When we started opening offices in the United States, we were met with bemusement. Why would Americans, living in the greatest nation on earth, seek a new residency or second citizenship somewhere else? Let’s look at how the US passport ranking in 2024 might encourage investors to look elsewhere for a migration solution.
Currently, our Passport Index rates the United States passport the 8th strongest travel document in the world. It allows you to travel to 174 visa-free destinations. Now, that’s a respectable number but also one that is identical to the visa-free countries available for citizens of Liechtenstein (population: 39,822).
You might be happy in the US or still want to get your green card. It could be the land you were born or bred in, or somewhere you have made or plan to make a new life.
But, in these unpredictable times, it’s always worthwhile having a plan B and here are some extra Residency by Investment and Citizenship by Investment options for you to consider below.
If you already have a US passport, we are not suggesting you renounce your American citizenship but recommend you invest in a second passport. For those who don’t have a US passport, we would advise you to consider other investment migration programmes as well as the US EB-5 Investor Visa. But remember that, just like stocks and shares, passport rankings can go down as well as up.
In 7th place, our Passport Index recognizes both the Canadian passport and the Maltese passport, granting you visa-free access to 175 countries.
The minimum investment you need to make for the Canada Start-Up Visa is C$275,000 and this Residency by Investment can lead to you being able to apply for a Canadian passport by spending 3 years out of your first 5 years of residency in Canada.
Maltese Exceptional Investor Naturalization (MEIN), meanwhile, costs a minimum €600,000 and you become a citizen within 16-18 months of applying.
The United Kingdom passport takes 5th place in our Passport Index. You can visit 177 destinations without a visa. The minimum investment required for a UK Innovator Founder Visa is £200,000 and you can become eligible for a British passport following five years of residence in the UK.
Moving on up to 4th position in our Passport Index and we find both the Greek passport and the Polish passport, guaranteeing visa-free arrival to 178 countries.
The Greek Golden Visa costs at least €250,000 (rising to €400,000 if you apply after the end of September 2024) and you can qualify for a Greek passport after residing there for 7 years.
To get your hands on a Polish passport, you’re going to have to satisfy the requirements of the Polish Citizenship by Descent Programme.
Our 3rd passport rank includes three other Citizenship by Descent countries: Austria, Ireland, and Portugal. By qualifying for citizenship via Austrian Citizenship by Descent, Irish Citizenship by Descent or Portuguese Citizenship by Descent, you can land an Austrian passport, Irish passport, or Portuguese passport with visa-free access to 179 destinations.
Alternatively, a Portuguese Golden Visa requires a minimum investment of €200,000 and you can become a Portuguese citizen after 5 years of residency.
In 2nd position comes the Italian passport and the Spanish passport. Both enable you to enhance your global mobility to take in 180 visa-free countries.
Become eligible for a Italian passport through Italian Citizenship by Descent and a Spanish one via a Spanish Golden Visa, available from €500,000 and requiring 10 years of residency (2 if you come from LATAM or the Philippines) to become a citizen.
You might not know if Citizenship by Investment, Residency by Investment, or Citizenship by Descent is the most suitable programme for you. Even if you decide on one, you’re going to need to talk to an investment migration expert like Latitude Group to establish the best country. So, don’t delay and contact us today.