Frequently asked questions

Caribbean citizenship by investment starts from $200,000 for Dominica, the most affordable route, and rises to $250,000 for St Kitts and Nevis. Antigua and Barbuda begins at $230,000, Grenada at $235,000 and St Lucia at $240,000. These figures are the minimum qualifying contribution; government processing fees, due diligence charges and additional dependants increase the total, and a real estate route typically costs more than a donation. Outside the Caribbean, Vanuatu starts from $130,000 and Nauru from $115,000. We map the true all-in cost for your family before you commit.

Five Caribbean nations run active citizenship by investment programmes in 2026: Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Lucia. All five are regulated by the Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority (ECCIRA), which sets uniform standards and a shared minimum contribution of around $200,000 to $250,000. Each passport carries between 144 and 157 visa-free destinations. St Kitts and Nevis runs the oldest programme, founded in 1984, while Grenada is the only one with a United States E-2 investor treaty. Our specialists match the right island to your goals.

No European Union country currently offers a formal citizenship by investment programme. Malta, the last EU member to run one, closed its scheme in April 2025 after the European Court of Justice ruled it incompatible with EU law. Austria can grant citizenship for an exceptional economic contribution, usually several million euros, but this is a discretionary naturalisation and not a standard investment programme. Investors seeking a European base today generally use a residency by investment, or golden visa, route in Greece, Portugal, Malta or Cyprus, several of which can lead to citizenship after a qualifying period.

No, Malta closed its citizenship by investment programme in April 2025 after the European Court of Justice ruled it breached European Union law. It was the last EU member state to offer a direct route to citizenship through investment. Malta still offers residency by investment through the Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP), from around €68,000 plus a property purchase or lease, which grants Schengen access but not a passport. If a European passport is your objective, we will talk you through the realistic residency-to-citizenship pathways that remain open.

Vanuatu offers the fastest citizenship by investment, with approval typically in 45 to 60 days from a minimum contribution of $130,000. It is the quickest route to a second passport anywhere in the world. The trade-off is mobility: the Vanuatu passport carries around 88 visa-free destinations and does not include Schengen or European Union access. Caribbean programmes take longer, generally four to six months, but deliver stronger passports of 144 to 157 visa-free destinations. We help you weigh speed against long-term travel freedom.

Vanuatu is the most affordable established citizenship by investment programme, from $130,000, while Nauru offers a promotional entry of $90,000 until 31 December 2026 (standard $115,000). In the Caribbean, Dominica is the most cost-effective at $200,000. Lower cost usually means lower passport mobility, so the cheapest option is rarely the best fit. The right choice balances contribution, visa-free access, processing time and family size. We give you an honest comparison rather than steering you to a single programme.

St Kitts and Nevis offers the strongest Caribbean passport, with around 157 visa-free destinations, closely followed by Antigua and Barbuda at 154. Grenada reaches 147 and Dominica 145, while St Lucia sits at 144. All five give visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to the United Kingdom, the Schengen Area and much of Asia, though St Lucia has required a UK visa since March 2026. If maximising travel freedom is your priority, we will rank the current programmes against verified visa-free counts for you.

Citizenship is a permanent status that includes a passport, the right to live and work indefinitely, and rights that can be passed to future generations. Residency by investment, or a golden visa, grants the right to live in a country, and often to work and access services, but not a passport or full political rights. Citizenship by investment programmes, such as those in the Caribbean, deliver a passport directly. Golden visa programmes, such as Greece or Portugal, grant residency first, which can lead to citizenship after a qualifying period of several years.

Citizenship by investment grants a passport in return for a significant, government-approved economic contribution, usually a donation to a national fund or an approved real estate purchase. In the Caribbean, contributions start at $200,000 and applications are processed in four to six months, far faster than traditional naturalisation, which can take a decade or more. Applicants must pass strict due diligence, prove a lawful source of funds and hold a clean criminal record. The main applicant can normally include a spouse, dependent children and, in many programmes, parents and grandparents.

Golden visa costs vary widely by country. Greece starts from €250,000 in its lowest-priced zones and rises to €800,000 in high-demand areas. Portugal ranges from €250,000 to €500,000 through funds, cultural or business routes, as property is no longer eligible. The United Arab Emirates requires around AED 2 million (about $545,000) for its ten-year Golden Visa, Cyprus from €300,000, and the United States EB-5 programme from $800,000. We calculate the full cost, including fees and family members, before you decide.

Golden visa approval times vary by country, typically from a few weeks to several months. Saudi Arabia and Oman can approve premium residency in four to six weeks, the United Arab Emirates in two to three months, and Greece and Cyprus in around three to six months. Portugal timelines vary with application volumes. The United States EB-5 programme is the slowest, often eight to thirty months or longer, with lengthy backlogs for some nationalities. We give you a realistic, up-to-date timeline for each option rather than headline targets.

No, Spain closed its golden visa programme in April 2025 and it will not return. Applications based on real estate and other qualifying investments are no longer accepted. Investors who want a European residence permit with Schengen access now generally look to Greece from €250,000, Portugal from €250,000 or the Malta Permanent Residence Programme from around €68,000 plus property. We keep an accurate, current view of which European programmes remain open so you do not pursue a route that has closed.

Yes, most citizenship by investment and golden visa programmes let you include your immediate family in a single application. A typical application covers your spouse and dependent children, and many Caribbean programmes also allow parents, grandparents and, in some cases, unmarried siblings, subject to age and dependency conditions. Adding dependants raises the total cost through extra government and due diligence fees, but is far more cost-effective than separate applications. We confirm exactly who qualifies as a dependant under each programme before you apply.

Most applicants qualify if they are over 18, hold a clean criminal record and can prove that their investment funds come from a lawful source. Every programme runs strict due diligence, so transparency about your background and finances is essential. Some nationalities face restrictions on certain programmes, and your country of origin's rules on dual citizenship also matter. Beyond these basics, eligibility depends on the specific programme and your family situation. We offer a complimentary initial assessment to confirm your options before any commitment.

Many investment migration destinations offer favourable tax treatment, though benefits depend on where you become tax resident rather than on holding a passport alone. Caribbean citizenship countries generally levy no tax on worldwide income, capital gains, wealth or inheritance for non-residents. The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia impose zero personal income tax, and Mauritius charges no capital gains, wealth or inheritance tax. A second citizenship does not by itself change your tax residence, so we always recommend specialist tax advice alongside any application.

Greece, Portugal, Malta and Cyprus all offer residency by investment with access to Europe's Schengen Area. A Greek or Portuguese golden visa lets you travel visa-free across the Schengen zone and can lead to citizenship after seven to ten years of qualifying residence. The Malta Permanent Residence Programme grants Schengen access from around €68,000 plus property, and Cyprus offers permanent residency from €300,000 with a route to citizenship after eight years. We help you compare minimum stay rules, timelines and the path to a passport.

Grenada is the only Caribbean citizenship by investment programme with a United States E-2 investor treaty, in place since 1989, which lets citizens apply for a US E-2 visa to live and run a business in the United States. Grenada citizenship starts from $235,000 and the passport carries around 147 visa-free destinations, including the United Kingdom, the Schengen Area and China. The E-2 is a non-immigrant visa, not a green card or citizenship, so we explain exactly what it does and does not provide.

Several well-known European programmes have closed in recent years. Malta ended the last European Union citizenship by investment scheme in April 2025 after a European Court of Justice ruling, Cyprus closed its citizenship programme in 2020, and Montenegro's scheme ended in December 2022. Spain closed its golden visa, a residency programme, in April 2025. The active citizenship routes today are the five Caribbean programmes, plus Vanuatu, Nauru, Sierra Leone and São Tomé and Príncipe. We track programme status continuously so your plan is based on what is genuinely open.

Start with a free, confidential consultation with a Mirabello Consultancy specialist, in any of our seven languages. We are a Swiss investment migration advisory with a 99% approval rate across more than 600 mandates, IMC membership and ACAMS certification, and offices in Zurich, Dubai and Hong Kong. In your first conversation we understand your goals, family and timeline, then map the programmes that fit with honest costs, trade-offs and risks. There is no obligation, and everything you share is held in strict confidence.