Investor Citizenship and Residence Compared

As of November 2026, the programmes that Chinese-speaking families most often weigh against Türkiye differ in kind: some grant citizenship and a passport, others only a residence permit, and they also differ in cost, in which family members they cover, in how long they take and in what they ask of you afterwards. No programme suits every family; the fit depends on what your family wants the status for. This page sets out the published conditions side by side as general information, not as a recommendation of any programme.

Key facts

Every figure is as of November 2026 and comes from the sources listed at the foot of this page; programmes change their prices and rules often, so confirm the current position with each programme's official unit before you commit funds.

How does Türkiye compare with other citizenship programmes?

Türkiye

Türkiye grants citizenship to the investor, the spouse and children under 18 in one application; adult children and parents are not included. The property route requires a purchase whose valuation report, prepared by a firm authorised by the Capital Markets Board (SPK), reaches USD 400,000; since 29 September 2026 any SPK-authorised firm may issue that report. The other routes require USD 500,000 in a bank deposit of foreign currency, government debt instruments, real-estate or venture-capital fund shares, or the private pension system, each held for three years, or USD 500,000 of fixed capital, or employing at least 50 people. Title is transferred at the Land Registry (Tapu), approval is by Presidential decision and the whole process typically takes 8 to 12 months, with no timeline guaranteed. Türkiye allows dual nationality and sets no residence requirement for the citizenship itself.

One caveat matters: the authorities are reviewing past files. In August 2026 the Interior Ministry reported that the citizenship decisions of 6,134 people, investors and family members, had been cancelled or withdrawn, mostly after investigations into inflated property valuations, as reported by IMI Daily. Our 2026 policy tracker follows these changes, and the citizenship by investment service explains each route's conditions.

St Kitts and Nevis

The Citizenship by Investment Unit lists a Sustainable Island State Contribution of USD 250,000 for a main applicant or a family of up to four, with USD 25,000 for each further dependant under 18 and USD 50,000 for each dependant aged 18 or over. In January 2026 the Prime Minister announced legislation to add a residence clause and enhanced biometric checks; the details and start date were to follow from the Unit, so check them before applying.

Grenada

Under S.R.O. 12 of 2024, the National Transformation Fund contribution is USD 235,000 for a main applicant and up to three dependants, with USD 25,000 for each additional dependant; an approved real estate option also exists. A residence requirement linked to the new regional regulator, reported as 30 days, was due to start on 31 August 2026, but Grenada's Circular No. 2 of 2026 (19 August 2026) deferred it until further notice. Grenada is also a US E-2 treaty country, which is covered below.

Dominica

Dominica raised its minimum in 2024: a single applicant contributes USD 200,000 to the Economic Diversification Fund, as reported by WIC News, with higher amounts for families. Dominica is one of two Caribbean countries placed under partial US entry restrictions from 1 January 2026 (see below).

Antigua and Barbuda

The National Development Fund contribution is USD 230,000 for a family of up to four, as reported by Sable International, and the programme asks for 5 days of presence within the first 5 years, as reported by Uglobal. Its future is uncertain: in late October 2026 Prime Minister Gaston Browne said the Cabinet was leaning towards committing to end the programme before an EU deadline of 12 November 2026, as reported by IMI Daily. Check whether applications are still being accepted before you start.

Pressure on Caribbean programmes from the EU and the US

• EU: the EU's revised visa suspension mechanism, in force since the end of December 2025, treats an investor citizenship programme as a ground on its own for suspending visa-free travel. In a letter dated 25 June 2026 the European Commission asked Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis and Saint Lucia to phase out their programmes by 1 June 2028, as reported by IMI Daily. Any loss of Schengen visa-free access would need a separate EU decision.
• US: a presidential proclamation of 16 December 2025 placed Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica under partial entry restrictions from 1 January 2026, citing citizenship by investment without residence, as reported by Cayman Compass; it restricts new visitor, student and exchange visas, among others, while visas already issued remain valid. Check the current position before you travel.

Malta

Malta no longer offers citizenship by investment. On 29 April 2025 the Court of Justice of the EU ruled in Commission v Malta (C-181/23) that its investor citizenship scheme breached EU law. In July 2025 Malta amended the Maltese Citizenship Act to remove the investment route, as reported by CC Malta and BDO Malta; naturalisation for exceptional services remains, but it is discretionary and merit-based, and no payment or investment qualifies a person for it.

What do the main investor residence programmes require?

A residence permit lets you live in a country; it does not change your nationality or give you a passport, and you keep travelling on your own passport. Where a permit can lead towards citizenship at all, it is only after many years and under that country's ordinary naturalisation rules.

• Greece: the property thresholds are EUR 800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands of over 3,100 people, EUR 400,000 elsewhere, and EUR 250,000 for qualifying conversions to residential use and restorations of listed buildings. The permit lasts five years, is renewable and has no minimum stay; it covers the spouse, unmarried children under 21 and the parents of both spouses, as described by the independent law practice Lexidy. Our Türkiye and Greece comparison goes further.
• Portugal: property has not qualified since October 2023, and the main route is EUR 500,000 in qualifying investment funds; the minimum stay is 7 days in the first year and 14 days in each later two-year period, as described by Dixcart in June 2026. Under the amended nationality law in force since 19 May 2026, most non-EU nationals can apply for citizenship only after ten years of legal residence, counted from the first residence permit, as reported by Sovereign Group. See our Türkiye and Portugal comparison.
• United Arab Emirates: the 10-year golden visa is available to owners of property worth at least AED 2 million and can cover the spouse and children, as reported by Middle East Briefing. It is a residence status and does not itself lead to citizenship. Our Türkiye and UAE comparison sets out costs and tax.
• Japan: since 16 October 2025 the Business Manager status requires capital of at least JPY 30 million (previously JPY 5 million), at least one full-time employee resident in Japan, a considerable level of Japanese from the applicant or an employee, and management experience or a relevant postgraduate degree, as reported by KPMG and Vialto Partners. Existing holders have transitional handling until 16 October 2028. Read our Türkiye and Japan comparison.

Türkiye also offers residence permits, which some families use before or instead of citizenship; our residence permit service explains the conditions.

Will taking a second nationality affect the one I hold now?

The rule in the programme country is only half of the question; the rule at home often decides the matter. Türkiye allows dual nationality, and the Caribbean programmes are generally described as letting applicants keep their existing nationality, but the place whose passport you hold now may not.

Our guides on China's non-recognition of dual nationality and on Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia passport holders explain the practical effects. A residence permit does not trigger these rules, because it does not change your nationality.

Which of these nationalities can apply for a US E-2 visa?

The E-2 treaty investor visa is open only to nationals of countries on the US State Department's treaty list. Of the citizenship programmes above, Türkiye (since 18 May 1990) and Grenada (since 3 March 1989) are on that list. Since the AMIGOS Act was signed in December 2022, a person who acquired a treaty nationality through a financial investment must have been domiciled in that country for at least three continuous years at some point before applying; the rule does not apply to people who already held an E visa, as reported by the National Law Review. The E-2 is a non-immigrant visa, not a green card, and it also requires a substantial investment in a genuine US business. Our articles on the E-2 visa through a Turkish passport and on the three-year domicile rule go into detail.

How was this comparison compiled?

Figures were checked in November 2026 against official programme pages and gazettes where we could reach them, and otherwise against dated professional or press reports, which are named in the text. Visa-free counts all come from one edition, the Henley Passport Index of January 2026, as reported by national media; the index is updated during the year, so later editions differ by a few destinations. Three programmes are not in the table. Saint Lucia was outside the scope of this edition. For Vanuatu we could not confirm the 2026 contribution from an official or dated professional source; note that its nationals have needed a Schengen visa since February 2025, after the EU ended their visa exemption. For Egypt we could not confirm the 2026 thresholds in the same way. This page is general information and is not legal, tax, immigration or investment advice; the decision is yours, and an independent lawyer in the relevant country can check your own position.

Frequently asked questions

Which of these programmes give a passport and which give only residence?

Türkiye, St Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda grant citizenship and a passport. Greece, Portugal, the UAE and Japan grant residence only, and Malta closed its investment route to citizenship in 2025.

Which programmes cover parents or adult children?

Türkiye covers only the spouse and children under 18. The Caribbean programmes can include further qualifying dependants for an additional amount, and the Greek golden visa covers the parents of both spouses and children under 21, as of November 2026.

Can a Turkish or Grenadian passport be used for a US E-2 visa straight away?

Not if the nationality was acquired by investment. Both countries are on the E-2 treaty list, but since December 2022 such applicants must first have been domiciled in that country for at least three continuous years, and the E-2 still requires a substantial investment in a real US business.

What happens to my Chinese nationality if I take a second passport?

A mainland Chinese national who has settled abroad and voluntarily acquires a foreign nationality loses Chinese nationality automatically, because China does not recognise dual nationality. Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia each have their own rules, set out in the table above.

Are the Caribbean programmes still open?

They were still operating in the latest reports we found (late October 2026), but they are under pressure. The EU has asked the five Eastern Caribbean states to phase them out by 1 June 2028, Antigua and Barbuda was reported to be considering ending its programme, and the US has placed Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica under partial entry restrictions.

Why does Malta appear if it no longer offers citizenship by investment?

Because many families still ask about it. After the EU court ruling of April 2025, Malta removed the investment route in July 2025, and citizenship for exceptional services is now discretionary and cannot be obtained through a payment or investment.