Residency by investment.
The RBI programmes that sit outside the Golden Visa label — high-threshold, substance-heavy, and built for permanent relocation rather than mobility.
Where RBI sits in the broader estate
Residency by Investment (RBI) is the family of permits that grant residency in return for a qualifying contribution but operate outside the popular "Golden Visa" branding. The programmes are uniformly higher threshold, longer-tenured, and demand more genuine economic substance from the holder. They are typically chosen by families committing fully to the host country — schooling, tax residency, full relocation — rather than as mobility tools.
Singapore's Global Investor Programme is the marquee RBI track in Asia, requiring S$2.5M–S$10M in committed business investment with credible substance and ongoing employment. Switzerland's lump-sum tax regime grants residency in return for an annual flat tax (typically CHF 250K+). Monaco operates a deposit-based RBI requiring CHF 500K+ on deposit with a Monégasque bank. The US EB-5 programme requires US$800K–$1.05M in a regional centre and remains the only investor route to permanent residency in North America.
2 active residency programmes
Singapore
Your residency journey, step by step
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A 30-minute call with a senior advisor. Tax residency, family relocation, business needs — we frame the brief end-to-end before recommending a country.
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RBI is the broader umbrella — Golden Visas are a sub-category of RBI, distinguished by lower thresholds, real-estate routes, and minimal physical-presence requirements. The non-Golden RBI programmes (Singapore GIP, Swiss lump-sum, Monaco, EB-5) sit at higher thresholds and demand genuine substance and relocation.
Singapore GIP can convert to citizenship at 2 years subject to integration. Switzerland's lump-sum residency leads to settled status at 10 years and citizenship at 12. Monaco does not grant citizenship. EB-5 leads to a green card and to US citizenship at 5 years.
No. RBI is generally slower because diligence depth is greater. Singapore GIP runs 6–9 months from filing. Swiss lump-sum runs 3–6 months. Monaco runs 6 months. EB-5 currently runs 4–6 years to conditional permanent residence due to retrogression in some chargeability categories.
Singapore GIP requires committed business investment and minimum staffing. Switzerland and Monaco require physical residence (180+ days per year typically). EB-5 requires the investment remain at risk in a job-creating commercial enterprise for the conditional period (2 years).
Switzerland for the lump-sum regime. Singapore for territoriality and incentive treatment of foreign-sourced income. Monaco for 0% personal income tax on most foreign-sourced income. EB-5 is least tax-efficient — US tax residency triggers global income reporting.
Citizen Sure on Residency by Investment
RBI applications are about substance — capital alone does not get a file approved at this tier. Our practice covers the substance brief (employment, premises, banking), the family relocation plan (schooling, healthcare, governance), and the post-grant compliance regime that decides whether the residence holds in year 5 and year 10. Speak to a senior advisor for a 30-minute confidential consultation.
RBI is rarely the only step. Most engaged families pair an RBI with second-tier mobility — a Caribbean CBI passport for visa-free travel during long Singapore GIP processing, a UAE Golden Visa for tax substance alongside Swiss lump-sum residency. The real planning is multi-jurisdictional structuring; the visa is the artefact.