Citizenship by investment without irrevocable donation is a blessing (and a gift from the country)
We are relieved to say that the vast majority of our clients understand very well that EU investment citizenship is for those who can afford it. Becoming citizen of an EU country in less than two years (theoretically in one year only), with no irrevocable donation to the state, is not like buying a Lambo from the showroom though.
EU investment citizenship is not like buying a new Lamborghini
The difference is that the Lambo salesmen will pocket generous commission on your purchase. They will try everything they can do in order to comfort you and to get your money. With investment citizenship under a program where there is no donation to the state, things are quite different. And with the general sentiment in the EU that investment citizenship is for Russian oligarchs and international money launderers, our job becomes quite challenging.
What you should know and be prepared for during the investment naturalization process
Bulgarian investment citizenship candidates should comprehend the following points in order to successfully go through all stages of the application and to obtain EU citizenship:
- The Bulgarian investment citizenship program is basically a FREE program. You should consider it as a gift from the Bulgarian government (and parliament of course). Some candidates tend to believe that the program is beneficial to the government, which is unfortunately not the case. Because of that, these citizenship candidates;
- Because it is free, the candidates should realize that there is nobody who will try to comfort them, as when buying Lamborghini. On the contrary, on all levels in Bulgaria, they will be scrutinized and looked upon as a potential troublemakers;
- The investment under the program remains property of the citizenship candidate at all times. In fact, in Bulgaria nobody (ie the state) needs this investment, as trillions are flowing from the ECB anyway. So the candidate should really get along with the understanding that his few millions will neither help the Bulgarian budget, nor are desired by the state (or anyone else as a matter of fact);
- Throughout all procedures, the candidate should try to act fast and without fussing too much about small stuff. Good things don’t last forever. Governmental gifts are usually short-lived. What you can get now may be not available tomorrow. See what happened in Cyprus;
- Don’t act like a miser during the application procedure. You are expected to be an investor, not a person trying to save money in Bulgaria. Bargaining for pennies may piss of a lot of officials in Bulgaria (and not only them). And this may be the end for your EU citizenship dream. Don’t forget that the Bulgarian CIP is your last chance to obtain investment citizenship in the EU;
- Do everything by the book! Don’t cut any corners! The officials will punish you immediately if they only get the chance. Don’t give them the joy of rejecting your application on legal grounds;
- Try to understand that when you get the Bulgarian passport at the end, this will be your best investment ever! Do try living with the idea that the process of obtaining citizenship may be not as joyful as the time you will spend discussing the extras you want on your new Lambo. But at the end, you will understand that EU citizenship is worth all the hassle.
If you still want to buy new passport the same way you can buy new Lamborghini
If you can’t cope with the fact that you will need to put some effort during the citizenship application, there are other options available. You can try Vanuatu, where your donation will make some difference for the tiny island. Or you can do Montenegro (only until the end of 2021) and live with the hope that they will join the EU in 2085.
Whatever your choice will be, the good thing is that you still have a choice. Or do you?….