Countries that grant citizenship in exchange for purchasing property

Many countries around the world have laws that allow foreigners to obtain citizenship and the right to nationality. These laws come within specific programs and conditions that a foreigner must fulfill in order to acquire the citizenship of that country and become one of its citizens.

The programs and laws for granting citizenship vary from country to country, but the most common type of naturalization program in the world is citizenship by investment. This method grants citizenship to foreigners if they participate in one of the country's investment programs under specific conditions and requirements set by those countries.

One of the investment programs used by countries to grant citizenship to foreign nationals is the real estate investment program, which means buying property within the country’s borders for a specific amount and meeting certain conditions.

The most important countries that grant citizenship to foreigners in exchange for buying property are:

Which countries grant citizenship in exchange for buying property?

1. Saint Lucia Citizenship (Caribbean Region)

It is an island with an official status and independent entity recognized as a country in the Caribbean region near the coast of Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. It is known for its tropical climate and grants citizenship and a passport to foreigners who buy property worth at least $200,000 USD, with a commitment not to sell the property for 5 years.

2. Dominican Citizenship

A country in the Caribbean region whose laws allow foreigners to obtain citizenship by buying government-approved properties worth at least $200,000 USD, excluding other costs related to purchasing the property and obtaining citizenship.

3. Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship (Caribbean Region)

An island located in the Caribbean between the Americas, recognized as a UN member state. It is one of the countries that grants citizenship to foreigners who buy government-approved properties worth at least $400,000 USD, with the condition that the property cannot be sold for 5 consecutive years.

4. Saint Kitts and Nevis Citizenship (Caribbean Region)

A country in the Caribbean region consisting of a union of two islands, with a special program for granting citizenship to foreigners through the purchase of property worth at least $200,000 USD. The property cannot be sold for 7 years by the foreigner who obtained citizenship.

5. Grenada Citizenship (Caribbean Region)

Citizenship and a passport are granted to foreigners who buy property in Grenada worth at least $220,000 USD, and the property cannot be resold for 5 years.

6. Spanish Citizenship

Spain is one of the European Union countries with a distinguished program for granting citizenship to foreign investors. This is achieved by the foreigner owning property in Spain worth at least 500,000 euros, which grants the foreigner permanent residency as long as the property is owned. After 8-10 years of residency, the foreigner can apply for and obtain citizenship.

7. Turkish Citizenship

One of the well-known countries that offers a distinguished program for naturalizing foreigners and granting them citizenship by owning property in the country worth at least $400,000 USD, with the condition not to sell the property for 3 consecutive years.

Learn more about the guide Buying Property in Turkey While Abroad

8. Cypriot Citizenship

Cyprus is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea and is part of the European Union and the Eurozone. It is known for its special program for granting citizenship to foreigners through property ownership, requiring the purchase of property worth at least 2 million euros.

9. Malta Citizenship

Malta offers a citizenship by investment program that includes buying property, investing in a government fund, and meeting a set of requirements.

10. Georgian Citizenship

The investment program in Georgia provides an opportunity to obtain permanent residency and later citizenship by purchasing property of a certain value and meeting other specified conditions.

11. Portuguese Citizenship

The Portuguese investment program offers an opportunity to obtain permanent residency and later citizenship by purchasing property of a specified value, subject to conditions that must be met to obtain citizenship.

12. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Citizenship

Individuals can obtain citizenship in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines through an investment program that requires compliance with specific conditions for purchasing property.

Which of the above countries offers the best citizenship by property program?

The preference between citizenship by property programs in the above countries varies depending on the needs and goals of the foreign investor. The preference is linked to the main purpose of the investment. However, in general, the Turkish program for granting citizenship to foreigners in exchange for property is considered the most distinguished for several reasons, including:

• Turkish citizenship derives its importance and value from the country’s geographical and historical significance, in addition to being a sovereign state with economic and strategic power and a prominent global position.
• The Turkish citizenship by property program is less expensive than the previous programs, with the possibility of investing and reselling easily after only 3 years of ownership.
• Application for Turkish citizenship is submitted immediately upon purchasing the property, and the investor is separated from obtaining citizenship only by the time consumed in legal procedures, which usually does not exceed 6 months. This is unlike other programs in various countries that grant permanent residency and then, after at least 8 years, consider granting citizenship to the investor.
• The citizenship program covers all family members of the investor, including the spouse and children under the age of 18.

Obtain Turkish citizenship by purchasing property through Imtilak Real Estate

Imtilak Real Estate presents itself as a trusted intermediary with extensive experience of more than 10 years in the Turkish real estate market. During this time, the company has helped more than 1,000 clients from various nationalities around the world to obtain Turkish citizenship.

Imtilak Real Estate has lived up to its clients’ expectations by enabling them to invest or settle in Turkey, providing comprehensive services for clients wishing to invest or settle in the country.

Imtilak Real Estate offers its services through a group of specialized investment companies that provide highly professional and high-quality services with a team of high competence and professional performance.

In this regard, Imtilak Real Estate owns several branches and offices operating in the most important Turkish cities with high demand from foreigners for real estate, such as Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya, Kocaeli, Trabzon, Sakarya, and others. The company provides many rare and exclusive real estate opportunities for its distinguished clients wishing to purchase property in the country.

Regarding obtaining Turkish citizenship through property purchase in the country, Imtilak Real Estate has a specialized team of Turkish lawyers and legal consultants who professionally prepare the files of Imtilak clients and submit them to the relevant Turkish government authorities, following up on procedures and stages in government departments until the investor and their family obtain Turkish citizenship and a Turkish passport.

Imtilak Real Estate targets in its program foreigners obtaining Turkish citizenship through real estate investment for multiple nationalities from different countries around the world. The company provides its services in five languages: Arabic, English, Persian, Russian, and French. The company also has multiple platforms on social media in different languages, in addition to its official website, which is a main reference for anyone wishing to learn about Turkey.

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Countries granting residency in exchange for buying property - Comparison between Turkey and Europe

Edited by: Imtilak Real Estate©