also called CBI · economic citizenship · golden passport
Acquiring citizenship in exchange for a significant investment or donation to a country.
Getting citizenship, an actual passport, in exchange for a large investment or donation to a country. For those who can afford it, it is the fastest route to a second nationality. It goes a step beyond a golden visa, which only grants residence; here you get citizenship itself. But the programs, and how much travel access the passport really buys, change often and draw scrutiny.
Someone wanting a stronger passport quickly makes a qualifying donation to a country's program and is naturalised without ever living there. Later, some countries tighten how they treat that passport, and the visa-free access they paid for turns out to be worth less than the brochure promised.
It's the fastest route to a second passport for those who can pay, but programs and their travel value change and face scrutiny.
The difference is the whole point, so here is each one in a line.
Dual citizenship is holding two nationalities at once, and a second passport is the document of that second citizenship.
Citizenship by investment is one way to get there, acquiring a nationality in exchange for a large investment or donation to a country, rather than through ancestry or years of residence.
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