It’s official: one of the best citizenship-by-investment programs in Europe is closing at the end of this year. In mid-April this year, the Montenegrin government opted not to extend the validity period of Montenegro’s CBI program, which, to this day, is one of the best ways to execute a migration strategy in Europe.
Although it was expected news, it is still a surprise that puts in trouble those who were still thinking whether or not to seize this incredible opportunity. The Montenegro program was designed for investors who want citizenship of this Balkan country.
The opportunity window to become a citizen of Montenegro through its CBI program is closing
Considering that there are only about seven months left to take advantage of this opportunity and that application approval takes at least six months, the only option for those who still want a piece of the Montenegrin pie is to apply with the support of the best legal team they can find.
Who should take this last chance to apply to Montenegro’s CBI program? Montenegro quickly became the hidden gem of the Balkans in 2019 when it announced one of the best citizenship by investment programs in all of Europe.
This program is perfect for investors who want to enjoy the quality of life with European standards, combined with absurdly low entry prices and one of the most beautiful natural environments on the planet.
Why Montenegro?
Montenegro has always been one of our favorite jurisdictions for so many reasons that sometimes it’s hard to put them all on one list. Since the start of its CBI program in 2019, Montenegro has demonstrated to be one of the best places to execute a migration strategy in Europe.
We can highlight Montenegro’s dazzling natural ecosystem and breathtaking landscapes or its simplified tax system and robust tourism and real estate markets. Still, this small Balkan country has much more to offer for those looking to establish residence or do business and expand it throughout Europe.
We always recommend Montenegro because, in addition to what we have already mentioned above, this small Balkan country has a CBI program like we will not see anymore in Europe.
Seven things you should know about the Montenegrin CBI program
It is an unrepeatable opportunity
Montenegro’s CBI program is like a shooting star in the world of migration and asset protection strategies. This program will stop accepting applications on December 31 of this year and will never be active again, according to the latest statements of the Montenegrin government.
The chances of ever reencountering an opportunity of this caliber are pretty remote, and that is one of the things we love most about Montenegro’s citizenship by investment program: its exclusivity.
Montenegro is set to become a member of the European Union in 2025
The possibility to invest in one of the most favorable jurisdictions in Europe, knowing that you will be able to enjoy all the advantages of joining the Schengen area in a couple of years, is something you don’t see in other CBI programs. Investing today in Montenegro is to start enjoying the European quality of life but in a fiscally favorable country, and with the security of expanding your business later throughout the EU.
This type of opportunity is undoubtedly perfect for investors who know how to think in the medium and long term. Instead of facing the difficulties and regulations of other European citizenship and golden visa programs, taking advantage of the Montenegrin offer allows you to enter Europe at a much lower cost and better tax efficiency opportunities.
By investing in real estate, you get Montenegrin citizenship and a passport automatically
The Montenegrin citizenship by investment program not only has outrageously low entry fees compared to the European average but also guarantees a top-notch passport along with your citizenship certificate once you are accepted and have passed the due diligence process and background checks.
This gives you the possibility to enjoy the returns on your investment while taking advantage of a passport that will allow you visa-free entry to 124 countries.
The best opportunities in European Real Estate
In line with the previous point, we also have to talk about the real estate market in this beautiful jurisdiction. The reality of Montenegrin real estate could not be more different from what you can see in Central Europe. In the rest of the countries on the European continent, property prices have skyrocketed simultaneously as their return on investment has dropped, all thanks to regulations, low demand, and unfavorable tax systems.
Montenegro is living a very different reality. In this country, property prices are bizarrely low compared to other European jurisdictions, and their returns are consistently above the European average. More and more investors realize this, so those who invest now may be able to enjoy a healthy rise in prices later.
Montenegro is a tourism powerhouse in Europe
One thing that contributes to the profitability of real estate investments in Montenegro is that this small country receives more than one million tourists per year. That number has been increasing over the last few years. Even with the latest travel restrictions, the Montenegrin tourism sector has maintained its growth levels and is expected to continue to do so for the next few years.
There are no residency requirements to apply for the Montenegro CBI
The Montenegrin CBI program has a particularly low list of requirements compared to other similar programs in Europe. Still, unquestionably, one of the main issues that attract investors to this program is that it does not require physical residency in Montenegro to apply.
In fact, you can carry out the whole application process outside Montenegro. The only time your presence will be required is when registering your data to prepare your Montenegrin passport.
Citizenship can be passed on to your family for generations
As long as you meet primary conditions of permanence, the citizenship you obtain in Montenegro can be enjoyed by your family for generations. This is one of the best ways to protect your loved ones from authoritarian governments and stifling tax regimes for life.
You’ve already seen why we love Montenegro as an opportunity to invest and get a passport that opens doors all over Europe. Still, we’ve saved something for last, which is equally, if not more, impressive: by becoming a Montenegrin citizen, you can apply for an E-2 visa to do business in the United States.
If you want to know more about this visa that you can obtain once you acquire Montenegrin citizenship, read our article here.
How Montenegro’s CBI program works
In a nutshell, for an investor to become a citizen of Montenegro through its CBI program, two main conditions must be met:
Make a non-refundable donation of 100,000 euros to the Montenegrin government. Invest in a property approved by the Montenegrin government. The Montenegrin government approves several properties for its CBI program, and we have experts who work directly with the most prominent real estate developments in the country. These investment opportunities start from 250,000 euros.
In general, an investor must own the property for five years and, during that time, he/she can enjoy the rental income from the real estate project. The ROI can reach 6% per year. After those five years, investors can sell their property and recover their investment, and still keep their Montenegrin citizenship and passport.
You can still participate in Montenegro’s CBI program, but the clock is ticking
If you want to be one of the few to get Montenegrin citizenship through this program, you will have to be very quick. The Montenegrin government will stop accepting applications on December 31, 2021.
An application to this citizenship-by-investment program takes on average six months, so if you want to be enjoying your Montenegrin passport by the end of this year, speed will play a vital role in the process.
Some investors will think about making the application to the Montenegro CBI program on their own. Still, they will quickly realize that the Montenegrin language barrier will be a challenging hurdle to overcome. As all paperwork must be done in the Montenegrin language, the fastest route is to work with a team of legal professionals trained and approved to process applications for the Montenegro CBI program.
There are only a handful of legal teams in the world approved by the Montenegrin government to process applications and support investors in their path towards Montenegrin citizenship. Privatus Maximus is one of those teams.
If you want to get started with your application right away, you can contact us and you will immediately meet our team of Montenegrin experts to prepare your application.
Who we are and what we can do for you
Privatus Maximus has partnered with Privatus Maximus, a firm that has worked for nearly three decades helping investors from every corner of the world find the best opportunities to protect their freedom and assets.
It has been clear that the world is becoming increasingly hostile to high net worth individuals with a legacy to protect. Authoritarian governments and anti-business regulations are the order of the day in almost every country, and the best defense against this reality is to diversify risk through residency options.
We firmly believe that having options is the best line of defense against the insecurity we are facing today. In this sense, what Montenegro offers through its CBI program is one of the best options anyone can have.
Our team has grown into a network of legal professionals in the best jurisdictions globally. We have now become one of the few teams to be authorized by the Montenegrin government to assist investors with their Montenegrin CBI applications.
We can help you obtain your Montenegrin citizenship and passport in six months. Still, if you want to take advantage of this opportunity, it is now or never because there are only a couple of months left to complete the entire process before the program becomes closed for new applications.
If you want to become a Montenegrin citizen, contact us now. Our experts will prepare your application immediately.