Global Citizenship – Hello Montenegro!

The concept of Global Citizenship has gained much popularity over recent years. In Layman’s terms, Citizenship by Investment, also known as Economic citizenship, is a process which enables residents of one country get a second passport for a country of their choosing.

The process usually requires a successful applicant to invest in the desired country and in return is awarded a passport and all the benefits along with it.

Generally, and historically speaking, there are many reasons to invest in a second citizenship which includes benefits such as global mobility, security, tax benefits and access to world-class health care, education and an improved lifestyle for the whole family.

Montenegro by example has been an extremely popular option for global professionals and families (remember the James Bond film, Casino Royal) through its official Citizenship by Investment Programme. [“When it comes to specific citizenship programme, Montenegro and Cyprus have been the most popular, with new applications up 142% and 75% respectively in the first quarter of 2020, compared with the fourth quarter of 2019” – CNN Travel August 2020]

Successful applicants can obtain a Montenegrin passport by investing 550,000 Euros (100,000 government donation and 450,000 in real estate at the superyacht marina and luxury waterfront village, Porto Montenegro). Apart from being an outstanding holiday destination in the heart of Europe, other benefits include global mobility with visa-free access to 124 countries, current NATO Member and candidate country with planned EU accession by 2025.

Accordingly to 2015 figures, nearly 100-200 families in Pakistan opt for CBIPs every year. This number is expected to rise further as the global pandemic has brought with it an increased interest in dual-citizenship and the desire for stability that it might provide during these turbulent times.

Many passports are quite restrictive in their mobility, forcing citizens to obtain visas whenever they need to travel abroad. A second passport can offer individuals from these countries increased global mobility. For example, the passport of Montenegro allows visa-free entry to 124 countries compared to other countries offering visa free entry to as little as 20-30 countries. The difference in global mobility equals an incredible amount of time saved filing visa applications and is priceless to businesspeople all over the world.

Citizenship by Investment Programmes have long been popular in Pakistan. In 2015, Arton Capital, which specializes in helping wealthy individuals get second citizenships, said 40% of applications originated from Pakistani nationals.

Montenegro’s Citizenship by Investment Programme is available for Pakistani patrons with special offers valid only until the end of 2021. Check out this video to learn more about the programme.

For more information, please visit: https://portomontenegro.com/ [Instagram: @porto_montenegro]