A child born after a citizenship‑by‑investment (CBI) grant is not automatically covered by the original application. Whether the newborn becomes a citizen at birth or must be added later depends on how each country’s nationality law defines descent and on the specific fees and administrative steps required by the program.
Countries where the child is a citizen at birth
| Country | Legal basis for automatic descent | Program‑specific notes |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey | Law No. 5901: a child born to a Turkish mother or a Turkish father (including a naturalised investor) is a Turkish citizen. | No extra CBI fee. Birth abroad must be reported to the Turkish consulate within 60 days; the passport is then issued. |
| Egypt | Law No. 26 (1975, amended 2004): any child of an Egyptian father or mother is Egyptian, irrespective of place of birth. | The CBI page lists citizenship for the investor and minor children (up to 21) with a US$10 000 administrative fee and a US$250 000 donation. No provision for post‑grant births. |
| Jordan | Nationality Law (as amended 1987): children of a Jordanian man are Jordanian wherever born; a naturalised Jordanian father transmits citizenship. | The program admits spouses, dependent children and parents in the original file. No separate rule for children born after the grant. |
| Nauru | Citizenship Act 2017: a child born abroad is a citizen if either parent was a citizen at the time of birth. | The Economic and Climate Resilience Citizenship Act 2024 allows dependants to be added later. For a newborn (0‑2 years) the post‑grant fee is US$5 000 (no contribution); from age 3‑18 the fee remains US$5 000 plus a US$25 000 contribution. |
| Vanuatu | Constitution: anyone born after independence, abroad or at home, is a citizen if at least one parent is a Vanuatu citizen. | The Citizenship Office’s guidance treats children of “citizens by naturalisation” as needing a paid post‑approval application; the fee is not published. |
| Cambodia | Law on Nationality: any legitimate child of a Khmer‑national parent acquires nationality regardless of birthplace. | Sub‑Decree 225 (Dec 2025) allows parents to apply later for children omitted from the original file, with proof of parentage. |
| El Salvador | Constitution: children of a Salvadoran father or mother born abroad are Salvadoran by birth, without reference to how the parent obtained nationality. | The Freedom‑Passport program (US$1 million Bitcoin/USDT donation) does not publish a separate post‑grant procedure. |
| Grenada | Constitution, s. 97: a child born abroad is a citizen at birth if a parent is a citizen “otherwise than by virtue of” the CBI provision. | The CBI Act 2013 registers the investor as a citizen by registration, so the child is automatically Grenadian. No extra fee is listed. |
| Saint Lucia | Constitution mirrors Grenada’s wording, granting citizenship at birth to children of a citizen not obtained through the CBI section. | The program still charges a “newborn” fee (US$5 000) and a later‑age dependent fee (US$25 000). |
| São Tomé & Príncipe | Nationality Law No. 07/2022: children of a São‑Toméan parent born abroad become citizens if they declare the desire to be São‑Toméan. | The Citizenship‑by‑Investment Unit charges US$500 for a newborn (up to 1 year) and US$5 000 for other dependants added after approval. |
Countries that require a separate application and fee for a post‑grant child
| Country | Legal restriction | Program fee for post‑grant child |
|---|---|---|
| Antigua & Barbuda | Constitution limits descent to a parent who was born in the country or was a citizen at independence; investors do not meet this. | Dependent child 0‑5 years: US$10 000; 6‑17 years: US$25 000 (same fee applies to a “future child of a dependent child”). |
| Dominica | Constitution excludes investors; the 2025 amendment removed the “five‑year after citizenship” deadline. | Processing US$2 000 + certificate US$500 for any child under 18; due‑diligence applies from age 16. |
| Saint Kitts & Nevis | Constitution restricts descent to parents who were citizens at independence; investors are excluded. | Child < 3 years born after registration: US$7 500 (plus standard processing fees). A child added while the application is open costs US$10 000. |
| Sierra Leone | Section 5 (2017 amendment) limits descent to a parent who “was or would but for death have been a citizen by birth”; investors are naturalised, not born citizens. | Normal dependant (including child < 18) US$10 000; no separate newborn line. |
Practical checklist for families with a newborn
- Identify the country’s descent rule – check whether the law grants citizenship automatically (the “ten‑country” group) or requires a post‑grant addition (the “four‑country” group).
- Confirm any administrative deadlines – e.g., Turkey’s 60‑day consular notification, São Tomé’s US$500 newborn fee valid until the child’s first birthday, Saint Lucia’s US$5 000 newborn fee also tied to the first birthday.
- Determine the exact fee – some programs publish a flat newborn fee (São Tomé US$500, Saint Lucia US$5 000), others charge a standard dependant fee (Antigua US$10 000, Dominica US$2 500 total).
- Gather required documentation – birth certificate, proof of parent’s citizenship, and, where applicable, a declaration of desire (São Tomé) or proof of parentage (Cambodia).
- Submit the application through the official channel – use the government‑issued form or the program’s online portal; retain written confirmation of the fee schedule and any time limits.
- Watch for regional rulebooks – the Eastern Caribbean CBI Regulatory Authority Agreement (effective 2025) still limits dependants to those named in the original application, so Caribbean programmes revert to national law for post‑grant children.
Key take‑aways
- Automatic citizenship at birth applies in Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Nauru, Vanuatu (by constitution), Cambodia, El Salvador, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and São Tomé & Príncipe.
- Separate post‑grant application and fee are required in Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Saint Kitts & Nevis, and Sierra Leone.
- Even where the law grants citizenship automatically, administrative steps and fees (e.g., consular notification in Turkey, newborn fee in São Tomé) must still be fulfilled.
- Always obtain written confirmation of the applicable fee and deadline before the child is born, especially for programmes that charge different amounts depending on the child’s age at addition.
Source article: www.imidaily.com
