In a few countries, citizenship is up for sale.

For the uber wealthy, a brand new passport can be obtained after a large investment is made followed by some residency requirements. It’s an option that is availed of by millionaires and most notably in the past week, diamond merchant, Mehul Choksi, who has found refuge on the Caribbean island of Antigua and Barbuda.

A few countries allow immediate citizenship, but by and large it takes a significant investment coupled with a long residency to eventually become a naturalised citizen. The majority of the countries offering citizenship are wealthy in their own right. Greece, Bulgaria, Latvia and a slew of Caribbean nations are the exceptions.

Listed below are the countries that offer citizenship at a price. Some are stringent, but Carribean countries like the one Choksi has picked make it relatively easy for person to attain a passport.

Country Minimum Investment Residency Requirements Citizenship Qualifying Period
Antigua and Barbuda 250,00 US dollars 5 days within a 5-year period Immediate
Australia 5 million Australian dollars 40 days/year 5 years
Bulgaria 500,000 Euros No 5 years
Canada 800,000 Canadian dollars 730 days within a 5-year period 3 years
Canada: Prince Edward Island 350,000 Canadian dollars 730 days within a 5-year period 3 years
Canada: Quebec 500,000 Canadian dollars 730 days within a 5-year period 3 years
Cyprus 2.5 million euros None (under revision) Immediate
Dominica 100,000 US dollars None Immediate
France 10 million euros None 5 years
Greece 250,000 euros None 7 years
Grenada 250,000 US dollars None Immediate
Hungary 250,000 euros None 8 years
Ireland 500,000 euros None N.A
Latvia 35,000 euros None 10 years
Malta 1.5 million euros 6 months 1 year
New Zealand 1.5 million New Zealand dollars 146 days/year 5 years
Portugal 500,000 euros 7 days/year 6 years
Singapore 2.5 million Sing dollars None 2 years
Spain 500,000 euros None 10 years
St. Kitts and Nevis 250,000 US dollars None Immediate
Switzerland 250,000 Swiss francs None 12 years
United Kingdom 1 million pounds 185 days/year 6 years
United States 500,000 US dollars 180 days/year 7 years
Source: World Economic Forum