Countries Offering Citizenship Through Investment Programs
Did you know that you can “buy” the citizenship of many countries of the world if you want? This is called “citizenship through investment,” and if you have a big budget, you can obtain citizenship of almost any country, from European countries to offshore islands. Below, we will list the most preferred of these countries and talk about their citizenship requirements.
Austria
When you become an Austrian citizen, you can live and work in all countries of the European Union and travel to the USA without a visa. Not only you, but your whole family (and future generations) can benefit from your citizenship. For this, you only need to make an investment in the Austrian economy, and the value of this investment should be at least 3 million Euros. It does not matter what kind of investment you make: you can establish a company or become a partner in an existing company. As long as you do not make a passive investment (e.g. stocks) but create new business opportunities, all kinds of investments are accepted.
In addition to your investment, you should prepare a CV, show references and have a clean personal record. You do not need to renounce your current citizenship, so you can become an Austrian citizen as well as keep your current citizenship. The processing time varies between 24 and 36 months, and if your application is accepted, you immediately get an Austrian passport.
Malta
To obtain Maltese citizenship, you and your family have to live in the country for at least 36 months, in addition to making a minimum investment of 738,000 EUR. However, both have some exceptions. For example, instead of making an investment of 738,000 EUR, you can buy a house worth 700,000 EUR. In this case, you should not sell the house for 5 years. There is another alternative: you can rent a property with a monthly rent of 16,000 EUR for 5 years. And in some cases, it is enough to live in the country for only 12 months, not 36.
You can apply for citizenship after living in Malta for 36 months. If it is accepted, you are asked to make an investment or buy a house as explained above. After that, you can immediately get a passport, and you do not have to give up your current citizenship. Malta is a country within the European Union, so you can take advantage of all the advantages of an EU passport. Also, Malta is a world-known gambling licencing authority (MGA), with headquarters of many casino operators being located there, so if you want to start an online casino or a bookmaker site like VulkanBet, Malta is a perfect option.
Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda is a member of the Commonwealth, so you have the right to travel without a visa to the UK, the Schengen Area of the European Union and to 151 different countries with your passport. Citizenship includes children under the age of 17 and parents over 55. You can qualify for citizenship directly by donating $100,000 to the National Development Fund, often even an interview is not required. All you have to do is spend 5 days in the country each year. In addition to this option, you can donate $150,000 to the University of the West Indies or buy a property worth $200,000. Each of these options allows you to obtain citizenship. Whichever option you choose, your application is finalized in an average of 3-4 months, and you can get your passport immediately.
Montenegro
Actually, you are not asked to make a single investment of 350,000 EUR: for Montenegro citizenship, you have to buy a property worth 250,000 EUR and donate 100,000 EUR to the country. So, you are not expected to start any business (or become a partner in an existing business). However, in some parts of the country (for example, in the capital), the value of the property you must purchase is required to be at least 450,000 EUR – this covers almost all coastal areas. After meeting these two conditions, you make your application and receive your passport within a maximum of 3 months. With this passport, you can travel to 124 countries without a visa, including the EU Schengen Area – Montenegro is an official EU candidate country. In other words, it is expected to join the European Union in a short time.
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