If the option of having Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton as your president next year is scaring you, here are 7 countries where you can buy citizenship and say goodbye to both of them.
Google searches for ways of obtaining a Canadian citizenship have skyrocketed in the last few months. Some say this coincides with the Republican National Convention and their election of Donald Trump for their presidential candidate, although there are quite a few people claiming that Democrats and their choice have something to do with it. In September last year, about 4% of 4.5 million tweets hash-tagging Trump mention immigrating to Canada if the Republican candidate wins the upcoming elections. Although a large portion of them is almost certainly joking, this illustrates the growing sentiment among the Americans about changing their country the only way they can: by leaving it.
Immigrating to Canada may be a hard and arduous process, unless you have money. Although it has many advantages over the US, like universal healthcare, excellent schools, and a functioning democracy, there may be other options for people interested in buying a citizenship. Preferably, some place where winter doesn’t last 6 months.
Selling residential visas via economic investments, AKA golden visa programs, have been around for quite some time. In fact, the United States is one of the pioneers of such programs, beginning back in 1990. If you invest half a million dollars, you are eligible for a permanent residency. After being a resident for 7 years, you can apply for citizenship. A similar Canadian program started in 1983, and has been suspended in 2014, although it’s still in effect in Quebec. Almost half of the EU members offer golden visa programs as well. Despite what various Internet sites claim, these programs, for the most part, do not guarantee a citizenship. A condition for granting a citizenship via golden visa is usually defined as an extraordinary contribution to the country in question, which is a very vague definition and makes it easy for the authorities to deny any applicant on murky grounds. If genuine EU citizenship is your goal, you might want to check our easiest countries to gain citizenship in EU.
The other option is citizenship-by-investment programs. They are a controversial subject in many countries, especially in the European Union. The Brussels administration is trying to force EU members to cancel them or at least limit them in scope, so if you’re planning to move to the Old Continent, you might want to hurry while these are still available. There aren’t many countries in the world that offer this kind of programs, but unlike the golden visa category, they guarantee a citizenship, provided you pass the government background checks and meet other conditions. For the most part, these refer to the origin of the money being invested and the applicants’ country of origin. If your country is under any form of international sanctions, you will most likely be rejected. These regulations were tightened after US Department of Treasury issued a warning about Iranian citizens using St Kitts and Nevis citizenship-by-investment program to obtain entry to the US and make investments, despite the sanctions imposed against that country. Of course, if your money is lawfully earned and you’re just looking for a second passport, you have nothing to worry about. If your goal is to avoid US taxes, a word of warning, though. Just because you don’t live in the United States doesn’t mean that the IRS will let you out of their money-grubbing paws. As long as you are US citizen, you owe them money. The only way to be free of them is to renounce your citizenship and most people aren’t willing to go to such lengths just to avoid paying taxes. There are examples, though, like the Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, who gave up his citizenship in 2012.
So, here are 7 countries where you can buy citizenship. Four of them are Caribbean countries and two are EU members. Interestingly enough, all 6 are rather small island nations. They also lack natural resources, which is one of the main reasons for the institution of citizenship-by-investment programs. We listed them according to each country’s passport power rank, found here.
7. Dominica
Passport Power Rank: 34
Located in the eastern Caribbean, the Commonwealth of Dominica ranks 7th on our list of countries where you can buy citizenship. It consists of a single 290 square mile island, a part of the Windward Islands in the Lesser Antilles. Dominica is also known as the “Nature Island of the Caribbean”, due to its lush and diverse natural environment. The island’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism and agriculture, which prompted the government to institute one of the oldest citizenship-by-investment programs in the world. It also has a distinction of being the cheapest in the world. For a nonrefundable investment of $100,000 to the Government Fund, you can gain a passport that allows visa-free travel to 110 countries. Another option is to invest a minimum $200,000 in real estate, which can actually be a good investment since the Dominican real estate market is stable and offers plenty of opportunities for profitable investments. The government is planning to increase this amount by $75,000 by September 2016, so you might want to hurry before they raise the price. More information on Citizenship by Investment in the Commonwealth of Dominica can be found here.
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6. Grenada
Passport Power Rank: 32
Grenada has one of the newest citizenship-by-investment programs among countries where you can buy citizenship. It was instituted in 2013 and allows two ways to become a proud owner of a Grenadian passport. The first option is a contribution to the Government NTF fund in the amount of $200,000. The other is a $350,000 investment in one of the government approved real estate projects. These are a luxury hotel and villa developments located in areas local authorities have deemed priorities. Grenada was heavily hit by hurricanes in 2004 and 2005, which is one of the reasons behind the country’s Citizenship by Investment Programme.
5. Saint Lucia
Passport Power Rank: 30
Located in the eastern Caribbean Sea, Saint Lucia ranks 5th on our list of countries where you can buy citizenship. It is an island nation with a population of less than 200,000. The country’s citizenship-by-investment program is the latest addition on our list, started in January 2016. It stipulates an investment to the National Economic Fund in the amount of $200,000 or a $300,000 investment in real estate. In line with Saint Lucia’s economic policies, the real estate investments can be made either in luxury hotels or luxury boutique properties. More information can be found here.
4. Antigua & Barbuda
Passport Power Rank: 26
Located in the group of islands in the Lesser Antilles, Antigua & Barbuda are often described as the tropical paradise. The country’s citizenship-by-investment program is a new one, introduced in 2014. It stipulates that to become a citizen, an applicant must make a $200,000 donation to the National Donation Fund or invest a minimum of $400,000 in government-approved real estate project. The country’s passport allows visa-free travel to more than 130 countries, including the EU. More information can be found here.
3. St Kitts and Nevis
Passport Power Rank: 24
The Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, colloquially known as St Kitts and Nevis ranks 3rd on our list of countries where you can buy citizenship. It consists of two small islands in West Indies. In 1984, the country instituted its citizenship-by-investment program, which has become one of the most popular in the world. Its ties with the UK allows visa-free travel to all EU, Canada, Singapore, and Switzerland. In order to become a naturalized citizen of St Kitts and Nevis, a nonrefundable investment of $250,000 to the Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation is required. The fund was established to support workers previously employed by the now defunct sugar industry in the country. The other option is a $400,000 investment in real estate. More information can be found here.
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2. Cyprus
Passport Power Rank: 12
Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean, right after Sicily and Sardinia. The island ranks second on our list of countries where you can buy citizenship. It had a turbulent history of rivalry between its Greek and Turkish citizens and is de facto divided into two entities. Despite that, the political situation is currently stable, but with the recent developments in Turkey there’s a possibility of unrest among the indigenous Turkish population as the Turkish relationship with the EU continues to deteriorate. The 2008 financial crisis hit the island’s economy pretty hard and the government is trying to replenish its funds spend on bank bailouts by a citizenship-by-investment program. The minimal investment that would make an applicant eligible for a Cypriot citizenship is €5,000,000 (around $5.6 million). The requirement can be lowered to €2.5 million if the investment is a part of a larger investment scheme, valued at least €12.5 million. In that case, an applicant must own a residency in Cyprus worth at least €500,000. Further information on the Scheme for Naturalization of Investors in Cyprus by exception can be found here.
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1. Malta
Passport Power Rank: 8
Malta is a small island just south of Italy, in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 7 countries where you can buy citizenship. The country is an EU member, with a stable government and an excellent education system. Malta is a neutral country, with NATO ties, but not formally a member of the alliance. In order to obtain citizenship, a donation to the National Development and Social Fund of €650,000 is required (about $735,000). With additional fees for the application process and lawyers, this amount can easily reach seven figures, with none of it being refundable. The process itself lasts 3 to 4 months, and there’s a 12-months waiting period for a passport. There are cheaper options, like owning or leasing a real estate and investment in government bonds, but they all require a minimum 5-year period before an applicant is eligible for citizenship. Maltese passport allows visa-free entry to over 180 countries, including the USA. More information on Malta’s Individual Investor Programme can be found here.
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