Elite Mobility in a World of Connections and Disconnections: Golden Passports, Golden Visas, and Digital Nomads

2023 Surak, Kristin. The Golden Passport: Global Mobility for Millionaires.  Cambridge, MA:  Harvard University Press. 

• Reviewed or covered by National Public Radio (NPR), BBC, The Economist, Foreign Affairs, Times Literary Supplement, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, among others 
• Honorable Mention for the ENMISA Distinguished Book Award of the International Studies Association (2025) 
• Shortlisted for the American Sociological Association’s Distinguished Scholarly Book Award (2024) 
• Russian translation: Золотой паспорт: глобальная мобильность для миллионеров (2024). Fortis Press. 
• Chinese translation. 黄金护照--富人的全球流动性. Under contract with East China Normal University Press 

2024 Surak, Kristin. “Do Passports Pay Off?  Assessing the Economic Outcomes of Citizenship by Investment Programs.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. DOI 10.1080/1369183X.2024.2332825. Pp. 1-22.   

2024 Surak, Kristin. “Citoyenneté à vendre: Stratégies de marchandisation de l’État.” Actes de la recherche en sciences sociales. 251(1): 50-73. 

2021 Surak, Kristin and Yusuke Tsuzuki. “Are Golden Visas a Golden Opportunity? Assessing the Economic Outcomes of Residence by Investment Programs in the EU.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. 47(15): 3367-89. 

2021 Surak, Kristin. “Marketizing Sovereign Prerogatives: How to Sell Citizenship.” European Journal of Sociology. 62(2): 275-308. 

2020 Surak, Kristin.  “Who Wants to Buy a Visa? Comparing the Uptake of Residence by Investment Programs in the EU.” Journal of Contemporary European Studies. 30(1): 151-69. 

2020 Surak, Kristin. “Millionaire Mobility and the Sale of Citizenship.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. 47(1): 166-89.  

• Winner of the Best Article Award, Global and Transnational Sociology Section, American Sociological Association 

2025 Surak, Kristin. “What are the Risks of Investment Migration? Going Beyond the Status Quo.” In Investment Migration in Europe and the World: Current Issues. Dimitry Kochenov, Madeleine Sumption, Martijn van den Brink, editors. Oxford: Hart Publishing. 143-169.  

 2023 Surak, Kristin. “Investment Migration:  Empirical Developments in the Field and Methodological Issues in its Study.” In Citizenship and Residence Sales: Rethinking the Boundaries of Belonging.  Dimitry Kochenov and Kristin Surak, editors. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 25-69. 

2021 Surak, Kristin. “Millionaires and Mobility: Inequality and Investment Migration Programs.” In Money Matters in Migration. Tesseltje de Lange and Willem Maas, editors. Cambridge University Press. 

 2020 Surak, Kristin. “What Money Can Buy: Citizenship by Investment on a Global Scale.” In Deepening Divides: How Borders and Boundaries Drive Our World Apart. Didier Fassin, editor.  London: Pluto Press.  21-38.  

Full-length interviews (select): 

BBC Radio 4, Thinking Allowed (UK).  “The Passport.” Interview on The Golden Passport. January 17, 2023.  

National Public Radio (NPR) (US). Interviewed on the 1A program on, “President Donald Trump’s ‘gold card’ citizenship program.” February 27, 2025.   

El Confidential (Spain). “La mujer que más sabe de las Golden Visa: ‘Casi nadie las acaba quitando, es puro electoralismo’.” Interview with Guillermo Cid. August 5, 2024.  

L’Express (Mauritius). “Kristin Surak: Maurice attire non seulement les investisseurs mais deviant aussi un lieu de residence privilégié.” Interview with Anisha Madayah. July 30, 2024.  

Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness. Podcast.  “What’s Passport Privilege? With Professor Kristin Surak”  October 18, 2023. 

National Public Radio (NPR), A1 (US).  Full-segment interview about The Golden Passport, “The Uber-Wealthy are Buying Global Mobility with Golden Passports.”  October 17, 2023. 

Award 

2020 Surak, Kristin. “Millionaire Mobility and the Sale of Citizenship.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. 47(1): 166-89.  

Winner of the Best Article Award, Global and Transnational Sociology Section, American Sociological Association 

Quotes in major media outlets (select recent ones) 

The Economist (UK).  Quoted and research cited in the article, “Donald Trump wants a certain kind of immigrant: the uber-rich.” April 20, 2025.  

The Telegraph (UK). Quoted in the article, “Trump’s $5 million gold card comes with a big tax perk.” April 4, 2025. 

Channel 4 BBC (UK). Interviewed for the explainer, “Pacific Island Selling $100k Golden Passport to Prep for Climate Crisis.” March 9, 2025.  

Al Jazeera (Qatar). Quoted in the article, “Why are so many Americans applying for second passports?” March 31, 2025.  

Newsweek (US). Quoted in the article, “What Trump’s Gold Visa Could Mean for the US Housing Market.” March 10, 2025.  

CNN (US). Quoted in the article, “A Tiny Island Country is Selling Citizenship for $105,000 to Save Itself from Rising Seas.” March 5, 2025.  

New York Times (US). Quoted in the article, “Trump’s ‘Gold Card’ Set Off Panic in Unexpected Place: Real Estate.” March 1, 2025. 

New York Times (US).  Research quoted in the article, “How Trump’s ‘Gold Card’ Plan Echoes the Golden Visa Programs in Europe.” February 26, 2025. 

Washington Post (US). Quoted in the article, “As Trump pitches US ‘gold card,’ what other countries offer golden visas?” February 26, 2025. 

Al Jazeera (Qatar). Quoted in the article, “Trump’s ‘gold’ visa: Who qualifies, what it costs, and why it’s divisive.” February 26, 2025.  

Book reviewed or recommended in major media outlets: 

Le Monde Diplomatique (France). Recommendation of The Golden Passport in “Les livres du mois.”  February 2025.   

Foreign Affairs (US).  “The Price of a Passport: What is Lost When Citizenship is Sold.” Extended review essay of The Golden Passport by Atossa Araxia Abrahamian. December 12, 2023. 

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Germany). “Wie Superreiche neue Staatsangehörigkeiten erwerben. Review of The Golden Passport by Claus Leggewie. March 26, 2024.  

Times Literary Supplement (UK). “Uncommon Wealth: Citizenship Globalism, and the Super-Rich,” review of The Golden Passport by Ferdinand Mount.  January 26, 2024.  

MicroMega (Italy). “Citadinanza in vendita,” extended review essay of The Golden Passport by Marco D’Eramo. December 21, 2023.  

Lead PI:  T-AP RRR and ESRC Grant (ES/X001342/1) €540,000