Which Golden Visa Leads to Citizenship Fastest? (2026)

Compare the years, pathway kind and stated citizenship conditions for each currently available programme. Every figure below is projected from its programme registry record.

Citizenship timelines at a glance

Current programmes: 28
Fastest listed: 0 years (direct citizenship)
Pathway kinds: 3
Portugal tiers: 7 / 10 years

Latest row check 2026-08-19

Open the timeline matrix

Quick answer

The fastest currently available registry pathways are Antigua CBI, Dominica CBI, Egypt CBI, Grenada CBI, Nauru CBI, São Tomé CBI, St Kitts CBI, St Lucia CBI, Turkey CBI, Vanuatu CBI, each listed at 0 years (direct citizenship). Choose one only if its pathway kind and registry conditions below fit your circumstances; direct-citizenship pathways are different from residence-to-naturalisation routes.

Portugal's nationality tiers

Choose Portugal Golden Visa if you qualify for its nationality-specific tier: 7 years for Portuguese-speaking/CPLP and EU nationals, or 10 years for other nationals. Under Lei Orgânica 1/2026, in force 19 May 2026, these are the enacted tiers. Pending applications keep the prior regime. Threshold caveat: Thresholds are set by Lei 23/2007 art. 90.º-A. AIMA does not publish them on its own site, so confirm the current figure against the statute or with a Portuguese lawyer before committing. Verified 2026-08-07.

Next step

Citizenship timing does not show the qualifying capital. Compare every current programme route and its verification date.

Compare investment thresholds

Citizenship-timeline matrix

This table excludes closed and paused programmes. A “No citizenship timeline recorded” entry means the registry does not record a citizenship timeline, not that one can be assumed.

Programme	Years	Pathway kind	Conditions	Source	Verified
Antigua CBI	0 years (direct citizenship)	programme	Direct citizenship. Visa-free ~150 countries including UK, Schengen (at time of writing), Singapore. Dual citizenship permitted.	cip.gov.ag	2026-07-16
Dominica CBI	0 years (direct citizenship)	programme	Direct citizenship on approval. No language test, no residence. Dual citizenship permitted. Visa-free access to ~145 countries including UK (but NOT Schengen since EU warnings in 2025).	cbiu.gov.dm	2026-07-16
Egypt CBI	0 years (direct citizenship)	programme	Direct citizenship. Egyptian passport provides visa-free access to ~50 countries only — weakest passport of any CBI programme but the cheapest non-Caribbean CBI route for applicants with Egyptian business/cultural ties.	egypt.gov.eg	2026-07-16
Grenada CBI	0 years (direct citizenship)	programme	Direct citizenship. Unique: Grenada is the only CBI-offering country with a US E-2 Treaty of Commerce, enabling citizens to obtain US E-2 investor visas. Visa-free to China (unique among Caribbean), UK, Schengen (at time of writing), Russia. ~144 countries total.	imagrenada.gd	2026-07-16
Nauru CBI	0 years (direct citizenship)	programme	Direct citizenship. Visa-free ~90+ countries (including UK and some Schengen members). Passport is less powerful than Caribbean CBI passports but significantly cheaper.	ecrcp.gov.nr	2026-08-09
São Tomé CBI	0 years (direct citizenship)	programme	Direct citizenship. São Tomé passport is a CPLP (Portuguese-speaking) country passport — may facilitate Portuguese naturalization through Lusophone fast-track. Visa-free ~65 countries.	gov.st	2026-07-16
St Kitts CBI	0 years (direct citizenship)	programme	Direct citizenship at the end of processing. No language tests, no interview, no residence. Dual citizenship permitted. Passport grants visa-free access to 167+ countries including UK, Schengen area, and Saudi Arabia.	ciu.gov.kn	2026-08-09
St Lucia CBI	0 years (direct citizenship)	programme	Direct citizenship. Visa-free ~146 countries (UK, Schengen at time of writing, Singapore, Hong Kong). Dual citizenship permitted.	cipsaintlucia.com	2026-07-16
Turkey CBI	0 years (direct citizenship)	programme	Direct citizenship at the end of processing. No language tests, no interview stages. Dual citizenship permitted (Turkey allows it). No integration requirements.	invest.gov.tr	2026-07-16
Vanuatu CBI	0 years (direct citizenship)	programme	Direct citizenship. Visa-free access ~100+ countries. Schengen visa-waiver was suspended for Vanuatu in 2022 — Vanuatu citizens need Schengen visas. Dual citizenship permitted.	vancitizenship.gov.vu	2026-08-07
Singapore GIP	2 years	programme	Singapore citizenship available 2 years after PR, but discretionary. No language test, but good character and integration expected. Dual citizenship not permitted — must renounce prior nationality.	edb.gov.sg	2026-07-16
Australia NIV	4 years	programme	Standard Australian citizenship pathway from PR.	immi.homeaffairs.gov.au	2026-08-09
Luxembourg Investor	5 years	programme	Luxembourg citizenship after 5 years of legal residence plus Luxembourgish language (one of three official languages; most applicants take the Luxembourgish B1 test). Dual citizenship permitted.	guichet.public.lu	2026-08-09
Malta MPRP	5 years	pr-only	MPRP is PR-only — NOT a citizenship programme. The 5-year figure is generic Maltese naturalisation (a separate, discretionary process: Maltese-language fluency, integration test, continuous residence), not an MPRP entitlement.	residencymalta.gov.mt	2026-08-09
NZ Active Investor Plus	5 years	programme	NZ citizenship requires 5 years of residence as a PR, with at least 240 days presence in each of those years. More restrictive than the visa's own presence requirement.	immigration.govt.nz	2026-08-07
Panama Qualified Investor	5 years	programme	5 years as permanent resident, Spanish language proficiency, integration test. Dual citizenship permitted with Panama by treaty for some countries but generally requires renunciation.	gacetaoficial.gob.pa	2026-08-09
USA EB-5	5 years	programme	Green card to US citizenship requires 5 years (4 if married to US citizen), English + civics test. Citizenship via investment is a 7-10 year total for China-origin applicants under unreserved category.	uscis.gov	2026-08-09
Greece Golden Visa	7 years	programme	Requires B1 Greek language test.	migration.gov.gr	2026-08-07
Mauritius Residence	7 years	programme	Mauritian citizenship available after 7 years of legal residence (5 years if married to citizen). Applicants must demonstrate working knowledge of one of Mauritius's languages (English, French, or Creole) and good character. Dual citizenship permitted.	residency.mu	2026-08-07
Hungary GIVP	8 years	programme	Requires A2 Hungarian language (~180-200 learning hours). Hungarian is a Category IV language for English speakers.	oif.gov.hu	2026-08-07
Italy Investor Visa	10 years	programme	Requires B1 Italian language test. Continuous legal residence during the 10 years.	investorvisa.mise.gov.it	2026-08-09
Latvia Golden Visa	10 years	programme	Latvian citizenship requires 10 years continuous residence, Latvian language (B-level), citizenship test.	likumi.lv	2026-08-09
Monaco Residence	10 years	programme	Monaco citizenship is discretionary and rarely granted. Naturalization requires 10+ years continuous residence, French proficiency (Monaco's official language), and is granted at the Prince's discretion. Most residents remain permanent residents indefinitely.	monservicepublic.gouv.mc	2026-07-16
Portugal Golden Visa	10 years	tiered	ENACTED (Lei Orgânica 1/2026, in force 19 May 2026): 7 years for Portuguese-speaking/CPLP + EU nationals, 10 years for all others (this field shows the 10y 'others' tier). Pending applications keep the prior regime. The earlier '5-year' claim is now outdated.	aima.gov.pt	2026-08-07
Switzerland Lump-Sum	10 years	programme	Swiss citizenship requires 10 years residence, 3 years marriage-to-Swiss-citizen, language proficiency (official language of residence canton), and canton-level integration test.	efd.admin.ch	2026-07-16
Cyprus PR	No citizenship timeline recorded	pr-only	Cyprus removed the 5-year investment-PR-to-passport route in 2026. Citizenship only via standard 7-year naturalization with B1 Greek.	moi.gov.cy	2026-08-19
Thailand LTR	No citizenship timeline recorded	pr-only	LTR does not provide a citizenship pathway. Thai citizenship through naturalization is very restrictive (5 years continuous residence, Thai language, renouncing original nationality for most applicants).	ltr.boi.go.th	2026-08-07
UAE Golden Visa	No citizenship timeline recorded	pr-only	UAE citizenship is rarely granted to foreign investors. Golden Visa holders cannot expect a UAE passport through this route.	icp.gov.ae	2026-08-07

Conditional choices

Choose Antigua CBI if you can meet its registry conditions: Direct citizenship. Visa-free ~150 countries including UK, Schengen (at time of writing), Singapore. Dual citizenship permitted.. The registry lists 0 years (direct citizenship) via the programme pathway. Verified 2026-07-16.

Choose Dominica CBI if you can meet its registry conditions: Direct citizenship on approval. No language test, no residence. Dual citizenship permitted. Visa-free access to ~145 countries including UK (but NOT Schengen since EU warnings in 2025).. The registry lists 0 years (direct citizenship) via the programme pathway. Verified 2026-07-16.

Choose Egypt CBI if you can meet its registry conditions: Direct citizenship. Egyptian passport provides visa-free access to ~50 countries only — weakest passport of any CBI programme but the cheapest non-Caribbean CBI route for applicants with Egyptian business/cultural ties.. The registry lists 0 years (direct citizenship) via the programme pathway. Verified 2026-07-16.

Choose Grenada CBI if you can meet its registry conditions: Direct citizenship. Unique: Grenada is the only CBI-offering country with a US E-2 Treaty of Commerce, enabling citizens to obtain US E-2 investor visas. Visa-free to China (unique among Caribbean), UK, Schengen (at time of writing), Russia. ~144 countries total.. The registry lists 0 years (direct citizenship) via the programme pathway. Verified 2026-07-16.

Choose Nauru CBI if you can meet its registry conditions: Direct citizenship. Visa-free ~90+ countries (including UK and some Schengen members). Passport is less powerful than Caribbean CBI passports but significantly cheaper.. The registry lists 0 years (direct citizenship) via the programme pathway. Verified 2026-08-09.

Choose São Tomé CBI if you can meet its registry conditions: Direct citizenship. São Tomé passport is a CPLP (Portuguese-speaking) country passport — may facilitate Portuguese naturalization through Lusophone fast-track. Visa-free ~65 countries.. The registry lists 0 years (direct citizenship) via the programme pathway. Verified 2026-07-16.

Choose St Kitts CBI if you can meet its registry conditions: Direct citizenship at the end of processing. No language tests, no interview, no residence. Dual citizenship permitted. Passport grants visa-free access to 167+ countries including UK, Schengen area, and Saudi Arabia.. The registry lists 0 years (direct citizenship) via the programme pathway. Verified 2026-08-09.

Choose St Lucia CBI if you can meet its registry conditions: Direct citizenship. Visa-free ~146 countries (UK, Schengen at time of writing, Singapore, Hong Kong). Dual citizenship permitted.. The registry lists 0 years (direct citizenship) via the programme pathway. Verified 2026-07-16.

Choose Turkey CBI if you can meet its registry conditions: Direct citizenship at the end of processing. No language tests, no interview stages. Dual citizenship permitted (Turkey allows it). No integration requirements.. The registry lists 0 years (direct citizenship) via the programme pathway. Verified 2026-07-16.

Choose Vanuatu CBI if you can meet its registry conditions: Direct citizenship. Visa-free access ~100+ countries. Schengen visa-waiver was suspended for Vanuatu in 2022 — Vanuatu citizens need Schengen visas. Dual citizenship permitted.. The registry lists 0 years (direct citizenship) via the programme pathway. Verified 2026-08-07.

Choose Singapore GIP if you can meet its registry conditions: Singapore citizenship available 2 years after PR, but discretionary. No language test, but good character and integration expected. Dual citizenship not permitted — must renounce prior nationality.. The registry lists 2 years via the programme pathway. Verified 2026-07-16.

Choose Australia NIV if you can meet its registry conditions: Standard Australian citizenship pathway from PR.. The registry lists 4 years via the programme pathway. Verified 2026-08-09.

Choose Luxembourg Investor if you can meet its registry conditions: Luxembourg citizenship after 5 years of legal residence plus Luxembourgish language (one of three official languages; most applicants take the Luxembourgish B1 test). Dual citizenship permitted.. The registry lists 5 years via the programme pathway. Verified 2026-08-09.

Choose Malta MPRP if you can meet its registry conditions: MPRP is PR-only — NOT a citizenship programme. The 5-year figure is generic Maltese naturalisation (a separate, discretionary process: Maltese-language fluency, integration test, continuous residence), not an MPRP entitlement.. The registry lists 5 years via the pr-only pathway. Verified 2026-08-09.

Choose NZ Active Investor Plus if you can meet its registry conditions: NZ citizenship requires 5 years of residence as a PR, with at least 240 days presence in each of those years. More restrictive than the visa's own presence requirement.. The registry lists 5 years via the programme pathway. Verified 2026-08-07.

Choose Panama Qualified Investor if you can meet its registry conditions: 5 years as permanent resident, Spanish language proficiency, integration test. Dual citizenship permitted with Panama by treaty for some countries but generally requires renunciation.. The registry lists 5 years via the programme pathway. Verified 2026-08-09.

Choose USA EB-5 if you can meet its registry conditions: Green card to US citizenship requires 5 years (4 if married to US citizen), English + civics test. Citizenship via investment is a 7-10 year total for China-origin applicants under unreserved category.. The registry lists 5 years via the programme pathway. Verified 2026-08-09.

Choose Greece Golden Visa if you can meet its registry conditions: Requires B1 Greek language test.. The registry lists 7 years via the programme pathway. Verified 2026-08-07.

Choose Mauritius Residence if you can meet its registry conditions: Mauritian citizenship available after 7 years of legal residence (5 years if married to citizen). Applicants must demonstrate working knowledge of one of Mauritius's languages (English, French, or Creole) and good character. Dual citizenship permitted.. The registry lists 7 years via the programme pathway. Verified 2026-08-07.

Choose Hungary GIVP if you can meet its registry conditions: Requires A2 Hungarian language (~180-200 learning hours). Hungarian is a Category IV language for English speakers.. The registry lists 8 years via the programme pathway. Verified 2026-08-07.

Choose Italy Investor Visa if you can meet its registry conditions: Requires B1 Italian language test. Continuous legal residence during the 10 years.. The registry lists 10 years via the programme pathway. Verified 2026-08-09.

Choose Latvia Golden Visa if you can meet its registry conditions: Latvian citizenship requires 10 years continuous residence, Latvian language (B-level), citizenship test.. The registry lists 10 years via the programme pathway. Verified 2026-08-09.

Choose Monaco Residence if you can meet its registry conditions: Monaco citizenship is discretionary and rarely granted. Naturalization requires 10+ years continuous residence, French proficiency (Monaco's official language), and is granted at the Prince's discretion. Most residents remain permanent residents indefinitely.. The registry lists 10 years via the programme pathway. Verified 2026-07-16.

Choose Portugal Golden Visa if you can meet its registry conditions: ENACTED (Lei Orgânica 1/2026, in force 19 May 2026): 7 years for Portuguese-speaking/CPLP + EU nationals, 10 years for all others (this field shows the 10y 'others' tier). Pending applications keep the prior regime. The earlier '5-year' claim is now outdated.. The registry lists 10 years via the tiered pathway. Verified 2026-08-07.

Choose Switzerland Lump-Sum if you can meet its registry conditions: Swiss citizenship requires 10 years residence, 3 years marriage-to-Swiss-citizen, language proficiency (official language of residence canton), and canton-level integration test.. The registry lists 10 years via the programme pathway. Verified 2026-07-16.

Choose Cyprus PR if you can meet its registry conditions: Cyprus removed the 5-year investment-PR-to-passport route in 2026. Citizenship only via standard 7-year naturalization with B1 Greek.. The registry lists no citizenship timeline recorded via the pr-only pathway. Verified 2026-08-19.

Choose Thailand LTR if you can meet its registry conditions: LTR does not provide a citizenship pathway. Thai citizenship through naturalization is very restrictive (5 years continuous residence, Thai language, renouncing original nationality for most applicants).. The registry lists no citizenship timeline recorded via the pr-only pathway. Verified 2026-08-07.

Choose UAE Golden Visa if you can meet its registry conditions: UAE citizenship is rarely granted to foreign investors. Golden Visa holders cannot expect a UAE passport through this route.. The registry lists no citizenship timeline recorded via the pr-only pathway. Verified 2026-08-07.