Cambodia Citizenship by Investment

The Cambodia Citizenship by Investment program is not well known by the public and not really marketed around the world. Put into law in 1994, the program provides foreigners with Cambodian nationality if they invest in the country. For foreigners, the most cited reasons are the ability to acquire land and other property in their own name and the ability to travel to other Asian countries visa-free. Cambodian citizenship has also been bestowed on foreigners who have made exemplary contributions to the kingdom.

The application process is said to take 3–4 months plus 3–6 months for family members to get naturalized. Children need to be under 18 to qualify as dependent.

Agent fees are estimated between US$75,000 – US$85,000 for the main applicant and US$5,000 per dependent.

 

Read also about the Turkey Citizenship by Investment program

There are 2 options in order to be eligible for naturalization by investment:

Donation

A foreigner could also be accorded Cambodian citizenship if he donates 1 billion riels (about US$250,000) or more to the national budget.

Business Investment

A foreigner who invests 1.25 billion riels (around US$312,500) in Cambodia can be eligible for naturalization by investment. In this case, the seven-year residency is waived. However, other requirements for naturalization like language fluency still apply. The business project needs to be approved by the government:
• Any foreigner who had received a letter of authorization for investment from the Cambodian Development Council (CDC) and who had implemented concretely an actual project, OR
• Any foreigner who has no letter of authorization for investment from the Cambodian Development Council (CDC), but who had received authorization for investment legally from the Royal Government.

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