Explore citizenship by investment countries.

Citizenship by investment programs allow you to get full citizenship in exchange for predetermined economic contributions. These programs are backed by citizenship laws, and contrary to citizenship by merit programs, have clear due diligence and economic requirements that need to be met in order to get citizenship.

The main benefit of citizenship by investment is the ability to acquire an alternative citizenship without residency or physical presence requirements, language or history tests, or any other complex or lengthy procedures.

Citizenship by investment programs offer the most streamlined path to citizenship. It’s precisely this flexibility and efficiency that high-net-worth individuals and families seek in exchange for their economic contributions to the host country.

As a result, it can be a powerful tool to build a diversified passport portfolio, with greater optionality, global mobility, business opportunities, asset protection, privacy, and freedom for future generations.

In most cases, no. The majority of citizenship by investment programs do not require you to renounce your existing citizenship. However, whether you can hold dual citizenship depends on your current country's laws, not the new one. Some countries like China and India do not permit dual citizenship, so acquiring a second passport could affect your original status. Check your home country's rules before starting.

In most cases, no. Most citizenship by investment programs have no residency or presence requirements, and you will receive citizenship without ever living there. These countries waive presence requirements in exchange of economic contributions, in order to give global high-net-worth individuals and families the flexibility they're seeking as part of the process. Some countries, however, have very light presence requirements – like Antigua and Barbuda's 5 days during the first 5 years after obtaining citizenship by investment.

Virtually any citizenship can be revoked, although it’s much harder for a country to revoke citizenship than residency rights. Citizenship by investment programs, however, are backed by local citizenship laws—and in some cases the Constitution—which can protect applicants long term, even if the government changes.

This is one of the biggest differences versus citizenship by merit or exception, which is discretionary and can be revoked much more easily if the government changes.

Citizenship by investment timelines vary by country. The fastest programs, like El Salvador, can take as little as 6 weeks. Other citizenship by investment programs, like Caribbean programs, are on the slower end taking as much as 24 months.

Citizenship by investment costs vary by country, with the cheapest program currently being São Tomé and Príncipe with their minimum donation of $90,000 which yields a total cost of as little as $95,750. Programs can go up to the 7 figures, such as El Salvador with their minimum $1m donation.

African countries with active citizenship by investment programs include São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, and Egypt.

Botswana has also announced a program, but it has not been launched as of 2026.

Nigeria’s House of Representatives passed a citizenship by investment bill in April 2025. However, whether the Senate will take up the bill—and on what timeline—remains unclear.

In Mauritius, Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth announced plans to introduce two CBI-adjacent programs in his 2018/19 budget address to Parliament, but no citizenship by investment program was ever launched.

Rwanda’s cabinet approved a draft bill in October 2020 that would allow foreigners to naturalize on the basis of “sustainable investment activities” and submitted it to Parliament, but a citizenship by investment program has not yet been formalized.

Caribbean countries with active citizenship by investment programs include Saint Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia, Grenada, and Dominica.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines announced in December 2025 that they would open a CBI program in 2026.