Russia may in the near future introduce special conditions for wealthy foreigners wishing to obtain citizenship of the country. The state is developing a bill according to which a foreign entrepreneur who invests 10 million rubles a year in the Russian economy for three years can become a Russian citizen. Similar practices exist in many countries around the world - especially in developed ones, whose citizenship is highly valued abroad. However, most states prefer to sell only permanent residence rights, and obtaining actual civil status requires more time.

Initially, Russian media reported that we were talking about granting citizenship for an investment of 10 million rubles. This information was soon clarified by representatives of the bill's developers from the Federal Migration Service - according to them, 10 million rubles must be invested in the economy annually for three years, so the total amount is 30 million rubles, at the current exchange rate - almost a million dollars.

The practice of providing passports to foreign rich people has recently become increasingly common. In general, most countries are not interested in migration beyond what is necessary, but here the decision to grant citizenship, or at least to simplify its acquisition, is mutually beneficial. Businessmen receive a passport, and with it the opportunity to freely travel for work and conduct business (and at the same time travel and live in a relatively rich and calm country), and states receive investments or tax income. After the global financial crisis, this is very relevant for many countries.

As a rule, successful countries where millions of people would like to live offer special conditions for investors. Hardly many people are interested in citizenship of Burkina Faso or Sudan - we are mainly talking about countries in Europe and North America, where there is both demand and supply for local passports. In Latin American countries, the immigration procedure is already quite simple, and, for example, in the countries of East Asia, literally only a few foreigners are issued citizenship (especially harsh rules in this regard apply in Japan).

But even within the club of rich countries there are tangible differences. Countries with large economies “exchange” citizenship in one form or another for money extremely carefully. Another thing is dwarf states: the crisis has hit them very hard, and foreign capital may come in handy. What is a penny for Germany is a round sum for Cyprus. That is why the conditions for issuing citizenship to wealthy foreigners there are the most “loyal”. And the EU passport remains as such, regardless of the country in which it is printed.

Late last year, Malta announced its intention to sell passports directly. The conditions are extremely simple: pay 650 thousand euros, and you are a citizen of the island state with all the corresponding rights and obligations. Moreover, your close relatives can count on a serious discount when issuing a passport (the price will be only 25 thousand euros). The Maltese expect approximately 200-300 people per year to take advantage of this opportunity. As a result, quite a decent amount accumulates - up to 195 million euros. Taking into account the fact that all state budget revenues reach 6 billion euros, this results in a significant increase, comparable to the annual deficit (about 250 million euros).

The political opposition in Malta criticized this proposal, since people who have no connection with the island could become citizens. However, the Maltese decided that they would not harm them, and there would be no money lying around on the road.

However, the case of Malta is still exceptional. Usually, countries still do not trade their citizenship directly, and in order to obtain the coveted passport you need to follow some “rules of decency.” Such procedures take more time, but are cheaper.

Thus, Cyprus offers applicants for civil rights when performing one or more options. You can, for example, make a direct investment of 10 million euros. Another way is the commercial activity of a company in the country for the same 10 million for three years (provided that the applicant is the owner of this company). Finally, the same company can pay taxes of at least 500 thousand euros per year for three years. As in Malta, the only obstacle to citizenship in all these cases is having a criminal record.

However, for those who are not in a hurry, there is a more affordable way to become the owner of a passport of an EU member state. A foreigner only needs to spend 400 thousand euros in the country to obtain a permanent residence permit. After this, after living on the island for five years, he can apply for citizenship. The chances that the applicant's application will be approved are quite good. The only negative is that Cyprus is not part of the Schengen zone. However, moving around Europe with a Cypriot passport is much easier than with a Russian or Ukrainian one.

Portugal also provides conditions similar to Cyprus. For a permanent residence permit, you need to purchase real estate for half a million euros, after which you can safely live in this very real estate while waiting for your turn to receive citizenship. In the first year after this right was granted, more than 300 people took advantage of it, 80 percent of them were Chinese, and the majority of the rest were Russians. From the country's former colonies - Angola and Brazil - only nine people were recruited. More recently, Spain introduced the same procedure for “selling” the right to permanent residence.

Note that in all cases we are talking about countries in Southern Europe, which are still (with the exception of Malta) experiencing the consequences of the debt crisis. But the practice of issuing residence permits in exchange for investments does not exist only there. Among the world's largest economies, the UK has fairly liberal rules. To become a permanent resident of the country, you need to obtain the status of a “Tier 1 Investor”.

It involves an investment in the national economy of one million pounds sterling (about 1.2 million euros). Another option is to have £10 million of capital stored in the country's banks; after two years, the holder of the funds receives a residence permit. Another five years of residence - and he is already a full British citizen.

Investment immigration is also approved in the United States. A million dollars need to be invested there, but not just like that, but by creating at least 10 jobs. An interesting system existed in Canada until recently. Permanent residence was granted to citizens who invested at least $800 thousand in local interest-free bonds. In addition, a guest from abroad was required to have two years of practice in a managerial position. Canada recently abandoned this scheme, but the French-speaking province of Quebec has retained it to this day.

Thus, Russia is following a road already trodden by many countries. For now, however, it is not clear why a Russian passport will attract a wealthy foreigner. As for the Russian side, it seems more important for it to encourage investors and “tie” them to the local economy than to receive actual income from them.

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