Top 10 Countries Offering Passports for Investments in 2024

If you are looking for dual or multiple citizenship to protect your assets, expand your visa-free travel opportunities, or find a better tax residency, there are multiple options to choose from. Below is our alphabetical list of the top 10 countries offering passports for donations or investments in 2024. By coincidence (or not), most of these are also paradise-like places with lots of sunshine and warm weather for most of the year to give you the best of both worlds. Still, we hope you don’t let idyllic photos lure you into a decision before you consult with your tax advisor and do your own travel research or use one of itinerary planners like Flamingo to weigh your options.

1. Antigua and Barbuda

An independent country in the British Commonwealth, Antigua and Barbuda is offering a program for citizenship through donations and investments. The country is a popular tax residency with no taxes on personal income, capital gains, wealth, or inheritance. Holders of passports from Antigua and Barbuda have visa-free access to over 150 countries, including Japan but excluding China.

You can obtain citizenship with Antigua and Barbuda through a non-refundable donation of $100,000 to the country’s National Development Fund plus fees of $30,000 with an average timeline of about six months. The other path to citizenship in Antigua and Barbuda lies through real-estate investment of $200,000 or more. Interestingly, the country allows unrelated investors, for example, business partners or friends, to buy joint property of $400,000 for citizenship, investing in equal shares.

2. Dominica

Known as the ‘Nature Isle of the Caribbean’ for its beauty, Dominica is probably one of those Commonwealth Member countries many of us had in our travel planners at least once. However, English-speaking Dominica is known not only as a popular tourist destination. With only $100,000 required for donation into its Economic Development Fund in return for a Dominica passport, the country is one of the cheapest for getting citizenship through investments in the Caribbean. The program allows obtaining a Dominican passport within five to seven months, providing visa-free access to over 140 countries, including China, saving the incredible hassle and expense of getting a Chinese visa for interested travelers.

In addition to citizenship through donation, Dominica offers its passport to investors in real estate with a price tag of over $200,000. Meanwhile, tax-wise Dominica levies personal income tax applied at a progressive rate while offering a tax-free regime on capital gains, wealth, and inheritance.

3. Grenada

Grenada is another Caribbean state, a member of the Commonwealth, with the British monarch as the head of the country and English as an official language. Similar to other Caribbean programs, the Grenada passport is available for non-refundable donations or through investments. Meanwhile, due to the availability of a treaty with the US, Grenada citizenship stands out from the rest as it allows access to the United States on the E-2 investor visa.

As a tax residency with no taxes on personal income, capital gains, inheritance, or estate, Grenada is a popular option for obtaining citizenship for tax residency purposes. Citizenship in Grenada provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 140 countries, including China. You can receive a Grenada passport within six to eight months by donating $150,000 to the National Transformation Fund or purchasing real estate for $220,000 or more plus fees of around $50,000.

4. Jordan

Jordan is a country that does not often appear on the radar of dual citizenship seekers. The country offers citizenship for investment of $1 million into its national bank for at least three years. The Jordanian passport allows visa-free travel to around 51 countries, including Turkey, Malaysia, and some Caribbean nations. A high investment threshold and a rather limited number of countries allowing visa-free entrance with a Jordanian passport make this option less popular, though it is still available for interested travelers.

5. Malta

The island of Malta is known as the best country for obtaining citizenship through investment, offering its passport holders visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel to over 185 countries. Importantly, since Malta is in the EU, Malta citizens can live in any of the EU’s 27 member states. In addition, Maltese citizens can travel to the U.S. visa-free for tourism and stay there for 90 days under the U.S. Visa Waiver Program.

From a tax point of view, Malta has no net worth tax or similar taxes on capital and does not impose tax on interest, royalties, or dividends. Being one of the highest-ranked among multiple citizenship seekers, the Maltese passport is the most expensive, requiring €750,000 non-refundable donation to the National Development Fund and €50,000 for each dependent. Given the accompanying fees, obtaining a Maltese passport would cost over $1 million in total for the entire process, which can take from 18 to 24 months. With an opportunity to obtain a passport in an EU country in less than five years, the Maltese citizenship by investment program offers a unique advantage to interested citizenship seekers.

6. North Macedonia

A rare opportunity to obtain citizenship for investment in the country on the European continent is offered by North Macedonia. While not yet a part of the European Union, North Macedonia is on the path to full EU membership, having a candidate status.

Although North Macedonia does not offer a free tax regime, its relatively low 10% personal income tax makes it an attractive tax residency. Holders of North Macedonia passports are eligible for visa-free travel to countries from the Schengen area as well as to the United Kingdom, Turkey, Bahamas, and some Latin American countries, making in total approximately 95 states.

The program of citizenship by investment in North Macedonia requires €200,000 investment to a private fund for two years. Another path to North Macedonia citizenship involves a direct investment of a minimum of €400,000 in a new facility in any industry (except in the hospitality niche) and employing a minimum of ten people. It should be noted that North Macedonian citizenship for investment program is relatively new and nobody has yet obtained citizenship by investment in this country as of the date of writing this article.

7. Turkey

Although holding a Turkish passport does not come with visa-free travel to a lot of countries and is not on the agenda of tax advisors for any particular tax treatment, Turkish citizenship definitely has benefits of its own, including booming real estate market and availability of E-2 visa to the US. You can obtain a Turkish passport after investing $400,000 into real estate in any location in Turkey or making a refundable deposit of $500,000 to a Turkish bank account. In existing practice, it can take from four to five months to receive the Turkish passport after investment or deposit.

Compared to other countries, investing in Turkish real estate for citizenship can look more attractive, especially when buying properties in popular tourist destinations like Istanbul, Antalya, Bodrum, and similar locations. The Turkish government does not set restrictions on the locations or type of housing that can be bought and sold under the program, adding to the program’s popularity among dual citizenship seekers.

8. St. Lucia

Another member of the British Commonwealth, St. Lucia is among the cheapest countries for obtaining citizenship through non-refundable donations. Although not as popular for tax residency due to taxes on personal income and inheritance, St. Lucia offers a tax-free regime for capital gains and wealth.

Holders of St. Lucia citizenship are eligible to travel visa-free to over 140 countries. You can obtain a St. Lucia passport by donating $100,000 to the country’s economy or investing $300,000 in real estate.

9. Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Kitts and Nevis is a popular destination in the Caribbean to seek citizenship for donations and investments. The country is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations with English as its official language. Holders of passports from Saint Kitts and Nevis have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to the European Union, the UK, Latin American countries, and most of Asia, except China and Japan. The country is a highly sought-after tax residency with no taxes on personal income, capital gains, wealth, and inheritance.

One of the ways to obtain a passport from Saint Kitts and Nevis is by making a non-refundable donation of $150,000 to the country’s Sustainable Growth Fund. The other available program includes investing $200,000 into real estate, which you can sell after seven years or more, or $400,000 if you sell it after five years.

10. Vanuatu

Last but not least in our list of countries offering citizenship for investment is the island country Vanuatu, comprising of approximately 80 islands in the Pacific Ocean. A member of the Commonwealth of Nations, Vanuatu has three official languages, including English, French, and Bislama, and offers an attractive tax regime with no tax on personal income, capital gain tax, wealth tax, or inheritance tax.

The country offers its citizenship in exchange for a non-refundable donation of a minimum of $130,000. Holders of Vanuatu passports are eligible for visa-free travel to over 60 countries, including Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. Applicants can expect to obtain a passport within 1 to 3 months, making Vanuatu’s citizenship by investment program the world’s fastest.