The Best Citizenship Programs Still Open To Russians

The Russian-Ukrainian conflict has induced a lot of geopolitical restraints on the citizens of both countries as more global powers look to confine the effects of the struggle within a geographic bubble.

These effects, however, have also limited the options of many of Russia’s inhabitants who may be looking to obtain a second citizenship as a contingency plan to hedge against any further political or economic turbulence, as many countries that offer citizenship by investment programs have suspended the acceptance of Russian applicants.

It is important to note that the suspension of Russian applicants has not come as a part of a political stance, but rather as a product of the incapability of these governments to conduct proper due diligence on Russians within the standards of their citizenship by investment programs under the current circumstances.

The due diligence conducted by banks is the most significant hindrance to accepting Russians, and while many countries that offer citizenship by investment programs, such as Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, and Malta, have seen their due diligence processes derailed by the conflict, there are others which have found a way to sustain their due diligence process without sacrificing its quality.

This means that there remains a set of excellent citizenship by investment programs that Russians can still apply to under the current circumstances, and this piece will list all of them still available.

Grenada

Grenada is the only Caribbean country with a citizenship by investment program that remains open to Russians. 

The Grenadian program follows a similar structure to those of its neighboring countries. In addition, Grenada was the first to allow the inclusion of dependent siblings in an application. Furthermore, Grenadian passport holders have visa-free access to 144 destinations across the world, such as the United Kingdom, the European Union, and China.

The program processing time is very fast, ranging from 3 to 6 months, and offers investors two options to gain citizenship: a donation to the National Transformation Fund (NTF) starting at 150,000 USD or investing in real estate for no less than 220,000 USD. The process can be done remotely, making it an excellent option for Russians.

Turkey

Since its launch in 2017, the Turkish Citizenship by Investment Program has experienced remarkable success. Despite a sluggish beginning in its first year, new amendments in 2018 saw the program remarkably flourish. The affordable investment amount of $400,000 in real estate or $500,000 in financial products for an applicant, along with their spouse and children, has skyrocketed the number of naturalizations to over 9000 since the launch of the program.

The Turkish passport grants visa-free access to 111 countries worldwide and offers the possibility of obtaining an E2 visa from the US in the future if an investor can meet the conditions. Not only that, the program is also lauded for its swift processing time of 3-6 months and multiple investment options. Clearly, the advantages of this program are plentiful.

What’s more is that Turkey provides Russians an excellent global corridor to conduct business and move money around in a time where sanctions are hitting the Russian economy hard and limiting the abilities of Russian businesspeople to conduct their operations.

Vanuatu

The Pacific island nation of Vanuatu is a unique and fascinating place. Not only is it the most linguistically diverse nation on Earth, but it also has one of the most straightforward citizenship by investment programs in the world. This program became especially popular during the COVID pandemic due to its swift processing time of two months, and it remains one of the most sought-out options to this day.

Vanuatu’s CIP requires applicants to make one of two investments: either a $130,000 economic donation for a single applicant or $220,000 for a family of four; or a $100,000 real estate investment. This program also allows spouses to add their dependent children, parents, and grandparents to their application.

The Vanuatu passport grants its holder visa-free access to 97 destinations worldwide, and the Vanuatuan government is currently working on obtaining visa free access to nearby Australia as well.

The fast processing times and affordable investment amounts make Vanuatu an excellent option for Russians.

To know more about which options are available to Russians contact us today to speak with a citizenship by investment expert.