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AS THE world shrinks and we all adopt a global culture and economy, the concepts of citizenship and nationality keep changing all the time.
Nowadays, while everyone is considered a citizen of at least one country, it is perfectly legal for most people to be considered citizens of two countries.
This is referred to as dual citizenship. Andrew Taylor, managing partner at Henley Estates, a firm coordinating the acquisition of citizenship by investment, says: “How to get a second citizenship is an area of intrigue for many, but it’s actually relatively straightforward when you get down to it.”
According to Taylor, there are two easy ways to legally get a second citizenship. “One way is via regular processes that a country may have in place, allowing an application for residency with the ability to naturalise at some later date.
"However, unless you qualify for a second citizenship because of family ties or marriage, the only possible way is after extended physical residence in another country. Normally this takes at least five years of physical presence in a selected nation, and in most cases this physical presence subsequently creates tax liabilities.”
He adds: “The other way is to get immediate citizenship is through a citizenship by investment programme. These are offered by several countries and they allow an investor to legally, and almost immediately, acquire citizenship without needing to physically move to, or reside in, the country of choice.”
Expanding on his theme, Taylor says: “Currently, there are four ‘Citizenship by Investment’ programmes of real interest - two in the Caribbean, and two in Europe. The Caribbean is home to the well-known programme in St Kitts and Nevis, as well as the recently-launched competitive programme in Antigua and Barbuda.
"These programmes are more affordable than Europe, starting from $250 000 plus fees, and they provide citizenship and passports that currently allow visa-free travel to the most desired destinations such as the EU, the UK and Canada, among other regions.”
Options in Europe
The two main citizenship programmes in Europe are offered by Cyprus as well as a recently launched programme in Malta, the only one of its kind that currently allows visa-free travel to the USA. Hoever, bear in mind visa-free waivers can change.
These programmes are most attractive as they lead to immediate EU citizenship, yet they are also the most expensive and require investments starting from circa €1m.
Taylor however cautions: “All countries offering such citizenship schemes require a background check of each applicant before they will issue citizenship and the subsequent passports, and restrictions do apply on top of that.
"For instance, applicants of all programmes must hold a clear criminal record from their country of origin, and for the Cypriot programme they must not have their names on any list of persons whose property is ordered to be frozen or currently frozen within the EU.
"In general, persons of good standing are welcomed by most nations and we can successfully help them achieve a second citizenship by making a sound investment.”
- Fin24
Andrew Taylor is managing partner at Henley Estates Ltd. Views expressed are his own.
Nowadays, while everyone is considered a citizen of at least one country, it is perfectly legal for most people to be considered citizens of two countries.
This is referred to as dual citizenship. Andrew Taylor, managing partner at Henley Estates, a firm coordinating the acquisition of citizenship by investment, says: “How to get a second citizenship is an area of intrigue for many, but it’s actually relatively straightforward when you get down to it.”
According to Taylor, there are two easy ways to legally get a second citizenship. “One way is via regular processes that a country may have in place, allowing an application for residency with the ability to naturalise at some later date.
"However, unless you qualify for a second citizenship because of family ties or marriage, the only possible way is after extended physical residence in another country. Normally this takes at least five years of physical presence in a selected nation, and in most cases this physical presence subsequently creates tax liabilities.”
He adds: “The other way is to get immediate citizenship is through a citizenship by investment programme. These are offered by several countries and they allow an investor to legally, and almost immediately, acquire citizenship without needing to physically move to, or reside in, the country of choice.”
Expanding on his theme, Taylor says: “Currently, there are four ‘Citizenship by Investment’ programmes of real interest - two in the Caribbean, and two in Europe. The Caribbean is home to the well-known programme in St Kitts and Nevis, as well as the recently-launched competitive programme in Antigua and Barbuda.
"These programmes are more affordable than Europe, starting from $250 000 plus fees, and they provide citizenship and passports that currently allow visa-free travel to the most desired destinations such as the EU, the UK and Canada, among other regions.”
Options in Europe
The two main citizenship programmes in Europe are offered by Cyprus as well as a recently launched programme in Malta, the only one of its kind that currently allows visa-free travel to the USA. Hoever, bear in mind visa-free waivers can change.
These programmes are most attractive as they lead to immediate EU citizenship, yet they are also the most expensive and require investments starting from circa €1m.
Taylor however cautions: “All countries offering such citizenship schemes require a background check of each applicant before they will issue citizenship and the subsequent passports, and restrictions do apply on top of that.
"For instance, applicants of all programmes must hold a clear criminal record from their country of origin, and for the Cypriot programme they must not have their names on any list of persons whose property is ordered to be frozen or currently frozen within the EU.
"In general, persons of good standing are welcomed by most nations and we can successfully help them achieve a second citizenship by making a sound investment.”
- Fin24
Andrew Taylor is managing partner at Henley Estates Ltd. Views expressed are his own.
