Caribbean, Europe, News feed Date: 24 February, 2025

What Is the Invest and Migrate Trend Sweeping India?

RIF Trust on Residency and Citizenship by Investment Trends

In the world of new residencies and second citizenships, RIF Trust Regional Director – India Binu Varghese has seen it all. “The invest and migrate trend is pretty self-explanatory,” she reasons.

“However, it’s a phenomenon that deserves our coverage. Especially as Indian interest in Residency and Citizenship by Investment has never been higher.”

Our Regional Director expands further: “Traditionally, Residency by Investment has been the most popular route taken by Indian HNWIs. However, the Surrender Indian Passport swell has witnessed a spike in Citizenship by Investment.”

What Is the Indian Invest and Migrate Movement?

To better understand the invest and migrate trend sweeping the Indian nation, we need to break it down. By invest, we mean “to put (money) to use, by purchase or expenditure, in something offering potential profitable returns, as interest, income, or appreciation in value.” And, by migrate, we mean “to go from one country, region, or place to another.”

If you have funds at your disposal, it makes sense to invest them for the benefit of your future and your family’s future. This investment can see you relocate from India if that’s your goal. Invest and receive immediate dividends.

This growing movement ties in with our core SMILE philosophy. What’s SMILE, you ask? It’s the following:

Residency by Investment and Migration

These are the new residency programs resonating most with our Indian client base:

Canada Start-up Visa

Price: From C$275,000
Countdown to Permanent Residence: 3+ years
Countdown to Citizenship: After 2 years of Permanent Residence
Dependents allowed: Spouse and unmarried children up to the age of 21
Benefits: Right to live, work, and study in Canada, and eligibility for the Canadian passport with visa-free access to 177 countries

Greek Golden Visa

Price: From €250,000
Countdown to Permanent Residence: 5 years
Countdown to Citizenship: 7 years
Dependents allowed: Spouse and children under 21
Benefits: Visa-free travel to 29 Schengen Area countries for a 90-day period every 180 days, right to live and study in Greece, and chance to qualify for the Greek passport with visa-free access to 181 countries and EU citizenship

Malta Permanent Residence Programme

Price: From €100,000
Countdown to Permanent Residence: 6+ months
Countdown to Citizenship: N/A
Dependents allowed: Spouse, children, parents, and grandparents
Benefits: Visa-free travel to 29 Schengen Zone countries for a period of 90 days every 180 days, and right to live, study, and work in a country where English is an official language

Portuguese Golden Visa

Price: From €325,000
Countdown to Permanent Residence: 5 years
Countdown to Citizenship: 5 years
Dependents allowed: Spouse, children, and parents over 55
Benefits: 90-day visa-free access to 29 Schengen Area countries for up to 180 days, right to live, work, and study in Portugal, and route to European Union citizenship and a Portuguese passport with visa-free travel to 181 destinations

Spanish Golden Visa

Price: From €350,000
Countdown to Permanent Residence: 5 years
Countdown to Citizenship: 10 years (2 if you’re a Latin America or Philippines national)
Dependents allowed: Spouse, partner, children, parents, and grandparents
Benefits: Visa-free entry to 29 Schengen Zone countries for 90 days every 180 days, right to live, work, and study in Spain, and path to world’s number-one travel document, the Spanish passport with visa-free access to 183 destinations, and EU citizenship

UAE Golden Visa

Price: From $550,000
Countdown to Permanent Residence: N/A
Countdown to Citizenship: N/A
Dependents allowed: Spouse, unmarried sons under 25, unmarried daughters of any age, and limited number of domestic staff
Benefits: Visa-free travel to 18 countries, right to live, work, and study in the United Arab Emirates, and opportunity to reduce your tax liability

US EB-5 Investor Visa

Price: From $800,000
Countdown to Permanent Residence: 3+ years
Countdown to Citizenship: After 2 years of Lawful Permanent Residence (following 3 of Conditional)
Dependents allowed: Spouse and unmarried children under 21
Benefits: Qualify for a Green Card to enable you to live, study, and work in the US, route to American citizenship, and eligibility for a US passport with visa-free travel to 177 destinations

Citizenship by Investment and Migration

Here are the second citizenship programs favored by our Indian clients:

Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment

Price: From $230,000
Countdown to Citizenship: 6-12 months
Dependents allowed: Spouse, children and stepchildren under 30, mentally and physically disadvantaged children and stepchildren of any age, parents 55 and over, parents in law aged 55 and over, grandparents 55+, grandparents in law 55+, unmarried siblings, unmarried brothers in law, unmarried sisters in law, future spouse of you or a dependent, and future child
Benefits: Antigua and Barbuda passport with visa-free travel to 162 countries and free 1-year, tuition-only scholarship to the University of West Indies with the $260,000 family-of-6 option

Dominica Citizenship by Investment

Price: From $200,000
Countdown to Citizenship: 6-12 months
Dependents allowed: Spouse, children under 18, children 18-30 enrolled in higher education, unmarried daughters under 25, mentally and physically disadvantaged children of any age, parents over the age of 65, and grandparents older than 65
Benefits: Dominica passport with visa-free travel to 156 destinations

Grenada Citizenship by Investment

Price: From $235,000
Countdown to Citizenship: 6-12 months
Dependents allowed: Spouse, children up to the age of 30, parents over 55, and childless and unmarried siblings
Benefits: Grenada passport with visa-free access to 160 countries and qualify for a US E2 Investor Visa after 3 years of residency on the island

Maltese Exceptional Investor Naturalization

Price: From €600,000
Countdown to Citizenship: 16-18 months
Dependents allowed: Spouse, unmarried children under the age of 29, parents over the age of 55, and grandparents over 55
Benefits: European Union citizenship with right to live, study, and work across the EU and Maltese passport with visa-free entry to 176 destinations

St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment

Price: From $250,000
Countdown to Citizenship: 6-12 months
Dependents allowed: Spouse, children under 18, children aged 18-25 enrolled in higher education, mentally or physically disadvantaged children of any age, parents over the age of 55, parents in law over 55
Benefits: Citizenship in the world’s original Citizenship by Investment country and St Kitts and Nevis passport with visa-free access to 166 destinations

St Lucia Citizenship by Investment

Price: From $240,000
Countdown to Citizenship: 6-12 months
Dependents allowed: Spouse, children under 31, stepchildren under 31, unmarried siblings under 18 with the written permission of a parent or guardian, parents over the age of 55, parents in law over 55, and mentally or physically disadvantaged children, stepchildren, or parents of any age
Benefits: St Lucia passport with visa-free travel to 159 countries

Turkish Citizenship by Investment

Price: From $400,000
Countdown to Citizenship: 4-6 months
Dependents allowed: Spouse and children up to the age of 18
Benefits: Turkish passport with visa-free access to 137 destinations

Invest and Migrate with RIF Trust

Are you still unsure which Residency or Citizenship by Investment program suits you and your family best? Our free consultation service will establish which program matches you and your particular circumstances most. So, contact us now, and we’ll show you how to invest in new residency or second citizenship today without any further delay.

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What Is the Invest and Migrate Trend Sweeping India?