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Botswanan citizenship does not by itself make you liable to tax there. If you live or invest in the country, Steueratlas sets out income tax, corporate tax and VAT.
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Botswana: citizenship by investment is law, the launch is still to come
Botswana's parliament approved citizenship for investors in December 2025, and the Act has been signed. It takes effect once the minister brings it into force by order in the Government Gazette, and the ministry has tied that step to the implementing regulations.
Law passed, not yet in force
- Legal basis
- Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2025, new section 15A
- Status
- passed and signed, not yet in force
- Amount
- to be set by the implementing regulations
- Authority
- Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs
Where Botswana stands today
Botswana has written citizenship by investment into law. Parliament passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2025 in December 2025; it is Act No. 30 of 2025 and has been signed. It adds a section of its own to the citizenship law, economic citizenship: citizenship granted solely in return for an economic investment.
What is still missing is the starting signal. The Act comes into force on the date the minister appoints by order in the Government Gazette. In February 2026 the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs told parliament it was finalising the implementing regulations and that the Act would take effect with them during the year. Those regulations set the fee and the procedure. Until they appear in the Gazette, nobody accepts an application.
The facts from the official source
Legal basis: Citizenship Act (Cap. 01:01), new section 15A and new section 18(7), inserted by the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2025 (No. 30 of 2025); Bill published on 14 November 2025, Government Gazette Bill Supplement, pp. B.704-B.706
Competent authority: Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs, Department of Immigration and Citizenship
| Status | passed by parliament in December 2025 and signed; the ministry is finalising the implementing regulations, with which the Act is due to come into force during 2026 (budget speech of 24 February 2026, paragraph 9) Source |
|---|---|
| Commencement | on a date the minister appoints by order in the Government Gazette (section 1 of the Bill); no applications are accepted until then Source |
| Economic citizenship | citizenship granted solely for the purpose of an economic investment (new section 15A of the Citizenship Act, Cap. 01:01) Source |
| Application | in writing to the minister, or in the form the minister prescribes, on payment of the fee set by regulation (section 15A(1)) Source |
| Sectors | manufacturing, mining and energy, agriculture, infrastructure, financial services, tourism, technology and digitalisation, sport and the creative industries, health, the green economy or renewable energy, and any further sectors prescribed by regulation (section 15A(2)) Source |
| Amount | the Act sets no amount; the fees go into a new special fund, the Economic Citizenship Fund (section 15A(5)); the minister named no figure when introducing the Bill in parliament Source |
| Exclusion | anyone who has committed, or been convicted of, a financial offence under the Financial Intelligence Act in the past ten years (section 15A(3)) Source |
| Rights | economic citizens do not vote in national or local elections, hold public office, receive free public education or state funding reserved for other citizens, serve in the armed forces or security services, receive state or tribal land, or have access to national security information and facilities (section 15A(4)) Source |
| Revocation | by order of the minister for a financial offence or a serious crime in Botswana or abroad, for insolvency, or if the contractual investment obligation is not met within the prescribed period (new section 18(7)) Source |
| Dual and multiple citizenship | today only for citizens by birth or descent; those who acquire citizenship by naturalisation or registration give up their previous citizenship (Citizenship Act as amended by Act No. 23 of 2024, section 16(2)(a)); the 2025 Act speaks of multiple citizenship and removes this requirement Source |
| Family, residence, processing time | not covered by the Act; the implementing regulations will settle them Source |
What the Act lays down
You apply in writing to the minister and pay the fee the regulations set. The investment goes into one of ten sectors the Act names expressly: manufacturing, mining and energy, agriculture, infrastructure, financial services, tourism, technology and digitalisation, sport and the creative industries, health, and the green economy and renewable energy. The minister can add further sectors by regulation.
The Act fixes no minimum amount, and the minister named no figure when he introduced the Bill in parliament either. The fees flow into a dedicated special fund, the Economic Citizenship Fund. The vetting test is clearly drawn: anyone who has committed, or been convicted of, a financial offence in the past ten years does not qualify.
Multiple citizenship
For investors from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, this is the point that matters most. At present Botswana allows dual citizenship only for citizens by birth or descent; anyone who naturalises gives up their previous citizenship. The 2025 Act changes that: it speaks of multiple citizenship and drops the renunciation requirement. Once it is in force, you keep the citizenship you hold today.
What economic citizenship gives you
You become a citizen of Botswana and receive its passport. A few rights remain reserved for other citizens: economic citizens do not vote, hold public office, serve in the armed forces or receive state or tribal land, nor do they get free public education or special state funding. For an investor whose focus is the passport and the investment in the country, these are clear rules of the game.
Citizenship stays tied to the investment. The minister can revoke it if the contractual investment obligation is not met within the prescribed period, on insolvency, or for a financial offence or a serious crime. If you want citizenship by investment in Africa today, Sierra Leone and São Tomé and Príncipe are two programmes that accept applications now.
More on Botswana from us
- New citizenship programmes 2026
Which countries launch in 2026 and which are tightening their rules.
- Sierra Leone
An African programme that is accepting applications today.
- São Tomé and Príncipe
The second African route to citizenship by investment that is already open.
- Dual citizenship in Germany
When you can keep your German passport alongside another one.
More on Botswana across the network
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Working in Botswana
If you want to work in Botswana before economic citizenship opens, you need a work permit. Wohnsitz Ausland explains how it works and which sectors are hiring.
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Corruption in Botswana
If you invest in Botswana, you want to know how the administration and permits work. Wohnsitz Ausland covers where the country stands on corruption and what to watch with permits.
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Internet in Botswana
For an investment in technology and digitalisation, one of the sectors named in the law, local infrastructure matters. Wohnsitz Ausland covers the networks, 5G in Gaborone and Starlink.
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The videos are in German.
Questions about Botswana
Can I already apply for Botswana citizenship?
Not yet. The Act has been passed and signed, but it only takes effect once the minister brings it into force by order in the Government Gazette. The ministry has tied that to the implementing regulations on the fee and the procedure, which it announced in February 2026 for later in the year.
How much does citizenship by investment in Botswana cost?
The Act names no amount. You pay the fee the implementing regulations set and invest in one of the sectors the Act lists. The fees go into the new Economic Citizenship Fund.
Can I keep my current citizenship?
Yes, once the 2025 Act is in force. It replaces dual citizenship with multiple citizenship and removes the requirement for naturalised citizens to give up their previous nationality. Whether your home country lets you hold a second citizenship depends on its own law.
Who is excluded from economic citizenship?
Anyone who has committed, or been convicted of, a financial offence in the past ten years. Once granted, citizenship can be lost for a financial offence, a serious crime, insolvency, or failure to meet the contractual investment obligation on time.
Do I have to live in Botswana?
The Act itself does not require residence. Family members, residence and processing time are left to the implementing regulations.
Official sources
- Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs: Committee of Supply Speech 2026/27, 24 February 2026, paragraph 9
- Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2025, Bill No. 30 of 2025, Government Gazette Bill Supplement of 14 November 2025, pp. B.704-B.706
- Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2024, No. 23 of 2024, pp. A.253-A.257
- Daily News (Government of Botswana): report on the second reading, 16 December 2025
- Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs
Your second passport begins with a decision.
You have worked hard to build a life full of possibilities. Now it is about expanding them, for you and for your family. Talk to Daniel Taborek about your budget, your family and the route to your second citizenship. Find out which passport should enrich your future.