Residency by Investment

Residency by Investment Programs

It is optional to limit your life and business interests to one country. Or, you can broaden your sources and access and have the option to relocate through residence by investment programs. You can also have the right to live, work, study, and receive healthcare and education in your new country of residence.

It is of increasing importance to be able to change residence to a suitable country by making an investment in a plan B or having multiple residences. 

Investment programs grant European residency in Portugal, Greece, Spain, Malta, Italy, and other European countries. These programs are suitable for financially independent or digital nomads.

What are Leading Residence by Investment Programs?

Below, you can discover the popular investment programs.

Portugal Residency by Investment Program

Private equity or venture capital funds, cultural, artistic, or research and development contributions, and other alternatives, such as employment creation, national heritage preservation, and R&D activities, are examples of investment types. 

The country not only offers residency but also European citizenship within five years. Moreover, it is possible to get maintain your Portugal Golden Visa by spending only seven days in Portugal annually.

One of the benefits of the program is visa-free travel across EU Schengen countries. Plus, if you get citizenship as well if you are eligible to apply, counting down five years from your first residency application. And you can also travel to 191 countries without an extra visa.

Greece Residency by Investment Program

Applicants of Greek Golden Visa are able to invest in real estate for a minimum stay of €250,000 and travel visa-free to EU Schengen countries. As of March 2024, the law regarding investment options has changed and developed, but one of the lowest investment amounts, €250,000 real estate investment, remains active in Greece Golden Visa. See the latest updates on the Greece Golden Visa here.

So, the applicants can make profitable property investments in Europe, apply for a visa remotely with their family, and have the right to travel visa-free throughout EU Schengen countries. In addition, they can maintain residency without having to live in Greece and enjoy unlimited renewal rights.

Malta Residency by Investment Program

Maltese residence cards allow holders to visit EU Schengen countries with their residence cards, which can be taken through the Malta Golden Visa program. 

The minimum donation, which is one of the investment options to apply for a Malta Golden Visa, is €150,000, with no minimum stay requirement. The project allows families to apply simultaneously, allowing you to travel between Schengen countries using your Maltese resident card.

You can maintain your residency even if you do not live in Malta. Property leases and acquisitions are two distinct sorts of investments. Lease agreements can be negotiated for residential homes costing €12,000 or €10,000 per year in Malta’s south or on Gozo. Purchase a home in the South of Malta or G for €350,000 or €300,000, pay an administrative fee, make a €28,000 government contribution, and donate €2,000 to a local charitable organization. Malta’s citizens also have visa-free entry into 190 countries.

Spain Residency by Investment Program

Spain has a Golden Visa program that permits applicants to invest in real estate properties around Spain with a minimum stay of €500,000. This program enables citizens to renew their residency in Spain with a single entry per period and travel visa-free throughout the EU Schengen countries.

The process includes selecting a property, going through the legal steps to acquire it, making an application, visiting Spain, receiving the Golden Visa, and renewing it. The system also allows Spanish citizens to travel to 190 countries with their Golden Visa. The procedure comprises selecting a property, completing the legal steps, and transferring reservation funds.

Italy Residency by Investment Program

Italy’s Residence by Investment Program is often known as the Italy Golden Visa. The program is meant for overseas investors who want to make a significant contribution to the country’s economy. This scheme grants them Italian residency and visa-free travel within Europe’s Schengen Area. The minimum investment ranges from EUR 250,000 to EUR 2 million, and the processing time is three to four months.

The main advantage is the opportunity to live, work, and study in Italy. There are two main program options: the Investor Visa Program, which requires a minimum of EUR 2 million in Italian government bonds, 500,000 in Italian shares, or EUR 1 million in projects of public interest in Italy, and the Elective Residence Program, which is intended for individuals with a consistent annual income from abroad. The visa is valid for two years and renewable for another three years if the investment is maintained.

Hungary Residency by Investment Program

Hungary Residency by Investment Program, also called as Hungarian Guest Investor Program (GIP) was activated in 2024. You can apply for this new Hungarian Golden Visa to get a long-term residency permit in Hungary with a validity period of ten years.

This program does not offer a direct path to citizenship like some other European countries. If you plan a route to citizenship, you can consider some other countries’ Golden Visa Programs like Portugal and Malta.

You can apply for a Hungary Golden Visa with a minimum of €250,000 in real estate investment. 

USA Residency by Investment Program

To obtain a Green Card through the US Immigrant Investor Program, a family member must invest a minimum of $800,000. Through this program, you can become a citizen of the United States after five years of lawful residency, receive permanent residency so you can live and work anywhere in the country, and travel to 187 countries visa-free.

With the aim of creating at least 10 full-time jobs for US citizens within two years, investment possibilities include a minimum investment of $1.05 million in a qualifying commercial firm or $800,000 in a Targeted Employment Area. Selecting an EB-5 project, obtaining conditional residency status, securing unconditional permanent residence, and obtaining US citizenship are the steps in the application procedure.

Advantages of Obtaining a Residence Permit in Europe

• With a resident permit, you can remain in a European nation for an extended period of time while still having unrestricted travel within Schengen nations.
• It offers opportunities for work, business, and education, as well as for children to attend European schools and receive healthcare.
• It also offers potential tax savings and the ability to take advantage of social rights.
• Moreover, there may be financial benefits and overall social advantages to residing in another state for tax purposes.

Benefits of Residency by Investment

Let’s discover why getting a Golden Visa Residency Permit can be beneficial for you. 

When you invest in a second residency program, you become able to broaden your travel across borders and increase the variety of both your economic and business opportunities. In this path, your second residency permit will offer you the flexibility of having a Plan B if you now or in the future plan to leave your home country.

Benefits of a Second Residency by Investment 

• You have improved security for you and your family with a second residency, political freedom, and a plan B investment in a foreign country where you have the chance to reside.
• You may also benefit from specific tax advantages that residency by investment countries offers in addition to certain economic freedoms.
• Although it depends on the residency by investment country you choose, you may find new possibilities of working and living abroad through your second residency permit.
• If you have family, you have even more advantages, for instance, for educational reasons that might widen your children’s education opportunities to reach the world’s top universities and schools through residency programs.
• There are also some new opportunities in business and development for investors of these programs.
• Cultural-wise, having a second residency means that you have the option to open a new chapter in a new world with different cultures and environments.
• Alongside all the benefits, there are changes according to the country, including healthcare benefits.

Differences Between Residency Types

There are some popular residency by investment countries in Europe, including Portugal’s Golden Visa, Greece’s Golden Visa, and Spain’s residency by investment program. Some of them open a road to citizenship, but there is a path to follow through temporary residence and permanent residence programs. Let’s discover the differences between the two residency types below:

Temporary Residence vs Permanent Residence Programs

When you get an EU temporary and permanent residence permit, you can benefit from almost identical rights and opportunities. However, the statuses might have a few distinctions.

When considering the route to citizenship, a residence permit and permanent residence offer sequential milestones to the path to reach the citizenship process. The steps in most countries start with obtaining a residence permit to get to the naturalization process. Moreover, most of the countries let you exchange a temporary permit for a permanent residency permit after a few years of residency.

On the other hand, we can say that permanent residence eliminates the first step to citizenship.

Malta and Cypriot investment programs are among the countries that provide a direct route to permanent residency, offering the option to apply for citizenship when they complete the essential residency period.

When it comes to the language requirements, you do not need to complete them, including tests to show your language proficiency. Some countries do require you to pass specific criteria if you are in the process of applying for permanent residency while showing your ability to speak the country’s official language(s).

Eligibility for Citizenship

Eligibility for Citizenship After Five years

It is also important to learn about the eligibility requirements. As long as the main applicant is yourself, you can also include your family members in your citizenship application. Those can be your spouse, unmarried children, and sometimes, in some countries, parents and grandparents. 

For getting a European citizenship through an EU investor visa or a golden visa, you can get a temporary residency first and then a permanent residency to get a second citizenship in an EU country. Residency by investment, in this case, lets you obtain European citizenship with long-term security and a stable future.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the 21 best residence programs worldwide?

Malta residence by investment, Australia residency by investment, Portugal residency by investment, Spain residency by investment, Greece residency by investment, permanent, European residency by investment, and residency by investment countries. Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Greece, the United Kingdom, and Canada all offer residency by investment.

What are the differences between a residence permit and permanent residency?

A resident permit and permanent residency are two different legal statuses that you can get as a foreigner in a country. A resident permit affirms a foreigner’s right to dwell in the country and grants greater privileges than a visa. It includes the ability to acquire real estate, do business, study, use medical facilities, and travel without a visa to Schengen countries. Permanent residency permits for extended or unlimited stays. They offer greater stability and security but fewer rights than temporary residency.

Who can obtain a residence permit in Portugal by investing?

In Portugal, investors can receive a residency visa provided they meet certain criteria, such as the creation of 10 new jobs and the investment of 500 thousand euros in an eligible fund or through donation.

Who can obtain a residence permit in Malta with an investor?

Third-country nationals can get residency in Malta through investment, which includes renting a property for €10,000 or acquiring a property for €300,000 or €350,000. They might also make a government contribution of €28,000 or €58,000.

Why Get a Golden Visa residency permit?

A Golden Visa program aims to encourage applicants to contribute to a country’s economy in exchange for residency or citizenship by providing perks such as residency, education, healthcare, tax breaks, and investment incentives.

How should I choose a residence program?

To identify residency and investment programs, establish objectives, and prioritize aspects such as location, faculty expertise, and community context. Create a program list by collecting information from community physicians, alumni, and colleagues. Attending fairs, speaking with department chairs, and studying program websites all serve as research tools. Use residency search tools to keep track of your favorite programs and create a list of options.

Why do I need a golden visa or a residence in another country?

The reason to apply for a golden visa might be to make a business investment or obtain residency in another country.

The Golden Visa program is a popular residency by investment program that grants permanent residency to individuals who make significant business investments in the host country.

Obtaining residency in a foreign country often involves substantial capital investment, such as purchasing real estate or investing in local businesses.

Some countries offer a temporary residence permit to foreign investors who contribute to a venture capital fund or other investment funds.

Real estate investment is a common route for obtaining a Golden Visa, with investors purchasing property in the host country as a form of foreign direct investment.

In some residency by investment programs, the fund investment can be in the form of a donation to a government development fund or a non-refundable capital contribution.

What are the residency process and requirements?

There are typical steps and requirements to apply for a residency by investment program. Those include passing due diligence checks, proving no criminal record certificate, showing proof of funds, or making a real estate investment, depending on each program’s investment route.