10 Countries That Offer Citizenship/Residency thru Real Estate

Becoming a citizen in another country is a long and arduous process, but if you have the money, you can fast-track your way to a residency permit or citizenship via a real estate investment. With that said, not all countries offer this. Fortunately for you, the following 10 countries do. 

10 Countries that Offer Citizenship via Real Estate Investments 

Before you explore the following programs, assess your mortgage affordability via an online mortgage calculator. It’ll help you determine if you have the capital for your investments.

1. The United State’s EB-5 Visa

The United State’s EB-5 Visa is one of the fastest ways to get a Green card in the US. To apply for the visa, you need a minimum investment of $1,050,000 for most properties or $800,000 if you’re choosing a targeted employment area. Some international citizens can apply for an E2.

2. Portugal’s Golden Visa

If you’re willing to wait 5 years to get a visa, then consider Portugal’s Golden Visa. By buying a real estate property for a minimum of €500,000, you can get a residential permit for up to two years. You can reapply for this permit every two years if you stay in the country for two weeks.

3. Spain’s Golden Visa

Spain also has a Golden Visa program, and it works pretty much the same as Portugal’s. You’ll still need to invest a minimum of €500,000 in property and renew your residential permit every two years. However, you don’t have to live in Spain for any amount of time to renew the permit.

4. Turkish Citizenship by Investment

The Turkish Citizenship by Investment Program can either earn you a resident permit or citizenship, depending on how much you invest. If you want to get your citizenship right away, you’ll need to invest at least 400,000 USD. After 3 to 6 months, you’ll be a full Turkish citizen. 

5. Dominica Investor Visa Program

If you want to live in a country with lots of sandy beaches, look no further than the Dominican Republic. Its investor visa program is quite inexpensive. You’ll only need to invest $200,000 in real estate to get full Dominican citizenship, allowing you to travel to 153 countries visa-free.

6. Germany’s Citizenship by Investment 

Unlike many other European countries, Germany doesn’t have a Golden Visa, but you’ll still need to invest to get citizenship. This could include purchasing real estate. For a minimum investment of €360,000, you could get a Self-Employment Visa and citizenship after 6 years.

7. The United Kingdom’s Golden Visa

The United Kingdom’s Golden Visa Program is more traditional than Germany’s but works on a tier system, unlike other countries. To obtain a permanent residence in 5 years, you’ll need to invest £2,000,000. To fast-track it to 2 years, you’ll need to invest a whopping £10,000,000.

8. The United Arab Emirates Investment Visa

The United Arab Emirates Investment Visa or the UAE investment visa requires a public investment of $2.3 million USD or a real estate property purchase of at least $273,000 USD. If you prefer to invest in business creation, you’ll only need $136,000 USD to get started.

9. The Canadian Investment Program

Similar to Germany, Canada doesn’t have a real estate investment program, but if you have $250,000 CAD to invest in your business (including real estate), you can become a citizen. It’s the easiest way to get Canadian citizenship, as it only takes 2 years to become a full citizen.

10. The Greece Investment Visa

If you’re looking for an inexpensive way to become a European citizen, consider the Greece Investment Visa. You’ll only need $250,000 USD, and the application process is remarkably short. You’ll get a residency permit in 40 days, but you’ll have to wait 7 years to be a citizen.