Citizenship by Investment (CBI).

Definition

Citizenship by Investment (CBI) is a legal immigration route in which a qualifying economic contribution — a non-refundable donation, real estate purchase, government bond, or business investment — grants full citizenship, including a passport, typically without a residency requirement. It's distinct from Residency by Investment, which grants the right to live somewhere but not citizenship itself. CBI programs are legislated, government-run schemes — not a workaround or a grey-market arrangement.

Where it's available today

Ten of the twelve programs in our Programs directory are active CBI programs: El Salvador's Freedom Passport, Vanuatu's DSP/CIIP, five Eastern Caribbean nations — Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Saint Lucia, St Kitts & Nevis, and Grenada — plus Turkey, Nauru, and Egypt. Minimum contributions range from Nauru's promotional $90,000 up to El Salvador's $1,000,000, paid exclusively in Bitcoin or USDT. The remaining two programs in our directory are a different category: Portugal is residency by investment, not citizenship, and Malta's former CBI scheme was abolished entirely in 2025 after a landmark EU court ruling — see our Insights piece on what that ruling did and didn't decide.

Why CBI is a roughly $50 billion-a-year industry

Combined with residency-by-investment ("golden visa") programs, CBI represents a roughly $50 billion-a-year global market — driven by demand for travel freedom, tax planning, and jurisdictional diversification from HNI/UHNI individuals and family offices. See our Mandate for the full data behind this figure.

How ImmiCrypt fits in

Every CBI program in our directory today accepts crypto, if at all, only through a licensed agent who converts it to fiat first — except El Salvador. Our five platform verticals exist to build a proper compliance and settlement rail for the other seven, and any CBI program that follows.