Like many in the CBI industry I was shocked to receive the news that we have lost another CBI and another opportunity for asset diversification and personal freedom.

Cyprus was one of the few citizenship by investment programs in the EU and, with the great tax policy and financial incentives, this program offered a unique opportunity for those who want to enter the EU market.

But there is a time when things come to an end and that is the natural course of life. And if we can learn one lesson from this is that opportunities only come once in a lifetime and, if we can learn another one, it would be that CBIs may not be around forever.

There are different causes why a CBI can be cancelled, and these are usually political, operational or moral, a.k.a. corruption and crime. 

The Maltese program, for example, has closed because it has officially reached its application quota which was 1800. The program closed in August 2020 but it´s planning to present a new version from October 2020. However, the criteria for the new program has not been yet approved by the parliament. This new program will increase its minimum investment requirements and will likely require a stronger link to Malta from the new citizens.

A stronger link may mean renting a more expensive property or making a contribution to charity. The writer believes it is highly probable that the new Malta program will come with much stricter due diligence and control processes, given the current situation wit the Cyprus program, which was cancelled due to suspicious actions by some politicians who apparently wanted to help a criminal get a passport. However, please visit our site regularly and subscribe so that you can be updated on the new Malta program and all other CBIs available right now.

A CBI can also be suspended for political reasons, like the case of Moldova. Political instability is never good since it prevents the country from having a unified long-term strategy to develop its economy. In Moldova, in the space of one year there has been three different governments who had a completely different position and opinion regarding the citizenship by investment programs.

The multiparty coalition and the ideological discrepancies in the government created frictions that ultimately ended up in the suspension of the CBI program, which was supposedly launched in order to bring debt-free foreign investment to the country, thus helping to improve the economy and preventing the youngest generation to massively leave the country.

Finally, we have the recent case of Cyprus which has surprised as all in the CBI industry. We are talking about a CBI being cancelled because of corruption issues and I want to raise the question: who Is actually guilty of corruption?

The Cyprus program was suspended because a video was leaked in which the president of the Cypriot parliament, Demetris Syllouris, along with prominent politicians, developers and lawyers appeared to be bending laws to help a Chinese investor that was convicted for money laundering get a passport. This resulted in a scandal that has ended up in the indefinite suspension of the Cypriot CBI, which can be reviewed and launched again or not.

The question here is, who is actually guilty of corruption? Many eurocrats judge the citizenship programs as immoral and consider that nationality is not simply a product that can be sold to the best bet, but it is the writer´s opinion that there is nothing immoral in a citizenship program, but there is In people. In the same way that you can´t blame a program for being corrupted, but you can blame people.

Why then is the citizenship program being suspended? Why isn´t there a proper investigation and punishment of those who take advantage of their position and of a program that can help the economy of a country or a businessperson to grow his business? 

Now there is one less chance in the world for honest businesspeople and investors who want a chance to have the freedom and possibilities that a second passport always allows for. 

There is nothing immoral in acquiring a second passport by investment, but there is immorality and corruption in people and that is what we should be fighting.

What option do I have?

If one lesson can be learned here for investors, entrepreneurs and businesspeople is that opportunities, as CBIs, are not around forever. The Montenegro program, for example, is still available and it also has a limited application quota. This means that, like Malta, it may not be around forever. 

A second passport is a key step for your financial and personal freedom, and it is one of the best investments you can ever make. Don´t miss your chance and choose between all the currently available possibilities. 

The Montenegro passport is a great option as it is a program that combines the best from Malta and Cyprus programs. Now with these two suspended, Montenegro offers a great option at a low cost but with great tax and financial incentives. The country is not an EU member yet, but it is on its way to becoming one hopefully in 2025. 

Montenegro offers two investment options which are a combination of government donation and investment in real estate. The government stipulates a minimum real estate investment which varies according to the area. For the capital and more urbanized areas, the minimum required is higher (450k euros) and for the northern region of the country the minimum investment is 250K euros. Both areas have excellent possibilities for the development of tourism.

These are the two options to acquire a Montenegrin passport:

1-Donation: €100k. Investment into government-approved real-estate projects in the northern region of the country: €250k

2-Donation: €100k. Investment into government-approved real-estate developments in the southern region or the capital: €450k

At Mundo we offer all citizenship by investment programs not only in Europe, but also in the Caribbean and Vanuatu. Please contact us to get a consultation with our experts.

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