I.
Objectives and strategy
We clarify the underlying objective: mobility, family security, business continuity, tax coordination, succession planning or a combination of these. The programme is selected only after the purpose is clear.
Private Client Mobility · Second Citizenship
Second citizenship & investment migration.
A considered second nationality — acquired lawfully, structured intelligently, and held with confidence.
For internationally mobile families and entrepreneurs, a second citizenship is no longer an indulgence; it is a component of sound personal governance. Moore Law advises on it not as a brokerage, but as a law and tax practice — with rigorous due diligence, a clear-eyed view of a programme’s durability, and full attention to how a new nationality interacts with your tax position, your business structures and your estate.
All figures are indicative minimum contributions and exclude government, due-diligence, legal and processing fees. Programme terms change frequently; we confirm current requirements at the point of engagement.
The distinction
Three routes, three different things.
The terms are frequently conflated, often deliberately. They are not the same, and the distinction governs everything that follows.
Citizenship by investment
Confers full citizenship and a passport, usually without any prior period of residence, in exchange for a qualifying economic contribution. It is the fastest route to a second nationality and the subject of most of this section.
Residency by investment
Grants the right to live in a country — often a stepping stone to citizenship after a number of years of genuine residence. Europe’s remaining programmes are now almost exclusively of this kind.
Naturalisation
Citizenship earned through lawful residence over time, and it remains the only route to a new nationality inside the European Union following the ECJ’s 2025 ruling.
Knowing which of these a programme actually offers — and being told so plainly — is the first test of whether your adviser is acting in your interest.
The case
Why a second citizenship.
- Mobility. A second passport can transform global access. The strongest investment-migration passports presently offer visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry to between roughly 140 and 160 destinations, including the Schengen Area and, for several, the United Kingdom.
- Security and optionality. A second nationality is a lawful exit — the ability to relocate a family, hold assets, and bank abroad without depending on a single jurisdiction’s stability.
- Succession. Citizenship granted to a principal applicant typically extends to a spouse, dependent children and, in many programmes, dependent parents and grandparents — and it passes to future generations by descent.
- Commercial access. Certain citizenships (Grenada, Türkiye, Egypt) qualify the holder to apply for the United States E-2 Treaty Investor visa, a route unavailable to nationals of many other countries.
- Tax planning — handled correctly. Most CBI states do not levy tax on worldwide income, capital gains or inheritance. That is an opportunity, not an automatic outcome: the benefit is realised only when citizenship is coordinated with your actual tax residence, which is where most arrangements succeed or fail.
Our approach
The Moore Law difference.
A passport acquired without regard to its consequences can create more problems than it solves. Our advice is distinguished by four things.
Integrated counsel
Legal, tax, corporate and real-estate questions are answered under one roof, by one team, rather than parcelled out to brokers and processing agents.
Candour about durability
We will tell you which programmes are stable, which are under pressure, and which have already changed — because the value of a citizenship depends on whether it still does what was promised five years hence.
Cross-border tax fluency
For Danish, Nordic and European clients in particular, a new citizenship intersects with exit taxation, controlled-foreign-company rules, and automatic exchange of financial information under the Common Reporting Standard. For those resident in or relocating to the UAE, the interplay between residence, citizenship and the absence of personal income tax must be structured deliberately. We advise on the whole picture.
Genuine due diligence
We conduct our own assessment of a client’s eligibility before an application is ever filed, because a refusal recorded against one programme can prejudice applications to others.
Overview
Citizenship as infrastructure.
For internationally active individuals and families, a second citizenship is not a luxury purchase. It is infrastructure. It belongs inside a deliberate portfolio of jurisdictional options, and the right starting point is never a particular passport. It is a clear view of what the client is trying to secure.
Some clients are looking for freedom of movement. Others want a family contingency plan, a safer banking position, a cleaner succession structure, or an additional jurisdictional base that sits alongside existing residence and corporate arrangements. The answer changes with the facts.
A number of sovereign states offer formal citizenship-by-investment programmes, but they are not interchangeable. Each carries its own qualifying investment, processing timeline, due-diligence regime, visa-free reach, family rules, tax profile and political standing. Choosing well is a question of judgement, not headline price.
Moore Law’s role is to make that judgement disciplined.
Private clients
Who this advisory is for.
This work is usually relevant where citizenship is part of a broader family, business or tax position rather than a standalone travel document.
Family-office principals
Principals building a long-horizon portfolio of residencies, citizenships and asset-holding jurisdictions for themselves and future generations.
Founders and business owners
Entrepreneurs whose travel, banking, contracting or business-continuity position is weakened by reliance on a single nationality.
UAE residents with international exposure
UAE-based clients who already live cross-border and require a second legal home to support mobility, family planning and international structuring.
International families
Families seeking a route that can include a spouse, children and eligible dependants in a way that is properly sequenced and documented.
Clients with concentrated risk
Clients whose current passport, residence, banking access or political environment creates unnecessary exposure.
Existing citizenship and residency holders
Clients reviewing whether an existing citizenship or residency portfolio still works after changes in family circumstances, tax position or programme rules.
What we do
Scope of advisory.
The formal application is lodged through the appropriate government-authorised agent in the issuing jurisdiction. Moore Law sits on the client’s side of the table: advising, structuring, instructing and supervising.
II.
Programme assessment
We compare the available routes against the client’s nationality, residence, family composition, timing, budget, travel requirements and tolerance for regulatory risk.
III.
Due-diligence preparation
We prepare the documentary and source-of-funds position before a file is placed with an authorised agent. A clean applicant should not be weakened by a poor file.
IV.
Tax and reporting implications
A passport is not a tax plan. We coordinate the citizenship decision with the client’s actual tax residence, reporting obligations and wider legal position.
V.
Family planning
We structure the application around the principal, spouse, children and eligible dependants so that the family position is considered before submission.
VI.
Long-term portfolio view
We advise how the new citizenship interacts with existing residencies, companies, bank accounts, succession arrangements and future relocation options.
Programmes
Available Caribbean routes.
Moore Law currently focuses this advisory on two long-established Caribbean citizenship-by-investment programmes: Dominica and St Kitts and Nevis. They are often compared, but they are not substitutes. See the full Caribbean Programmes sub-hub for the wider field.
Last reviewed:
Dominica Citizenship by Investment
The cost-efficient established route.
- Minimum investment
- From US$200,000
- Indicative timeline
- Planning assumption: approximately 6–9 months for a clean file
- Strongest use case
- Cost-sensitive applicants, families seeking a straightforward contribution route and clients for whom current China access is relevant.
- Main caution
- Dominica is subject to current US partial visa restrictions and should be assessed carefully for clients who prioritise US travel, US study or US immigration optionality.
St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment
The original and more premium Caribbean route.
- Minimum investment
- From US$250,000
- Indicative timeline
- CIU decision window: 120–180 days from acknowledgement; planning assumption approximately 4–6 months for a clean file
- Strongest use case
- Clients who value programme age, reputation, speed and the fact that St Kitts and Nevis is not listed in the current Dominica-specific partial US visa suspension.
- Main caution
- The higher entry cost and biometric-enrolment logistics should be considered before choosing the route.
Dominica vs St Kitts
A lawyer’s comparison.
- Minimum investment
- Dominica from US$200,000 · St Kitts from US$250,000
- Indicative timeline
- Programme-specific and subject to due diligence
- Strongest use case
- Clients who want to compare cost, mobility, tax, family inclusion and regulatory risk before choosing a route.
- Main caution
- The correct route depends on the facts. The cheaper route is not always the better route.
St Kitts and Nevis is not listed in the current Dominica-specific partial US visa suspension. That does not guarantee US visa issuance or entry. US travel always depends on US law, visa eligibility, admissibility, nationality, personal history and policy in force at the time of application or travel.
Read this first
The regulatory reality.
This is the section the brokers omit. The investment-migration field has tightened materially: the European Union has effectively closed the citizenship-by-investment door, the Caribbean has consolidated under a common regional floor, mobility is not permanent, and scrutiny from the OECD, the EU and major economies is increasing. We treat those risks as part of the advice, not as fine print — and the right citizenship, acquired now and correctly, remains a sound and durable decision.
Process
How we manage the matter.
The application process is government-led, but the quality of the strategy and file is prepared before the government sees it. Moore Law manages the matter as a legal and tax advisory engagement, not as a passport sale.
1
Private consultation
We establish the client’s objectives, nationality, residence, family structure, travel priorities, timing and commercial context.
2
Preliminary eligibility and risk review
We review obvious nationality restrictions, prior visa refusals, reputational concerns, source-of-funds issues, sanctions exposure and family-eligibility points.
3
Programme suitability memorandum
We compare suitable routes and explain the expected cost, timeline, tax position, travel-access assumptions and regulatory risks.
4
Authorised-agent engagement and supervision
Where the client proceeds, the formal application is routed through a government-authorised agent. Moore Law instructs and supervises that agent on the client’s behalf.
5
Document and source-of-funds preparation
We help prepare the documentary file, including identity documents, family records, police certificates, financial evidence and source-of-funds narrative.
6
Government due diligence, interview and biometrics
The file is reviewed by the relevant unit and external due-diligence providers. Interviews, biometrics and additional information requests are handled as part of the process.
7
Approval in principle and investment completion
The qualifying investment is made only after approval in principle, subject to the rules of the relevant programme.
8
Naturalisation, passport and post-approval structuring
After citizenship is granted, we advise on the practical integration of the new citizenship into the client’s tax, banking, corporate and family structure where required.
Moore Law’s position
Why a law firm, not a broker.
A citizenship application is not merely an administrative filing. It touches identity, wealth history, family structure, banking, travel, tax residence, reporting obligations and reputation. The wrong programme, a weak source-of-funds file or an over-simplified tax assumption can make the passport less valuable than it appears.
Moore Law is not a citizenship agency. We are a cross-border legal and tax practice. On a matter like this, we sit firmly on the client’s side of the table: judging whether a programme is suitable, engineering the application so it withstands due diligence, structuring the tax and corporate position around it and supervising the licensed agent who formally lodges the file.
- Eligibility before affordability.
- Legal and tax judgement before programme selection.
- Due-diligence-ready source-of-funds preparation.
- Authorised-agent selection and supervision.
- Cross-border tax and reporting coordination.
- Post-citizenship corporate, banking and estate structuring.
The value of a second citizenship is only as sound as the advice surrounding it.
Programmes
Explore each programme.
Caribbean
Dominica Citizenship by Investment
USD 200,000 · ~6 months
The Caribbean's most economical route to a respected second passport, and one of its oldest. Moore Law advises on eligibility, due diligence and tax structuring.
CaribbeanGrenada Citizenship by Investment
USD 235,000 · ~6 months
The Caribbean citizenship offering a US E-2 visa pathway and visa-free access to China. Moore Law coordinates the citizenship and the subsequent US application as one plan.
CaribbeanSt Kitts & Nevis Citizenship by Investment
USD 250,000 · 3–6 months (accelerated available)
The world's oldest citizenship-by-investment programme. A respected passport, an expedited route, and Dubai-based biometric enrolment for Gulf-resident clients.
CaribbeanAntigua & Barbuda Citizenship by Investment
USD 230,000 (family of 4) · ~6 months
The most cost-effective Caribbean programme for families, with a genuinely developed property market. Moore Law models the most efficient route for your family composition.
CaribbeanSt Lucia Citizenship by Investment
USD 240,000 · Longest of the five Caribbean programmes
A flexible, well-structured Caribbean programme including a recoverable government-bond option. Moore Law compares the routes against your liquidity and time horizon.
EuropeCitizenship in Europe — The Honest Position
The European investor-citizenship era has ended. Moore Law maps the realistic residence-to-naturalisation routes and the credible non-EU alternatives.
EuropeMalta — After the 2025 Ruling
Discontinued (investor route) · Residence-to-naturalisation only
Malta's investor-citizenship route ended in 2025. Moore Law gives the candid current position and the realistic residence-to-naturalisation path.
EuropeAustria — Citizenship by Exceptional Contribution
Discretionary · No fixed timeline
Austria has no golden-passport programme. Under Article 10(6) of its Citizenship Act, a rare discretionary grant exists for exceptional contribution. Moore Law assesses and advances genuine cases.
EurasiaTürkiye Citizenship by Investment
USD 400,000 · ~8 months+
A substantial, recoverable real-estate route with US E-2 eligibility. Moore Law conducts independent due diligence on property and developer, and coordinates any E-2 application.
North AfricaEgypt Citizenship by Investment
~USD 250,000 · Several months
Citizenship of North Africa's largest economy, with US E-2 eligibility at a moderate threshold. Moore Law verifies current route requirements and plans any E-2 application alongside.
LevantJordan Citizenship by Investment
~JOD 350,000+ · Several months
A stable Arab citizenship at the higher end, chosen for regional standing and business access. Moore Law is rigorous on route comparison and recoverability.
PacificVanuatu Citizenship by Investment
~USD 130,000 · 1–2 months
The fastest route to a passport, presented with the honest mobility caveat: Vanuatu has lost EU and UK visa-free access. Moore Law advises whether speed truly serves your objectives.
Gulf of GuineaSão Tomé and Príncipe Citizenship by Investment
~USD 90,000 · Several months
The newest and most affordable programme, presented with a measured, advisory assessment of its unproven track record. Moore Law weighs low cost against the appropriate considerations.
Process
How we work.
- Confidential consultation. We establish your objectives — mobility, tax, security, succession, commercial access — and your constraints.
- Eligibility and source-of-funds review. We assess suitability and prepare you for the due-diligence scrutiny every credible programme now applies.
- Programme selection. We recommend the route that best fits your objectives and tax position, with a frank assessment of each programme’s durability.
- Structuring. Where appropriate, we coordinate the citizenship with your residence, corporate holdings and estate planning before any application is filed.
- Application and oversight. We manage the filing, liaise with the relevant authority through a licensed agent, and supervise the matter to grant.
- Aftercare. Passport collection, registration, and ongoing advice as your circumstances and the rules evolve.
Representative matters
Typical engagements.
- Family-office principal building a long-horizon portfolio of residencies and citizenships across multiple jurisdictions, with Moore Law providing strategic direction and coordination.
- Internationally mobile founder evaluating citizenship-by-investment as part of broader portfolio diversification and family succession planning.
- Senior executive with UAE residence adding a Caribbean citizenship to expand travel optionality and provide a long-term mobility plan for the family.
- Restructuring of an existing citizenship and residence portfolio after changes in family circumstances, tax position or the issuing jurisdictions’ programme rules.
Tax
Tax and cross-border considerations.
A second citizenship does not, by itself, change your tax residence — and tax residence, not citizenship, is what generally determines your liabilities. For clients connected to Denmark and the Nordic countries, relocation can trigger exit taxation on unrealised gains and continuing reporting obligations; dual citizenship has been lawful in Denmark since 2015, which simplifies matters but does not remove them. For clients resident in or moving to the UAE, citizenship must be coordinated with residence status to realise the intended benefits. These are questions of structure, and they are answered properly only before you act, not after. This is general information and not tax advice; we provide tailored counsel on engagement.
Frequently asked questions
Questions we are asked.
Will I have to give up my current nationality?
Generally not. The programmes covered here permit dual citizenship, and you keep your existing passport. Whether your home country permits dual nationality is the separate question that matters — Denmark, for example, has allowed it since 2015. We confirm your specific position before you proceed.
Must I live in the country?
For most citizenship-by-investment programmes, no — the application is remote and there is no residence requirement. Antigua and Barbuda is the notable exception, requiring five days’ presence within the first five years. Residency-by-investment and naturalisation routes, by contrast, require genuine residence.
How long does it take?
From one to two months (Vanuatu) to roughly six months for the Caribbean programmes and eight months or more for Türkiye. Timelines assume a complete, well-prepared file; incomplete source-of-funds documentation is the usual cause of delay.
Is my family included?
Typically yes — spouse and dependent children, and in many programmes dependent parents and grandparents, with several Caribbean programmes extending to certain siblings. Definitions vary and change; we model your specific family composition.
Is my investment recoverable?
A fund contribution is non-refundable by design. Real-estate, bond and certain deposit routes are recoverable after a defined holding period, though market and exchange-rate risk apply to property. We advise on which structure fits your liquidity preferences.
How are my funds and identity scrutinised?
Rigorously, and increasingly so. Every credible programme now requires detailed source-of-funds evidence, biometrics and, in the Caribbean, a mandatory interview. We conduct our own due diligence first, because a refusal on one programme can prejudice others.
What are the tax implications?
Citizenship does not, by itself, change your tax residence — and residence usually determines liability. The interaction with exit taxation, controlled-foreign-company rules and CRS reporting must be planned. This is the heart of our advice and the reason to engage counsel rather than a broker.
Is any of this lawful?
Yes. Citizenship by investment is a lawful exercise of national sovereignty by the states that offer it. The 2025 EU ruling concerned EU citizenship specifically, not the non-EU programmes covered here, which continue to operate within their own legal frameworks.
This page provides general information and is not legal or tax advice. We give tailored advice on engagement.
The other pillar
Considering residence rather than a passport?
Where citizenship by investment confers a passport, residency by investment confers the right to live in a country — and, with genuine residence, a possible path to naturalisation. Since the EU closed the investor-citizenship route in 2025, residency has become the principal lawful bridge to a European future, and the UAE Golden Visa stands apart from anything in Europe.