A NEW ADDRESS

Some countries allow citizenship in exchange for investment, real estate purchase or donation, among other methods, to qualifying foreign nationals. Here are a few such countries:

WELCOME SIGN

While various countries offer citizenship investment programmes, the details vary. Among the cheapest are some Caribbean countries such as St Kitts and Nevis, Vanuatu, Antigua and Barbuda, and Grenada. And among the most expensive are New Zealand, Cyprus, and Malta. Speed varies too, often depending on how much one invests. So while some countries offer citizenship within just a couple of weeks, others take longer. But for applicants with the right credentials, and deep pockets, a passport of choice is a certainty.

Malta, the smallest member state in the EU, has a popular investment based citizenship programme. To be eligible, applicants must contribute €650,000 to a government fund; lease property in Malta for a minimum of €16,000 per annum, or purchase property for at least

€350,000; and acquire government bonds or bonds or securities listed on the Malta Stock Exchange worth €150,000. The property and the bonds or securities have a lockin of five years. The entire process of getting citizenship takes around

12 months.

“EU member countries like Cyprus, Malta, Greece and Portugal all have investment programmes where the investment requirement is €100,000 to

€10 million. In some cases, you