Investment Migration Glossary
Plain-English definitions of the terms you will meet in residence and citizenship applications, from visas and investment routes to tax, legal and document requirements.
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Browse by letter
Each letter page lists its terms with a short definition and a link to the full entry.
Terms starting with C
Certificate of Sponsorship, Citizenship by Investment, Citizenship by Investment Unit
Terms starting with F
Family reunification, Financial Action Task Force, Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act
Recently updated terms
Documents
AFM (Greece)
The Greek tax registration number. It is required to buy property in Greece, including for the golden visa.
Legal
AIMA (Portugal)
Portugal’s agency for integration, migration and asylum. It took over residence permit processing, including the golden visa, from SEF in 2023.
Visas and residence
ARI (Portugal)
The official name of the Portugal golden visa: a residence permit granted for a qualifying investment activity.
Legal
Citizenship by Investment Unit
The government office that receives, checks and decides citizenship by investment applications in several Caribbean countries.
Investment
Development Support Program (Vanuatu)
The official name of Vanuatu’s citizenship by investment programme, based on a non-refundable contribution to the government.
Investment
Economic Diversification Fund (Dominica)
Dominica’s government fund. A non-refundable contribution to the fund is one of the qualifying options of its citizenship by investment programme.
Plan your next step
Compare live programmes on eligibility, timelines and family rules, check where you qualify, then read the country guides before you book a paid 60-minute consultation.
Browse live programmes
Residency and citizenship by investment programmes that are currently open, with the qualifying routes for each country.
Compare programmes
See two or more programmes side by side: investment routes, processing stages, family inclusion and residence rules.
Check your eligibility
Answer a few questions about your nationality, family and goals to see which programmes may fit.
Read the country guides
Plain guides to each programme: requirements, documents, due diligence and the steps from application to approval.
Frequently asked questions
What is investment migration?
Investment migration covers programmes that grant residency or citizenship in return for a qualifying investment in a country, such as a donation, property or a fund.
What is the difference between a golden visa and citizenship by investment?
A golden visa grants residency, usually renewable, and can lead to citizenship after years of residence. Citizenship by investment grants a passport directly once the application is approved.
What does due diligence mean?
Due diligence is the background check that governments run on every applicant and adult family member before approval.
What is the difference between residency and citizenship by investment?
Residence by investment gives you the right to live in a country; citizenship by investment makes you a national with a passport and full civic rights.
Residence permits usually need renewing and may carry stay requirements, while citizenship is generally permanent. Many families combine the two to cover different needs.
What is the difference between citizenship by investment and a golden visa?
A golden visa grants residency — the right to live, work, and travel in a country — but not citizenship or a second passport. Citizenship by investment grants full citizenship, including a second passport with all associated rights. Some programmes (like Portugal's) offer a residency-first route with citizenship eligibility after 5 years of residency. The right choice depends entirely on your goals: travel access, tax benefits, speed, or long-term settlement.
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