FAQ
Common questions.
Which countries have a golden visa?
39 countries in our list: Andorra, Bahamas, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, Cayman Islands, Colombia, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Estonia, France, Georgia, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, New Zealand, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and United States.
Which golden visa needs the lowest investment?
In our list, at European Central Bank rates on 9 Oct 2026: Brazil (BRL 150,000, about USD 30,000), Malaysia (USD 32,000) and Latvia (EUR 60,000, about USD 67,200). Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and Turkey set no figure, so they are not in this ranking. Fees and other costs come on top.
Which golden visa needs the least time in the country?
Ecuador, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates set no minimum number of days in the country. After that: Panama (one visit every 2 years). Each country page shows the rule.
Which golden visas lead to permanent residence?
The Bahamas, Bahrain, the Cayman Islands, Cyprus, the Dominican Republic, Greece, Malta, New Zealand, Panama, Paraguay, Singapore and the United States give permanent residence from the start. Of the rest, the fastest: Canada, where you can apply after 1 year. Each country page shows the rule.
Which golden visas in Europe are still open?
In our list: Andorra, Cyprus, Estonia, France, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal and Turkey. Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom have closed to new applicants.
Do EU citizens need a golden visa in Europe?
No. Citizens of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland can live in each other's countries under free movement rules. They may need to register after 3 months. The EU and EEA schemes here (10 in our list) are for everyone else.
Is this every golden visa?
It is every scheme we could check on an official government page. If we cannot find the facts on an official page, we leave the country out. Rules and amounts change, so check the official page before you apply.
Sources
Every fact comes from the host country's official government page. Exchange rates come from the European Central Bank.
- Andorra: Residence without lucrative activity, passive residence (bopadocuments.blob.core.windows.net)
- Bahamas: Economic Permanent Residence (immigration.gov.bs)
- Bahrain: Golden Residency Visa (npra.gov.bh)
- Brazil: Residence authorisation for investment (gov.br)
- Canada: Québec Investor Program (quebec.ca)
- Cayman Islands: Certificate of Permanent Residence for Persons of Independent Means (my.egov.ky)
- Colombia: Migrant visa for investors (cancilleria.gov.co)
- Cyprus: Immigration Permit for investors (permanent residence, Regulation 6(2)) (gov.cy)
- Dominican Republic: Permanent residence as an investor (migracion.gob.do)
- Ecuador: Temporary residence visa for investors (gob.ec)
- Estonia: Temporary residence permit for business (politsei.ee)
- France: Talent residence card, project leader: economic investment (service-public.gouv.fr)
- Georgia: Investment residence permit (matsne.gov.ge)
- Greece: Golden Visa (diavgeia.gov.gr)
- Hong Kong: New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (newcies.gov.hk)
- Hungary: Residence permit for guest investors (oif.gov.hu)
- Indonesia: Golden Visa for investors (imigrasi.go.id)
- Italy: Investor Visa for Italy (investorvisa.mise.gov.it)
- Latvia: Temporary residence permit for investors (likumi.lv)
- Luxembourg: Residence permit for investors (data.legilux.public.lu)
- Malaysia: Malaysia My Second Home (mm2h.gov.my)
- Malta: Malta Permanent Residence Programme (residencymalta.gov.mt)
- Mauritius: Residence permit through property acquisition (residency.mu)
- Mexico: Temporary residence visa for investors and property owners (dof.gob.mx)
- New Zealand: Active Investor Plus Visa (immigration.govt.nz)
- Oman: Golden Residency (omanresidence.gov.om)
- Panama: Permanent Residence as a Qualified Investor (migracion.gob.pa)
- Paraguay: Paraguay Investor Pass (mic.gov.py)
- Peru: Investor resident status (gob.pe)
- Philippines: Special Investor's Resident Visa (boi.gov.ph)
- Portugal: Residence Permit for Investment Activity (aima.gov.pt)
- Qatar: Real estate residence (aqarat.gov.qa)
- Singapore: Global Investor Programme (edb.gov.sg)
- South Korea: Immigrant Investor Scheme for Public Business (immigration.go.kr)
- Sri Lanka: Golden Paradise Residence Visa (eservices.immigration.gov.lk)
- Thailand: Long-Term Resident (LTR) Visa, Wealthy Global Citizen category (ltr.boi.go.th)
- Turkey: Short-term residence permit for property owners (mevzuat.gov.tr)
- United Arab Emirates: Golden visa (long-term residence) for investors (u.ae)
- United States: EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program (uscis.gov)
General information, not legal advice. Last checked 11 Oct 2026.