7 Fastest Citizenship by Investment Programs in 2025 – Including Portugal Golden Visa

Golden Visa Explorer Investments Editorial Team
Mon, 01 Dec 2025 09:00:00 GMT
Citizenship by Investment, Golden Visa Portugal, Second Passport

Discover the 7 fastest citizenship by investment and Golden Visa routes in 2025 – from Caribbean island passports in months to Portugal’s €500k CMVM-regulated fund route with a 5-year EU citizenship thesis.

Citizenship by investment (CBI) programs in 2025 allow qualified investors to secure a second passport in a matter of months – and, in Europe, to build a structured path to long-term citizenship via residency-by-investment.

This guide selects the 7 fastest routes from a global list of 14 programs: Caribbean options such as Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Kitts & Nevis, Grenada and Antigua & Barbuda, the ultra-fast Vanuatu route in Oceania, and – crucially for EU-focused families – the Portugal Golden Visa via €500k CMVM-regulated funds.

While Caribbean CBI can deliver a passport in as little as 2–6 months, Portugal stands out as a regulated residency-by-investment program offering a clear 5-year citizenship pathway when combined with low physical presence, language learning and a compliant fund structure. For sophisticated investors, this allows CBI and Golden Visa planning to sit alongside private equity, fixed income and public markets as part of a broader Plan B strategy.

The article breaks down the main investment options (donations, real estate, bonds, business and regulated funds), key processing times and the pros and cons of each route, finishing with practical FAQs on who can qualify, why a second passport matters and how to combine a fast CBI with a longer-term EU citizenship thesis via Portugal.