FAQs: Citizenship by Donation

May 30th, 2023 at 05:42 am

FAQs: Citizenship by Donation

Here are some questions that people who want to invest in citizenship by investment schemes often ask about the donation investment choice.

How does “citizenship by donation” work?

The “Donation for Citizenship” is a one-time, lump-sum payment to the government’s State fund in order to get citizenship as an investment. It is the most common and quick way to invest under CBI. The least amount that can be given is USD 100,000. This is used by small countries as a sovereign fund for public projects, social benefits, and disaster relief. For example, hospitals, hurricane relief, pensions, paying off debt, roads, and schools.

What countries offer Citizenship by donation?

Eight countries in the Caribbean, Europe, and the Pacific have made it possible for foreign investors to get citizenship by investing in their countries. Here is the full list.

No, any money paid to the government in order to become a citizen is NOT refunded. If the person’s citizenship is taken away, the government does not give the money back either.

Do I have to pay the donation again when I renew my passport?

No. When you apply, you only do it once. If your passport has ended, you can get a new one at a nearby embassy for as little as $200 (varies by country).

Does Malta offer citizenship for donation?

Yes, Malta is the only EU Schengen country that lets people become citizens by giving money. If you want to become a citizen of Malta after two years, you have to pay at least $650,000 to the state fund of Malta. If you pay $750,000, you only have to wait one year.

How long does it take to process an application?

Applications are taken care of in 3–4 months, and there are no extra fees.

What prices do family members have to pay?

There may be extra fees if you want to include your partner or children on your application. They also have to pay due diligence fees for donations. It changes from country to country.

Do I have to send in the full amount of the payment when I apply?

No, you don’t have to pay until the government says yes, which usually takes 3–4 months.  You have six months from the date the gift was approved to pay it. If a kid is over 30 years old, they can’t be on the family application (they have to fill out a new one and pay the full donation amount).

Please give us more information about the national gift funds that have been set up for CBI.

Malta

The National Development and Social Fund (“NDSF”) is a government agency that was set up on January 6, 2015, by Subsidiary Legislation 188.03, “Individual Investor Programme (“IIP”) of the Republic of Malta Regulations” made under the Maltese Citizenship Act Cap. 188. The Identity Malta Agency, the Maltese Individual Investor Programme Agency, and the Community Malta Agency will give the NDSF a certain percentage of the revenue from the program that goes to the Fund. The NDSF will then use and manage these funds in the public interest.

Antigua & Barbuda 

The National Development Fund (NDF) is a non-profit fund set up under section 42(2) of the Finance Administration Act 2006 to pay for government-backed projects like public-private partnerships and charitable investments that have been accepted. The NDF is overseen by Parliament through a report that is given to Parliament every six months and is detailed enough to allow for openness and responsibility. A well-known accounting company from all over the world will also do an audit of the fund. In order to get citizenship through the NDF investment choice, you must put at least $100,000 into the National Development Fund per application. The donation comes in the form of a single payment.

Dominica

The Economic Diversification Fund (EDF) is a government program in the Dominican Republic that gives money to social and economic projects to help the country grow. This was made possible by the country’s Citizenship by Investment Program, which is part of a national plan for bringing in money. Applicants can become economic citizens of Dominica by giving money to its Economic Development Fund (EDF). All of the money that goes into the EDF fund is used to help projects in the public and private sectors that need money. These include building schools, fixing up hospitals, making a national sports stadium, and doing a lot of other things in many different fields, such as tourism, IT, and agriculture.

Grenada

The National Transformation Fund (NTF) was set up in 2013 so that Grenada’s economy could become more wealthy and self-sufficient. Grenada’s many industries, such as tourism, agriculture, and alternative energy, all profit from the NTF’s funding of different projects. Donating to the NTF gives owners the feeling that they have made a real difference for the good of their new country.

Saint Kitts & Nevis

The Sustainable Growth Fund (SGF) was created to replace the Hurricane Relief Fund, which ran out on March 30, 2018. Also in 2018, the government released the Citizenship by Investment (Amendment 2) 2018 Regulations in the Official Gazette. The SGF will send money to important areas like education, health, climate change and resilience, infrastructure, tourism and culture, and promoting indigenous business. This will help all citizens, including you.

Saint Lucia

The National Economic Fund (NEF) lets people give money that directly helps the country and people of Saint Lucia improve their social and economic situation. This special Saint Lucian National Economic Fund was set up to hold all of the investments made to the National Economic Fund through the citizenship by investment scheme. The Saint Lucia National Economic Fund Act No.18 of 2019 says how the Fund is to be run and who is in charge of it. The Saint Lucia National Economic Fund Board is the group in charge of running the Saint Lucia National Economic Fund.

North Macedonia

The FITD (Fund for Innovation and Technology Development) was started by the Government of North Macedonia on December 13, 2019. It is to figure out what is in the best economic interest of people. Foreigners who have invested at least €200,000 per person in a private investment fund (PIF) set up according to the rules of the Republic of North Macedonia can apply for citizenship of the Republic of North Macedonia through the Program.

Vanuatu

Vanuatu set up the Development Support Fund as part of the DSP program in 2017. This was through Chapter 112 of the Citizenship Law and Vanuatu Government Decree No. 215.

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