What is a EU Passport?
Technically speaking, there is no such thing as a “EU passport” because the EU does not issue ordinary passports. However, the term “EU passport” is the generic name for passports issued by one the 28 EU states.
Any citizen of a EU member state can therefore obtain a EU passport.
Moving within Europe with a EU passport
With a valid passport, EU citizens are entitled to exercise the right of free movement and reside freely in the European Economic Area (European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway) and Switzerland, without a visa.
As an alternative to holding a passport, EU citizens can also use a valid national identity card to enter and reside in the EEA (EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway) and Switzerland without a visa. It is important to note there are two countries in the EU that do not issue ID cards: The UK and Denmark.
Traveling outside Europe with a EU passport
EU passports score amongst the highest in terms of numbers of countries of territories allowing entry without a visa or issuing a visa on arrival with Germany scoring the highest with 177 and Croatia the lowest with 149.
An indispensable must-have for entrepreneurs from emerging markets
EU passports offer maximum mobility, both in terms of total freedom of movement within the EU and number of countries accessible without visa outside the EU.
Therefore, considering that most passports from emerging market countries score very low in terms of mobility (number of countries accessible without a visa), acquiring a EU Citizenship / EU passport is an indispensable step towards global mobility.
Main advantages of a EU Passport
- Freedom to live, study, work, and travel anywhere within the European Union (incl. the UK)
- Visa-free or visa on arrival access to over 150 countries and territories (depending of the EU state)
- Citizenship and passport extended to family members
- Very low minimum stay periods for some EU citizenship programs such as Cyprus and Malta
- No country quota for EU Universities
- Wider range of financial options
- Potential access to EU medical services
Choosing and obtaining a EU Passport with Shorex Capital
Three EU countries currently offer a citizenship by investment program with no or low residency requirements:
- Cyprus – minimum investment: €2m+VAT – Passport in 3 months
- Malta – minimum investment: €1.15m – Passport in 14-24 months
- Portugal – minimum investment: €500,000 – Passport in 6 years
At Shorex Capital, we can help you choose the right EU citizenship program for you and your family and handle all aspects of your application and real estate investment requirements.