Find the right golden visa or citizenship program for your situation.
62 programs across 45 countries. Investment from $0 to $10M, processing from 30 days to a decade, visa-free access from 48 to 191 countries. The right one depends on your nationality, budget, and what the passport actually needs to do.
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Popular Programs
The most sought-after citizenship and residency programs worldwide
Golden Visa (ARI)
€500,000
Qualifying investment fund (€500K min, 60%+ allocated to Portugal-based companies, 5-year lock-up). Also: €250,000 standard contribution to Portuguese cultural heritage, artistic production, or national scientific research (Law 56/2023). Reduced to €200,000 for projects in low-population-density regions including Azores, Madeira, and interior NUTS III areas. €1.5M capital transfer. Job creation (10 positions). Property route closed Oct 2023.
12-18 months
7 days/year average
2 years (renewable)
Yes
5 years
191
- ✓ Only 7 days/year physical presence required
- ✓ Path to EU passport in 5 years — one of Europe's fastest
- ✓ IFICI flat tax regime (20% on qualifying PT income, 10 years)
Premium Visa Programme (PVIP)
$215,000
RM 1,000,000 fixed deposit in Malaysian bank (approx. USD 215K; up to 50% withdrawable after 6 months for approved uses). Requires RM 40K/month offshore income and proof of RM 10M+ in global assets. No property purchase required.
4-6 weeks
None specified
20 years (5-year renewal cycles)
Yes
No direct path
180
- ✓ No property purchase required — only Malaysia program with this
- ✓ Full work, business, and directorship rights
- ✓ 20-year renewable visa with 4-6 week processing
Citizenship by Investment
$240,000
$240K donation to National Economic Fund (single applicant; $300K for family of 4). Or $300K+ approved real estate (5-year hold). Or $300K+ government bond (non-interest-bearing, 5-year hold, plus administration fee set by the CIU). Or enterprise investment from $3.5M (3+ jobs created).
3-4 months
None
Citizenship (permanent)
Yes
Direct
144
- ✓ UK: full Standard Visitor visa required (added to UK visa national list April 2026)
- ✓ Schengen visa-free; 144 countries total (Henley March 2026)
- ✓ Only Caribbean CBI with a capital-recoverable bond route
Golden Visa
€400,000
Property: €400K standard zones, €800K prime zones (Athens, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, islands with population >3,100). €250K for commercial-to-residential conversions only. Also bank deposits (€500K), gov bonds (€500K), funds (€350K).
2-3 months
No minimum stay
5 years (renewable)
No
7 years
188
- ✓ Broadest family inclusion in EU (parents + in-laws of both partners)
- ✓ No stay requirement
- ✓ Schengen access
How It Works
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Request the detailed program briefing for any country that interests you, or read answers to common questions first.
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Key Terms Explained
Plain-language definitions for the concepts used across this site
Golden Visa
A residency permit granted in exchange for a qualifying investment, typically in real estate, government funds, or job creation. The term is informal; official program names vary by country. Golden visas grant the right to live, work (in some cases), and travel within the host country, and often serve as a pathway to permanent residency or citizenship after a defined period.
Citizenship by Investment (CBI)
A government program that grants full citizenship, including a passport, directly in exchange for a qualifying financial contribution. No prior residency is required. CBI programs are available in 13 countries and typically process in 3–6 months. The resulting passport provides full citizenship rights including the right to pass nationality to future children.
Residency by Investment (RBI)
A program that grants the legal right to reside in a country in exchange for a qualifying investment. Unlike CBI, RBI does not immediately confer citizenship. Most RBI programs include a pathway to permanent residency and, after several years of qualifying residence, citizenship. European golden visas are the most prominent category of RBI programs.
Visa-Free Access / Passport Strength
The number of countries a passport holder can enter without applying for a visa in advance. A higher count indicates a stronger passport with greater global mobility. CBI passports from the Caribbean allow entry to 144–157 countries. EU passports typically allow 185–191. Visa-free count is a key factor when evaluating the long-term value of a citizenship program.
Processing Time
The time from a complete application submission to approval of residency or citizenship. Processing times range from 30 days (Vanuatu CBI) to 24+ months (US EB-5). Government-stated timelines are aspirational; actual times depend on application volume, due diligence complexity, and document completeness. This site uses officially stated ranges.
Minimum Investment Threshold
The lowest qualifying investment amount required to apply for a program. This is not the total cost. Government fees, due diligence fees, legal fees, and dependent surcharges are additional. Some programs (Portugal D7, Spain NLV) have no capital threshold and qualify applicants on passive income alone. Total landed cost typically runs 15–30% above the stated minimum.
See the full CBI vs RBI comparison for a detailed breakdown of how these two program types differ in cost, timeline, and long-term value.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about golden visas and investment migration programs
What is a golden visa?
A golden visa is a residency permit granted in exchange for a qualifying investment — typically in real estate, government bonds, or investment funds. The term is informal; programs are formally named by each country (Portugal Golden Visa, Greece Golden Visa, UAE Golden Visa, etc.). Most golden visas grant Schengen travel rights (for European programs) and a pathway to permanent residency or citizenship after a defined period.
How much does a golden visa cost?
Investment minimums range from EUR 50,000 (Latvia) to USD 1,500,000+ (US EB-5). The most popular European programs start at EUR 250,000 (Greece, Hungary). Caribbean citizenship by investment programs start at USD 100,000–200,000. Note that the stated minimum is the qualifying investment only — government fees, due diligence, and legal costs typically add 15–30% on top.
Which countries offer citizenship by investment?
Thirteen countries currently offer direct citizenship by investment (CBI): Dominica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Vanuatu, Turkey, Montenegro, Egypt, Nauru, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, and El Salvador. Caribbean programs are the most established, processing in 3–6 months. Vanuatu is the fastest, processing in 30–60 days.
How long does it take to get a golden visa?
Processing times vary by program. Caribbean citizenship programs typically process in 3–6 months. European residency programs (golden visas) range from 2–3 months (Greece, Latvia) to 12–18 months (Portugal). The US EB-5 faces multi-year backlogs. Timelines run from submission of a complete application — incomplete submissions reset the clock.
Can my family be included in a golden visa application?
Yes — all programs tracked on this site permit family inclusion. Every program covers the primary applicant's spouse and dependent children. Most extend coverage to children up to age 18 or 21. Caribbean CBI programs offer the broadest coverage, often including parents and grandparents. Additional dependents increase total cost but are significantly cheaper than separate applications.
Do I need to live in the country to keep my golden visa?
Residency requirements vary widely. CBI programs (Caribbean, Vanuatu, Turkey) require no physical presence at all — citizenship is granted without any stay requirement. Greece and Spain golden visas also have no minimum stay. Portugal requires just 7 days per year. By contrast, income-based permits like Portugal's D7 or Spain's Non-Lucrative Visa expect genuine residence of 183+ days annually.
More detailed answers on the full FAQ page.