Where is it easier to get citizenship — a query that Russian search results answer with nine different timelines: from two months to two years. Citizenship is granted by the state, not a service provider, and timelines are published by the state itself — if it publishes them at all. We took these promises and checked them against the websites of the authorities that make the decisions. We found exactly one state commitment to a timeline — Armenia considers applications in ninety business days. Turkey has no timeline at all: the law defers to the President's decision. Saint Kitts and Nevis publishes a timeline, but Russia is on the list of countries whose citizens' applications are not accepted. Below is what is promised, what is confirmed by official documents, and the difference between
Citizenship of Saint Kitts and Nevis in 2026 is granted under four investment options starting at $250,000, but citizens of Russia and Belarus are not on the program's eligibility list: the citizenship by investment eligibility criteria page publishes a list of countries whose applications are not accepted, and Russia is on it. Saint Kitts and Nevis is a federation of two islands in the eastern Caribbean Sea that launched the world's first citizenship by investment program in 1984. Below are the tariffs, timelines and requirements for Saint Kitts and Nevis citizenship, taken from the official agency website on September 3, 2026, plus a separate requirement that applies to passports already issued.
A Caribbean passport for a family of four costs from $266,700 according to official rates for Antigua and Barbuda and $274,600 for Saint Kitts and Nevis — and these are the only two of five programs where the full amount can be calculated from the primary source. Saint Lucia and Dominica publish only part of the tariff, and Grenada's official website returned a 404 error on all internal sections as of September 3, 2026.
To obtain Portuguese citizenship, a third-country national needs ten years of legal residence, a Portuguese language certificate at level A2, and an application to the Central Civil Registry with a €250 fee. The ten-year period is counted from the date the first residence card is issued—not from the date the residence permit application is submitted or the date of entry into the country.
Hungary's residence permit by investment is issued for 10 years when purchasing fund shares from €250,000: direct apartment purchase for €500,000 was excluded from the program on January 15, 2025. The fund itself must hold at least 40% of its net assets in Hungarian residential real estate — meaning the investor indirectly invests in housing without the right to choose the property.
Entry to the Schengen zone is permitted when five conditions from Article 6 of the border code are met simultaneously, and the required funds range from €40 per day in Hungary to €122.10 in Spain. A Schengen visa does not itself grant entry rights: it allows you to reach the border and present documents, while the border officer makes the final decision. From April 10, 2026, passport stamps are abolished — crossings are recorded in the Entry and Exit System.
Applications for a Dubai Golden Visa for real estate must be submitted in person, inside the country, and at one of five centers accredited by the Land Department: fees according to the schedule are AED 9,884.75 per applicant. Representation by power of attorney is not permitted, and the department states this explicitly.
Portugal's Golden Visa in 2026 is obtained through investments from €250,000, but real estate purchases have not been among the qualifying grounds since October 2023. The minimum threshold for a returnable investment is €500,000 in a fund under CMVM regulator oversight; €250,000 is a non-refundable contribution to cultural heritage.
