With the aim of delivering an application and investment process that is friction-free and to combat delays caused by the pandemic, Saint Lucia’s CIU has unveiled its e-payment platform, making the Caribbean nation the first citizenship by investment programme to offer a wholly owned and managed e-payment platform as part of its recently launched website.
As one of the first countries to deliver a digitalised solution for its citizenship by investment programme applications, Saint Kitts & Nevis is set to implement a digital transformation throughout 2020-2022 aimed at boosting the economy and making the Caribbean island nation a world leader in digital delivery for its citizens, residents and investors.
Following Saint Kitts & Nevis' recent announcement that it will reopen for tourism on October 31, the Caribbean island, which boasts the world's most established CBI Programme, has outlined the entry and travel requirements of its phased reopening and listed the hotels and resorts that are open.
Following media criticism of Cyprus' Citizenship by Investment programme and a subsequent investigation exposing political abuse, the Cypriot government has today announced that it will suspend its highly successful Citizenship by Investment programme, taking effect from November 1.
Following huge delays in applicant interviews for Bulgarian citizenship by investment due to the coronavirus pandemic, Bulgaria’s Justice Ministry has announced an increase in the number of time slots available during October 2020 in the online scheduling system of its citizenship by investment directorate.
With nearly 4,000 citizenship applicants approved during the first three months of the pandemic, Turkey continues to process high volumes of passport applications via its Citizenship by Investment programme, with no let-up during Covid. Such numbers make Turkey’s CIP currently the most popular on the market today.
For the first time, Malta has emerged as the best Citizenship by Programme in Europe, according to the CBI Index 2020. However, with the country’s programme having reached its cap of 1,800 and with its re-launch following new rules and guidelines from October 1, will the new iteration continue its upward trajectory?