CBI
- Output
- Citizenship, if granted
- Capital
- Contribution / qualifying investment + fees + diligence
- Time
- Months, programme-specific
- What it is not
- Not a private passport sale; not a tax opinion
Táto stránka bola strojovo preložená z angličtiny. Rozhodujúca je anglická verzia – čísla a právne pojmy by sa mali overiť v nej. English
Citizenship by investment vs residency by investment
Four routes people collapse into “second passport”: investment citizenship, investment residence, descent, and ordinary naturalization. They are not interchangeable.
Research disclaimer
pass2port provides research and advisory information only. It is not legal immigration representation. Requirements change and must be verified with the relevant authority. No outcome is guaranteed.
Last reviewed · 31 August 2026
CBI, RBI, descent, naturalization
Citizenship by investment is a government programme in which a qualifying investment or contribution is a condition of citizenship. The output, if granted, is nationality — a passport follows the state’s issuance rules. Eastern Caribbean programmes are the cluster most people mean in 2026 English-language search.
Residency by investment (Golden Visa and similar) is a residence permit. You may live, often sponsor family, and sometimes travel more easily in that country’s system. You do not become a citizen by wiring the investment. Naturalization, if offered at all, is a separate clock.
Citizenship by descent asks a state to confirm nationality you already hold through an unbroken statutory line — or to register a birth abroad. Fees are administrative. The hard part is evidence, not capital. See citizenship by descent guides.
Ordinary naturalization is residence plus time, language, and good-character tests. It is not an investment product. pass2port ranks sourced investment and residence pathways; it does not sell naturalization kits.
What each route is (and is not)
RBI / Golden Visa
- Output
- Residence permit
- Capital
- Qualifying asset or contribution; then permit fees
- Time
- Weeks to months for the permit; years if you later naturalize
- What it is not
- Not a passport; not school placement
Descent
- Output
- Confirmation or registration of nationality
- Capital
- Administrative + legal costs when a line holds
- Time
- Months to years (archives, voivode, consulate)
- What it is not
- Not a check of your personal eligibility on this site
Illustrative only. Confirm every cell against the current official source before acting.
The 2026 Eastern Caribbean frame
Five OECS-aligned programmes share a regional story in 2025–2026: a published US$200,000 minimum threshold and a planned regional regulator (ECCIRA). That is context, not a reason to pick a country. Fees, real-estate options, and treaty quirks still differ. Read Caribbean CBI and ECCIRA 2026 and the five-way comparison.
Golden Visas are residence routes
The UAE Golden Visa is a long-stay residence category. So are Portugal and Greece Golden Visas in the pass2port directory. If your actual need is schooling, tax residence, or a work-right, start from those pages — not from a CBI brochure. Relocators comparing visa ladders can use the UAE long-stay guide.
Directory, quiz, method — still not advice
Browse the sourced program directory or take the pathway quiz for a ranking against your current passport. Filter the same figures in the open dataset explorer. How figures are dated is on the method page. Second-passport options by nationality live at /second-passport.
Common questions
What is citizenship by investment (CBI)?
CBI is a statutory route in which a qualifying contribution or investment is one of the conditions for citizenship. It is not a private sale of a passport. Each programme is run by a government unit, with due diligence, fees, and (in the Eastern Caribbean) a published regional minimum. pass2port lists programmes; it does not process applications.
How is residency by investment (RBI) different?
RBI / Golden Visa programmes grant residence rights — the right to live, and often to sponsor dependants — not a passport. Citizenship, if it exists at all, is a later naturalization question with its own physical-presence and language rules. The UAE Golden Visa is residence. Portugal and Greece Golden Visas are residence.
Is descent cheaper than CBI?
When a descent line holds, government confirmation fees are typically hundreds or a few thousand in local currency — not a six-figure contribution. Whether your line holds is a legal-facts question. pass2port does not check eligibility. See the citizenship-by-descent guides.
Does the Caribbean have a US$200,000 CBI floor?
The OECS announcement of 23 September 2025 states that a region-wide minimum investment threshold of US$200,000 has been adopted for participating Eastern Caribbean CIP/CBI programmes. All-in cost is higher once government fees and due diligence are added. See the ECCIRA 2026 guide.
Is pass2port legal immigration representation?
pass2port provides research and advisory information only. It is not legal immigration representation. Requirements change and must be verified with the relevant authority. No outcome is guaranteed.