Factors to consider when choosing a citizenship by investment programme

There are several factors to be considered when choosing a citizenship by investment programme that is right for you and your family. These are some factors that you may want to consider when selecting a citizenship by investment programme:  

Citizenship by Investment Budget 

How much money are you willing to spend on obtaining a second passport? The Caribbean citizenship by investment programmes offers cheaper routes to getting a second citizenship. For example, Dominica citizenship by investment is priced at USD 100,000 for a single applicant, and Antigua is priced at around USD 125,000 for a family of 4. Most Caribbean citizenship by investment programmes are priced in the range of US$100,000-US$200,000 and each program offers different benefits. 

European Citizenship by Investment programmes are much more expensive. Cyprus citizenship by investment is priced around EUR 2.5 million and Malta, starting at around EUR1.3 million. 

The new Moldova and Montenegro citizenship by investment programs are over EUR 100,000 and are less expensive options compared to Cyprus and Malta.

Citizenship by Investment Timeline 

Are you in a rush to get a second passport? The 5 Caribbean countries that offer citizenship by investment typically have varying processing times of around 3-6 months, depending on the volume of applications at the time of submission. European citizenship by investment programs can take more than six months. St.Kitts & Nevis offers a fast track programme to citizenship in 60 days at an additional cost of over US$25,000. 

Will you be including family members in your application or interested in passing down citizenship via descent? 

If you are applying as a family, it will be necessary to determine if your family members qualify as dependents under the different citizenship by investment programmes. Some programmes allow for parents of the applicant, children, and adult children to be included in an application for citizenship. There are also different prices depending on the number of applicants included in a citizenship by investment application. If one aim is to pass on citizenship by descent to your future children, you will need to verify that the citizenship by investment program allows citizenship by investment via descent and if there are any constraints to passing down citizenship via descent. 

Required Travel & Residence Requirements 

If traveling without the hassle of continually obtaining visas is a priority, you will want to get a strong passport that offers a high level of visa-free travel. Malta provides a high level of visa-free travel to over 180 countries, including the USA, Canada, Hong Kong, and the UK. With a passport from Malta, you can reside in all EU countries and travel throughout the Schengen Area. St.Kitts & Nevis is another country that offers a high level of visa-free to over 150 countries, including Russia, Hong Kong, UK, and Schengen area, with countries regularly added to the visa-free list. The Grenada passport is unique in that it offers visa-free to China in addition to several other countries.

Which program is the best for you? 

The best citizenship program for you will depend on several factors that primarily reflect your goals. Determining your goals and objectives and then speaking to a citizenship by investment agent may help in determining which program is right for you. For a consultation, you can contact: [email protected] 

Citizenship by Investment Expert 

Selecting the right citizenship by investment expert for you is an important decision. The expert will be able to guide you through the entire procedure and highlight the advantages and disadvantages of the different Citizenship by Investment programs. Is the expert someone with integrity who has experience working with diverse citizenship by investment programs? What is the experts' reputation in the industry? Does the expert live or visit the country regularly where you are applying for citizenship by investment? These are just some questions you might want to ask yourself when considering who will be the right citizenship by investment expert for you.

JH Marlin is a law firm located in the Caribbean that specializes in citizenship by investment & residency solutions. We would be happy to talk to you about different citizenship by investment programmes. 

Jennifer Harding-Marlin / Citizenship by Investment & Residency / JH Marlin / jhmarlin.com / [email protected]