Citizenship, as a rule, is obtained:

• at birth, depending on the origin (citizenship) of the parents,
• as a result of naturalization.

Naturalization takes place when the state, on the basis of the laws in force, grants citizenship to an individual under one of the following conditions:

• when staying in the country for a certain time,
• in case of marriage to a citizen of this country,
• when obtaining political asylum.

As an alternative to the above methods of acquiring citizenship, the Citizenship through Investments Program is gaining more and more popularity - a procedure when an investor obtains citizenship in exchange for a contribution to the country's economy.

The program originates in 1984. It was then that the Federation of St. Christopher (Saint Kitts) and Nevis (two islands in the Caribbean) were the first to offer full citizenship to investors. Currently, a number of Caribbean countries, Austria, Cyprus and Malta have joined the Program.

The main advantage is that within the framework of the Program it is possible to obtain a passport:

• not only the main applicant, but also members of his family, which usually include a spouse, children, parents, and sometimes grandparents,
• the implementation of the Program does not require a long expectation and the whole process is a very transparent legislative procedure.

It is obvious that the attitude to the acquisition of citizenship "for money" is very ambiguous. EU Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova has repeatedly called for the introduction of new, more stringent investment immigration guidelines. She believes that granting citizenship for investment carries serious risks for the EU countries.

The Investment Migration Board (IMC) represented by Bruno L'Ecuier, the executive director of IMC, said: "Professional immigration firms and governments spend considerable time and capital on providing security at the highest level. All applications for citizenship for investments are checked in accordance with the current EU legislation on combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism ...

The IMC understands and shares the Commissioner's concerns regarding the safety of EU citizens. Nevertheless, he believes that the procedures implemented in Austria, Malta and Cyprus - in the three most active EU countries in this area - do not pose any threat, since these countries have very strict selection and verification procedures for candidates.

The “Citizenship for Investments” programs, implemented by sovereign states of the EU, process a very small number of applications - from 700 to 1000 per year. For comparison, according to Eurostat, a total of about 1 million people receive citizenship in EU member states annually. Thus, the number of applicants for citizenship by investments is about 0.1%. "