It is estimated that the price of citizenship-by-investment can vary significantly depending on the program and jurisdiction you choose and whether you are seeking citizenship or residency.
Prospective migrants are often concerned about costs, but choosing a program depends on more than your budget, said Sable International’s investment migration manager Sarah Young.
It has been discussed with you if you are able to uproot your family and leave the country, Young said. As a result of some programs being effectively ‘immigrant visas’, it is expected that the individual will relocate to the jurisdiction upon being granted residency; however, this is not always the case.
“Most, if not all, countries allow the applicant to include their spouse and children, but some allow you to include your extended family too.” In terms of how long you will need to stay in the other country is also dependent on your choice, said Young. “Some require a minimum of 183-days a year, some a nominal number of days, while with others, you never have to set foot in the country if you don’t want to.”
According to the emigration assistance firm, these are the top four options that South Africans are leaning towards:
Portugal
“While many investment programmes require you to give a portion of your funds directly to the government, Golden Visa Portugal allows you to put the full investment amount into a property or a private equity fund, where it has a chance to grow.”
| Factors | |
| Relocation required | No |
| Family that may be included | Spouse, children, unmarried financially dependant adult children who are enrolled in full-time education, and dependent parents/parents-in-law |
| Timeline | 18 months until first temporary residency visa is granted, seven to eight years until citizenship |
| Minimum investment amount | €280,000, €350,000 and €500,000 real estate investment categories or €500,000 private equity fund |
| Minimum stay requirements | 35 days over five years |
| Total | R8.8 million |
Ireland
Ireland offers one of the world’s most powerful passports and it’s also currently the only passport that allows settlement in both the EU and UK. With an Irish passport, you can travel visa-free to 190 countries.
| Factors | |
| Relocation required | Not required to maintain Stamp 4 permanent residency. Yes, if you wish to apply for citizenship. |
| Family that may be included | Spouse, children, unmarried financially dependent adult children up to the age of 24 who are enrolled in full-time education |
| Timeline | 6 to 9 months for residency, 5 to 6 years for citizenship |
| Minimum investment amount | €500,000 endowment, or €1 million enterprise investment, or €1 million investment fund, or €2 million real estate investment trust (REIT). |
| Minimum stay requirements | One day per year to maintain residency. For citizenship, at least half of the minimum five-year period must be spent living in Ireland and the 12 months prior to a citizenship application must be spent in Ireland. |
| Total: | Between R1.7 million and R35 million |
Malta
Malta’s Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) is one of the most successful residency-by-investment programmes as it’s more affordable than many other European residency programmes and offers visa-free travel throughout the Schengen area.
| Factors | |
| Relocation required | No |
| Family that may be included | Spouse, children, unmarried financially dependent adult children under the age of 29, and financially dependent parents and grandparents above 55 years of age |
| Timeline | 2 months |
| Minimum investment amount | Only €100,000 and real estate purchase or five-year property lease. However, the main applicant is required to possess capital/assets of not less than €500,000, of which €150,000 must be in financial assets. |
| Minimum stay requirements | None |
| Total | R1.7 million |