Montenegro Citizenship By Investment Program 2021
BREAKING: The Montenegro Parliament has just voted in favour of recognising same-sex civil partnerships, taking them one step closer to European Union (EU) accession and positioning them as the best Citizenship By Investment country for gay couples.
Looking to acquire investment citizenship and enjoy visa free travel to EU countries? The highly anticipated Montenegro Golden Passport Programme, formally known as the Montenegrin Citizenship By Investment Programme, now affords third country nationals the opportunity to acquire a second passport in 3 months, with investments from only €250,000. Best of all, citizens of Montenegro are eligible to apply for the US E-2 Visa, a program that has become massively popular since the US EB-5 Investment Visa price increase in late 2019.
Find out more about the newly launched programme below, or contact us now for a free consultation.
What is the population of Montenegro?GoldenVisasAdmin2020-07-20T14:48:18+00:00
By 2018, Montenegro’s population had reached 622,000. The population comprises a mix of Montenegrins, Serbs, Bosniaks, Albanians Croats as well as a smattering of other nationalities.
What are the languages of MontenegroGoldenVisasAdmin2020-07-20T14:47:09+00:00
While Montenegrin is the official language of Montenegro, Serbian, Albanian, Bosnian and Croatian are all spoken, especially in the country’s larger cities. While English is not widely spoken, you will find local English speakers in the country’s core tourism centres.
What is Montenegro’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)?GoldenVisasAdmin2020-07-20T14:45:31+00:00
As of 2020, companies incorporated in Montenegro are subject to corporate profit taxation at 9%. It is one of the lowest corporate tax rates in Europe, where the average company tax rate is typically between 19% and 25%.
What is the Montenegro corporate tax rate in 2020?GoldenVisasAdmin2020-07-20T14:44:26+00:00
As of 2020, companies incorporated in Montenegro are subject to corporate profit taxation at 9%. It is one of the lowest corporate tax rates in Europe, where the average company tax rate is typically between 19% and 25%.
Does Montenegro recognize same-sex civil unions?GoldenVisasAdmin2020-07-20T14:41:19+00:00
Yes, as of July 2020, Montenegro recognises gay and lesbian civil unions. The move has been welcomed by advocacy bodies and the international community alike.
Where is Montenegro situated?GoldenVisasAdmin2020-07-20T14:49:48+00:00
Situated on the Balkan coast, Montenegro is considered to be part of South and Southeastern Europe. The country shares borders with Serbia to the northeast, Bosnia-Herzegovina to the northwest, Kosovo to the east, and Croatia to the west. On the southwestern side it faces the Adriatic Sea.
Is Montenegro part of the EU?GoldenVisasAdmin2020-07-20T14:37:11+00:00
Montenegro is presently not part of the European Union, however accession looks likely during the next couple of years. The country initiated the process of EU accession in 2005. In 2010, the EU commission issued a favourable opinion on Montenegro’s application, granting it formal candidate status and identifying 7 key priorities that needed to be addressed.
The country was recently given the green light to open the final chapter of accession negotiations with the EU.
The country’s application carries broad approval among other EU members, and accession is considered to be possible by as early as 2025. By 2016, the European Commission deemed that Montenegro was the most prepared country among prospective member states. Acquiring Montenegrin Citizenship by Investment is therefore considered to be a “value buy”, given that other direct European citizenship by investment programs require an investment of up to €2 million, as is the case in Cyprus.
About the Montenegro CBI Program
Formally launched by the Montenegro government in early October 2019, the programme intends to attract foreign direct investment, with an emphasis on developmental projects.
The programme was only launched 2 years after it was first announced, and had since received extensive market interest and publicity. Given the investment price point, streamlined application process and the power of the Montenegrin passport, demand from high net worth individuals in China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, South Africa and the Middle East is expected to be very high.
The programme features rigorous due diligence requirements and a cap on annual applications – only 2,000 investment passports will be issued per year. Applicants must be aged 18 years or older, and must make an eligible investment into a government approved real estate development or project.
In addition, both primary applicants and their dependent family members are required to make a non-refundable contribution to a government development fund.
Once the stringent programme requirements have been met, the applicant and their family can be granted full citizenship.
Montenegro CBI: 2021 Investment Options
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The €450,000 investment option: Foreign investors have the option of making an investment of €450,000 in real estate projects in Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro, or in its popular coastal regions.
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The €250,000 investment option: Alternatively, applicants have the option of investing this lesser capital sum into realty projects in Northern or Central Montenegro, however lower yields on investment should be expected.
You can view the latest Montenegro government approved CBI projects here.
While the programme initially only made provision for investment in hospitality type developments, the Montenegrin government recently launched a policy framework document expanding the programme’s investment scope to include industrial wood processing, agricultural projects and fisheries projects as alternative investment categories.
For fisheries, forestry and agricultural projects, the investment must be made in primary production, or in the processing of raw materials:
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The €2 million investment option: For investments into primary fisheries and agricultural production projects, the minimum capital investment requirement is €2 million.
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The €3.5 million investment option: For investments into processing projects for fisheries and agriculture, the minimum investment amount is €3.5 million.
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The €4 million investment option: For investments into wood processing projects for, the minimum investment amount is €4 million.