real estate) or $500,000 in Govt Bonds, bank deposit | Turkish Citizenship by investment (TCBI) | 3 months | Immediate | 5 years |
| United Arab Emirates | Golden Visa $250,000 | Property investment | No | No |
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.
