Living Abroad Tips

Countries that offer citizenship by investment visa

Emma-Jane Stogdon
Emma-Jane Stogdon
21.11.24 (last updated)
Read time 2 minutes

Many countries offer citizenship by investment programmes, sometimes known as the golden visa schemes. This gives you a chance to obtain a second citizenship quickly and easily by contributing to a country’s economy.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through these visa programmes and tell you which one is the easiest to pursue as a UK citizen. We’ll also explain the reasons why citizenship by investment exists and help you understand what’s on offer at the moment and how Wise might be able to help you save money on your visa fees.

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Citizenship by investment visa1

A citizenship by investment visa is a scheme that allows you to acquire citizenship in a country without the need for long-term residency.

This is achieved by making a substantial financial contribution to the country’s economy, usually via:

  • Real estate
  • Government bonds
  • Or national development projects.

Reasons countries offer citizenship by investment1

There are various reasons behind countries offering citizenship by investment programmes. Here are some of the most important ones:

  • Attracting foreign investments
  • Bringing in global talent
  • Creating more jobs by increasing the presence of foreign businesses2
  • Balancing population demographics
  • Generating income from application fees

List of countries that offer citizenship by investment

More than 100 countries in the world have some type of citizenship by investment legislation in place3 including here in the UK, with the the Investor Visa (Tier 1) and the Innovator Founder Visa. Let’s go through some that actually offer citizenship by investment programmes.

European citizenship by investment programmes4

There are also various countries that offer residence by investment, such as Cyprus, Greece, Montenegro or Hungary.

Caribbean citizenship by investment programmes4

  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Dominica
  • Grenada
  • St. Kitts & Nevis
  • St. Lucia

North American citizenship by investment programmes4

Other citizenship by investment programmes5

CBI programmes exist in many more countries worldwide, including the following:

  • Vanuatu
  • Egypt
  • Jordan

Which country is easiest to obtain citizenship by investment?

Some of the countries where obtaining citizenship by investment is relatively easy include Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and North Macedonia. They have reasonable investment requirements and simple application processes, which significantly speeds up the whole experience.

For instance, there are no minimum stay requirements when applying for Dominican citizenship and the investment amount starts at 100,000 USD.

Manage your money internationally with the Wise multi-currency account

Getting a second passport via citizenship by investment is a good option for those with sufficient funds who do not wish to take the traditional route. You should now have a better understanding of which countries offer this option, but make sure to keep an eye out for any updates.

Applying for citizenship in this way requires thorough financial planning. Opening a Wise account can help you avoid any additional hidden costs and allow you to send money from the UK with low fees*.

The Wise account can be used in multiple countries as an alternative to traditional bank accounts. It comes with transparent, low fees* and uses the mid-market exchange rate for all transactions.

You can even rely on Wise’s dedicated large amount transfer team if you need to move larger amounts of money, such as those needed for your citizenship by investment visa.

Make your transfer

Sources used:

1. Global Citizen Solutions - citizenship by investment
2. Global Residence Index - citizenship by investment
3. Henley & Partners Holdings - investment migration countries
4. Henley & Partners Holdings - easiest citizenship by investment programmes
5. Henley & Partners Holding - citizenship by investment programmes

Sources last checked on date: 01-Nov-2024

*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.

We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.

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