From Thailand to Taiwan, Cape Verdi to Cambodia, high-net-worth individuals are investing in secondary citizenship programs in search of winter sun. 

There are some 20 global destinations offering warmer winter temperatures and the ability to secure residency or citizenship by investing anywhere from £12,000 to £3.9m. Thailand is the most affordable with a little over £12,000 securing permanent residency providing the applicant has held a Thai non-immigrant visa for at least three years prior to submission.

However, there are a number of nations that provide a far quicker route to a winter spent on the beach, with the additional benefits of visa-free travel to a whole host of other countries.

Astons, the alternative residency and citizenship acquisition experts, has revealed that Caribbean nations are seeing their strongest increase in demand for Golden Visas in many years, with a 300% annual increase in Q3 driven largely by U.S investors. The unstable landscape in the states isn’t the only thing driving this investment, with demand also strong from Italian, French, South African, Chinese and Russian investors.

Of these Caribbean nations, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and Saint Lucia provide the lowest investment cost for a Golden Visa at just £77,535, with citizenship secured in just 76 to 137 days depending on which you opt for.

However, it’s St Kitts and Nevis that continues to prove the most popular of all Caribbean Visa investments. St Kitts is home to the oldest citizenship investment program in the Caribbean and Astons has seen an increase of 110% in demand for the program on an annual basis during the third quarter of this year.

Managing Director of Astons, Arthur Sarkisian, explains why.

“St Kitts is improving incredibly popular with investors for a number of reasons. First of all, it is an extremely established program and so they are able to facilitate investment professionally, appropriately and more importantly, far quicker than other Caribbean nations.

The average time to secure citizenship is just 56 days and this appeals to those looking to move quickly with their investment. They have also accelerated the application process during the pandemic which appeals to those looking for a quick escape from other high-risk nations.

There is also no annual quota on the number of applications submitted to the program so they are able to service demand regardless of how much it increases. This demand is coming largely from international businessmen and wealthy, upper-middle-class families and with a minimum investment of £116,302 per person, it represents very good value.

However, the nation has also reduced the minimum donation from £195,000 to £150,000 for a family of four, which has increased popularity for those looking for an alternative option to Europe during the winter.

It isn’t just this family offering that has kept demand high though. Investing in citizenship in St Kitts and Nevis also provides visa-free travel to 156 other countries, one of the highest of all Caribbean programs and one of the highest outside of Europe.

This combination of speed, international access and family appeal has ensured St Kitts and Nevis remains one of the premier Golden Visa destinations. There are little signs of this changing and we expect to see investment grow by at least 200% this year. ”

 

Nation Type Investment cost (currency) Investment cost GBP Visa-Free Acess Average winter temperature (ave for UK winter – Dec/Jan/Feb highs and lows)
Barbados Permanent residency Net assets of 5m USD £3,876,725 161 25 C
Australia Permanent residency 5,000,000 AUD £2,765,075 183 31 C
Cyprus Citizenship 2,150,000 EUR £1,960,584 174 20 C
Cayman Islands Permanent residency 2.4m USD £1,860,828 146 25 C
Malta Citizenship 1,150,000 EUR £1,048,684 184 13 C
Bahamas Permanent residency 750,000 USD £581,509 155 25 C
Mauritius Permanent residency 350,000 USD £271,371 148 26 C
Turks and Caicos Islands Permanent residency from 300,000 USD £232,604 112 24 C
Cape Verde Citizenship approx 250,000 EUR (between 200,000-300,000 EUR) £227,975 66 23 C
Cambodia Citizenship 1bn KHR £188,632 54 27 C
Taiwan Permanent residency 200,000 USD £155,069 146 18 C
Grenada Citizenship 150,000 USD £116,302 143 26 C
Saint Kitts and Nevis Citizenship 150,000 USD £116,302 156 25 C
Vanuatu Citizenship 130,000 USD £100,795 130 26 C
Dominica Citizenship 100,000 USD £77,535 140 25 C
Saint Lucia Citizenship 100,000 USD £77,535 146 26 C
Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship 100,000 USD £77,535 157 25 C
Panama Permanent residency 40,000 USD £31,014 141 28 C
Thailand Permanent residency from 16,000 USD £12,406 78 27 C

Astons is a leading worldwide immigration advisory firm, specialising in residency & citizenship investment solutions in Europe and the Caribbean. For further information or to discuss your personal circumstances in a private consultation, please contact your nearest office.