Companies & Businesses | Cyprus Passport | Licenses & Permits
4 years June 27, 2019
Cyprus Investment Programme: Comparison with Similar Schemes
In 2019, Citizenship Investment Schemes are estimated to be a USD $9 billion-dollar market worldwide, and are offered in many European destinations such as Cyprus, Belgium and the UK.
The UAE also introduced a new investment scheme this year, however this article focuses on the most popular schemes amongst Russian and Chinese investors in 2019 and how they compare to the Cyprus Investment Programme (CIP).
The CIP has attracted EUR €6.9 billion in funding since the scheme’s establishment in 2013; which the island will use to help fund large infrastructure projects and marina developments. After implementing new EU criteria to make the screening process for applicants completely watertight; applicants are no longer permitted to apply for the Cyprus Investment Programme after having been rejected from another country.
Different schemes offer slightly different options in return for your money. There are residency by investment programmes that grant instant permanent residency to individuals who are prepared to invest into government approved investments such as a bank deposit or relevant investment into their economy of choice. While citizenship by investment programs, investors qualify for citizenship after living for several years in the relevant jurisdiction of their choice, learning the local language and fully integrating to the culture.
The programme for each jurisdiction has different benefits such as speedy processing, a smaller minimum investment criterion and depending on the nature of your work and the naturalisation process.
The following are a comparison of countries offering Citizenship-by-investment programmes and their key information; each offering small variants and differing benefits:
Cyprus
| Referred to as: | Cyprus Investment Programme |
| Minimum investment: | EUR €2 million. |
| Documentation Issued: | Residence permit valid for 2 years with episodic renewals. |
| Qualifying Investments: | Click to read an in-depth overview of investment options. |
| Naturalisation timeline for Citizenship: | 8 years. |
| Length of residency required: | none. |
| Processing Time: | 60 days. |
United Kingdom
| Referred to as: | UK Entrepreneur Scheme. |
| Minimum investment: | Total GDP £2 million for the Tier 1 visa. |
| Documentation Issued: | Residence permit. |
| Qualifying Investments: |
|
| Naturalisation timeline for Citizenship: | 6 years. |
| Length of residency required: | 9 months. |
| Processing Time: | 15 days. |
Please note: Only EU citizens and EU passport holders can visit UK without visa. The UK is not considered to be a Schengen member country for non-EU nationals. The residence permits issued by Schengen countries to non-EU citizens, is not valid to travel to UK and a separate UK visa is required. Information is valid when the article was published in June 2019 due to Brexit and other unresolved matters.
Malta
| Referred to as: | Malta Global Residence Programme. |
| Minimum investment: | EUR €250,000. |
| Documentation Issued: | Residence permit valid for 2 years with episodic renewals. |
|
Qualifying Investments: |
|
| Naturalisation timeline for Citizenship: | 5 years (scheme does not qualify for citizenship). |
| Length of residency required: | n/a. |
| Processing Time: | 60 days. |
To apply for a Maltese Global Residence Programme, you dont need to step foot in the country. This is extremely ideal for those who may not have the luxury of time to travel or take a holiday in the initial weeks of the application process.
United States (EB-5)
| Referred to as: | EB-5 Investor Visa |
| Minimum investment: | USD $500,000 |
| Documentation Issued: | Green card. |
| Qualifying Investments: | Business enterprise offering employment to local citizens. |
| Naturalisation timeline for Citizenship: | 5 years. |
| Length of residency required: | 2.5 years. |
| Processing Time: | 15 months. |
As the only non-EU country on our list, an American Greencard is obviously beneficial for investors wanting to break into the US market. There is a lengthy processing time however is one of the fastest ways for an investor to gain permanent residency for themselves and their immediate family in the United States.
Portugal
| Referred to as: | Golden Visa ARI |
| Minimum investment: | EUR €350,000. |
| Documentation Issued: | Residence permit valid for 2 years with episodic renewals. |
| Qualifying Investments: |
|
| Naturalisation timeline for Citizenship: | 5 years. |
| Length of residency required: | 7 days. |
| Processing Time: | 60 days. |
The great advantage to the Golden visa ARI is that there are so many qualifying investments to chose from (similar to Cyprus). This and the countries warm Mediterranean climate is the reason for the schemes popularity.
Belgium
| Referred to as: | Belgium Investor Visa. |
| Minimum investment: | EUR €350,000- €500,000 over a 5 year period. |
| Documentation Issued: | Residence permit valid for 2 years with episodic renewals. |
| Qualifying Investments: | Business enterprise. |
| Naturalisation timeline for Citizenship: | 5 years. |
| Length of residency required: | none. |
| Processing Time: | 60 days. |
Which is most favourable for you? It depends on your work schedule, where you wish to reside and how bi-coastal of a lifestyle you plan on having. Do you want to relocate entirely or run operations from a distance? Eltoma Global have a relocation service that can assist with airport pick-ups to employee recruitment.