Benefits of Citizenship by Investment: What You Get and What You Don’t
Citizenship by investment gives you a second passport. The main benefits are visa-free travel, a plan B for your family, and little or no need to live in the country.
Depending on the programme, it can also ease business travel and cover your spouse, children and sometimes parents. It does not change where you pay tax, and programme rules can change. This page shows both sides, so you can decide with the full picture.
Key Takeaways
- Visa-free travel is the main prize. Seven programmes give access to between 83 and 157 destinations, and St Kitts and Nevis leads. Five of them open the Schengen Area without a visa.
- You still need visas for Canada and the US. None of the seven gives you the right to live or work in Canada, the US, the UK or the EU.
- Most programmes ask you to live nowhere. Five require no stay today, and Antigua and Barbuda asks for 5 days in 5 years. A 30-day rule is agreed but not yet in force.
- Rules can change after you pay. The US restricts entry for Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda nationals today. Check the status table before you decide.
- A passport does not change your taxes. Tax follows where you live, not what you hold.
What are the main benefits of citizenship by investment?
The main benefits are visa-free travel, a plan B for your family, and little or no need to live in the country. Depending on the programme, you also get easier business travel and cover for your spouse, children and sometimes parents. It does not change your tax residence, and programme rules can change.
You may feel the price is high for a passport you hope never to use. That is normal. Most families buy it for the choices it gives them, not for the trips.
- Visa-free travel. A second passport opens 83 to 157 destinations without a prior visa, depending on the programme. Five of the seven passports open the Schengen Area.
- A plan B for your family. If politics, conflict or visa rules turn against your first passport, you have a second legal home to go to.
- Little need to move. Five programmes ask for no stay today, Antigua and Barbuda asks for 5 days in 5 years, and Turkey’s guidance lists no requirement.
- Family cover. One application can include your spouse and children, and some programmes add parents or siblings.
- Business reach. Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia are open to all seven passports, and Grenada and Turkey citizens may apply for the US E-2 investor visa.
How many countries can you visit visa-free with a citizenship by investment passport?
A citizenship by investment passport opens 83 to 157 destinations without a prior visa, depending on the programme. The table ranks all seven in the Global Passport Ranking, which uses IATA data. Counts include visa-free entry, visa on arrival and electronic authorisations, and leave out eVisas.
Every figure in this table updates by itself each day.
| Programme | World rank | Visa-free destinations | Schengen Area | UK | Hong Kong and Singapore |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Kitts and Nevis | 22nd | 157 | Yes | Electronic authorisation | Yes |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 24th | 154 | Yes | Electronic authorisation | Yes |
| Grenada | 27th | 148 | Yes | Electronic authorisation | Yes |
| Dominica | 30th | 144 | Yes | Visa needed | Yes |
| St Lucia | 31st | 143 | Yes | Visa needed | Yes |
| Turkey | 51st | 112 | Visa needed | Visa needed | Yes |
| Nauru | 62nd | 83 | Visa needed | Visa needed | Yes |
Which passports open the Schengen Area and the UK?
Five of the seven passports open the Schengen Area without a visa: St Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Dominica and St Lucia. St Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda and Grenada also open the UK with an electronic authorisation, while Dominica and St Lucia need a UK visa. Turkey and Nauru open neither without a visa, and Schengen stays are limited to 90 days in any 180-day period.
An electronic authorisation is not a visa. You apply online before you fly, usually for a small fee, and it can be refused.
See where each passport ranks in our passport ranking.
Which of these passports still need a visa for Canada or the United States?
All seven still need a visa for Canada and the United States. Since 1 January 2026, US Presidential Proclamation 10998 has also suspended several US visa types for Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda nationals who did not already hold a US visa. A second passport from these programmes does not open North America, so check the rules for your own situation before you plan a trip there.
Do you have to live in the country to keep citizenship by investment?
Today five of the seven programmes ask for no stay, Antigua and Barbuda asks for 5 days in 5 years, and Turkey’s guidance lists no requirement. A regional rule of 30 days in the first five years has been agreed for the Caribbean programmes but is not yet in force. Confirm the current rule on the programme page before you apply.
If you plan to keep living where you are now, this is probably your biggest question. A passport you rarely use can still protect your family, but you should know what the country may ask of you later.
- Dominica: no stay before or after you become a citizen.
- St Kitts and Nevis: no residence needed to keep your citizenship.
- Grenada: no residence requirement.
- St Lucia: no residence or travel requirement.
- Nauru: no minimum stay or visit.
- Antigua and Barbuda: at least 5 days in the 5 years after you become a citizen.
- Turkey: the programme guidance lists no stay requirement.
Is the 30-day presence rule in force yet?
Not yet in practice. All five member states passed the law for the Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority (ECCIRA) agreement in late 2025, and ECCIRA says it will start operating in Grenada in late 2026. The agreement requires new citizens to spend 30 days in the country within their first five years, with at least 5 days in the first year. Antigua and Barbuda has a bill that would raise its own required stay to 30 days.
The Programme status box on each programme page shows where things stand.
Can a second citizenship be taken away?
Yes, but only in specific cases, such as fraud, hiding facts, or a serious crime against the state. Antigua and Barbuda can also remove citizenship if you do not spend the required days in the country. A clean, fully documented file at the start is your best protection.
Is a second passport a real plan B for your family?
Yes, a second passport is a real plan B, because it gives your family a second nationality and a second place to go. Most programmes cover a spouse and children, and some add parents or siblings, so one application can protect the whole household. It is a safety net, not a promise of a visa to any one country.
Think about what you would do if your flights, bank access or visa rules changed overnight. With a second passport you are not starting from zero.
Who can join your application depends on the programme:
- Dominica: your spouse, children under 18, older children in higher education, and parents and grandparents over 65 you support.
- Antigua and Barbuda: your spouse, children up to age 30 who rely on you, parents and grandparents 55 and over, and unmarried siblings.
- St Kitts and Nevis: your spouse, children under 18, older unmarried children you support, and parents 55 and over who live with you.
- St Lucia: your spouse, children 21 or under, children up to 30 you fully support, and parents over 55 you fully support.
- Grenada: your spouse and dependent children, and other relatives for an added contribution.
- Nauru: your spouse, dependants, parents and siblings, with an added contribution for some.
- Turkey: your spouse and children under 18 only, so parents and adult children need their own route.
Older family members go through due diligence checks too, so each person needs a clean record and documents. Age limits change from time to time, so we confirm who qualifies before you file. Before you apply, check whether your home country lets you keep your first passport: see our dual citizenship guide.
Does citizenship by investment help your business or banking?
A second passport makes business travel easier, but it does not set up a company or open a bank account. Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia are open to all seven passports, and five of them also open the Schengen Area, so you can reach major business hubs without a visa. Banks run their own checks, and they will ask about your source of funds, not just your passport.
If you run a business, time is money. Fewer visa queues means fewer missed meetings.
- What it helps with: quicker trips to Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia on all seven passports, and to the Schengen Area on five of them.
- What it does not do: open a bank account, form a company, or replace the checks that banks and regulators run on you.
Can I use a second passport for the US E-2 visa?
Citizens of Grenada and Turkey may apply for the US E-2 investor visa, because both countries have an E-2 treaty with the United States. You still need a real, active investment in a US business, and the United States decides each case. We check whether your nationality has an E-2 treaty before you plan around this route.
Does a second passport reduce your taxes?
No, a second passport does not reduce your taxes on its own. Tax follows where you live and where your income comes from, not which passport you hold, and US citizens owe US tax on worldwide income whatever other passports they carry. Countries also share account data under the OECD Common Reporting Standard, so a second passport does not hide income.
Some sellers promise tax savings. Ask them to show you the law in your own country, not a brochure.
Do the Caribbean programmes have no tax?
No programme is a tax-free pass, because tax depends on where you live and where your income comes from. Some of these countries charge little or no personal income tax to their own residents, but that helps you only if you also move your tax residence there, which usually means living there. We do not give tax advice, so take advice in your home country and in the new one before you decide.
What does citizenship by investment not give you?
It does not give you the right to live or work in Canada, the US, the UK or the EU. It also does not change your tax residence, guarantee approval, or protect you from rule changes, as the US entry restriction on two programmes shows. Know these limits before you pay anything.
You are spending a large sum, so you deserve a straight list of what you are not buying.
- A right to live or work abroad. Visa-free entry is for visits. Schengen stays, for example, are limited to 90 days in any 180-day period.
- A visa for Canada or the United States. All seven passports still need one. Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda nationals also face a US entry restriction since 1 January 2026.
- A tax change. Your tax residence stays where you live, as the tax section above explains.
- Guaranteed approval. Every programme runs due diligence, and false information or a serious criminal record can end your application.
- Protection from rule changes. Fees, age limits and presence rules have changed before and can change again. A regional 30-day presence rule is agreed but not yet in force.
Programme status: what could change today
Two things could affect your plans today. The United States restricts entry for Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda nationals, and a regional 30-day presence rule is agreed but not yet in force. Check this table before you decide, and ask us for the current position.
Rules change faster than brochures. That is why every programme page carries its own status box.
| Programme | US travel | Presence rule today |
|---|---|---|
| Dominica | Restricted since 1 January 2026: several US visa types are suspended for nationals who did not already hold a US visa | No stay. A regional 30-day rule is agreed but not in force |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Restricted since 1 January 2026, same measure as Dominica | 5 days in 5 years. A bill would raise it to 30 days, and a regional rule is agreed but not in force |
| Grenada | Not named in the order. A US visa is still needed | No stay. A regional 30-day rule is agreed but not in force |
| St Lucia | Not named in the order. A US visa is still needed | No stay. A regional 30-day rule is agreed but not in force |
| St Kitts and Nevis | Not named in the order. A US visa is still needed | No stay. A regional 30-day rule is agreed but not in force |
| Turkey | A US visa is needed | The programme guidance lists no stay requirement |
| Nauru | A US visa is needed | No minimum stay or visit |
Nauru’s US$90,000 offer price applies to applications filed before 31 December 2026. We found no announcement lifting the US restriction at our last review.
Which benefit matters most to you?
Pick the one thing you cannot give up, and the list of programmes shrinks fast. A strong passport points to St Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda or Grenada. No time in the country, avoiding the US restriction, a US E-2 business route and the lowest price each point somewhere different.
Follow your top priority. If you have two priorities, check both rows and see which programmes appear in each.
Still weighing two or three programmes? Use Find my program to answer a few questions and get a shortlist. Once you have a shortlist, you can then book a strategy consultation.
Frequently asked questions
How many countries can you visit without a visa with a citizenship by investment passport?
The seven programmes we cover give visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to between 83 and 157 destinations, depending on the passport. St Kitts and Nevis leads at 157 destinations and 22nd in the Global Passport Ranking, and Nauru is lowest at 83. Check the live table on this page, because counts change as countries update their rules.
Can you enter the Schengen Area with a Caribbean passport?
Yes for five of the seven programmes: Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St Lucia, and St Kitts and Nevis. Turkey and Nauru passports still need a Schengen visa. Visa-free stays are limited to 90 days in any 180-day period, and they do not give you the right to live or work there.
Do you have to live in the country to keep citizenship by investment?
Today, Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis and Nauru require no minimum stay, and Antigua and Barbuda asks for 5 days in 5 years. A regional rule requiring 30 days in the country within the first five years has been agreed but is not yet in force. We confirm the current position before you pay anything.
Does a second passport let you live or work in Canada, the US or the UK?
No. A citizenship by investment passport does not give you the right to live or work in Canada, the US, the UK or the EU. Nationals of all seven programmes need a visa for Canada and the US, and most need one for the UK.
Is the US restricting entry for Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda passport holders?
Yes. Since 1 January 2026, a US proclamation has suspended immigrant visas and B-1, B-2, F, M and J visas for Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda nationals who did not already hold a US visa. Existing visas, permanent residents and dual nationals using another passport are excepted, and we found no announcement lifting it at our last review.
Does a second passport reduce your taxes?
No. Citizenship does not change your tax residence, which depends on where you live and the tax rules of that country. The Caribbean programmes charge no tax on foreign income, but that benefit applies to people who live there, so speak to a tax adviser before you decide.
Which citizenship by investment programme is right for you?
It depends on what you value most: passport strength, no time in the country, avoiding the US restriction, a US E-2 business route, or the lowest price. Use the Find my program filter to answer a few questions and get a shortlist. Once you have a shortlist, you can then book a strategy consultation with Amir Ismail.
Which citizenship program fits you?
Tell us a little about your plans and we will match you with the programs that may suit your family.
We work with the government-authorised representative in each country, who files your application. Your details stay private.
Why clients choose Amir Ismail & Associates
35+ years of hands-on immigration experience and 25,000+ successful cases. 3rd generation in the immigration industry. We work only through officially authorized agents for every citizenship program we file, so you deal with one accountable team from first call to passport.
Authorized agents only
We file only through officially authorized agents for each program, with no intermediaries in between.
A strategy built for your family
We match programs to your goals, budget and passport, not a template.
Application accuracy
Document and source-of-funds review that prevents costly errors and refusals.
Timely updates
We track rule, fee and regulator changes across every program for you.
End-to-end support
From your first eligibility check to your passport in hand, we guide every step.
Proven track record
2026 Canadian Choice Award winner, trusted since 1991.
What our clients say
Real reviews from clients we have guided across borders.
Written and reviewed by Amir Ismail, founder of Amir Ismail & Associates. Programme figures, passport ranks and status notes are checked against official sources on each review.
Last reviewed: 21 October 2026.
