For a decade, we have helped families build the freedom to choose where they live, invest, and leave their legacy. This is the story of that decade, and the starting point of the next.
The world changed.
We helped families navigate it.
Discover our journey and what comes next.
The map we redrew
alongside the world
Brexit changes the way Europe thinks about mobility.
Millions of people begin to realise that rights once considered permanent, including freedom of movement, can also change with political decisions.
- Global Citizen Solutions is born.
Investment migration gains momentum worldwide.
New residency and citizenship programmes expand the possibilities available to investors and families looking for greater freedom, security and international opportunities.
- Global mobility begins to reach a wider audience.
Citizenship by investment becomes more accessible and competitive.
Turkey significantly reduces its minimum real estate investment requirement, attracting a new generation of international investors.
- Investment migration moves further into the mainstream.
New global mobility hubs begin to emerge.
While Europe increases its scrutiny of Golden Visa and citizenship programmes, the UAE launches its Golden Visa for investors, professionals and exceptional talent.
- Global mobility expands beyond its traditional markets.
Borders close, and global mobility takes on a new meaning.
The pandemic shuts borders almost overnight, showing families how much their ability to travel, reunite or relocate depends on the passports and residence permits they hold.
- The freedom to choose where to live becomes more valuable than ever.
The world reopens, but the way people live and work has changed.
Countries begin competing for remote workers, launching digital nomad visas and new residency routes across Europe and beyond.
- On 1 January, Brexit brings an end to freedom of movement between the UK and the European Union.
- Living and working no longer have to happen in the same country.
Global mobility becomes increasingly connected to security, opportunity and long-term planning.
Major geopolitical events reinforce the importance of having options across borders, while governments and families place greater focus on residency, citizenship and international mobility strategies.
- For families around the world, having options becomes more important than ever.
Investment migration enters a new phase.
Portugal reshapes its Golden Visa, while the market becomes more diversified, with new investment structures and a broader approach to residency, wealth and family planning.
- GCS grows with the transformation of global mobility.
Portugal becomes one of the decade’s leading international mobility destinations.
More than 1.5 million foreign citizens are living in Portugal, compared with fewer than 400,000 in 2016.
- Across Europe, investment migration continues to evolve as countries reassess traditional real estate-led Golden Visa models. Greece raises its threshold to €800,000 in its most sought-after regions.
- A new generation of global citizens is choosing where and how they want to live.
Investment migration continues to evolve.
Spain closes its Golden Visa, while Portugal has already moved away from direct real estate investment.
- At the same time, the sector becomes increasingly focused on regulation, transparency and long-term value.
- Global mobility becomes more sophisticated, diverse and strategic.
Ten years on, GCS opens the next chapter of global mobility.
Digital borders and new residency and citizenship frameworks are reshaping how people move between countries. 15,000+ clients advised · 50+ programmes · 100+ specialists · US$8B+ in investment facilitated
- In November, GCS hosts the first Wealth and Migration Summit in Lisbon, bringing together families, advisors, family offices and industry leaders to shape the decade ahead.
- The conversation is no longer just about a visa or a second passport, but about where to live, invest and protect a family’s future.
A decade of global mobility
in numbers
The numbers behind a decade of global mobility, from where we started to where we stand today.
Benchmark
2016
2026
Active investment-migration programs
40
90
Capital invested per year
US$10+ billion
US$20+ billion
Cumulative capital raised (since programs’ inception)
US$40+ billion
US$100+ billion
People gaining residence/citizenship
20,000+ (cumulative)
50,000+ (cumulative)
Top source markets
China and other emerging economies
US, China, India and other emerging economies
Note: Figures are estimates based on reported application volumes and investment attracted across countries over the years.
The Next Decade of
Mobility Planning
Jurisdiction is now an asset. Our briefing maps the capital, tax and regulatory forces reshaping residency and citizenship planning for the decades ahead.
A family who chose a different future
Every journey is different, but the outcome is the same: the freedom to live life on their own terms.
“We felt the most taken care of by GCS. We just felt like everything was very clearly explained to us, very high-level professional quality.”
The people
behind the map
Reflections from the people who helped families navigate a decade of change.
“As barriers to entry rise, gold-standard compliance and due diligence will become the decisive factor in selecting a program in the next decade. In addition, residence and citizenship planning will increasingly be absorbed into wealth architecture as a risk-management line item, sitting alongside trusts and tax residency planning rather than being sold as a standalone lifestyle product.”
“Regulatory scrutiny in this industry will keep tightening, and we see that as a good thing — the next decade belongs to firms and programs that treat AML compliance, data protection, and rigorous due diligence as core infrastructure, held to the same standard as any regulated financial institution. Governments recognize this too: as programs face greater international scrutiny, more will seek advisory partners with genuine cross-border regulatory expertise and proprietary market intelligence.”
“Investment migration has evolved from a static product into a strategic part of global wealth, mobility, and succession planning. Wealthy families will increasingly diversify not only their assets and currencies, but also their residences, citizenships, and jurisdictions.”
“Sophisticated families no longer expect one country to serve every purpose. They've come to see jurisdictional diversification the way they see portfolio diversification — deliberate and role-specific. One jurisdiction may anchor business interests, another the family's lifestyle, another its mobility or long-term succession. That is where planning is heading, and it's a far more mature conversation than the one we were having a decade ago.”
“For decades, the international standards governing due diligence, beneficial ownership and financial integrity functioned largely as soft law — guidance, recommendation, best practice a state could adopt selectively without real consequence. That era is closing. Transnational bodies are converting expectations into obligations. States are not losing sovereignty over migration policy through treaty in the traditional sense. They are trading it away by calculation, because standing outside these frameworks now costs more than joining them.”
“In previous years, client interest in citizenship programs was driven primarily by the appeal of visa-free travel. Over the past years, however, this focus has shifted, with clients increasingly drawn to these programs for asset management, portfolio diversification, and broader investment planning. This trend will continue in the future.”
“HNWIs seem to be more cross-border than ever before. It is increasingly common to see international real estate portfolios, multi-jurisdictional banking relationships, and multiple residencies or passports. The younger generation is extremely mobile and cross-border oriented, which will contribute even more to the growing importance of residency and citizenship planning.”
“The value of an investment migration program is ultimately defined by the client's objective. There is no universally 'best' program, only the one that best fits a client's specific priorities and situation.”
“The defining story of the next ten years is consolidation. The raw number of programs will matter far less than which prove durable. And durability will be shaped by governance: the rigor of due diligence, the transparency of how investment is deployed, and a jurisdiction's standing with international standard-setters.”
“People approach global mobility very differently today than they did ten years ago. They do their homework, ask better questions and want an honest view of the risks, not just the opportunities. That has pushed the whole industry to improve. For me, the next decade will come down to trust.”
Your Family's Next Chapter Starts Here
The world is not waiting. Neither should your plan for freedom and security.
