Global Residency and Citizenship by Investment Report

In a time marked by geopolitical instability, economic uncertainty, and shifting regulatory environments, the Global RCBI Report 2025 emerges as an essential tool for understanding and navigating the complex world of Residence and Citizenship by Investment (RCBI) programs. As nations compete to attract global capital, skilled individuals, and international families, investment migration has transformed from a niche legal practice into a mainstream strategic instrument for wealth planning, mobility enhancement, and global risk mitigation. With 36 active programs across 35 countries, the RCBI landscape has matured into a dynamic ecosystem. Yet one that remains difficult to compare due to its diversity in legal frameworks, investment thresholds, and long-term outcomes.

This report presents the most comprehensive, data-driven assessment of global RCBI options to date. It ranks both Citizenship by Investment (CBI) and Residence by Investment (RBI) programs through a robust methodology that goes beyond just passport power or minimal investment thresholds. Instead, it applies a multi-dimensional evaluation model grounded in 18 performance indicators, distributed across five key thematic dimensions: Procedure, Mobility, Tax Optimization, Quality of Life, and Investment Environment. These dimensions reflect the real concerns of investors, entrepreneurs, and global families seeking both access and stability.

Each country’s program is evaluated using a combination of standardized quantitative data and calibrated qualitative insights. This ensures that cross-country comparisons are both rigorous and fair. The resulting index structure allows for dual rankings (one focused on CBI programs and the other on RBI schemes) giving readers the ability to differentiate between jurisdictions that offer immediate nationality and those that offer long-term residence pathways. Crucially, the indexes don’t just measure what each program offers, but how well it aligns with the motivations and needs of international investors in 2025.

The Global RCBI Report highlights the evolving dynamics of investment migration, showcasing how both Citizenship by Investment (CBI) and Residence by Investment (RBI) programs are adapting to global trends. Caribbean nations such as Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Grenada continue to lead in the CBI space, leveraging efficient application processes, favorable tax regimes, and extensive global mobility to attract international investors. Their success underscores the potential for smaller states to assert a strong presence on the global stage through well-structured and strategically positioned programs. On the RBI front, countries like Greece, Malta, Portugal and Switzerland maintain their appeal with robust legal systems and high-quality residency rights, while emerging players such as Latvia, Luxembourg, Singapore and the UAE are reshaping the landscape by aligning residence programs with innovation-driven, sustainable economic growth. The report’s comparative analysis of these diverse models offers critical insights into the future direction and competitive dynamics of the RCBI sector.

Beyond the rankings themselves, the report delves into emerging trends shaping the future of investment migration. These include the evolution of CBI schemes in the Caribbean amidst international regulatory scrutiny, the rise of hybrid talent-investment pathways in Asia and the Middle East, and the increasing convergence of RCBI programs with broader state-building objectives, such as climate resilience, tech innovation, and regional development. In sum, the Global RCBI Report 2025 is more than a ranking, it is a strategic guide for investors, policymakers, and advisors navigating a world in flux.

The Global RCBI Report 2025 offers the most comprehensive, data-driven assessment of the global Residence and Citizenship by Investment (RCBI) landscape to date. Analyzing 36 programs across 35 countries, the report ranks both Citizenship by Investment (CBI) and Residence by Investment (RBI) schemes using a rigorous methodology built on 18 targeted indicators, grouped into five thematic sub-indexes or dimensions: Procedure Index, Mobility Index, Tax Optimization Index, Quality of Life Index, and Investment Environment Index.

Each program is scored using a mix of quantitative and qualitative data, standardized and normalized for cross-country comparability. The result is a dual index (one for CBI and one for RBI) that reflects not only the legal and administrative structure of each program, but also its broader appeal to global investors, entrepreneurs, and relocating families.

Constructing the rankings for the five dimensions for the Global RCBI Report required a rigorous multi-step methodology that combines normalization techniques, comparative policy analysis, and expert calibration. Each sub-index – Procedure, Mobility, Tax Optimization, Quality of Life, and Investment Environment – is weighted and rated on a standardized scale from 0 to 10. These scores are derived from a synthesis of multiple quantitative indicators and qualitative variables, carefully selected to reflect both investor priorities and policy design dimensions.

Investment migration serves as an umbrella term encompassing a range of programs that enable individuals to acquire residence or citizenship rights through economic contributions. It includes Residence by Investment (RBI) schemes (commonly known as Golden Visas) which offer legal residency in exchange for qualifying investments, as well as Entrepreneurial Visas that require active business engagement, job creation, and immediate relocation. On the other hand, Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programs, often referred to as Golden Passports, grant citizenship directly through capital contributions without the need for prior residence. Together, these pathways reflect the diversity of state strategies in leveraging migration channels to attract foreign capital, talent, and entrepreneurship, while maintaining differentiated levels of integration and mobility rights.

The Global RCBI Report provides insights into the shifting landscape of investment migration, highlighting the adaptive strategies employed by Citizenship by Investment (CBI) and Residence by Investment (RBI) programs amid evolving global trends. Caribbean countries such as Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Grenada continue to dominate the CBI market by offering streamlined application processes, advantageous tax structures, and extensive global mobility benefits, positioning themselves effectively to attract international investors. Their success illustrates how smaller nations can significantly enhance their global presence through carefully structured, strategically targeted programs.

In the realm of RBI programs, established destinations like Greece, Malta, Portugal, and Switzerland retain their attractiveness due to reliable legal frameworks and superior residency benefits. Concurrently, newer participants including Latvia, Luxembourg, Singapore, and the UAE are transforming the RBI landscape by aligning their residency schemes with innovative and sustainable economic growth initiatives. Through its comparative analysis of these varied approaches, the report sheds essential light on emerging trends and competitive dynamics shaping the future of the RCBI sector.