Quick Comparison of CBI/RBI schemes

Dual citizenship

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.

CountryMinimum InvestmentProgram NameProcessing TimePermanent Residency (PR)Naturalisation Time
AustraliaA$ 1.5 million (closed)Significant Investor streamno standard processing timesAfter 4 yearsPR + 4 years
Austria€100,000
(Residence scheme)
No official citizenship by investment exists3 months5 year10 years
Albania$100,000opening in the future3 months5 years
Antigua & Barbuda$ 230,000 (donation)$300,000 (real estate)Citizenship by investment3 months
Anguilla$750,000 (real estate) or $150,000 (donation)Anguilla Residence by Investment (ARBI)3 months5 years5 years
Bahamas$500,000Economic Investment PR4 monthsImmediate PR10 years
Bulgaria€ 200,000 (residency)€1 million (fast track citizenship) closedImmigrant investor program3 monthsImmediateAfter 5 years
Barbados$2,000Digital Nomad Residence
Bangladesh$500,000Citizenship investmentUnknown
Canada (Quebec)CAD 1,200,000 or C$350,000 financingImmigrant Investor Program40 monthsImmediate3 years
Cambodia$250,000 (cash donation) or $1.5m (business)Citizenship by InvestmentUnkown7 years
Costa Rica$10 million Investor visa
Croatia$100,000Business scheme3 months5 years10 years
Cyprus€300,000 Golden visaCypriot (EU) Citizenship by Investment6 months (Immediate passport)Immediate8 years
CzechiaNo limitsSignificant Investment3 months5 years8 years
Denmarkno program exists6 years9 years
Dominica$200,000 (donation)
$200,000 (real estate)
Citizenship by investment3 months
Estonia€1 millionMajor investor scheme2 months5 years8 years
Egypt$250,000 (donation) or $500,000 (real estate)Citizenship by Investment3 months10 years
France€300,000 (Talent passport) for startupsInvestor Residence3 months5 years10 years
Germany€50,000 Business residencyResidence by Investment3 months5 years8 years
Grenada$235,000 (donation)$270,000 (real estate)Citizenship by investment3 monthsImmediate
Greece€ 250,000 (real estate) or €400,000 (bank deposit or bonds)No plans to open CBI schemeGreece Golden visa3-4 monthsImmediate PR granted7 years
Hungary€250,000 Real EstateGuest Investor Residency4-5 monthsImmediate PR8 years
Hong KongHK$ 10 millionCapital Investment Scheme (suspended)3-5 monthsAfter 7 years
IndonesiaGolden Visa$2.5 million3 months5 years10 years
IcelandNo such program exists4 years7 years
IrelandIrish Immigrant Investor Program (IIP) closed€400,000 joint endowment or €1,000,000 enterprise or €2 million (funds) or6 monthsImmediate Stamp 45 years
Italy€250,000 startupsGolden visa2 months5 years10 years
JapanInvestor visa ($50,000)10 years5 years
Jordan$1.5 million (bank deposit or bonds)Citizenship Investment scheme
Malta€100,000 Malta Residency€600,000 Malta citizenship by investmentIndividual investor program (IIP) or Malta Residence Visa schemes2 monthsImmediate5 years (waived)
Monaco (Monte Carlo)€ 1 millionInvestor visa3 months5 years10 years
Mauritius$350,000 (business or real estate) with fast track citizenship in 2 years.Golden visa
Malaysia$125,000 (RM 500K)MM2H Residency2 months5 years10 years
Netherlands€ 1.25 million (startups or funds) closedForeign Investor visa3 months5 years5 years
North Macedonia€200,000 investment donationCitizenship by Investment5 years8 years
Polandno program exists5 years8 years
Portugal€ 250,000 artistic or cultural (real estate closed)Portugal Golden visa12 monthsImmediate6 years
Romania€1 million Citizenship after 4 years€100K Business (Residence)2 months5 years8 years
Russia$10 million or $160,000Simplified or Discretionary Naturalization only2 years year3-5 years
Spain€2m bonds (real estate closed)Spain Golden visa3-4 monthsAfter 5 years10 years
Samoa$1.2 millionCitizenship Investment Program
SwitzerlandCHF 1 millionSwiss Lump Sum Taxation3 months10 years12 years
St Lucia$100,000 (donation)
$300,000 (real estate)
Citizenship by investment2-3 months
Saint Kitts and Nevis$250,000 (Sustainable Island Fund)$400,000 (real estate)Citizenship by investment3 months
Sloveniano limitsEconomic investor permit5 years10 years
Slovakia€100 million and create 300 jobsCitizenship on state’s interestMajor investor scheme2 years plus5 years8 years
Solomon islandscoming soonEconomic Citizenship Program
Thailand$15,000Elite Visa1 month5 years6 years
United Kingdom (UK)GBP £2 million closedInvestor visa (tier-1)1-3 weeks5 years6 years
United States (U.S.A)$500,000EB-5 Investor visa15-20 monthsImmediate5 years
Liechtensteinno program exists5 years30 years
Latvia€100,000 (business) or €250,000 (real estate/ government bond)Latvia Golden visa4 monthsImmediate10 years
Lithuania€250,000Business investment5 years10 years
Luxembourg€500,000Golden visa1 month5 years7 years
New ZealandNZ$ 3 millionInvestor 1 and 2 scheme3-4 months2 years5 years
Norwayno program exists3 years7 years
Poland€100,000 business investment5 years10 years
Panama$300,000Real Estate2 months5 years
Serbiaunknown5 years
Swedenno program exists5 years5 years
Sri LankaGolden Paradise ($100,000)3 months5 years5 years
South KoreaInvestor visa ($250,000)F5 PR5 years5 years
SingaporeSG$ 2.5 million (approx US$ 2 million)Global Investor Program (GIP)2 monthsImmediate Permanent Residency2-6 years with PR
Vanuatu$115,000 (donation) Citizenship by InvestmentVanuatu Development Support Program (DSP/VCP)1.5 months
Moldova€100,000 MCBI launched in 2018 closedclosed10 years
Montenegro€350,000 (real estate) closedSpecial Citizenship by Investment1 monthImmediate10 years
Turkey$400,000 (real estate) or $500,000 in Govt Bonds, bank depositTurkish Citizenship by investment (TCBI)3 monthsImmediate5 years
United Arab EmiratesGolden Visa $250,000Property investmentNoNo

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.

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