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Residency

Residency by Investment

Advice on programmes granting a right of residence — a distinct legal status from citizenship, with its own obligations.

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Who it is for

This service suits people who need a lawful right to live, and often to work or study, in a particular country — whether for business presence, a child's education, healthcare access, or as a deliberate first step in a longer plan.

It also suits clients for whom citizenship is not available, not appropriate, or not yet the right question.

What it covers

Residency by investment grants a right to reside in a state for a defined period, usually renewable, and conditional on continuing to meet the programme's requirements. It is not nationality.

That distinction matters more than any other point on this page, because the industry routinely blurs it. A residence permit does not give you a passport, does not give you the rights of a national, and can be lost if its conditions stop being met.

Route to citizenship

Some residency programmes may, after a qualifying period, open a route to naturalisation. Where that is the case we will tell you what the published rules currently require. What we will not do is present that route as automatic, guaranteed or time-certain, because it is none of those things: the qualifying period can change, the criteria can tighten, and naturalisation normally carries its own tests such as residence, language or integration requirements.

Obligations to plan around

Residency programmes more commonly carry minimum physical presence requirements, renewal conditions, and obligations to maintain the qualifying investment. Those obligations, not the entry price, are usually what determines whether a programme actually fits a client's life.

What is included

  • Residence objective and presence assessment

    Testing the programme against how much time you can realistically spend in-country.

  • Eligibility screening for you and your dependants

    Against the published criteria of each candidate programme.

  • Obligation modelling

    Renewal conditions, minimum presence and investment-holding periods set out before you commit.

  • Written explanation of any route to citizenship

    Based on current published naturalisation rules, with its conditions and uncertainties stated.

  • Document preparation and quality control

    Including translation and legalisation requirements.

  • Application coordination

    Through the authorised channel for the jurisdiction.

  • Renewal calendar and condition summary

    What you must do, and by when, to retain the status.

How it works

  1. Purpose and presence. What the residence is for, and realistically how much time you can spend in the country.
  2. Eligibility screening. Your circumstances against the published criteria, including any dependants you intend to include.
  3. Obligation modelling. The renewal conditions, presence requirements and investment-holding periods you would be committing to.
  4. Programme selection. The options that fit both the objective and the obligations.
  5. Documentation and lodgement. Prepared, quality-checked and submitted through the correct channel.
  6. Renewal planning. What you must do, and by when, to keep the status.

Timelines differ by programme and by the authority reviewing the file. We do not publish indicative durations we cannot source.

Scope and limits

Not included in this service

  • A promise that residency leads to citizenship It may open a route. It is never automatic and we will not present it as such.
  • Guaranteed approval or processing time Decided by the authority, not by us.
  • Property search or brokerage Where a programme has a real estate route we advise on qualification, not on selecting or selling the asset.
  • Residency is not citizenship, and we will not describe it as such.
  • Any route from residency to citizenship is governed by the state's naturalisation law and is never guaranteed or automatic.
  • Maintaining the status is your ongoing obligation; failing a presence or investment condition can end it.
  • We do not guarantee approval, timelines, or that renewal terms will be unchanged at renewal.
  • We do not provide legal or tax advice.

Questions

Is residency the same as citizenship?

No. Residency is a right to live in a country for a defined, usually renewable period, subject to conditions. Citizenship is full legal nationality. They confer different rights, carry different obligations, and are granted under different law. Any advisor using the two interchangeably is not describing the position accurately.

Will residency lead to a passport?

Sometimes a route exists after a qualifying period, and sometimes it does not. Where it does, it is governed by that state's naturalisation law and typically carries its own requirements such as minimum residence, language or integration tests. It is not automatic and the rules can change during your qualifying period.

How much time do I actually have to spend there?

This is programme-specific and is one of the first things we check, because it is the condition most likely to make an otherwise attractive programme unworkable. Some require substantial presence; some require very little. We will confirm the current published requirement.

What happens if I stop meeting the conditions?

A residence permit is conditional. Falling below a presence requirement, or disposing of a qualifying investment before the holding period ends, can mean the permit is not renewed or is revoked. We set out those conditions in writing at the start of the engagement.

Can my family be included?

Usually, but eligibility rules for spouses, children and parents vary considerably between programmes and change frequently. See our family and dependant guidance service, and we will confirm the current position for your family composition.

This page describes an advisory service. It is not legal, tax or immigration advice, and nothing here is an offer or a guarantee of any outcome. Green Apple Consultants is not a government body and does not grant citizenship, residence or any immigration status — every application is decided solely by the competent government authority.

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