According to Open4business, the Caribbean nation of Saint Lucia has seen a sharp increase in interest in its citizenship by investment program. In the 2023/2024 fiscal year, 5,642 applications were submitted under the Citizenship by Investment Program (CIP), which is 424% more than the previous year, when there were 1,076. This is stated in the program’s official statistics and annual report.
According to the report, the number of approved applications rose to 1,171 compared to 544 the previous year, while the number of rejections was 77 compared to 8 in the prior period. At the same time, the volume of applications in a single fiscal year exceeded the cumulative total of all previous years of the program’s operation, which was estimated at 2,768 applications over seven years.
The financial impact on the country was also significant. Program revenues reached 240.3 million East Caribbean dollars, or approximately $89 million, which is nearly four times higher than the previous year’s level. The bulk of the revenue came from due diligence fees and administrative charges, primarily related to real estate investments.
Thus, Saint Lucia has become one of the most dynamic players in the investment citizenship market in the Caribbean. At the same time, such a sharp surge may heighten scrutiny of the quality of due diligence, application processing times, and the sustainability of the model itself, especially given that certain Western countries have been taking a tougher stance on “passport-for-investment” programs in recent years. This conclusion is based on official program statistics and the market context described by industry publications.
Saint Lucia is an island nation in the eastern Caribbean and a member of the British Commonwealth. The country uses the East Caribbean dollar, and its economy relies primarily on tourism, real estate, and external services. The citizenship-by-investment program has been in effect here since 2015 and has become one of the tools for attracting capital to state funds and approved development projects.
The Portuguese Parliament has once again approved a revision of the citizenship law, which tightens naturalization rules; however, the new provisions have not yet taken effect and must still undergo further procedural steps. This was reported by Portuguese media and international publications covering the repeat vote following previous remarks by the Constitutional Court.
According to published reports, the new text of the law was approved on April 1, 2026. It is a revised version of the reform that Parliament had already approved in October 2025, but some of its provisions were subsequently challenged through constitutional proceedings. As a result, lawmakers revisited the document and voted in favor of the amended version.
According to specialized legal reviews and publications on the reform, the key idea behind the changes is to increase the residency period required to obtain citizenship from five to ten years for most foreigners. For citizens of CPLP countries—the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries—a more lenient requirement of seven years was discussed. The reform also includes stricter integration requirements and changes to the rules governing the loss of citizenship in certain cases.
It is important to note, however, that even after this new parliamentary approval, the law is not yet in effect. As before, the bill must go through the remaining formal stages, including presidential review and publication in the Diário da República. Until then, the current rules remain in effect in Portugal, under which the standard path to naturalization for most applicants remains five years.
Thus, the information that the Portuguese Parliament has approved a new citizenship law is generally confirmed. However, it is more accurate to speak not of the new rules coming into force, but of the re-approval by Parliament of a reform that remains in the final stages of formalization.
Starting April 1, 2026, Japan will tighten the rules for obtaining citizenship through naturalization: the minimum residency requirement for foreigners will be increased from 5 to 10 years. This was announced on March 27 by Japanese Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi.
In addition to doubling the residency requirement, the government is also extending the period for verifying applicants’ compliance with civic obligations. According to Japanese media reports, the period for verifying tax payments will be increased to 5 years, and for social insurance contributions—to 2 years instead of the previous 1 year. The new requirements will also apply to applications already submitted.
Until now, the basic rule for naturalization in Japan has been continuous residence in the country for at least 5 years. The Japanese government explains the tightening of requirements by the need to better verify the integration of foreigners and their compatibility with Japanese society. This news is particularly notable given the high international status of the Japanese passport. In the latest edition of the Henley Passport Index, Japan ranks among the world leaders in passport power, sharing 2nd place with access to 190 destinations visa-free or with simplified entry.
According to a report by Relocation.com.ua, Sweden has established a timeline for gradually tightening its citizenship rules: most of the new requirements are proposed to take effect on June 6, 2026; mandatory language and social studies tests—in October 2027; and the mechanism for revoking citizenship in certain cases—on January 1, 2028. This is outlined in a report by KPMG Sweden, prepared based on government initiatives and investigative materials submitted to the Swedish Ministry of Justice.
Under the proposed changes, the standard residency requirement in Sweden before applying for citizenship will increase to eight years from the current five. For spouses of Swedish citizens, the period of cohabitation required to qualify for application will rise to seven years instead of three, provided that the Swedish spouse has held citizenship for at least five years.
At the same time, a requirement for financial self-sufficiency is being introduced for the first time. Applicants will be required to demonstrate a stable income from employment or business, and prolonged receipt of unemployment benefits may serve as grounds for denial. Exceptions are proposed for retirees and students with good academic standing.
Starting in October 2027, a mandatory state test is planned to be introduced, which will assess not only knowledge of the Swedish language but also understanding of the structure of Swedish society. As an alternative, high scores on the Swedish for Immigrants program may be accepted.
Another area of tightening concerns the so-called “good conduct.” Citizenship may be denied to individuals convicted of or suspected of serious crimes, as well as repeat offenders. Separately, the commission proposed allowing the revocation of citizenship for individuals with dual citizenship starting January 1, 2028, in cases of particularly serious crimes or the submission of knowingly false information when applying for a passport.
It is important to note that this currently refers specifically to the government’s package of proposals and the timeline for their anticipated implementation, rather than a fully completed legislative reform. As early as January 2025, the Swedish government stated that it wanted to make the process of obtaining citizenship more stringent and link it to deeper integration into society.
https://relocation.com.ua/sweden-tightens-citizenship-rules/
Turkey is streamlining certain administrative procedures for foreign investors participating in the citizenship-by-investment program, while the basic eligibility requirements for the program remain unchanged. The most popular option still involves purchasing real estate worth at least $400,000 with a commitment not to sell the property for three years; alternative routes include a bank deposit, the purchase of government bonds, stock market investments, or fixed capital investments starting at $500,000.
According to industry consultants, in 2026 the program continues to operate without requiring long-term residence in the country or a language exam, and the total processing time for citizenship is typically about six months after investment confirmation. Market participants cite clearer and more centralized coordination of procedures through investment and immigration authorities as one of the practical simplifications, which reduces some of the bureaucratic burden on applicants.
Interest in the Turkish program remains steady amid overall foreign demand for local real estate, although the market itself cooled significantly in 2025. According to Daily Sabah, citing official statistics, foreigners purchased 21,534 residential properties in Turkey in 2025—the lowest figure in nine years.
Russian citizens led the list of buyers, followed by Iran, Ukraine, Germany, and Iraq. The top 10 also included Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Saudi Arabia, and Afghanistan.
The Romanian authorities have extended the transition period for submitting applications to regain Romanian citizenship without the mandatory B1-level Romanian language certificate by one more year.
The transition period itself has been moved from March 15, 2026, to March 15, 2027. Thus, over the next 12 months, applicants under this procedure will still be able to begin the process without providing a language certificate at the application stage.
The requirement to demonstrate proficiency in Romanian at the B1 level was introduced by Law No. 14 of March 12, 2025, and the agency’s leadership initiated steps to postpone its practical implementation.
This does not mean the cancellation of the language requirement itself, but rather an extension of the transition period for another year.
Source: https://relocation.com.ua
