Malta has been ranked as the world’s number one for its citizenship-by-investment programme and Portugal as the world’s top for its residence-by-investment programme, according to the Global Residence and Citizenship Programmes 2017–2018 report, which is used for benchmarking and measuring the attractiveness of investment migration programmes.The programmes are aimed at attracting businesses and foreign capital by offering citizenship in return.

Encouraging investment through migration

The report was released by Henley & Partners the global residence and citizenship advisory firm, ahead of its 11th Global Residence and Citizenship Conference. The event will be held this year in Hong Kong, from the 14th to 16^th of November 2017.The third edition of the Global Residence and Citizenship Programmes report provides a systematic analysis and comprehensive benchmarking of the world’s leading investment migration programmes.These programmes were evaluated by a panel of independent experts – including immigration and citizenship lawyers, economists, country risk experts, academic researchers, and other specialists – who took into account a broad range of factors pertaining to each programme. The result is a global bird’s-eye view of the investment migration industry and a ranking of all the major programmes on offer.Dr. Christian H. Kälin, an international immigration and citizenship law expert and group chairman of Henley & Partners, said, “The Global Residence and Citizenship Programmes publication is an indispensable tool, not only for all those interested in alternative residence or citizenship but also for professionals such as private client advisors, private bankers, and lawyers, as well as for governments operating investment migration programmes.”

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Malta maintains strong lead in citizenship-by-investment programmes 

For the third consecutive year, Malta’s Individual Investor Programme (MIIP) is the top-ranking citizenship-by-investment programme in the world, with a score of 81 out of 100.The Mediterranean island-nation is followed by Cyprus in second place (with a score of 72) and Austria in 3rd place (with a score of 63).Antigua and Barbuda ranked fourth, followed very closely by Grenada, which is ranked fifth. The lowest-ranked citizenship programme is Dominica’s, with a score of 51.The eight citizenship programmes included in the report were evaluated according to 10 indicators: reputation, quality of life, visa-free access, processing time and quality of processing, compliance, financial requirements, residence requirements, relocation flexibility, physical visit requirements, and transparency.Each indicator had an equal weighting of 10, producing a total score out of 100 for each country.

1. Malta 
2. Cyprus 
3. Austria 
4. Antigua and Barbuda 
5. Grenada 
6. St. Kitts and Nevis 
7. St. Lucia 
8. Dominica 

Residence-by-investment programmes: Portugal remains on top

Portugal’s Golden Residence Permit Programme has emerged as the world’s best residence-by-investment programme for the third year in a row, with a score of 79 out of 100.Portugal is very closely followed by Austria in 2nd place (with a score of 78) and Belgium in 3rd place (with a score of 77). In 20th place, and with a score of 36, is Bulgaria’s residence programme.The 20 residence programmes surveyed in the report were assessed according to 10 indicators, some of which are very similar to those used in the citizenship index: reputation, quality of life, taxation, visa-free access, processing time and quality of processing, compliance, financial requirements, total costs, time to citizenship, and citizenship requirements.In ranking order, the 20 countries featured on the GRPI are:

1. Portugal 
2. Austria 
3. Belgium 
4. Malta 
5. Thailand 
6. UK 
7. Australia 
8. US 
9. Switzerland 
10. Canada 
11. Dubai/UAE 
12. Spain 
13. Jersey 
14. Latvia 
15. Greece 
16. Monaco 
17. Singapore 
18. Cyprus 
19. Hong Kong 
20. Bulgaria 

A growing interest in residence and citizenship planning

As Dr. Kälin explains, the need for a reference and benchmarking tool like the Global Residence and Citizenship Programmes reflects the strong growth of the investment migration industry in recent years.“Interest in the industry has steadily increased over the past decade, and we anticipate that it will continue to do so,” he says. “In fact, we again expect well over 400 attendees from over 40 countries at this month’s Global Residence and Citizenship Conference in Hong Kong.”The annual event, now in its 11th year, has become the world’s largest conference on investment migration. It brings together senior government officials, leading academics, and industry professionals, as well as top-tier financial and business media.According to Dr. Kälin, this year’s conference offers delegates the opportunity to engage with the leading minds and ideas driving the growing trend towards global mobility and citizenship.Key speakers at the conference include international investor and global financial commentator Jim Rogers, who will speak about the trends and issues affecting global citizens and their investments. The Prime Minister of Malta, the Hon. Dr Joseph Muscat, who will talk about the advantages of Maltese citizenship for Asian investors, and the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, the Hon. Gaston Browne, who will address the challenges of climate change and how these can be addressed by investment migration programmes.Individuals interested in attending the 11th Global Residence and Citizenship Conference on 14–16 November can download the full programme of events and register by visiting Henley & Partners’ website: henleyglobal.com/grcc2017-overviewFor related news and features, visit our Immigration section.Relocate’s new Global Mobility Toolkit provides free information, practical advice and support for HR, global mobility managers and global teams operating overseas.Access hundreds of global services and suppliers in our Online Directory  

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