Investment Programmes
Citizenship by Investment (CBI)
Also known as: CBI, Economic Citizenship, Passport by Investment
Quick answer
St. Kitts and Nevis CIU — Sustainable Island State Contribution · Court of Justice — Commission v Malta, 29 Apr 2025 · checked 9 Nov 2026
Applicants must meet the programme's due-diligence, documentation and other conditions. An advertised contribution is not an all-in family cost or a guarantee of citizenship. The St. Kitts and Nevis unit requires an authorised agent and an interview for the principal applicant.
On 29 Apr 2025, the Court of Justice ruled Malta's transactional investor-citizenship scheme contrary to EU law. That judgment concerns citizenship; it does not turn a separate permanent-residence scheme into a passport route.
Sources
- St. Kitts and Nevis CIU — Sustainable Island State Contribution · checked 9 Nov 2026
- Court of Justice — Commission v Malta, 29 Apr 2025 · checked 9 Nov 2026
Related terms
Golden Visa
A Golden Visa is a common name for residence by investment: an eligible investment supports an application for residence permission under national rules. It does not itself grant citizenship. Portugal's property route ended in Oct 2023, and Spain stopped accepting new investor-visa applications on 3 Apr 2025, with transitional protection for qualifying earlier cases.
Citizenship by Descent
Citizenship by descent derives nationality through a parent or ancestry under national law. It is not a universal number-of-generations entitlement. Italy's 2025 reform restricts automatic acquisition for people born abroad holding another citizenship; Ireland's Foreign Births Register has separate parent and Irish-born-grandparent rules. The relevant law, family events and application dates all matter.
Permanent Residence (PR)
Permanent residence is an immigration status allowing a non-citizen to remain on an ongoing basis under a country's law. It is distinct from citizenship and can have maintenance or loss conditions. In the United States, a Green Card evidences lawful permanent residence; there is no general requirement to hold a temporary visa for five years before acquiring it.