
Jurisdiction Program Briefs
Click on a jurisdiction for key information on its Citizenship or Residency program.
Program Brief Supplied by
Supplied By Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU)
Type of Program
Citizenship by Investment
Type of Investment/s
Donation to National Development Fund (NDF), investment in real estate, or business investment. Investment in University of the West Indies (UWI).
Minimum investment
NDF: US $100,000 (family of 4 or less) or US $125,000 (family of 5 or more). Real estate: US $400,000 or joint investment (minimum US $200,000). Business investment: US $400,000 (group of investors). University of West Indies (UWI): US $150,000.
Dual Nationality Permitted
No restrictions.
Personal Visit Required.
Persons 18 or over must visit Antigua for the purposes of taking the Oath of Allegiance.
Minimum Stay
5 days (total) in first 5 years only.
Capital Gains Taxes
No.
Personal Income Taxes
No (abolished in 2016).
Business & Corporate Taxes
25% of net profits. *Disclaimer: Concessions are available to qualifying companies.
Property Taxes
Yes, based upon the property's current market value with the applicable tax rate dependent upon the classification of the property (residential or commercial).
Documents Required
Medical Certificate (including HIV clearance), Police clearance certificate or certificate of no criminal record, Copy of existing passport(s) and national ID card (if applicable), Marriage certificate, if applying with spouse, Birth certificate, Professional and bank references, Proof of residential address, Proof of source of funds *Disclaimer: Required documents may vary from applicant to applicant.
Application Fees
NDF & UWI: Government Fee: US$25,000 for a family of up to 4 persons with incremental payments of US $15,000 for each additional dependent. Real estate and Business: Government fee: US$50,000 for a family of up to 4 persons with incremental payments of US$15,000 for each additional dependent. Due Dilligence fee: US$7,500 per person (US$0-US$4,000 for dependent children or parents/grandparents). Passport fee: US $300 per person.
Processing Time
90 days.
Passport Validity
10 years *The first passport issued has a five year validity to ensure the applicant meets the 5 day residency requirement but the second and consecutive passports will have a 10 year validity.
Program Brief Supplied by
George K. Konstantinou Law Firm
Type of Program
Citizenship by Investment
Type of Investment/s
Real estate, business investment, financial assets of Cypriot companies, alternative investment funds.
Minimum investment
€2 million, plus €150,000 donation.
Dual Nationality Permitted
Yes.
Personal Visit Required.
Yes.
Minimum Stay
None.
Capital Gains Taxes
Imposed (when the disposal is not subject to income tax) at the rate of 20% on gains from disposal of immovable property situated in Cyprus including gains from the disposal of shares in companies which directly own such immovable property. Shares of companies which indirectly own immovable property located in Cyprus and at least 50% of the market value of said shares derived from such immovable property are subject to Capital Gains Tax.
Shares
Shares listed on any recognised stock exchange are excluded from the above provisions.
Personal Income Taxes
€0-€19, 500 0%, €19,501-€28,000 20%, €28,001-€36,300-€ 25%, €36,301-€60,000 30%, over €60,000 35%.
Business & Corporate Taxes
12.5%.
Resident-non-dom Scheme
No taxes on income from dividends or interests for 17 years.
Property taxes
Immovable Property Tax was abolished as from 1st of January 2017, however VAT applies.
Documents Required
Birth certificate, two passport size photos, and copy of passport; Certificate of clear criminal record from country of origin; valid schengen visa; Certificate of change of name (if applicable); Copy of newspaper publication in two separate issues of any newspaper circulating in Cyprus stating the applicants' intention to apply for naturalisation; CV and the required documents evidencing the choice of investment of the applicant in Cyrpus; Residential property of €500.000 + VAT (if applicable);
Documents required, continued
All documents should be officially translated to English or Greek and legalised, either by apostille or via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Cyprus embassy.
Application fees
CIP Application Fee (per person) - €2,000; Certificate Fee - €5,000; PR Application Fee - €570
Processing Time
6 months.
Passport Validity
10 years - renewable.
Restricted countries
None.
Visa Free Travel
173 countries and territories, including EU/Schengen.
Program Brief Supplied by
Henley & Partners
Type of Program
Citizenship by investment.
Type of investment/s
Contribution to a National Development and Social Fund, investment in property and investment in government bonds/securities listed on the Malta Stock Exchange.
Minimum investment
Fixed minimum financial requirement for each type of investment: €650,000 contribution, €150,000 in Malta government stocks, purchasing of property of a minimum value of €350,000/leasing of property for a minimum value of €16,000 annually.
Dual Nationality Permitted
Yes. Whilst Malta recognises dual citizenship, other countries may have restrictions.
Personal Visit required
Yes.
Minimum stay
The applicant must have been a legal resident of Malta for one year prior to the certificate of nationalisation being issued.
Capital Gains Taxes
Malta levies a capital gains tax on various assets mainly immovable property and shares.
Personal income taxes
Progressive rates up to 35%.
Business & Corporate Taxes
The corporate tax rate is 35%.
Property Taxes
Malta does not levy property taxes.
Documents required
Main application forms and supporting documentation.
Application fees
Passport fees, bank charges and due diligence fees.
Processing Time
1 year (approx).
Passport Validity
Permanent, renewable every 10 years.
Restricted countries
Nationals of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), or are non-nationals but reside, do business, have significant ties in, or connections to these countries. Nationals from countries included on the US travel ban.
Visa free travel
Over 160 countries.
Program Brief Supplied by
Madeira Corporate Services
Type of program
Residency by investment without the need o live in the country. Allows direct access to Portuguese citizenship after 6 years.
Type of investment/s
Real estate investments from a minimum of €290,000 to €500,000. Creation of 10 job positions, transfer capital of at least €1,000,000 into a Portuguese financial institution or as share capital of a sole shareholder Portuguese company, capital transfer of at least €350,000 for purchasing participation unites in investment funds.
Minimum investment
Real estate minimum investment: €500,000 (€290,000 +30 years old property in low density areas).
Dual Nationality Permitted
Yes.
Personal Visit required
Yes, for the submission of bio metric data.
Minimum stay
7 or more days in the first year. 14 or more days in the second and third years. 14 or more days in the fourth and fifth years.
Capital Gains Taxes
Capital gains realised by non-tax residents on the sale of Portuguese properties are taxed at a flat rate of 28%.
Personal income taxes
Non-tax residents are only subject to taxation on their income generated in Portugal. Incomes generated outside of Portugal are not subject to taxation. Residents of Portugal are subject to taxation on their worldwide incomes and capital gains with exclusions according to double tax agreements.
Personal income taxes, continued
Portugal has in place a non-habitual tax residents' program that allows applicants that have not resided, for tax purposes, in Portugal in the last 5 years to apply for tax benefits (valid for 10 years) if they decide to relocate to the country.
Business & Corporate Taxes
Corporate income tax rate of 21% (5% in the Madeira International Business Centre). Withholding tax rates (%) (dividends/interest/royalties): 25%; VAT rate: standard of 23% for mainland, intermediate rate of 13% and reduced rate of 6% apply. Rates in Madeira are 22%/12%/5$ and in Azores 18%/10%/5%.
Property taxes
Buying property: 1)Real Estate Transfer Tax (IMT)- Maximum 6% for residential properties and 6.5% for commercial or touristic properties; 2) Stamp tax- when signing a deed, the purchaser must pay the stamp duty at 0.8%; 3) Annual Real Estate Tax (IMI)- tax payable by whoever owns the property on 31st December. The rate varies between 0.3% and 0.5% for urban properties and 0.8% for rural properties.
Documents required
a) Passport or travel document with a validity of at least three months; b) Valid Schengen visa, or a short term visa; c) Police clearance report; d) Proof of one of the types of investments completed.
Application Fees
Government Fees: (SEF-Immigration Department)-Main investor: Analysis fee for SEF -€532.70 (for the government to check all the documents and approve). After the SEF approval for the documents the investor needs to pay €5.324,60 to be issued the residence card.
For each family member:
Analysis fee - €532.70; After the SEF approval for the documents each family member has to pay €5,324.60 to be issued with the residence card.
After the first year, renewal every 2 years:
Investor pays - €2,662.30; for each family member - €2,662.30; All renewals have the duration of 2 years and will cost the same as before. Legal fees: to be quoted.
Processing Time
90 days for residence permit cards (after 6 years can apply for citizenship).
Passport validity
5 years.
Restricted countries
None.
Visa Free Travel
All Schengen countries with a residence permit and over 185 countries visa free with passport. 7th best passport in the world.
Program Brief Supplied by
St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Unit
Type of program
Citizenship by investment.
Type of investment/s
Donation to the Sustainable Growth Fund (SGF), or the purchase of approved real estate.
Minimum investment - Real estate 5 years resale:
US $400,000 minimum value, purchase on approval in principle plus: US $35,000 government fee for the main applicant, US $20,000 government fee for the spouse, US $10,000 for all other dependents other than the spouse (per dependant).
Real estate 7 years resale:
US $200,000 for total investment, US $35,000 for main applicant, US $20,000 for spouse, US $10,000 for all other dependents other than the spouse (per dependent).
SGF
US $150,000 for a single applicant, US $25,000 for the main applicant's spouse, US $10,000 for dependents other than the spouse
Due diligence fees
US $7,500, US $4,000 for dependents aged 16 or over. *DD fees must be paid for dependents who are 16 years and over.
Dual Nationality Permitted
Yes.
Personal Visit Required
No.
Minimum Stay
No residence or minimum stay required.
Capital Gains Taxes
None.
Personal income taxes
None (if not resident).
Business & Corporate Taxes
Income derived from local companies 35%. None on foreign income.
Property Taxes
Stamp duties are payable by the seller on real estate transactions, and are taxed on the assessed market value of the property at the following rates 5-18.5%.
Documents Required
Application for Registration (form C1), photograph and Signature Certificate (Form C2), Medical Certificate (Form C3) (including original results of HIV test), Investment confirmation for SIDF applications only (form C4), six original passport sized photos of yourself taken within the past six months (one of the photos must be certified and attached to form C2). Original or certified copies of: full birth certificate, current passport(s), current national identity card (s),
Documents required, continued
military records (if applicable), proof of name change (if applicable). Original police certificate 'certificate of no criminal record' or 'police clearance certificate' from country of citizenship and and any country where you have lived for more than one year over the past 10 years.
Additional documents from main applicant
Original bank reference letter issued by internationally recognized bank (no older than six months); limited power of attorney; original professional reference; original document of evidence of residential address; original excerpt of marriage record or certified copy of marriage certificate, or certified copy of divorce documents (if applicable); statement and evidence of source of funds to be invested in St Kitts and Nevis, personal bank statements for the preceding 12 months
Additional documents from main applicant, continued
certified copies of Degree certificates for all applicants; employment letter (if applicable),certified copy of business licence or incorporation documents (if applicable).
Documents required, continued
An affidavit of financial support is required to be signed by the main applicant where there is a dependent aged between 18-30. Additional documents required for real estate option: Original copy of duly executed real estate contract (Purchase and sales agreement) and Escrow agreements to be submitted with the application; evidence of title transfer to be submitted after applicant receives approval in principle.
Application fees
US $7,500 for due diligence fees for main applicant; US $4,000 for due diligence fees for each dependent aged 16 years or over; US $47 fee for each Certificate of Registration.
Processing Time
3 months, 60 days if the applicant chooses the premium accelerated application process (AAP).
Passport validity
10 year validity for those who are 16 years or older; 5 year validity for those under 16 years.
Restricted countries
Iran, Afghanistan, North Korea, Cuba, Myanmar.
Visa free travel
Visa-free travel to over 154 countries.
Program Brief Supplied by
Citizenship by Investment St Lucia
Type of program
Citizenship by investment.
Type of investment/s
Donation to the National Economic Fund, Investment in approved real estate project, Investment in an approved enterprise project, Purchase of non-interest bear government bonds.
Minimum Investment: Donation
US $100,000 for single applicant; US $165,000 for an applicant and spouse; US $190,000 for an applicant and spouse with up to two additional dependents; US $25,000 for each additional dependent of any agre.
Real estate
US $300,000 on approval. *Please note: In addition to the minimum investment of US $300,000 in real estate, successful applicants need to pay a government administration fee of -Applicant applying alone: US $30,000; Applicant applying with spouse US $45,000; Qualifying dependent (18+): US $10,000; Qualifying dependent (18-): US $5,000; Applicant applying with spouse & more than four qualifying dependents: US $10,000 (dependent of any age).
Enterprise
Investment in an approved enterprise project. Option 1: US $3,500,000 plus no less than three (3) permanent jobs for one (1) principal applicant.
Option 2: US $6,000,000 plus no less than six (6) permanent jobs for two (2) or more principal applicants in a joint investment, with each applicant contributing a minimum of US $1,000,000. *Please note: In addition to the minimum investment of US $300,000 in real estate, successful applicants need to pay a government administration fee of US$50,000 for the applicant; Each qualifying dependent of any age is required to pay the processing and administrative fee of:
i. Each qualifying dependent (18+): US $35,000. ii. Each qualifying dependent (-18): US $25,000.
Government bonds
US $500,000 for a single applicant; US $535,000 for an applicant and spouse; US $550,000 for an applicant applying with a spouse and up to two other qualifying dependents; US $25,000 for any additional dependent of any age. *Please note: In addition to the minimum investment in bonds, successful applicants need to pay a one-time government administration fee of $50,000. Investments in real estate and government bonds MUST be kept for a minimum of 5 years.
Dual Nationality Permitted
Yes.
Personal visit required
No.
Minimum stay
No residence or minimum stay requirements.
Capital Gains taxes
None.
Personal income taxes
Yes.
Business & Corporate taxes
Yes. For businesses registered and operating in St Lucia.
Property Taxes
Yes, for property owned in St Lucia.
Documents required
Birth record, passport, curriculum vitae, police record, etc. See www.cipsaintlucia.com for the Document Checklist: SL1 which details all required documents.
Application fees
Applicable processing and due diligence fees: US $9,500 for the principal applicant; US $6,000 for every applicant aged 16 years and over; US $1,000 for every applicant under 16.
Processing time
3 months.
Passport validity
5 years.
Restricted countries
North Korea, Iran.
Visa free travel
Over 146 countries, including Schengen region.