2. Visit 120+ countries, including the UAE, Macedonia, and Russia. Many people feel that the number of countries a passport allows you to visit defines the quality of that passport. However, given how pristine the nature of the north is, tourism has also picked up in this region. The corporate and personal tax rate is set at a low 9%. But if you don’t care about being in Europe, then. Fully pay for the investment and the government fees, and make the donation. ⤅ Montenegro Citizenship by Investment FAQs. Currently, about a dozen countries have implemented such a program. It’s also the only passport that offers visa-free access to all six big English-speaking countries, including the United States. As we already briefly touched upon, Montenegro harbors one of the highest public debt to GDP ratios in the region. Real estate is quite liquid in both of these places, so it shouldn’t be a problem to sell and even make a profit. 250 000 EUR investment in land in an undeveloped territory in the north of the country. However, that’s always the case with government-approved lists of projects that foreigners are allowed to take part in. Finally, it launched on January 1st, 2019. Passport Rank. Let’s talk about the donation first. A huge part of your decision to invest in a country should rely upon its economy. While some CBI programs will allow you to invest in any real estate that you deem suitable, others will make you stick to the officially approved properties, as does Montenegro. The investment element ranges from €250,000 in the northern and central region to €450,000 in the coastal region. They got a considerable amount of political flack over it and quickly shut the talks down. Real estate is overvalued. Citizenship by investment is the process of obtaining a second citizenship and passport by investing in the economy of the host country. Here are the main pros of obtaining and holding on to your Montenegrin passport. 1. No language requirements. Montenegro might be small, but it’s got plenty to offer. Montenegro Citizenship Costs. This makes the country a bit more expensive than neighboring Serbia, for example, but it also improves its economic stability. Considering that it’s come this far in just 15 years (Montenegro regained its independence in 2006), it really is an undiscovered destination for western investors in Europe. Travel to Montenegro to take a citizenship oath and provide your biometric data. There is no shame in that. What matters is that they are financially dependent on you. about nomad capitalist Andrew Henderson is the world's most sought-after consultant on legal offshore tax reduction, investment immigration, and global citizenship. Montenegro opened a new special citizenship by investment program from Jan 1, 2018. The absolute minimum that you need to invest is €350,000. You also won’t have to renounce any other citizenship. Yes, you can add family members to the application. Turkey has since turned their program around, as it was a massive flop in the beginning. It’s definitely far above the competition in nearby Moldova and Bulgaria. The International Monetary fund also estimates that the program will have wider reverberations on the economy, accounting for over 11% of its GDP. ... Montenegro Citizenship By Investment - Duration: ... Nomad Capitalist 44,204 views. Both Moldova and Montenegro passports do not have a visa free travel to United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and United States. Initially, we felt that Montenegro didn’t offer much to the Nomad Capitalist, but we said the same thing about the Turkish CBI program when it first launched. Countries that lack foreign investment, are overly reliant on one or two industries, or simply have no other way to give their citizens a better life, are typically the ones to launch these programs. Montenegro Citizenship By Investment: The Ultimate Guide Become a citizen of Montenegro and get a passport offering visa free travel to 120+ countries. but for a pop in Montenegro would do the job and the last country that I have had people asking about people, … Unlike other CBI programs, Montenegro doesn’t require you to spend any time living in the country in order to obtain the citizenship. Applicants can apply by investing in one of several government approved real estate development projects. Alternatively, you could go for a ski resort in Kolasin or a hotel in the Lake Skadar region. These are mostly rural villages, away from the coastal and ski resorts of the country. We can help. The good news is that despite its difficult past, Montenegro is now one of the fastest growing economies on the Balkan peninsula. Corruption is ever-present. That’s because it regained its independence only in 2006 after it’s citizens cast a ballot to split up the, How Does the Montenegro CBI Program Compare, Usually, countries that offer citizenship by investment programs are, First, the total investment required is one of the, . investment in real estate in the norther regions of the country. Its GDP grew 4.9% in 2019 and it’s finally making western investors look its way. The soonest that will happen is in 2025. It also has the sex appeal as a tourist destination; one of the world’s most luxurious yachting marinas is located there, called Porto Montenegro. The Montenegro Citizenship by Investment Program Launched on 3rd October 2019 and limited to only 2,000 applications, offers one of the simplest and fastest routes to acquiring an alternative citizenship for investors and their family, in exchange for minimum real estate investment from €250,000 as well as €100,000 government contribution, which makes €350,000 the total capital amount required. of Montenegro is great. Then, it’s passport holders will get visa-free access to all Schengen countries. So, while there is a huge stock of cheap investment properties laying around in Montenegro, you’re highly limited if you want to get the passport. The difference from other CBI programs is that Montenegro’s has an expiration date – 31st of December 2021. Montenegro’s Citizenship by Investment Program. The total required investment is slightly more than we’d find optimal, but it is a really good proposition when you consider that the country will soon be part of the European Union. Montenegro is a hyper-popular travel destination and, thanks to its favorable taxes, Montenegro now offers a very efficient and productive environment for investors. Each application must pay $100,000 for citizenship. The Corruption Perception Index that is put together by Transparency International has ranked Montenegro as 67th out of 180 countries in the world. And then there is the northern part of Montenegro, which is mostly undeveloped. With a 300 kilometer dramatic coastline and multiple pristine mountainous areas, it’s little wonder that Montenegro attracts over two million visitors per year. Gather up all of the required documents and choose which real estate investment project you’d like to go for. Note, that there are also governmental fees to pay for your application processing and the amount will depend on your family setup: Then, the total outlay for a solo applicant making an investment in the cheaper north comes to €365,000. It will totally depend on your situation whether doing business in euros will help or hinder your investor agenda. I’m hoping that when it becomes part of the EU, my family can settle in Germany, where I do the majority of my business.”, “Gaining access to the Balkan peninsula has been a really great move for me as an investor. The list of such properties is currently inaccessible on the official website of the program – perhaps the perfect metaphor of the new the program and how inexperienced the government and its officials are in running it. Spend just 5 days in Montenegro in a 5 year period to renew your passport. If your Montenegrin passport application is approved, the government will not pass any personal information to the country of your first citizenship. You aren’t required to visit Montenegro or live in Montenegro to obtain your citizenship. The key benefits of the new Montenegro citizenship by investment program: Visa-free travel to 116 countries including all Europe’s Schengen zone. Direct flights and low-cost airline carriers not only bring business travelers to the country but an ever-growing number of tourists too. You simply have to apply, make the investment, and obtain your passport. Ever since, it has avoided international conflict, become a member of NATO, and it has unilaterally (with no representation in the European Central Bank) adopted the euro as well. There is no telling if they will renew it, but if they don’t, now is the time to apply to obtain the cheapest European citizenship that’s out there. The same can be said of Malta, which has both a residence and citizenship by investment … +1 (979)966-6623 CONTACT US SERVICESPRIVACY POLICY FAQs, Copyright 2012-21, Nomad Capitalist Limited"Nomad Capitalist" and "Go Where You're Treated Best" are registered trademarks, "Nomad Capitalist" and "Go Where You're Treated Best" are registered trademarks, Offshore Banking: How to Open an Offshore Bank Account Legally, The best offshore banks (even for Americans), The easiest place in the world to open a bank account, The 5 countries with the safest offshore banks, Offshore Company: How a Foreign Corporation can Reduce Taxes, Labuan: Asia’s secret haven for an offshore corporation, Second Passport: How to Get Dual Citizenship, The Fastest Countries in The World to Become a Citizen, Get second residency and pay no tax in these 20 countries, 7 Countries Where Residence Doesn’t Lead to Citizenship, The 6 Best Places to Live in Montenegro for Expats, The Best Small Towns in Europe for Quiet Living, Montenegro Citizenship by Investment: The Ultimate Guide, 12 Second Residencies Through Cheap Real Estate Investments, 22 euros: the low cost of starting a business in Montenegro, How foreign investors fueled a Montenegro property boom, From tumbleweeds to economic miracle: the next economic success stories, Why frontier and emerging market tourism is on the rise. Plus, Montenegro is well-connected to the rest of Europe. Montenegro is a very young country, which has interesting implications for interested investors. Montenegro is highly connected to Europe and all of its major hubs. For example, Antigua and Barbuda will ask for the same, only the amounts will differ. The Montenegrin CBI program was opened in 2019 and will run to the end of 2021. While the western world has been largely oblivious to the fact that Montenegro exists, Russians are active investors there. While Ireland now offers residency and the potential for future naturalization to those who invest in Irish businesses or government bonds, they don’t have an instant passport program. Lake Skadar, Kolasin and Zabljak are all places where you can invest just, You don’t have any sanctions, restrictions or bans on entry to the EU, the US, the UK, or Canada, You’re able to confirm that your income is legal, You can verify that the source of the money you’ll use to pay for the investments is legal, You have an impeccable reputation, both personally and in terms of doing business. More concrete rumors about Montenegro’s CBI program were swirling around for the past five years until it was officially announced in July 2018. This is citizenship by investment – a specific means set out by a government through which an individual can obtain that nation’s citizenship by making a qualified investment in the country. And that’s not to mention that about a third of all foreign companies in Montenegro are owned by Russian citizens too. . First, the total investment required is one of the lowest in Europe. No obligation to relinquish current nationality and no disclosure of citizenship to foreign authorities. No. Technically, you could apply for the Montenegrin passport today – there is nothing holding you back. You could also try renting, which will bring an estimated 4-6% annual return. To diminish the reliance on tourism, the government has realized that it pays to be foreign capital friendly and has tried to steer a direct course for political and economic stability. The country uses the euro. In other words, you will be able to sell it after a holding period of five years. As with all post-Soviet countries, Montenegro suffers from corruption. Investment Options for Montenegro Citizenship Option 1 Investment from € 350 thousand A non-refundable contribution to the specially created state fund of Montenegro, the funds from which will be directed to the development of local government structures in accordance with the Law of Montenegro "On Regional Development". The World Bank has named Montenegro as one of the fastest growing economies in the Balkan peninsula. Currently, about, Invest or set up companies and employ locals, Donate to development funds (in some jurisdictions), For example, Montenegro would never get away with selling their passport for a couple of million euros like, Up until very recently, the world had no idea Montenegro existed. Please let me know whether montenegro allows dual citizenship under this scheme. 4. Second, passport quality. Become a citizen of Montenegro and get a passport offering visa free travel to 120+ countries. We’ve included the euro under the list of pros of Montenegrin citizenship, but it can really go both ways. The Nomad Capitalist team has helped hundreds of people create and execute holistic offshore plans to help them legally reduce their taxes, become dual citizens, and live the Nomad Capitalist lifestyle of success, How to Minimize Real Estate Taxes as a Nomad, 3 Tiers of Passports: How to Define the Best Passport in the World. We’ve done this before. Towns like Budva, Herceg Novi, and Tivat – the entire Bay of Kotor – is where the, And if you want to invest in the capital of Podgorica instead, you will also need to invest the, However, given how pristine the nature of the north is, tourism has also picked up in this region. Montenegro Citizenship by Investment FAQs, Taiwanese Visas and Citizenship: the Ultimate Guide, The Guernsey Permanent Residence by Investment Guide, Jersey Residency by Investment: the Ultimate Guide. If we’ve got your attention with Montenegro’s CBI program as one of the most competitive in Europe, here’s how you can make it happen. Montenegro is a country that allows dual citizenship, so obtaining your second, third or subsequent passport won’t be a problem. Want to Enjoy Citizenship in Montenegro Like These Nomad Capitalists? You won’t be able to access the UK or Ireland. They don’t really have any other means of growing their economy and raising capital except through tourism and selling their citizenship. The currency is the euro. That’s why they’ve overpriced their CBI program, hoping that people are willing to pay more on the assumption that they will be full-fledged European Union members rather soon. Dual citizenship is allowed. The steps that you must take are the following: 1. All of your dependents can also be added to the application, including spouse, children under the age of 26, as well as your parents if they’re 65 years or older. Access to 120+ countries without a visa sure sounds good, but plenty of other CBI programs offer the same, or better. Foreigners must invest EUR 250,000 in real estate and also donate to government EUR 100,000. Buy Nomad Capitalist: How to Reclaim Your Freedom with Offshore Bank Accounts, Dual Citizenship, Foreign Companies, and Overseas Investments by Henderson, Andrew (ISBN: 9781980435099) from Amazon's Book Store. But more so than to the government, a CBI program has to be designed and priced just right to make sense for a western high-net-worth individual to engage with. . Learn how your comment data is processed. Montenegro invites qualified investors for its Citizenship by Investment Program. Within the three years that it will run, only 2,000 people will be able to get a Montenegrin passport. There is a VAT of 19% charged in Montenegro, so you will want to invest the bare minimum so as not to add to your total bill too much. No residency requirement. Montenegro has signed an E-2 Investor Visa treaty with the United States, allowing Montenegrin passport holders to live and work in the States. 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