Which Countries Allow a Crypto Portfolio to Qualify for Residency or Citizenship: Where Crypto Is Accepted for Immigration

If you’re looking for countries that allow you to use cryptocurrency to obtain residency or citizenship, be prepared for a short list. Despite the marketing from consulting firms, only two countries worldwide accept cryptocurrency directly as an investment for an immigration program.

El Salvador accepts Bitcoin or USDT for citizenship. Bhutan requires a deposit in a sovereign token for a digital nomad visa.

In many other jurisdictions, cryptocurrency must first be converted into fiat, and only then can the state accept the funds as part of the procedure.

El Salvador: the only crypto-focused citizenship-by-investment program

The Freedom Passport program in El Salvador remains the only citizenship by investment (CBI) program in the world where cryptocurrency is accepted directly as an investment—without any prior conversion into fiat.

It launched in December 2023 under the initiative “Adopting El Salvador”. Citizenship is granted in exchange for a non-refundable $1 million contribution, paid in Bitcoin or Tether (USDT).

The funds are directed to state development funds. Payment infrastructure is handled by Tether: the applicant transfers crypto wallet-to-wallet, and there is no need to convert it into fiat at the time of payment. In practice, reviews typically take 6–8 weeks—from application submission to passport issuance.

The application allows you to include a spouse and children: $999 per dependent. The age limit is up to 18, or up to 25 for full-time study. Actual residence before or after approval is not required. Dual citizenship is permitted. The program is capped at 1,000 participants per year.

An El Salvador passport provides visa-free access or entry on arrival to roughly 135 destinations, including the Schengen Area, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea.

The country uses a territorial tax system: only income generated within El Salvador is taxed. Foreign-source income is exempt. Notably, there is no capital gains tax on Bitcoin transactions.

Important: in early 2025, there was a significant regulatory adjustment. On January 29, 2025, El Salvador’s Congress amended the Bitcoin Law as part of the IMF loan condition tied to $1.4 billion. As a result, mandatory requirements for businesses to accept Bitcoin were removed, the ability to pay taxes in Bitcoin was eliminated, and Bitcoin’s legal classification as “currency” was changed. Now, acceptance of Bitcoin by the private sector is voluntary.

At the same time, Freedom Visa continues to operate as a standalone CBI program and is not dependent on Bitcoin’s status as a general legal tender overall. Still, before budgeting $1 million, it’s wise to assess the stability of the regulatory environment on which the program relies.

As Katie Ananina, CMO at CitizenX, noted, demand for the program comes from investors who share a broader vision for El Salvador—not just those hunting for the “cheapest” option. Indeed, with a $1 million price tag, Freedom Visa is about 5 times more expensive than comparable CBI programs in the Caribbean that offer similar or even stronger visa-free access. In many cases, Caribbean programs can be paid through agents who accept crypto and convert it into fiat.

Bhutan: a digital nomad visa with a deposit in a sovereign token

In early 2026, Bhutan launched the world’s first blockchain-linked digital nomad visa. In terms of design, it differs from most investment-migration schemes.

The idea is that applicants must place a $10,000 deposit in TER tokens through DK Bank, a regulated digital bank in Bhutan. TER is a sovereign token backed by gold, issued on the Solana blockchain by Gelephu (Gelephu Mindfulness City Authority, GMCA). Each token corresponds to a 0.01 gram share of physical gold with 999.9 purity, stored in auditable vaults.

The deposit is fully refundable upon departure. At the same time, there is a separate non-refundable annual fee of $2,800 payable to the GMCA. The visa is valid for 12 months, with extensions up to 24 months. There is no minimum income threshold, and no mandatory residence requirement.

This is indeed a digital nomad visa, where a crypto token is used as the deposit mechanism. The program does not lead to permanent residency or citizenship in Bhutan. Historically, Bhutan has restricted immigration and tourism, and many visits have come with mandatory fees and pre-set routes.

The program is embedded in the country’s broader blockchain strategy. Bhutan has been mining Bitcoin using excess hydropower since at least 2019. At its peak (late 2024), the country held more than 13,000 BTC, but reserves later dropped noticeably. In December 2025, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck said he is prepared to direct up to 10,000 BTC toward long-term development funding for Gelephu Mindfulness City.

Critics raise reasonable concerns. For example, Adam Juchniewicz from 21 CBI, in an IMI interview, said that requiring applicants to buy a specific sovereign token (rather than make a deposit in Bitcoin, USDT, or USDC) could look like “token distribution wrapped in a visa offering.” He also questioned how deep demand could be for a long-term relocation base in a country with limited tourism infrastructure.

If you’re looking for digital nomad visas that lead to permanent settlement, the Bhutan option won’t fit. Against the backdrop of 50+ digital nomad visas available worldwide, it remains unique because it requires participation in the sovereign token ecosystem. For some, that’s innovation; for others, it’s just extra friction.

What about other countries: the role of agents and “crypto-friendly” programs

Many consulting companies and licensed agents do accept Bitcoin, Ethereum, and stablecoins for CBI and RBI (Residency by Investment) filings. But that is not the same as a situation where the government accepts cryptocurrency directly.

Vanuatu became one of the early destinations where agents started accepting Bitcoin as early as around 2017. However, the state does not receive Bitcoin. Authorized agents accept crypto, convert it into US dollars, and transfer fiat to the government. Donations start from $130,000 for a single applicant. In December 2024, Vanuatu’s passport lost visa-free access to the Schengen Area.

Antigua and Barbuda amended its CBI law in 2018, allowing cryptocurrency as a source of funds. In this case, the government converts crypto into USD on a daily basis.

Dominica and Saint Lucia follow a similar model: licensed agents accept crypto from applicants, convert it into fiat, and remit payment to the state.

St. Kitts and Nevis also allows crypto assets to be used as proof of net worth for due diligence, but the actual program payment still must be made in fiat.

Hong Kong, under the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (CIES), began accepting crypto assets as evidence of wealth in early 2025. According to available information, at least two investors from mainland China have already qualified, confirming ownership of $3.8 million in Bitcoin and Ethereum. Applicants must keep assets in cold wallets or on major exchanges and, within 6 months after approval, transfer them into investments that meet the scheme requirements. However, the HK$30 million investment is still made through permitted financial instruments.

In Turkey, licensed agents accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies to facilitate real estate transactions that qualify a person for citizenship. Agents convert the crypto and remit fiat to complete the $400,000 deal. In this setup, the state does not receive cryptocurrency directly.

Practical takeaway: what matters more—“direct crypto payment” or a wider choice

For holders of crypto assets, the key question is: how important is it that the state accepts cryptocurrency “at the entry point,” and is it worth narrowing your options down to El Salvador and Bhutan because of that? Or does converting into fiat open a broader—and potentially more advantageous—set of programs?

If your priority is to keep capital in cryptocurrency for as long as possible, El Salvador remains the only destination where citizenship can be paid for directly in that form. If you need a temporary base alongside a sovereign blockchain asset, the Bhutan digital nomad visa is an interesting experiment worth watching.

For most investors, however, a wider picture is provided by routes where tax treatment of crypto gains may be especially attractive—for example, 20 countries where crypto capital gains are not taxed. The investment migration market really does work for crypto investors too—just usually expects the asset to be sold before the final payment is made.

If you’re exploring immigration through investment and want to understand where cryptocurrency is actually accepted under residency/citizenship programs, check our guide: which countries have different rules and what matters for documents and transfers. We help investors navigate requirements—https://digital-nomad.gr/en/goldenvisa.

Our Telegram channel about various types of Greek residence permits, digital nomad programs, and the Greek Golden Visa: @digitalnomadgr