The immigration services industry for investors includes not only investment citizenship, but also the so-called “Golden Visa”. Such programs operate all over the world: in Panama, Hong Kong, the USA, and European countries. Their main difference from other residence permits is that they do not oblige the applicant to stay in the country for a set number of days per year to extend the residence permit. Thus, an investor can have a Golden Visa, but never become a tax resident of the state that issued the visa.
However, the applicant will be able to enjoy all the benefits of the new status, for example, the privilege of visa-free travel within the Schengen area.
Greece Golden Visa from €250 000
If you are ready to spend from €250,000, you will have access to the “Greece Golden Visa”. This is a type of residence permit, when residence in the country or knowledge of the language is not required, but the investor and his family members receive a residence permit card for 5 years at once (with the possibility of extension) and can travel throughout the Schengen area without visas, and, if desired, reside temporarily or permanently in Greece.
That is, you will fly to Europe and travel there not with a tourist visa, but with a residence permit card (Greece Golden Visa). You will be able to become a full-fledged participant in the European banking system with an address in Europe. And receive income in Euros from the real estate that you purchased under the Greece Golden Visa program.
What are the rules for purchasing real estate to obtain a Greek residence Greece Golden Visa?
• €250,000 for non-residential properties that are being converted into residential buildings.
• €800,000 Attica (Athens), Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, Piraeus, sparsely populated islands.
• €400,000 other locations.
Of course, Greece is not the only country with such a program, but only Greece has the option of real estate. And the prices for it have only been growing for the last two years.
The processing time for the Greece Golden Visa is 3-5 months.
The validity period is 5 years with the possibility of extension.
Visa-free entry to Schengen – yes.
Portugal Golden Visa from €250 000
Returnable investment. The Portugal Golden Visa program has abolished the option to purchase real estate, but if you prefer this type of investment, there is an option to participate in a local business. This could be, for example, buying a share in a hotel. The key condition is to contribute at least €500,000 to the authorized capital + the creation of jobs (from 10 to 5, depending on the type of employment). Applicant may exit the investment in the 6th year. Or you can invest funds in an amount of at least in an authorized investment fund. The yield and conditions for the return of funds after the agreed term depend on the specific fund.
Non-refundable investments. The most “budget” option of the program is support for cultural heritage. There is an authorized list of 38 cultural funds that support significant objects, art and crafts. Most of the funds are public law foundations holding a public utility status.
In 2024, the Law enshrined the right of investors who applied for a Portuguese residence permit (Golden Visa) to "count" the 5-year period before applying for Portuguese citizenship from the moment the application was registered in the system. That is, the residence permit is still under consideration, and the investor is already "accumulating" months until citizenship.
The processing time for the Portugal Golden Visa is not less than 10 months.
The validity period is 2 years with the right of prolongation.
Who can be included in the Portugal Golden Visa application? Spouses, financially dependent children.
Visa-free entry to Schengen – yes.
Bulgaria Golden Visa from €512 000
This program is a path to a five-year permanent residence (permanent status) without the temporary residence permit stage. The lowest entry threshold option for this program is an investment of at least €512,000 (in local currency, this is 1 million BGN) in local investment funds for 6 years or more. The type of funds can be different: UCITS funds, alternative AIFs, index ETFs.
The Bulgarian Golden Visa is issued within 10 months.
The validity period is 5 years, after which the investor can either prolong the status (while maintaining the investment) or apply for Bulgarian citizenship.
Who can be included in the Bulgaria Golden Visa application? Spouses, financially dependent children under 18.
Visa-free entry to Schengen – yes.
Cyprus Golden Visa from €300 000
The Cyprus program accepts applications from investors who have purchased local real estate worth at least €300,000 + VAT. They must also show annual income outside Cyprus of at least €30,000 for the main applicant and €5,000 for each dependent family member.
The processing time for the Cyprus Golden Visa is from 10 months. Validity period – does not require annual renewal – it is a permanent residence permit.
Who can be included in the Cyprus Golden Visa application? Spouses, financially dependent children under 25 years of age.
Visa-free entry to Schengen – no. You can only live in Cyprus, as this state is not part of the Schengen Agreement. However, the Cypriot authorities are actively working on joining the visa-free regime with the United States and have made significant progress in 2023-2024 in joining the Schengen zone.
You can take part in any of the programs listed in the article by contacting the experts at Apex Capital Partners.
Hungary Golden Visa from €250 000
At the end of 2024, the Hungarian government unexpectedly for all participants in the investment residence permit market decided to exclude residential real estate from the Guest Investor Program. Thus, for applicants of the Guest Investor Program for 2025, the following options remain available: purchasing shares in authorized real estate funds in the amount of €250,000 or a charitable contribution of €1 million to a higher education institution in Hungary. You must own shares in the fund for at least 5 years, according to the terms of the program.
The Hungary Golden Visa processing time is 3 months.
The validity period is 10 years.
Who can be included in the application for the Hungary Golden Visa? Spouses, financially dependent children under 18 years old.
Visa-free entry to Schengen – yes.
