Iran

Iran operates no citizenship by investment program, though it does grant residence permits to foreign investors.

For Iranian nationals looking outward, the picture is more restrictive than for almost any other nationality, as the majority of citizenship investment programs exclude Iranian applicants outright.

A small number of routes remain open, and knowing which is the difference between a viable application and a refusal.

Iran Citizenship by Investment

Iran does not offer a citizenship by investment program. Iranian nationality is acquired through descent, marriage or naturalisation, with no provision for economic contribution.

Iranian nationals face exclusion across most of the Caribbean. Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada and St Kitts and Nevis all bar Iranian applicants, and St Lucia lists Iran among its restricted nationalities.

Dominica applies conditional treatment rather than an outright ban, considering applications only where the applicant left Iran long ago, holds no substantial assets there and conducts no business with or within the country.

Turkish citizenship is the principal route that remains open.

Turkey applies no nationality restriction to Iranian applicants and has long been one of the most heavily used options by Iranian families, granting citizenship on real estate investment from $400,000 held for three years, with a spouse and children under 18 included on a single application.

Iran Residency by Investment

Iran grants a five-year residence permit to foreign nationals investing $90,000 in the country. Holders may live in Iran and conduct business there.

Iranian nationals looking abroad will find European golden visa programs assess applicants on current residence, income and record rather than applying nationality bans.

The Portugal Golden Visa requires a qualifying fund investment from €500,000 and asks for seven days a year in the country, and it is possible to apply for Portuguese citizenship after ten years of legal residence.

The Greek Golden Visa requires property investment from €400,000 across most regions, rising to €800,000 in Athens, Thessaloniki and the larger islands, with a lower €250,000 tier for qualifying commercial-to-residential conversions and listed buildings undergoing full restoration.

The permit runs five years, renews while the investment is held, and imposes no minimum stay requirement.

In practice, the binding constraint for Iranian applicants is rarely eligibility but payment.

International sanctions restrict banking channels and cross-border transfers, and applicants holding funds outside Iran, particularly in the UAE, Turkey, the UK or the EU, are in a materially stronger position than those attempting to transfer from within the country.

Source of funds documentation carries more weight on Iranian files than on any other, and should be assembled before an application begins rather than during it.

Iran Passport Strength and Ranking

Iran ranks 152nd of 199 on the La Vida Passport Value Index.

The Iranian passport reaches 90 of the world’s 227 destinations without a prior visa, representing 12.6% of world GDP and 23.9% of global travel measured by international visitor arrivals.

Economic access is the binding constraint at 12.6%. The passport opens very little of the world where international banking, business and investment take place, and Iranian nationals require advance visas for the United States, the United Kingdom, the Schengen Area, China and Japan.

Turkish citizenship roughly doubles economic reach to 26.0% and takes destination count from 90 to 140. Where Dominica’s conditional route is available, it ranks 68th on the Index with 183 destinations, 55.5% of world GDP and 72.3% of global travel.

Citizenship and Residency by Investment Programs

See below a selection of countries offering residency and citizenship investment programs.

View All