I deeply apologize for pulling you away from your riveting discussions on how best to launder an annual three digit crypto revenue through the Bank of Zimbabwe and forcing you to come to the forum titled “Second Citizenship, Golden Visa, and Immigration” to click on the circus I am arranging to discuss recent changes in citizenship by investment and golden visa programs. Please forgive me.
There appears to be an increase in the general attack on citizenship by investment and golden visas that is being led by western nations.
Let’s start with restrictions in Europe. The biggest news here is the shuttering of Malta’s CIP after a ruling by an EU court. That closes down one of the most accessible routes to EU nation citizenship.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ceqrd8dpzd5o.amp
Following close on its heels is a proposed increase in time to citizenship for Portugal’s golden visa program. This comes after several restrictive changes to Portuguese and Spanish programs over the past few years.
https://www.imidaily.com/europe/portuguese-govt-aims-to-double-citizenship-timeline-to-10-years/
Something that has gone less noticed are restrictions to citizenship by descent programs in Europe. Italy’s recent imposition of a two generation limit broken by ancestor naturalization is the most severe example, but Ireland has also officially restricted (instead of unofficially as in the past) the special regime outside of the FBR by explicitly imposing expectation of three years’ residency and other requirements.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxkk0z9y05o.amp
Canada is also moving to reform their citizenship law after a high court ruling through bill C-3.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/lost-canadians-bill-tabled-court-deadline-1.7553260
The EU has made some administrative moves that are speculated to target citizenship by investment nations, which is supported by official comments by those involved in those changed.
https://www.imidaily.com/europe/eu-set-to-finalize-visa-free-suspension-mechanism-for-cbi-countries/
The EU famously revoked visa-free access for Vanuatu a number of years ago for irregularities and is rumored to have pressured Moldova and Montenegro to close their programs.
The US has threatened travel bans on a number of countries, including some CIP nations.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/tr...36-countries-travel-ban-memo-says-2025-06-15/
These nations appear to be treating CIP as the proximate cause, and some Caribbean nations are talking about instituting residency requirements. This comes after a doubling in cost and an increase in due diligence requirements.
https://www.imidaily.com/caribbean/...-as-dominica-breaks-silence-on-us-travel-ban/
Of course, the US restricted access to VWP to only apply to Hungarian-born citizens in what can only be seen as a direct response to their citizenship by descent laws.
As a counterpoint, there have been proposals by Argentina, the US, and an opposition party in the UK to implement golden visa programs. Argentina’s proposal is actually a tightening of current laws, while the other two are not serious proposals and are unlikely to be implemented, in my personal opinion. New Zealand is one of the few countries to streamline their investor visa program lately. There are some African nations instituting extremely suspect programs for passports of little to no value and a couple of proposed south Pacific programs of undetermined seriousness.
Other countries have tightened programs over the past few years. Turkey instituted an in-person visit in their program after increasing the required investment. Reportedly, cost and requirements have been increased for naturalization in Armenia and Serbian citizenship by exception (mostly demand driven in the latter). Georgia had that weird, possibly aborted, launch of a program a few months ago. Mexico has administratively tightened requirements for their permanent residency.
I’ve said my piece. Be aware? Get it while you can if you were planning to do so?
There appears to be an increase in the general attack on citizenship by investment and golden visas that is being led by western nations.
Let’s start with restrictions in Europe. The biggest news here is the shuttering of Malta’s CIP after a ruling by an EU court. That closes down one of the most accessible routes to EU nation citizenship.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ceqrd8dpzd5o.amp
Following close on its heels is a proposed increase in time to citizenship for Portugal’s golden visa program. This comes after several restrictive changes to Portuguese and Spanish programs over the past few years.
https://www.imidaily.com/europe/portuguese-govt-aims-to-double-citizenship-timeline-to-10-years/
Something that has gone less noticed are restrictions to citizenship by descent programs in Europe. Italy’s recent imposition of a two generation limit broken by ancestor naturalization is the most severe example, but Ireland has also officially restricted (instead of unofficially as in the past) the special regime outside of the FBR by explicitly imposing expectation of three years’ residency and other requirements.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxkk0z9y05o.amp
Canada is also moving to reform their citizenship law after a high court ruling through bill C-3.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/lost-canadians-bill-tabled-court-deadline-1.7553260
The EU has made some administrative moves that are speculated to target citizenship by investment nations, which is supported by official comments by those involved in those changed.
https://www.imidaily.com/europe/eu-set-to-finalize-visa-free-suspension-mechanism-for-cbi-countries/
The EU famously revoked visa-free access for Vanuatu a number of years ago for irregularities and is rumored to have pressured Moldova and Montenegro to close their programs.
The US has threatened travel bans on a number of countries, including some CIP nations.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/tr...36-countries-travel-ban-memo-says-2025-06-15/
These nations appear to be treating CIP as the proximate cause, and some Caribbean nations are talking about instituting residency requirements. This comes after a doubling in cost and an increase in due diligence requirements.
https://www.imidaily.com/caribbean/...-as-dominica-breaks-silence-on-us-travel-ban/
Of course, the US restricted access to VWP to only apply to Hungarian-born citizens in what can only be seen as a direct response to their citizenship by descent laws.
As a counterpoint, there have been proposals by Argentina, the US, and an opposition party in the UK to implement golden visa programs. Argentina’s proposal is actually a tightening of current laws, while the other two are not serious proposals and are unlikely to be implemented, in my personal opinion. New Zealand is one of the few countries to streamline their investor visa program lately. There are some African nations instituting extremely suspect programs for passports of little to no value and a couple of proposed south Pacific programs of undetermined seriousness.
Other countries have tightened programs over the past few years. Turkey instituted an in-person visit in their program after increasing the required investment. Reportedly, cost and requirements have been increased for naturalization in Armenia and Serbian citizenship by exception (mostly demand driven in the latter). Georgia had that weird, possibly aborted, launch of a program a few months ago. Mexico has administratively tightened requirements for their permanent residency.
I’ve said my piece. Be aware? Get it while you can if you were planning to do so?
