Botswana’s upcoming citizenship-by-investment program attracted 464 expressions of interest from 77 countries in its first week, according to Arton Capital, the firm contracted by the government to develop the scheme.
Contributions for the program range from $75,000 to $90,000, depending on family size, as noted on the official registration portal.
Armand Arton, CEO of Arton Capital, said the variation accounts for differences in family size. Due diligence fees are set at around $5,000 per adult applicant, consistent with industry norms.
Government fees are still being finalised but are expected to fall between $2,000 and $5,000, depending on family size and other factors. Arton noted that total costs for single applicants will remain under $100,000, while families “definitely will be just above $100,000, but not reaching $120,000”.
Further details on agent fees and remuneration will be outlined in regulations that Botswana’s parliament is set to approve in November.
The current figures reflect early expressions of interest, not formal applications. The citizenship-by-investment program is still in its pre-launch phase, with official applications expected to open in early 2026.
India and the United States led the registrations with 47 and 46 prospective applicants, respectively, followed by South Africa (39), Pakistan (36), Nigeria (30), and Zimbabwe (29). Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Germany completed the top 10 source countries.
Furthermore, almost half of the registrants (47%) indicated they plan to apply with family members, while 37% intend to apply individually. Another 14% are undecided, and 2% registered as intermediaries on behalf of clients.
Self-reported net worth data show that 70% of registrants claimed assets under $1 million, 24% reported between $1 million and $10 million, and 6% stated holdings above $10 million.
These figures are based on unverified declarations submitted during registration, not on vetted financial assessments.
Based on current residence, the United States led with 29 registrants, followed by Botswana with 27 and the United Arab Emirates with 17. South Africa, Nigeria, Canada, and the United Kingdom each had between nine and 15 registrations.
These registrations represent expressions of interest rather than formal applications. The citizenship-by-investment program is expected to open for official applications in early 2026, according to the program’s website.
Arton noted that Parliament intends to pass new citizenship legislation in November, which will establish the program’s framework, create a regulatory agency, and permit dual citizenship in Botswana for the first time.
“Following that should be the creation of the unit, hiring of the team and all the technology integration necessary to start in January or February, with the first application to be processed,” Arton added.