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If current events have you a little anxious about living in the United States right now, you’re not alone. A new survey reports that 31% of Americans are thinking of leaving the country depending on how the 2020 election goes.
For some people, that’s really easy. Maybe they’re already dual citizens, or they have the ability to just pick up and go anywhere.
For others, it might be easy… but expensive.
Photo by Ross Parmly on Unsplash
It turns out quite a few countries will let Americans simply buy citizenship if they want to, and others have established programs for remote workers that are quite generous.
Of course, the process of gaining citizenship in another country is no easy feat, and often takes some time. However, some countries have citizen investment programs that streamline this process, step-by-step.
Dr. Juerg Steffen, CEO of Henley & Partners, helps people figure out how to get citizenship elsewhere. He notes:
Demand for these programs is accelerating, just as the supply has grown globally. Increasingly, nations and wealthy individuals see investment migration as more than a competitive advantage.
Today, it is viewed as an absolute requirement in a volatile world.
Here are the countries who will let you in… for a price:
St Kitts & Nevis
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These Caribbean islands have a very generous passport program that allows citizens of over 100 countries to visit visa-free.
If you donate $150,000 to their “Sustainable Growth Fund” and invest $200,000 in real estate, you can also become a citizen.
St. Lucia
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This island began offering residency in 2015, and through the end of 2020 will charge $250,000 for individuals and $300,000 for a family of four who are interested in becoming citizens.
Antigua and Barbuda
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This twin-island Caribbean nation requests a $100,000 donation to its development fund along with a real estate investment from prospective citizens.
Dominica
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Dominica is one of the best options for families. If one of you gets citizenship, it’s automatically extended to your spouse and children.
Grenada
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This country offers two options: donate $150,000 to the nation’s National Transformation Fund or buy real estate with a minimum price of $350,000.
Portugal
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Yeah, Portugal! Can you believe that?
You should! Because the European nation makes it pretty easy to become a citizen.
You’ll need to qualify for their Golden Visa Program first, but there are lots of ways to do that.
Malta
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Maltese citizenship is heavily sought after, but it’s also pricey.
For $1.1 million in donations and real estate investments, you can live and work in Malta or anywhere else in the EU.
Cyprus
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People who are interested in becoming citizens of Cyprus will need deep pockets.
The nation requires $2.5 million in donations and real estate developments.
Austria
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For a minimum of $3.5 million, you can become an Austrian citizen and take advantage of the country’s robust visa program to boot.
New Zealand
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Americans often talk about gaining citizenship in New Zealand, but you’ll need to invest $2 million over four years to do so.
Turkey
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If you have $250,000 to invest in their Citizenship-by-Investment program, you can become a citizen of Turkey pretty easily.
Vanuatu
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If the South Pacific sounds appealing (doesn’t it always?), a family of four can become citizens of this nation for $180,000.
Since we’ve all got hundreds of thousands of dollars just lying around, let’s play: where would you become a citizen if you could?
Make sure you let us know in the comments!
