A contribution or a property investment? The decision behind the number

Citizenship by real estate investment or a contribution: what your capital does

A contribution is a payment to a government fund or treasury: a cost, not an asset you keep. A property route buys an asset you must hold for a set period and may later sell, with valuation rules, transaction costs and market risk of its own.

Neither buys a passport. Each application passes due diligence and the government decides: in Turkey every grant is a Presidential decision, and St Kitts and Nevis takes its contribution only after approval in principle. This guide compares eight routes from the programs on Wealthy Expat's pages; the official texts behind the figures are listed under Sources and methodology.

Property routes to citizenship: Turkey and Antigua and Barbuda

Turkish citizenship by investment and Antigua and Barbuda citizenship by investment both include a property route, and in each the property must qualify under the route's own rules.

Before signing in Turkey, note that the price is exchanged into Turkish lira through a bank, a valuation firm licensed by the Capital Markets Board confirms the value, and the seller pays a further 2%. In Antigua and Barbuda, the CIU says the real estate route can take longer depending on the property, and Wealthy Expat's program page prices only the National Development Fund route's fees, so ask for the real estate figures.

Contribution routes and what each amount covers

Each contribution is published for a defined household, so read the amount with the people it covers.

Beyond four people, St Kitts and Nevis adds USD 25,000 for each dependant under 18 and USD 50,000 for each aged 18 or older. Argentina's figures were announced on 2 October 2026 for applications during the fourth quarter of 2026, and in June 2026 two appeals courts ruled against the decree that created the route, in individual naturalisation cases; neither ruling examined the investment route itself, and one case is reported to be before the Supreme Court. Each program page carries the fee lines: Vanuatu citizenship by investment, St Kitts and Nevis citizenship, São Tomé and Príncipe citizenship by investment, Argentina citizenship by investment and El Salvador citizenship by investment.

Refunds, holding periods and the exit

Refund wording differs by program:

• Called non-refundable: the contributions to Antigua and Barbuda's National Development Fund and São Tomé and Príncipe's National Transformation Fund, Argentina's Treasury contribution and El Salvador's USD 1,000,000.
• Stated in part: Vanuatu keeps the 25% paid before the Citizenship Commission considers an application if that application is refused.
• Not stated: the St Kitts and Nevis texts give no refund terms for the Public Benefit Option; confirm them with the Citizenship Unit before you pay.

Timing limits the exposure. St Kitts and Nevis and São Tomé and Príncipe take the contribution within 90 days of approval, Antigua and Barbuda's National Development Fund within 30 days of the approval letter, and El Salvador takes USD 999 at the start and USD 999,001 after approval.

A property returns capital only through a sale, at a price no one can promise. Turkey's annotation is lifted at the owner's request after three years, but a transfer back to the previous owner or that owner's first-degree relatives cancels the property investment certificate; Antigua and Barbuda allows resale within five years only into another approved property. Between the two sit financial assets: Turkey's USD 500,000 deposit, bond, fund and pension routes, each held for three years, and Argentina's USD 800,000 government bond, whose terms are unpublished.

Family members on a property or contribution application

List every relative with their age and dependency before you compare family prices:

• Turkey: spouse, children under 18 and dependent adult children, assessed case by case; Law No. 5901 does not list parents.
• Antigua and Barbuda: dependent children aged 30 or younger, fully supported parents and grandparents aged 55 or over, and unmarried siblings.
• St Kitts and Nevis: spouse, children under 18, unmarried and substantially supported children aged 18 to 29, and parents aged 55 and over who live with, and are fully supported by, the main applicant.
• Vanuatu: spouse, children under 18, children aged 18 to 25 in full-time education who live with or depend on you, and dependent parents over 50 who live with you.
• Argentina: USD 100,000 for a spouse or an unmarried, childless child aged 18 to 25; USD 25,000 per child under 18.
• El Salvador: one spouse and all children under 18.

Check nationality first. St Kitts and Nevis excludes citizens and ordinary residents of Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, Iraq, North Korea and Russia. Antigua and Barbuda accepts nationals of Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea, Somalia, Yemen and Sudan only if they migrated as minors or held permanent residence for at least 10 years in a country not on its list, with no economic ties to a restricted country.

Presence and travel after citizenship by investment

Turkey, Vanuatu and São Tomé and Príncipe require no residence, and St Kitts and Nevis none at present, though it has announced a residence framework with no start date. Antigua and Barbuda currently requires at least five days in the first five calendar years; regional legislation sets 30 days in aggregate for applications made once the regional agreement applies. A naturalised Salvadoran loses that nationality by living more than two consecutive years in the country of origin, or by more than five consecutive years of absence without a permit.

Turkish nationals need a visa for Schengen short stays and are outside the US Visa Waiver Program, and Vanuatu has been on the EU visa-required list since 3 February 2025 (see the Vanuatu passport guide). Since 1 January 2026, US Proclamation 10998 has suspended the entry of Antigua and Barbuda nationals as immigrants and on B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M and J visas, and the European Commission has asked the country to phase out its program by 1 June 2028; Schengen visa-free access is not suspended.

Comparing quotations for citizenship by property investment

Ask every provider for one written quotation with the same lines: the qualifying amount, due diligence, government, passport and dependant fees, and professional fees; on a property route, add transaction, valuation and holding costs. Keep each fee in its own currency and label any conversion as an estimate. The investment migration quotation checklist gives a line-by-line format.

Then weigh the price against what the route gives you: the family covered, the presence required and the travel access of the citizenship. The citizenship by investment catalog sets the programs side by side, and Wealthy Expat's strategy assessment brings your route, family and budget questions together.