Security Matters and Residency and Citizenship by Investment

Share:

RIF Trust on the Importance of Safety

Mimoun Assraoui, RIF Trust CEO, hears from clients about their motivations for acquiring a new residency or second citizenship, and security is paramount. “The bedrock of our philosophy is that we want to make everybody who enlists our services SMILE. So, Security, Mobility, Insurance, Lifestyle, and Education are key,” he explains.

“Residency by Investment programs may make some HNWIs beam. For others, it’s Citizenship by Investment programs that raise a bigger grin.”

Our CEO wraps up his introduction with: “In this article, we will offer a definition of what it means to feel secure and demonstrate how RCBI programs can deliver this comfort blanket.”

What Is Security?

The Random House Unabridged Dictionary‘s principal definition of security as a noun is: “freedom from danger, risk, etc.; safety.” The greater distance you can put between you and your family and danger and risk; the safer you’ll all feel. Do you live in a country where you feel safe to walk the streets of night?

Many crave the security of a country with a low crime rate. They don’t have to worry when their kids go out to play. Security is often a greater concern for women.

As a female HNWI, do you feel safe in your current base? Do you feel your daughter’s safe? How about your mother or grandmother?

The same questions preoccupy male HNWIs. Is the country you’re presently in secure enough for your partner, your spouse? Your other female relatives?

Everyone is looking for a safe haven. They want a calm port in a storm. A storm that is ever-present because of the continuing rise of geopolitical risk.

Safety-First Residency by Investment Programs

The European Golden Visas stand out for their security, given they guarantee residency in the European Union. They are available in Greece, Portugal, and Spain. We will go through these in greater detail below.

A Greek Golden Visa requires a minimum investment of €250,000. You can add your spouse, children under 21, parents, and parents in law to your application. The Australian think tank, the Institute for Economics & Peace, places Greece 40th out of 163 countries in its 2024 Global Peace Index.

The Portuguese Golden Visa is an option if you’re prepared to invest at least €325,000. Dependents include your spouse, children, and parents over the age of 55. Portugal rates 7th in the 2024 Global Peace Index, one of 7 European countries in the top 10.

A Spanish Golden Visa is available from €350,000. You can include your partner, spouse, children, parents, and grandparents as dependents. Proving that Europe is the safest region in the world, Spain ranks 23rd in the latest edition of the Global Peace Index.

You probably wouldn’t consider North America to be particularly safe, but you would be overlooking Canada in doing so – a country that is 11th in the 2024 Global Peace Index. You need to invest at least C$275,000 to claim a Canada Start-up Visa. This allows you to add your spouse and children under 22 to your application.

Our last secure Residency by Investment program is the £200,000 UK Innovator Founder Visa. Qualifying dependents include your spouse and children under 18. The UK is in 34th position in the 2024 Global Peace Index.

Secure Citizenship by Investment Programs

Our metric for judging safety among Citizenship by Investment countries is the U.S. Department of State. They operate a 4-level travel advisory rating. 1 means to exercise normal precautions, 2 exercise increased caution, 3 reconsider travel, and 4 do not travel.

The U.S. Department of State considers all the 5 Eastern Caribbean countries to be destinations where you should exercise normal precautions. So, the department green lights travel to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Lucia. Let’s look into the relevant programs below.

Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment is available from $230,000. You can add your spouse, future spouse,  children, future children, parents, and parents in law to your application. Other dependents include grandparents, grandparents in law, unmarried siblings, and unmarried brothers and sisters in law.

Dominica Citizenship by Investment requires a minimum investment of $200,000. There are a wide range of dependents you can include. Your spouse, children, and parents and grandparents aged over 65, for example.

Grenada Citizenship by Investment has an investment threshold of $235,000. The Caribbean programs are amongst the most generous for adding dependents, and Grenada is no exception. Qualifying dependents include your spouse, children up to the age of 30, parents over 35, and unmarried and childless siblings.

You need to invest at least $250,000 to be eligible for St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment. As the world’s oldest Citizenship by Investment program, this has extra stability. You can add your spouse, children, and parents and parents in law over the age of 55 as dependents.

The minimum you have to invest to qualify for St Lucia Citizenship by Investment is $240,000. Dependents you can add to your application are your spouse, children or stepchildren under the age of 31, and unmarried siblings no older than 18. You can also include parents and parents in law over the age of 55, along with mentally or physically challenged children, stepchildren, or parents of any age.

How to Move Towards Security in 2025

Does danger and risk feel too near? If so, you will want to remove you and your family from threat. This is how Residency and Citizenship by Investment programs are so very freeing.

There are two stages that a respected new residency and second citizenship advisor such as RIF Trust can help you. The first is the consultation stage where we can go through the programs in more detail in order to find the best fit for your circumstances. At the second stage, the application process, we are the intermediary that you need to employ as you cannot apply for programs directly.

An initial consultation with one of our expert team is free. It might be the first step for your and your family towards freedom. So, contact us now, and we’ll show you how investing in residence permits or second passports represents the security you have been craving as an individual and family member.