Our Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) is Here
Discover possibilities that can change your life
IMK Law and the Immigrant Investor Programme
IMK Law Solicitors is one of Ireland’s leading law firms in the sphere of Immigration Law and relocation visas, temporary and permanent residency permits, second citizenship by investments and secondary passports.
We are Irish Lawyers with vast knowledge, experience and expertise in Irish and European Union Law. Our Business Immigration team can advise and assist with the preparation of applications under the IIP and the Start Up Entrepreneur Programme for people from countries that are not members of the European Union to relocate and within a short period of time acquire residency and subsequently citizenship.
We have long standing partnership with network of businesses and law firms in the most attractive countries in the European Union, this enable us to provide not just Irish Immigration services but Immigration services of most of the EU member’s states
The IIP is an option for non-EEA nationals and their families who are in a financial position to make an investment in Ireland. Once the applicants application is approved, the principal applicant and their qualified immediate family members would be granted 2 years residency permit which will allow them to reside or to enter the State on multi-entry visas. The visa can be renewed for a further 3 years and after 5 years you can apply for citizenship provided you fulfill the residency criteria.
Why Choose Ireland Over Other Jurisdictions?
Ireland is an attractive location and has a proven reputation for both investment opportunities and business start-ups due to a number of favourable factors over other European countries such as:
Ireland is an open economy with a first-class infrastructure to facilitate business growth which is evidenced by a long history of foreign direct investment and some of the world’s largest corporations established their headquarters in Ireland
Which means easy access and opportunity to live and work in the 28 EU member countries.
An english speaking country with excellent educational system, Ireland has become a multi-cultural society and as a result, the school curriculum is now broader and more diverse. This makes it an ideal country to raise a family.
Corporation tax is at 12%, and there are plenty of opportunities to avail of grants to start a business or innovation.
Ireland is a liberal and progressive country with respect for human rights and equality for all its citizens that is protected by the Irish constitution.
Ireland is a developed country with a workforce that is one of the most skilled in the world. It's no wonder that some of the best IT professionals in the world are trained here.
At IMK Law solicitors, we can assist you to acquire residency and subsequently citizenship of the Republic of Ireland and some EU member’s states. For convenience, we have created a guide below to give you a brief synopsis of the pathway to acquiring residency permit and citizenship of a county of your choice at a glance.
Ireland
Applicants are required to have a personal net worth of €2,000,000. There are 4 choices of permitted investment available to applicants:
This is a minimum of €1.0 million invested in either a single Irish enterprise or spread over a number of enterprises for a minimum of three years.
The enterprise can be a start-up or existing business but must be registered and headquartered in Ireland and the investment must support the creation or maintenance of employment. The purchase of publicly traded securities will not be considered an eligible investment. The investment must be made in the name of the individual seeking residence.
The most recent audited accounts must be submitted for existing businesses. A business plan must also be submitted for all businesses, indicating how the investment will help create or maintain employment.
A minimum of €1.0 million invested in an approved investment fund. The investment must be held for a minimum period of three years.
The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service have specific guidelines in relation to the type of fund they approve. In general the monies invested by the fund must represent equity stakes in companies not quoted on any stock exchange. The funds and fund managers must be regulated by the Central Bank. There are a number of funds in Ireland which have been set up specifically with IIP investors in mind.
A minimum of €2 million invested in any Irish REIT that is listed on the Irish Stock Exchange. The investment may be spread across a number of different Irish REITs. The full investment must be held for a minimum period of three years. During this period the number of shares approved must be retained even if their value rises above the original €2 million investment. After three years the investor may divest up to 50% of the shares purchased for the IIP, and after four years the investor may divest no more than a further 25%. After five years there are no retention obligations.
An investment in a REIT provides an investor with a lower-risk property investment model in which the investment is diversified into a pool of properties. The debt limits within REITs reduce exposure to negative equity risk. REITs are exempt from corporation tax and are required to distribute the majority of profits each year, so generate a regular stream of income for investors.
A minimum endowment of €500,000 is required in a project of public benefit in the arts, sport, health, cultural, or educational field. It will be regarded as a philanthropic contribution and investors will receive no financial return.
We would discuss each option in detail with you during consultation.
Successful applicants and their qualified family members get temporary initial residence permit for 2 years, then renewed for another 3 years. After 5 years of residence applicants are eligible for permanent residency and citizenship of Ireland, provided they fulfilled the residency criteria.
Ireland permits dual citizenship, you do not have to relinquish your home county citizenship
United Kingdom
Applicants are required to have a net worth of £2,000,000. Investment must be made within the UK for a period of 5 years.
Applicants and their immediate qualified family members get Temporary Residents permit for 3 years, after 3 years it is extended for 2 years. After 5 years, you would be given a Permanent Resident permit, which means you can stay in the UK indefinitely and after 1 more year you can apply for citizenship and British passport.
The UK permits dual citizenship, you do not have to relinquish your home county citizenship.
Switzerland
Switzerland does not offer residency by investment. All applications are made to the applicant’s choice of cantons (Switzerland’s 26 states), and each canton has its own criteria, applications are assessed individually based on those criteria.
However, temporary residence (Permit B) can be obtained on the basis of cantonal tax agreements with minimum of CHF 250,000 annually.
Applicant are now allowed to work or to be engaged in any gainful occupation in Switzerland.
Dual citizenship is allowed only after 10 years on Permit B. After that, you can get Permit C, the stamp for permanent residency and after 2 years on Permit C you can apply for Swiss citizenship.
Bulgaria
Applicants can acquire citizenship by Investment in Bulgaria by investing €1,024,000 in government bonds.
Successful applicants and their qualified family members are given Permanent Residence permit and after 5 years they can get Bulgarian citizenship. There is no physical residency requirement for the purpose of citizenship application.
You are not required to live and work in Bulgaria to apply for Bulgarian citizenship;
Bulgaria permits dual citizenship, you do not have to relinquish your home county citizenship.
Portugal
Applicants can acquire residency and subsequent citizenship in Portugal by buying real estate worth €350,000 – 500,000. Applicant’s can use the property to live in or rental.
Residency permit can be renewed every two years provided the applicant spends two weeks in the country every two years.
Applicants can use their residency permit to travel throughout the EU and Schengen zone.
Applicants and their qualifying family members can get citizenship after 5 years of residency.
Portugal permits dual citizenship, you do not have to relinquish your home county citizenship
Malta
Malta’s Citizenship by Investment route now branded Maltese Citizenship by Naturalisation for Exceptional Services by Direct Investment, provides opportunity for ultra-high net worth individuals to become citizen of Malta by making a minimum investment contribution of €600,000, to the national development fund set up by the government and must be resident for 36 months, before they can apply for citizenship.
Alternatively, applicants can avail of the alternative expedited route which requires a contribution of €750,000 and evidence of 12 months residency. Additional €50,000 must be paid by the Applicant for each qualifying dependant included in their application.
In addition to the contribution, investors must also invest a further €700,000 into residential real estate, or enter into a rental agreement at a minimum value of €16,000 per annum, which must be maintained for five years.
A compulsory donation of €10,000 to a registered philanthropic, cultural, sport, scientific, animal welfare, or artistic non-governmental approved organisation or society is also required.
Turkey
Applicants are required to make a fixed capital investments of at least $500,000
Buy Real Estate in Turkey worth a minimum $250,000 with the special condition of not selling it for at least three years.
Make a deposit a minimum of $500,000 in Turkish banks on condition of not withdrawing any of it for three years
Fourth option: Invest $500,000 into government bonds
After 3 years of residency, applicants and their families get citizenship and passport.
Turkish passports grant visa-free access to over 115 countries from all over the world, such as Qatar, Japan, Argentina, South Africa, and Ukraine.
However, a Turkish Passport holder requires a visa to enter all the EU member countries.
Turkey permits dual citizenship, you do not have to relinquish your home county citizenship
Cyprus
Since 1st November 2020, Cyprus suspended its citizenship by investment programme. However, there are other visa options.
As can be seen from the information above, there are variety of investment programs available not only for high-net-worth individuals but also for medium investors. These programs allow investors to get permanent residency with a possibility of becoming citizens in their chosen country.
The above information is a summary of the information for each country listed above, for in-depth information you can contact us through our online booking form and contact details to book an appointment and we would arrange a consultation with one of our experts to discuss in detail the options available to you
Our Professional Fees
We charge a fee for all the services we provide including initial consultations.
We would be fair in our assessment of your matter and provide you with a quote in a timely manner.
We are confident that we will give you a high quality legal service and immigration advice. However, if for any reason you are unhappy with any aspect of the service provided, you should make this known promptly by telephone or by e-mail. We have a procedure in place on how we handle complaints.
We look forward to helping you succeed!
