Image by Wilson Joseph from Pixabay
Wilson Joseph from Pixabay

People can often look for citizenship in more than one country. Or it might be the case that they have revoked citizenship in their original homeland and are looking to relocate to a new country. There can be several reasons behind this. The primary motivation behind seeking citizenship in a new country is improving your living conditions or having better opportunities for your studies or work.

If the individual can apply for a new citizenship, and it is granted quickly, they will have several benefits. They can fly directly into the country and get treated without hassles. Citizenship entitles them to avail of medical treatment at any time of requirement.

Assume that you have obtained your higher education in some other country than the country you are a resident of. Standard rules will require you to find a job within a couple of months to continue staying in the country. On the other hand, if you have obtained citizenship, this stipulation is generally relaxed.

In this article, we discuss some of the countries where it is relatively straightforward to acquire a new citizenship.

Why should you look to get citizenship fast?

This is usually a consideration for those who wish to pursue their business interests. If you are an entrepreneur, you might want to expand your business or company operations to a new country. This would obviously require you to apply for citizenship first so that you can register for the tax system.

In some countries, the processing of the citizenship application can be completed within a few months. Thus, the entrepreneur can avail of the business opportunities in the economy, such as relaxations on tax curbs, capital imports, etc. Moreover, it makes sense to choose a country where the application system is less bureaucratic, and it is easier to own property or register your own business, etc.

What does it mean to get citizenship easily?

It means that the requirements or rules for getting citizenship status in the country are relatively straightforward. Each country has its own set of rules for handling immigration and granting citizenship to applicants. In the case of easy countries, the requirements will be about paying the minimum charges, being free of any criminal charges, not having any infectious diseases, or perhaps, purchasing a residence in the country.

However, there might be stricter requirements in countries where it is harder to get citizenship. For instance, they might require you to learn the native language convincingly and test rigorously. Or they might even need to convert to the domicile religion of the country.

For instance, in the case of Qatar, you will have to reside in the country for at least twenty-five years consecutively to be eligible for citizenship. You will also need to have mastered Arabic properly and probably be required to convert to Islam.

For China, you are eligible for citizenship only if you have Chinese relatives or have been settled in China for a "long time." Other countries where it is tough to obtain citizenship include Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Austria, and Finland.

Fastest and Easiest Countries to Get Citizenship

Here is the list of countries fastest and easiest countries to get citizenship.

1. St. Kitts and Nevis

Residency Requirements: There is no residency requirement unlike other countries.

Citizenship by investment: Under the Sustainable Growth Fund, a contribution of $125,000 will be required. In case the applicant plans to move in along with their family, a contribution of $ 170,000 will be required. Under the Real Estate Investment process, the applicant would have to make an investment of $200,000.

Processing time: 3 to 6 months.

Other provisions: Foreigners from Iran, Afghanistan, Cuba, and North Korea are prohibited from applying.

2. Antigua and Barbuda

Residency Requirements: Applicant needs to spend just five days in the country in the five years following the grant of citizenship.

Other Provisions: Citizenship can be acquired by making a one-time donation to the national development fund of the country to the tune of $100,000. The applicant will also need to stay invested for a period of five years. The second option is to invest $400,000 in a real estate project which has been officially approved.

Citizenship granted: 90 days.

Legal Support: Once citizenship has been granted, it is irrevocable, even if the policies of the government change. Relatives of the applicant, including the wife, children, and parents, are all granted passports. Exemption from taxation on income from foreign sources. Visa travel enabled to over 132 countries.

3. Dominica

Residency Requirements: 2 years of permanent residence; six months in case of marriage to a Dominican woman; waived entirely in case of marriage to a Dominican man.

Cost: Naturalization fee of $200,000.

Other Provisions: The interview process shall take place in Spanish, followed by a medical check-up.

Citizenship granted: The process takes approximately three years.

Legal Support: Citizenship, once granted, cannot be revoked.

4. Montenegro

Residency Requirements: Families need to reside for 5 days in a 5-year period.

Citizenship granted: 6 months

Citizenship by investment: Applicants need to invest either 250,000 Euros in property that has been officially sanctioned by the Montenegrin government in the northern region or 450,000 Euros in the Southern region. A 100,000 Euros donation to the government is also required.

5. Vanuatu

Residency Requirement: No minimum stay requirement.

Citizenship by investment: Investment required in a government development fund to 130,000 Euros, 150,000 Euros, and 180,000 Euros for an individual, a couple, and a family of four, respectively.

Citizenship granted: 30 to 60 days.

6. Grenada

Residency Requirements: The person should have resided in Granada for seven years. This is relaxed to four years for individuals from Caribbean countries. Naturalization is granted when the person has resided for twelve months consecutively before applying for citizenship.

Other Provisions: A foreigner who marries a citizen of Grenada is eligible to apply for citizenship.

Citizenship by Investment: The applicant needs to make a donation of the amount of $150,000 in favor of the National Transformation Fund of the country. Alternatively, they can also choose to make an investment in a development project sanctioned by the government with a minimum value of $350 for a single applicant.

Citizenship granted: Three to four months.

Legal Support: The spouse of the applicant and their children, parents, and siblings will also be granted citizenship.

7. Turkey

Residency Requirements: Five years of continuous employment in Turkey is required.

Other Provisions: Investors can get a Turkish passport quickly by investing in real estate with a minimum of $400,000.

Legal Support: You get the right to receive treatment in the country's clinics and study for free at any university.

8. Malta

Residency requirement: Twelve months.

Citizenship by investment: An investment of 600,000 Euros needs to be made, in case you can demonstrate residency of three years. Alternatively, a residential property worth 700,000 Euros may be purchased, and it has to be held on to for at least five years.

Other provisions: In case the individual has been married to a person of Maltese origin for five years, they are eligible for citizenship.

Conclusion

How do you decide among the countries where you can quickly get citizenship? One suitable parameter for determining this is to check the Global Residence Index. It is an index that ranks cities in various countries according to different factors, ranging from the country's economic situation to its education system, medical facilities, etc.

The index caters primarily to the class of high-net-worth individuals who are looking to invest in the international market. We hope this article will be a helpful guide for you in deciding upon the countries where you can get citizenship quickly, and the process has been simplified for you.