Seven Passports That Get You Visa-Free Access to Over 200 Countries

“The Polish permanent residence permit is obtainable when you have a business in Poland with an income of at least €15,000 annually. After having the permanent residence permit for at least 3 years, you can then apply for Polish citizenship. The Polish passport is one of the strongest in the world as it can travel visa-free to 173 countries”.

The  Nigerian passport gives you visa-free access to only 23 countries and visa-on-arrival access to 31 countries. According to the Passport Index, the Nigerian passport has a passport power rank of 87 and a mobility score of 55.

The low mobility score of the Nigerian passport is usually a constraint for many Nigerians who require easy access to different parts of the world. However, there are solutions to constraints like this, especially for people who have the financial means, and the solution is obtaining a foreign passport, or in other words, obtaining dual citizenship.

Caribbean nations and Pacific Islands usually have some of the most powerful passports in the world with easy conditions for obtaining these passports. These countries which are mostly small and economically stable are notable for their citizenship by investment programmes, commonly termed economic citizenships. The citizenship-by-investment initiative has helped these countries attract investors and businessmen to their countries such that certain European countries are adopting the route of citizenship-by-investment to attract foreign investment to their countries.

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Some of the European nations that offer citizenship by investment programs include Malta and Turkey. Apart from the citizenship by investment method, other methods of obtaining dual citizenship include birth, naturalization, marriage, and special offers. For example, Qatar is one of such countries that has utilized the special offer citizenship program (Qatar mission passport), they offer passports to sportspeople to get these athletes to switch nationality in their respective sports.

1. St Kitts and Nevis

St Kitts and Nevis is a small Caribbean island with a population of about 50,000 residents. St Kitts and Nevis passports can travel visa-free to 157 countries of the world, and it is obtainable through the citizen by investment pathway.

In their citizenship by investment program, you either make a non-refundable donation of $150,000+ to St Kitts and Nevis Sustainable Growth Fund for a single applicant or you make a donation of $195,000+ to the Sustainable Growth Fund for a main applicant and three dependents. You can also get the passport by investing $200,000+ with a minimum holding period of 7 years in a government-approved real estate project, or an investment of $400,000+ with a minimum holding period of 5 years in a government-approved real estate project.

Applicants must be 18 years old, have a clean criminal record, and must be able to prove the source of their wealth.

2. Dominica

Dominica is another Caribbean Island with a strong passport. The Dominican passport can travel to 145 countries visa-free and it is obtainable between 3-6 months. The country started the citizenship by investment program in 1993.

The options in this program include either making a contribution of $100,000+ to the Economic Diversification Fund of the Dominican Republic for a single applicant. The minimum contribution to the fund will increase as the individual tries to bring on more dependents. Another investment option is investing at least $200,000 with a minimum holding period of 3 years in a government-approved real estate project in Dominica.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old and have a clean criminal record. The applicants will be required to swear an oath of allegiance to the country.

3. Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda is another Caribbean island with a strong passport up for sale. The Antiguan passport can travel visa-free to 151 countries and is obtainable between 4-6 months. You can register up to 58 dependents and dependent children under the age of 28 years.

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The different options under the citizenship by investment program include a minimum contribution of $100,000 to the National Development Fund (NDF) of Antigua and Barbuda. The other option is a minimum investment of $400,000 with a minimum holding period of 5 years in a government-approved real estate project in the country.

4. Turkey

Turkey is one of the easiest European countries to obtain citizenship from. Their passport can travel to 124 countries visa-free and it is obtainable by making a real estate acquisition of at least €400,000 in the country.

The requirements for obtaining this citizenship include being at least 18 years of age with a clean criminal record. It takes at least 3 months to process this citizenship.

5. Poland

Poland is one of the easiest European countries to obtain citizenship by naturalization. You can obtain Polish citizenship if you meet any of the three criteria which are

• You have lived in Poland for at least three years with a Polish permanent residence permit.
• You have been married to your Polish spouse for at least 3 years, or
• You have a parent with Polish citizenship.

The Polish permanent residence permit is obtainable when you have a business in Poland with an income of at least €15,000 annually. After obtaining the permanent residence permit for at least 3 years, you can then apply for Polish citizenship. The Polish passport is one of the strongest in the world as it can travel visa-free to 173 countries.

6. Grenada

Grenada is another Caribbean island with a population of around 125,000 people. Their citizenship by investment program offers access to a passport that can travel visa-free to 141 countries.

The different options include a $150,000 donation to the National Trust Fund (NTF) for a single applicant or $200,000 for the principal applicant with a spouse or a family of four members. When the family members exceed four, the applicant pays an additional $25,000 for every additional dependent.

The real estate option is investing at least $350,000 in a government-approved real estate project in Grenada. For a family above four members, it attracts an additional $50,000, and an additional $25,000 after the third dependent.

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All these amounts are independent of the different fees such as the government fee, application fee, due diligence fee, and processing fees.

7. Saint Lucia

The St Lucian passport can travel to 146 countries visa-free.

St Lucia’s citizenship-by-investment program is another of the citizenship-by-investment programs in the Caribbean. There are four different investment options in the program including

• Making a contribution of $100,000 to the National Economic Fund for a single applicant or $140,000 for the main applicant with a spouse. Two additional dependents with an applicant and spouse attract an additional $25,000. An additional dependent with a family of four attracts an additional $15,000 contribution.
• Investing in government bonds is another investment option in the program. For a single applicant, the minimum investment in the bond is $500,000. An applicant with a spouse will attract $535,000 while an applicant with a spouse and two qualifying dependents will cost $550,000.
• An investment of $300,000 in a real estate project.
• An investment of $3.5 million in an enterprise project for a single applicant and an investment of $6 million for more than one applicant.

All of these costs are independent of the administrative fees and the non-refundable administration fees. Each investment option attracts a different administrative fee.