Whether you have a dream to live abroad, to live a slower life, or to experience the world’s different cultures, the primary challenge you’ll face is your visa status. If you don’t have citizenship in a country, it can be stressful or almost impossible to put down roots. Fortunately, some countries essentially allow you to buy your citizenship or a permanent residency through investment in real estate. It doesn’t come cheap, and there may be some additional requirements, but real estate investment is a chance for Americans to live internationally.
1. United Arab Emirates (Dubai)
With no income, wealth, or inheritance tax, the UAE is a popular “real-estate-to-residency” option. The nation has a good quality of life depending on your income, and a property purchase is a good way to start the process toward citizenship.
After meeting the requirements listed on the Global Citizen Solutions website and proving that you own property in the UAE, you will receive a golden visa, which grants five years of residency. This can be extended to a ten-year visa, and as long as you contribute to the nation’s development, you can gain citizenship by holding a golden visa.
2. St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Kitts and Nevis also boasts no income, investment, or wealth taxes and has no stay requirement, making a property investment in this Caribbean nation rather appealing. For an initial investment of $325,000 for condo and resort hotel shares or $600,000 for a private residence with a citizenship approval fee of at least $25,000, the monetary requirements aren’t prohibitive either. That said, neither real estate option can be sold for seven years to qualify for citizenship.
3. Turkey
The process of gaining property-based citizenship in Turkey is rather simple, involving the purchase of property alongside the agreement that you won’t sell the home for three years. According to the Republic of Turkey’s Investment Office, you can then apply for citizenship. With a universal healthcare system and a major medical tourism industry, Turkey can be a great place to live.
4. Vanuatu
Vanuatu has a fairly simple citizenship investment program, but they have revoked citizenship from several people due to “illegal and unreasonable behavior.” Additionally, property must be purchased from a short list of approved properties and prospective purchasers must attend an in-person interview. According to Global Citizen Solutions, there is no minimum stay requirement.
5. St. Lucia
Similarly to Vanuatu, those who would become citizens through a real estate purchase must select a property from an approved list and pay a $50,000 administrative fee. However, there are no properties available as of writing.
6. Grenada
According to Henley & Partners, Grenada’s investment program for citizenship is much more complicated than others on this list. It requires a background check, you must choose property from a list of government-approved projects, there is a minimum investment requirement of $270,000, a non-refundable contribution fee of $50,000, and you must hold the property for at least five years. That said, their healthcare is some of the best in the Caribbean and there are no minimum stay requirements.
7. Antigua and Barbuda
As with many nations on this list, those who seek citizenship through real estate investment in Antigua and Barbuda must purchase a property from an approved list. Once a purchase is made, you can submit a sale agreement and other paperwork to the Citizenship by Investment Unit and pay a fee of at least $10,000. You must spend at least five days in the country within the first five years of obtaining citizenship, and you cannot sell the property for at least five years.
