golden visa countries
Golden visa countries in 2026: every program that still works
The list of golden visa countries has shrunk and repriced. Spain, Ireland, and the UK have closed; Portugal and Greece removed or restricted their cheapest routes; and the survivors now cluster between 250,000 and 800,000 euros in Europe, with Latvia's 50,000 euro company route as the outlier. Outside Europe, the UAE's ten-year visa and a handful of investor residence programs carry the model. What separates the good ones is not price but what the permit actually leads to.
The map after the closures
The golden visa era of cheap EU property routes is over. The UK closed its investor visa in 2022, Ireland followed in 2023, Spain closed in April 2025, and Portugal removed real estate entirely. Malta's citizenship-by-investment route ended in 2025 after a European court ruling, leaving its residence programme as the Maltese option.
What remains in Europe is a smaller list with higher and more conditional pricing: Portugal, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Italy, Cyprus, Malta, and Bulgaria. Outside Europe, the UAE is the flagship, with investor residence programs in the Americas and Asia rounding out the map for specific goals.
Europe: the survivors and their prices
Portugal now runs on funds at 500,000 euros or cultural support at 250,000 euros, with about seven days per year of presence and a naturalisation timeline that has been the subject of political fights. Greece prices by zone: 800,000 euros in Athens, Thessaloniki, and the hottest islands, 400,000 euros elsewhere, and 250,000 euros only for conversions and listed restorations. Hungary reopened in 2024 with a 250,000 euro fund route and zero presence requirement.
Latvia's company route at 50,000 euros remains the cheapest genuine headline in the EU, with real operating obligations attached. Italy offers 250,000 euros into an innovative startup or 500,000 euros into a company. Cyprus permanent residence needs 300,000 euros plus proof of foreign income, and Bulgaria's fund route sits around 512,000 euros. Malta's permanent residence programme starts around 150,000 euros in combined costs on the leasing route.
The UAE and the rest of the world
The UAE golden visa is the most used program outside Europe: ten years, renewable, no minimum stay, and no income tax. The property route needs AED 2 million, roughly 545,000 US dollars, while entrepreneur and talent categories can qualify without a large passive investment. It is a residence play, not a citizenship play: naturalisation in the UAE is exceptional.
Elsewhere, the model varies: the United States runs EB-5 as an immigrant investor route from 800,000 dollars, New Zealand and Singapore price their investor residence in the millions, and several Latin American countries offer cheap investor or income-based residence that is not really a golden visa but can serve the same purpose for mobility and eventual citizenship.
How to choose a country, not a price
Start from the outcome you want. If the goal is an EU passport eventually, the naturalisation rules matter more than the entry price, which is why Portugal keeps winning despite not being the cheapest. If the goal is a base with no tax on income, the UAE dominates. If the goal is optionality and insurance, low-presence programs like Hungary and Greece fit.
Then price the whole thing: government fees per family member, legal work, renewals over five to ten years, exit assumptions on the invested capital, and the tax consequences of actually using the residence. Our cheapest golden visa guide runs that method on the low end of this list.
Common questions
Which countries still offer golden visas in 2026?
In Europe: Portugal, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Italy, Cyprus, Malta, and Bulgaria. The UAE is the main program outside Europe, with investor residence options in the US, New Zealand, Singapore, and parts of Latin America serving similar goals.
Which golden visa countries closed their programs?
The UK closed in 2022, Ireland in 2023, and Spain in April 2025. Portugal removed its real estate route in 2023, and Malta's citizenship-by-investment route ended in 2025 after a European court ruling.
What is the cheapest golden visa country?
Latvia's 50,000 euro company investment route has the lowest EU headline, followed by Malta's permanent residence programme from about 150,000 euros in combined costs and Hungary's 250,000 euro fund route. Totals converge once fees, family members, and renewals are priced.
Which golden visa leads to citizenship fastest?
Portugal has historically had the most cited path, with light physical presence and naturalisation after several years, though its timeline has been contested politically. Most other programs either take longer or, like the UAE, lead to citizenship only exceptionally.
Do golden visas require living in the country?
Many do not. Greece, Hungary, and the UAE have no meaningful presence requirement, and Portugal expects about seven days a year. But citizenship through any of them usually does require real residence, which is the catch behind low-presence marketing.
Is a golden visa the same as citizenship by investment?
No. A golden visa grants residence you must hold and renew, with citizenship possible only after years and further conditions. Citizenship by investment grants a passport directly. Confusing the two is the most expensive mistake in this market.
Official sources to verify
- ARI - Residency Permit for InvestorsPortuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Golden VisaHellenic Ministry of Migration and Asylum
- Golden ResidencyFederal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security
- Every Golden Visa Still Open in Europe in 2026IMI Daily (Investment Migration Insider)
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