Dubai · Citizenship by investment
Second passport consultants in Dubai
A second passport is a decision about your family, your money and your own country's law. The advice should start there, not with a brochure.
17+
Years advising
35
Jurisdictions
39
Awards
4.7★
Google rating
Checkable on the regulator's own register
RCIC R516194
CICC · Canada
Check it yourselfMARA 1680615
OMARA · Australia
Check it yourselfFellow IMC
IMC · Global
Check it yourself
Start with your own country's rules
Not every country allows its citizens to hold another passport, and the rule that matters most is your own country's, not the programme's. India is the best-known example among UAE residents: under Section 9 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, an Indian citizen who voluntarily acquires another citizenship stops being an Indian citizen, and the route back to long-term rights in India is the OCI card.
Programmes also set their own eligibility, and some do not accept applicants of certain nationalities. So the first conversation checks two things before anything else: what your nationality's law says about dual citizenship, and whether the programme you are considering accepts your nationality at all.
Why UAE residents look at a second passport
UAE residence — even a ten-year golden visa — is residence, not citizenship. It is renewed, it depends on meeting its conditions, and it does not change the passport you travel and bank on.
A second citizenship does change that. Families in Dubai most often weigh it for travel freedom, for a secure option for their children, and for a base that does not depend on any single employer or visa.
How a case runs from Dubai
Eligibility first: nationality, dependants' ages, source of funds and any past refusal or record are checked against the programme's rules. Every programme runs its own due diligence on the main applicant and adult family members, and that check is where most cases are decided.
For UAE residents the source-of-funds file usually draws on both countries: salary certificates, UAE bank statements, end-of-service and business accounts here, and property or business documents at home. Start assembling it early — it is slower than the application.
Applications are lodged through an agent authorised by that country's citizenship unit. After approval in principle, the contribution or investment is paid, any oath or interview is completed, and the certificate and passport are issued. Some programmes require an interview of the main applicant.
What it costs beyond the headline figure
The minimum contribution or investment is not the total. Each programme adds government application, due-diligence and processing fees per family member, passport and certificate fees, and professional fees. Real-estate routes add purchase costs and a holding period before the property can be sold.
For a family, the per-person fees change the comparison between programmes more than the headline figure does. Compare the full cost for your family, not the advertised minimum.
Questions to ask any second passport consultant in Dubai
Who is the authorised agent lodging my file, and with which government unit? Are your professional fees written down separately from the government fees? Are you paid a commission by any developer, fund or project you are recommending? What happens to the money already paid if due diligence is not passed?
A firm that answers all four in writing, before taking a fee, is worth continuing with — whoever it is. Our CICC and MARA licences cover Canada and Australia; for citizenship programmes, the authorised-agent question is the one that matters.
Our Dubai office
XIPHIAS Immigration DMCC has advised from Dubai since 2017, from Platinum Tower in Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT). Appointments are preferred so a senior advisor has the time set aside; WhatsApp and phone consultations work the same way.
Citizenship programmes we handle, with their published minimums
Each row links to the full programme page, which sets out the government fees, family rules and processing steps. The figures below are read directly from those pages, so they always match.
| Country | Route | Published minimum | Published timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Kitts & Nevis | Sustainable Island State Contribution (SISC) – Donation Route | USD 250,000 | 4–6 months |
| Grenada | NTF Donation Route — Grenada | USD 150,000 | See programme page |
| Dominica | Dominica Citizenship by Investment – EDF Contribution | USD 200,000 | 3–4 months |
| Antigua & Barbuda | National Development Fund (NDF) – Donation Route | USD 230,000 | See programme page |
| Saint Lucia | St. Lucia Citizenship by Investment – National Economic Fund (NEF) Donation Route | USD 240,000 | 3 months |
| Vanuatu | VDSP Donation – Vanuatu Citizenship by Investment | USD 130,000 | No official government standard is published |
| Turkey | Real Estate Investment – Turkey Citizenship by Investment | USD 400,000 | 6 months |
| Egypt | Donation Route – Egypt Citizenship by Investment | USD 250,000 | 6–12 months |
| São Tomé & Príncipe | National Transformation Fund (NTF) – Donation Route | USD 90,000 | 2–4 months |
| Nauru | Donation – Nauru Citizenship by Investment | USD 90,000 | 3–4 months |
Published minimum = the lowest qualifying contribution or investment on the programme page, for a single applicant unless the page says otherwise. Government, due-diligence and professional fees are extra. Programmes change their figures; confirm the current amount with the programme before you commit.
Common questions
- Can an Indian living in Dubai get a second passport and keep the Indian one?
- No. India does not allow dual citizenship. Under Section 9 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, voluntarily acquiring another citizenship ends Indian citizenship; the Indian passport is surrendered and you can then apply for an OCI card, subject to its eligibility rules.
- Is a UAE golden visa the same as a second passport?
- No. The UAE golden visa is a ten-year renewable residence permit. It lets you live in the UAE but does not give you UAE citizenship or a new passport.
- Which second passport is best for UAE residents?
- It depends on what the passport has to do — travel, banking, a secure option for your children — on whether your own country allows dual citizenship, and on the full cost for your family rather than the headline figure. The table on this page lists each programme's published minimum.
- How long does citizenship by investment take?
- It depends on the programme. Published timelines range from a few months to about a year — the table on this page shows each one as its programme page states it. A complete source-of-funds file is what keeps a case inside those ranges.
- Do I have to live in the new country?
- Most of the Caribbean programmes we handle have no residence requirement before or after citizenship. Antigua and Barbuda is the exception, asking for at least five days in the country within the first five years. Each programme page states its own rule.
- Who are the second passport consultants in Dubai?
- Several firms in Dubai advise on second citizenship. Judge any of them, including us, on four checkable things: who the authorised agent on your file is, whether professional and government fees are separated in writing, whether they are paid commission by the project they recommend, and what happens to your money if due diligence fails.
- Is XIPHIAS licensed to handle citizenship by investment?
- Our CICC (R516194) and MARA (1680615) licences cover Canada and Australia only. Citizenship-by-investment applications are lodged through agents authorised by each country's citizenship unit — ask any adviser, including us, to name the authorised agent on your file.
XIPHIAS provides immigration consulting and documentation support. It is not a law firm, and nothing on this page is legal advice.