Citizenship by investment in property
Programs that grant a second passport in return for buying property are the fastest legal route to a new citizenship. The table lists the programs in force as of 2026.
Citizenship programs compared
| Country | Threshold | Terms and restrictions | Source | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominica | $200,000 — Approved (real estate) project, per main applicant$200,000 — EDF, main applicant$250,000 — EDF, applicant plus up to three dependants$75,000 — Government fee on the real estate route, main applicant$100,000 — Government fee on the real estate route, applicant plus up to three dependants | The property cannot be resold until three years after citizenship is granted, and a property already used for a grant does not qualify again. | Commonwealth of Dominica Citizenship by Investment Regulations, 2024 (SRO No. 8 of 2024) Government of Dominica: SRO 8 of 2024 →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | |
| Grenada | $270,000 — Share in a tourism-project unit (unit worth at least US$440,000)$350,000 — Full approved project investment$235,000 — NTF, applicant plus up to three dependants$25,000 — NTF, each further dependant$50,000 — Government contribution on the project route, applicant plus up to three dependants | The SRO 12 of 2024 text comes from a copy hosted by imidaily.com; we did not find an official copy on the parliament site. | Grenada Citizenship by Investment (Amendment) Regulations, 2024 (SRO No. 12 of 2024) Text of SRO 12 of 2024 (copy hosted by IMI Daily) →based on secondary sources checked on Nov 4, 2026 | |
| Egypt | $300,000 — any real estate | USD 10,000 fee; five-year no-sale undertaking; property must be registered or supervised by a state authority; funds from abroad. | Prime Minister's Decree No. 3562 of 2023 amending Decrees No. 3099/2019 and No. 647/2020 Official Gazette, issue 37 bis (مكرر), 18 September 2023 (copy on manshurat.org) →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | Citizenship-eligible → |
| Saint Lucia | $500,000 — Approved completed property (apartment or villa), applicant and dependants$300,000 — Approved real estate project (unchanged)$250,000 — Enterprise project, option 3 | The completed property cannot be sold or transferred for five years after citizenship, and title must be taken up within 90 days. | Citizenship by Investment (Amendment) Regulations, 2026 (SI 57 of 2026) CIU Saint Lucia: SI 57 of 2026 →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | |
| Antigua and Barbuda | $300,000 — Approved real estate$230,000 — NDF, per application$260,000 — UWI Fund$1,500,000 — Business, single investor$5,000,000 — Joint business, at least US$400,000 each | The property cannot be resold for five years unless the buyer moves into another approved property. The amounts come from the CIU website. The 1 August 2024 start, the 30-day delay against the OECS deadline and the instrument's title, the CBI (Amendment) Regulations 2024, come from secondary sources; we could not find the SI number. | Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment (Amendment) Regulations, 2024 (instrument number not established) CIU Antigua and Barbuda: Schedule of Fees, NDF, Real Estate →based on secondary sources checked on Nov 4, 2026 | |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | $400,000 — Unit in an approved development$400,000 — Approved private home: condominium$800,000 — Approved private home: single-family house$250,000 — SISC, main applicant or family of up to four$250,000 — Public Benefit Option$25,000 — SISC, each extra dependant under 18$50,000 — SISC, each extra dependant 18 or over | Seven-year resale lock on qualifying real estate. | Saint Christopher and Nevis Citizenship by Substantial Investment Regulations, 2024 (SRO No. 20 of 2024), Extra-Ordinary Gazette No. 37 of 2024 Text of SRO 20 of 2024 on the CIU website →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | |
| Turkey | $400,000 — titled unit or land with a building | Bare land, fields and farmland no longer qualify. | Presidential Decision No. 7938 of 11 December 2023 (Official Gazette of 12 December 2023, No. 32397) Resmî Gazete 12.12.2023, № 32397 →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | Citizenship-eligible → |
| Vanuatu | property not eligible | The order was made on 2 April 2019 and took effect the same day. In 2020, Orders No. 24 and No. 38 added an international due-diligence firm and raised the due-diligence fee to US$5,000. Orders No. 39 and 40 of 2026 reportedly change only how payments are converted, not the amounts (secondary sources). | Citizenship (Development Support Program) Regulations Order No. 33 of 2019; Citizenship Act [Cap 112] s. 13E Citizenship Office Vanuatu: Order No. 33 of 2019 →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | |
| Argentina | property not eligible | Emergency decree 366/2025 amended the Citizenship Law to allow naturalisation without residence for a relevant investment, left the amounts to the Economy Ministry and created a dedicated agency. Decree 524/2025 (July 2025) set the procedure but no amounts. | Decreto de Necesidad y Urgencia 366/2025 (BO 29.05.2025, n.º 35676), art. 37–41 Argentina.gob.ar — Normativa (texto original) →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | |
| Portugal | property not eligible | Applications already pending stay under the old five-year rule. Not a citizenship-for-investment rule, but it matters to Golden Visa holders: the path to a passport has doubled from five years. | Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026, de 18 de maio (Declaração de Retificação n.º 17/2026) Ministry of Justice of Portugal (justica.gov.pt) →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | Properties → |
| Mauritius | program closed | There is no effective date. The Finance Act 2018 contains no amendment to the Citizenship Act, and the scheme never launched. | Crowe Mauritius (secondary source) → based on secondary sources checked on Nov 4, 2026 | |
| Malta | program closed | Parliament passed the act on 23 July 2025 and it was signed the next day; naturalisation now rests on exceptional merit, not money. | Act No. XXI of 2025, Maltese Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2025 legislation.mt →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | |
| Montenegro | program closed | The decision applied until 31 December 2022 and was not extended again. | Odluka … posebnog programa ulaganja, čl. 18 («Sl. list CG», 79/18, 12/20, 143/21, 68/22) Consolidated text of the Decision (Ministry of Interior of Montenegro) →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | Properties → |
| Bulgaria | program closed | You first needed investor permanent residence and had to wait at least a year. Real estate never counted towards the investment. Articles 12a and 14a were added in February 2013 and amended several times; the amounts shown follow the 2018 wording. | Bulgarian Citizenship Act, Articles 12a and 14a (State Gazette No. 16 of 2013) Bulgarian Citizenship Act, 2018 edition (aref.government.bg) →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | Properties → |
| Cyprus | program closed | Cabinet scrapped the scheme on 13 October 2020, citing long-standing weaknesses and abuse; it closed on 1 November 2020. | Decision of the Council of Ministers of 13 October 2020 Press and Information Office of the Government of Cyprus (PIO), 13 October 2020 →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | Properties → |
What is citizenship by investment?
Citizenship by investment is a lawful way to obtain a country’s passport by investing a set amount, without the years of residence that ordinary naturalization requires. The terms are set by the country’s own law or government regulation: each row of the table names the act and links to it.
The qualifying investment takes one of three forms. Buying approved real estate at or above the threshold, which cannot be sold for several years; the holding period is in the “Terms and restrictions” column. A non-refundable contribution to a government fund, available in Dominica, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Vanuatu: the money is not returned, but you do not have to own a property. An investment in a business project is less common. This page compares the property route first, but the fund contributions are in the table too.
The threshold is not the whole cost. Government fees and a due diligence fee come on top; they depend on the country and the size of the family, and some of them are listed in the table. Processing times and the number of visa-free destinations change more often than the program rules, so confirm them with the country’s citizenship unit before you apply.
Programs close and change: Cyprus closed its program in 2020, Bulgaria and Montenegro in 2022, and Malta in 2025. That is why every row of the table carries the date it was last checked.
Questions and answers
Which countries grant citizenship for buying property?
Currently 7 countries: Dominica — from $200,000, Grenada — from $270,000, Egypt — from $300,000, Saint Lucia — from $300,000, Antigua and Barbuda — from $300,000, Saint Kitts and Nevis — from $400,000, Turkey — from $400,000. Thresholds are given in the currency of the law.
Where is the lowest citizenship threshold for buying property?
Dominica: from $200,000. This is the lowest threshold among the countries where buying a home qualifies.
Where does a program exist but buying a home does not grant citizenship?
Vanuatu, Argentina, Portugal. What qualifies instead of a home is shown in the table, in the “Terms and restrictions” column.
Which citizenship programs are closed?
Mauritius, Malta — since 2025, Montenegro — since 2022, Bulgaria — since 2013, Cyprus — since 2020.
Which changes have already been announced?
Grenada: Bill: 30 days' presence in the first five years, ECCIRA oversight, Argentina: Amounts announced: $350,000 contribution or $800,000 bond. Until a change takes effect, the table shows the rule currently in force.
How does citizenship by investment differ from residence?
A residence permit gives the right to live in the country; citizenship gives its passport. Residence programs for property buyers are compared on the Residence by investment page.
How up to date is the data?
We check the rows of the table against the law or the agency's website. Last checked: Nov 4, 2026. For 3 countries the fact is confirmed only by secondary sources — those rows are marked.