How we rank visas and citizenship programs
Three rankings, one set of facts. Every figure comes from a source we can link to, with the date we checked it. This page shows the exact rules, so you can redo any score yourself.
What counts as a program
A program is one official route to residence or citizenship in one country, with its own rules and fees. We cover six types: digital nomad visas, residence by investment, citizenship by investment, retirement and passive income visas, startup and talent visas, citizenship by descent. Tourist visas, ordinary work permits tied to one employer, and asylum are out of scope.
Value score (out of 100)
| Part | Weight | How it is scored |
|---|---|---|
| Passport reach | 25 | Visa-free destinations of the country's passport divided by the top passport in the same index. For residence programs this is multiplied by 1 − years to citizenship ÷ 20 (at least 0.3), or by 0.3 if the status never leads to citizenship. |
| Path to citizenship | 25 | 100 for a program that grants citizenship, minus 8 points for each year until you can naturalise; 0 if it never counts toward citizenship. |
| Rights | 20 | One third each for: can work for a local employer, spouse and children included, access to public healthcare. |
| Stay rule | 15 | 100 with no minimum stay, falling in a straight line to 0 at 183 days a year. |
| Tax on foreign income | 10 | Not taxed 100, special regime 70, taxed as normal 30. |
| Stability | 5 | No changes in 24 months 100, changed 60, under review 30, suspended 0. |
A value score requires a comparable passport dataset and verified facts covering at least 70% of the weight. Eligible scores are rescaled to account for missing facts. 69 programs are waiting for verification.
Five-year cost
For one adult applicant: government fees, non-refundable contributions, due diligence, compulsory extras in the first year, and renewal fees due in the first five years. Every component must be verified before a total is shown. Recoverable investments and adviser fees are listed separately. USD estimates use the European Central Bank reference rates of 13 November 2026, the Central Bank of Armenia and the Central Bank of the UAE for AMD and AED, and the Panamanian balboa’s official one-to-one parity with the US dollar.
Processing time
Days from a complete application to a decision, as published by the government. If no official time exists, we use the median of reported cases from licensed advisers and applicant surveys and mark the row. Years to permanent residence and citizenship appear as tags, not in the speed ranking.
Sources and evidence levels
- Official: the government's own page, law or fee schedule.
- Official, secondary: an embassy, official gazette or statistics office.
- Adviser or press: a named licensed adviser, law firm or major news outlet. Used only when no official figure exists.
- Reported cases: applicant reports and surveys. Used only for processing times and always labelled.
Each program page shows the level and the source for every figure, and the date the program was last reviewed. Found something wrong or out of date? Tell us through the contact page and we will recheck it.