Countries That Offer The Fastest Ways To Obtain Citizenship
Are you dreaming of obtaining a second citizenship but dread the often lengthy and complicated process? Imagine skipping the endless paperwork, the extensive residence requirements, and the long waits. Now, you can make that dream come true. Our blog, “Countries that Offer the Fastest Ways to Obtain Citizenship,” uncovers some of the most efficient and straightforward pathways to securing citizenship in a new country.
How to Get Citizenship in Europe or MENA region?
Getting citizenship in another country can open up a lot of doors, from growing your business to living a better life. Europe and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are two of the best places to do so. Here, we describe the “citizenship by investment” route, which is particularly popular in these times.
Citizenship by Europe
Several European countries offer attractive citizenship by investment programs. These programs often require a substantial financial investment in the country, either through real estate, government bonds, or donations, in exchange for citizenship.
Malta
One can obtain foreign citizenship by investing at least €600,000 if you have resided in Malta for 36 months or €750,000 after 12 months in the country. They can also lease a home with a minimum annual rental value of €16,000, provided that it is held for a minimum of five years. Also, you must give €10,000 to a Maltese organization that has been accepted by the Community Malta Agency.
Portugal
Portugal offers a popular Golden Visa Program, which provides a route to Portuguese citizenship. By making a minimum investment of €500,000 in Portuguese real estate, or €500,000 in research activities, or €250,000 investment in preserving national heritage , you could be eligible for residency. You can apply for Portuguese citizenship after living in Portugal legally for five years.
The Portugal Golden Visa program has a low residency requirement. The first year requires a minimum stay of 7 days, while the following two require stays of at least 14 days.
Spain
Similar to Portugal, Spain offers a Golden Visa program that allows individuals to gain Spanish residency through an investment of €500,000 in real estate. After ten years of legal residency, individuals can apply for citizenship.
Greece
The minimum investment in the Greek Golden Visa program has been raised to EUR 500,000, effective May 1, 2023. If the person makes the investment, he or she will be allowed to live in Greece and will be able to stay there permanently as long as the investment is kept.
In the MENA region, opportunities to acquire citizenship through investment are less prevalent, but they do exist.
Egypt
Although not formally a citizenship by investment program, Egypt allows foreigners who purchase real estate worth at least $300,000 or invest $350,000 in an existing or new business to obtain citizenship.
UAE
If you wish to apply as an investor in the UAE, you must be ready to make a public investment of at least 10 million UAE Dirham (AED). If you are ready to invest in real estate, the property’s gross worth must be at least AED 5 million.
Citizenship of Cyprus and Türkiye
Turkey is one of the most convenient ways to gain citizenship through real estate investment. Citizenship through real estate investment in Turkey requires a minimum investment of $400,000 or a deposit of $500,000 in a Turkish bank for at least 3 years.
Another gem in the Mediterranean, Cyprus offers one of the fastest paths to citizenship within just six months. Applicants must make a minimum €2 million investment in real estate, land development, or infrastructure projects. Additionally, they must keep up their investment for a minimum of five years.
