Countries with golden visa programs in 2026: investment requirements, residency rights, citizenship pathways (2026)

Golden visa programs trade residency rights for capital investment. Eighteen countries actively offer them in 2026. The landscape has changed dramatically — Portugal closed its real-estate-based golden visa in 2023, Spain ended its program in 2025, but new options opened in Italy, Latvia, and the UAE. Here’s the verified 2026 list with current requirements.

Last verified: June 2026. Investment thresholds change quarterly in some programs. Verify with the country’s official immigration authority before transferring funds.

What “golden visa” actually means

A golden visa is a residency permit (not citizenship) granted in exchange for substantial economic contribution to the host country. Most programs offer:

Multi-year residency permit (5-10 years typically)
Right to live, work, study in the country
Free movement within Schengen (if EU-based)
Pathway to permanent residency (typically after 5 years)
Pathway to citizenship (after 5-10 years of legal residency)

Different from Citizenship by Investment (CBI) which grants instant citizenship + passport in exchange for investment. Golden visas require you to actually live there to eventually become a citizen.

Active golden visa programs in 2026

Italy Investor Visa

Investment options:
- €500K in an Italian limited company
- €250K in an Italian innovative startup
- €2M in Italian government bonds
- €1M philanthropic donation
Length: 2-year residency, renewable for 3 years (5 years total)
Family: spouse + minor children + dependent parents
Path to citizenship: 10 years residency
Physical residency requirement: Must establish actual residency in Italy
Tax benefit: €100K flat tax on foreign-source income (for HNWIs choosing this regime)

Greece Golden Visa

Investment options:
- €800K real estate in Athens, Mykonos, Santorini (raised 2024)
- €400K real estate in other regions
- €400K in Greek government bonds
- €500K in Greek company shares
Length: 5-year residency, renewable indefinitely
Family: spouse + dependent children + parents of either spouse
Path to citizenship: 7 years (Greek language exam required)
Physical residency requirement: ZERO physical presence required to maintain golden visa
Tax benefit: 7% flat tax on foreign pensions (separate FIP visa); €100K flat on foreign income for non-doms

Portugal Golden Visa (revised — real estate closed)

Investment options (current):
- €500K in eligible investment funds (most popular path)
- €500K to research/scientific activities
- €250K to cultural heritage projects
- €500K to create 10 Portuguese jobs
NOT available: Real estate (removed 2023)
Length: 2-year permit, renewable for 5 years
Family: spouse + minor children + dependent parents
Path to citizenship: 5 years (Portuguese A2 language exam) — one of the fastest in EU
Physical residency requirement: 7 days/year minimum

Spain Investor Visa (CLOSED to new applicants 2025)

Spain ended new applications in April 2025
Existing visa holders can renew but new applicants must use other Spanish visa types (Non-Lucrative, Digital Nomad)

Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP)

Investment requirements (all):
- Rental: €14K/year (5 years minimum) OR Purchase: €350K (Malta/Gozo)
- Government contribution: €68K (rental option) or €98K (purchase option)
- NGO donation: €2K
- Administrative fees: €40K
Length: Permanent residency (lifetime)
Family: spouse + children + parents + grandparents
Path to citizenship: 5+ years residency → separate naturalization path
Total cost: ~€180-200K all-in (rental option) for a single applicant family

Latvia Residency by Investment

Investment options:
- €60K + €25K state fee in Latvian credit institution (5-year deposit)
- €250K in real estate
- €50K in Latvian company (with €40K annual tax payment)
Length: 5-year temporary residency, renewable
Family: yes
Path to citizenship: 10 years

Cyprus Permanent Residency (Category 6.2)

Investment: €300K + VAT in Cyprus real estate (new property only)
Income requirement: €50K/year from foreign sources + €15K/year per spouse + €10K/year per child
Length: Permanent residency (lifetime)
Family: spouse + minor children
Path to citizenship: 8 years (CBI ended 2020)
Catch: Must visit Cyprus once every 2 years to maintain status

UAE Golden Visa

Investment options:
- AED 2M ($545K) real estate
- AED 2M deposit in UAE bank or investment fund
- AED 2M business investment + license
- Talent-based (exceptional skills, salary > AED 30K/month)
Length: 10-year residency, renewable
Family: spouse + children + parents
Path to citizenship: Not direct — UAE citizenship by naturalization is rare and discretionary
Tax benefit: Zero personal income tax

UAE Real Estate Visa (Title Deed)

Investment: AED 750K-1M for 2-year visa; AED 2M for 10-year Golden Visa
Length: 2-10 years depending on investment tier
Family: yes

Turkey Investment Residency

Investment options:
- $200K real estate (1-year permit; CBI path requires $400K)
- $500K capital investment
- $500K Turkish bank deposit
Length: 1-year residency renewable
Path to citizenship: 5 years residency for naturalization, OR fast-track CBI at $400K real estate

Hungary Guest Investor Visa (replaced Hungary Residency Bond)

Investment options:
- €250K in real estate fund
- €500K direct real estate (new in 2024)
- €1M philanthropic contribution to higher education
Length: 10-year residency permit
Family: spouse + children
Path to citizenship: 8 years residency + Hungarian language exam

Switzerland Lump-Sum Taxation (not technically golden visa)

Negotiated tax: Pay fixed annual tax (CHF 150K-400K+) instead of income tax, regardless of actual worldwide income
Length: Renewable residence permit
Family: yes
Path to citizenship: 10+ years residency
Catch: Cannot work in Switzerland under this regime

Thailand Long-Term Resident Visa (LTR)

Investor category: $500K Thai government bonds + $80K/year income
Wealthy Pensioner: $80K/year pension + $250K real estate or government bonds
Wealthy Global Citizen: $1M assets + $80K/year income
Length: 10-year visa
Tax benefit: 17% flat tax on foreign-source income

Singapore Global Investor Programme (GIP)

Investment: S$10M ($7.4M) in Singapore-incorporated business or fund
Length: Permanent Resident status
Family: spouse + children under 21
Path to citizenship: 2+ years as PR (case-by-case)
Catch: Highest entry bar of any golden visa globally

Mauritius Premium Visa

Income requirement: $1,500/month minimum (lowest entry bar globally)
Length: 1-year, renewable
Family: yes
Tax benefit: Tax resident if 183+ days, otherwise no Mauritian tax on foreign income

Panama Friendly Nations Visa

Requirements (since 2021 revision):
- $200K real estate investment, OR
- $200K bank deposit, OR
- $1,000/month employment from Panama-licensed employer
Length: 2-year temporary residency → permanent
Path to citizenship: 5 years
Tax benefit: 0% on foreign-source income

Programs that closed recently

Spain — investor visa ended April 2025
Ireland — Immigrant Investor Programme closed Feb 2023
Portugal — real estate route closed Oct 2023 (other options still active)
Bulgaria — fast-track citizenship-by-investment ended 2022
Cyprus — citizenship-by-investment closed Nov 2020 (PR option still available)
Vanuatu — EU revoked visa-free for Vanuatu CBI passport holders 2024

Programs likely to change soon

Malta MPRP — EU Commission ongoing pressure, may close or tighten
Greece — likely to expand bond/business options, may further restrict real estate
UAE — continuously evolving, generally getting easier
Italy — increasingly popular, may tighten as application volume grows

The comparison table — total cost vs path to passport

Country	Min investment	Years to citizenship	Physical residency req
Portugal	€500K	5	7 days/year
Greece	€400K-800K	7	None
Italy	€250K-2M	10	Yes, full
Malta MPRP	€180K	5+	Yes
Cyprus	€300K	8	Once every 2 years
Latvia	€60K-250K	10	Some
Hungary	€250K-1M	8	Some
UAE	$545K	Not realistic	180+ days for tax res
Turkey	$200K	5	Some
Mauritius	$1,500/mo income	5+	Yes
Panama	$200K	5	Some
Singapore	S$10M	2+ as PR	Yes

How to choose

If you want the fastest EU citizenship

Portugal (€500K → 5 years → Portuguese passport). The cheapest path to a tier-1 EU passport that gives you all 27 EU states + Switzerland + EEA.

If you don’t want to physically relocate

Greece (0 days residency required). You pay €400-800K, keep your home base, get Schengen access via the Greek residence permit.

If you want zero income tax

UAE Golden Visa ($545K) + actually live there 183+ days for tax residency. Combined with a no-state-tax US state (TX, FL, etc.) if American.

If your capital is limited

Mauritius Premium Visa ($1,500/month income only). Lowest entry bar. Tropical lifestyle. English-speaking. Real path to PR.

If you want investment-grade real estate AND visa

Turkey ($200K real estate) or UAE ($545K real estate). Both have appreciating markets and rentable holdings.

If you want maximum security/quality

Singapore GIP (S$10M) — gold standard but only for genuinely wealthy applicants. Or Switzerland Lump-Sum Tax for CHF 150K+/year.

Common mistakes

Buying real estate before checking eligibility. Many golden visa real estate options exclude certain property types, regions, or developments. Verify with immigration lawyer FIRST.
Underestimating maintenance costs. €500K Italian investment isn’t just €500K — you need annual income proof, lawyer fees, accountant fees, renewal fees.
Choosing solely on investment amount. Cheap golden visas (Vanuatu CBI) sometimes become useless overnight when treaties change.
Ignoring tax consequences. Becoming a tax resident in the new country can trigger worldwide income taxation. Plan with a cross-border CPA.
Skipping the physical visit. Spend 1-2 months in the country before committing. Most golden-visa countries are wonderful for short stays and grueling for long ones.

Related guides

Golden visas are a tool, not a destination. Pick the program that best matches your end goal — whether that’s tax optimization, EU access, citizenship pathway, or just optionality.

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