Due Diligence Beyond the Brochure: Reading the Fine Print in RCBI

At Farro & Co, we meet families every week who’ve read the glossy brochures, watched the promotional videos, and seen the “guaranteed fast-track” headlines.

But here’s the truth we always share:

RCBI (Residency & Citizenship by Investment) decisions should be evaluated like long-term assets — not travel conveniences.

And that means going beyond the brochure.

Whether you’re looking at a Golden Visa, a Caribbean CBI, a residency fund route, or a real estate-backed option, there are three areas families often overlook:

1. Program Longevity — Will this still exist in 5 years?

Programs evolve. Some tighten. Some pause. Some disappear entirely.

A family we advised last year nearly signed onto a program that was, behind the scenes, under EU review. The marketing package looked perfect — the geopolitical context did not. We stepped in early, recalibrated the structure, and protected them from a mid-process policy freeze.

Questions to ask:

• Is this program politically stable?
• Has it faced external pressure from EU/OECD/FATF?
• How dependent is it on a particular minister, government, or economic cycle?

Longevity is a risk many don’t measure until it’s too late.

2. Governance — Who is actually running the program?

RCBI success isn’t just about legal frameworks. It’s about governance quality.

A client once told us, “Everything looked legitimate — until due diligence took nine months longer than promised.”

The issue wasn’t their profile; it was the program’s internal capacity.

Ask about governance discipline:

• Are due diligence partners reputable and independent?
• Are approvals centralised or politically influenced?
• Are processes predictable, or dependent on which desk your file lands on?

Good governance protects your timeline — and your reputation.

3. Reputational Risk — How will this look in 10 years?

Families often evaluate mobility benefits but ignore reputational headlines.

We’ve seen jurisdictions go from “premium alternative citizenship” to “enhanced due diligence requirement” overnight. Your passport should open doors — not trigger secondary screening.

Key considerations:

• Has the jurisdiction faced AML or security concerns?
• What is its visa-free access trend over the past 5 years?
• Could this passport create complications with banks, employers, or future tax planning?

Reputation compounds over time — positively or negatively.

Before You Sign a Subscription Agreement or SPA, Ask Yourself:

• What is the worst-case scenario and who carries that risk?
• If the program changes mid-process, what protections are in place?
• Is my investment aligned with my long-term mobility and wealth strategy?
• Does this structure make sense for my broader family and estate planning goals?

RCBI isn’t a transaction. It’s a governance decision, a risk decision, and a legacy decision.

At Farro & Co, our job is to help families see beyond the marketing — and into the structural realities that determine whether a program works for you or against you.

If you’re evaluating options now, make sure the conversation goes deeper than timelines and fees. The fine print matters more than the headline.

#FarroAndCo #RCBI #CitizenshipByInvestment #ResidencyByInvestment #GlobalMobility #DueDiligence #RiskManagement #WealthPlanning #GoldenVisa #InvestmentMigration #FamilyOffice #Governance #ReputationalRisk #LegacyPlanning #GlobalCitizenship