Visacite Global Mobility

Residency by Investment

A Second Home, and a Path to Citizenship

Residency by investment grants you and your family the legal right to live in a new country in exchange for a qualifying investment — typically in real estate, a government-approved fund, government bonds, or a business. Most residency programs are faster to qualify for and lower in upfront cost than direct citizenship programs, and many lead to permanent residency and eventual citizenship after a set number of years. Below is our full residency portfolio, with the facts that matter most: investment amount, timeline, family inclusion, and the path forward.

Flexible

Entry Options

Fast Track

Processing

Global

Mobility

Portugal Golden Visa

From €500,000

Portugal’s Golden Visa remains one of Europe’s most sought-after residency programs, prized for its light physical presence requirement and access to the Schengen Area. Since October 2023, the real estate and capital-transfer routes have been closed to new applicants; the qualifying fund route is now the primary path we recommend.

Investment from €500,000 in a qualifying investment fund (min. 60% in Portuguese companies)

Also available €250,000 cultural/heritage donation; business investment; job creation routes

Processing time Several months for initial approval; renewals every 2 years

Physical presence As little as 7 days in year one, 14 days per two-year period thereafter

Family inclusion Spouse and dependent children; parents in qualifying cases

Path forward Permanent residency after 5 years; citizenship timeline extended in 2026 to 10 years (7 for EU/CPLP)

💡 Good to know This is one of the most frequently updated programs in our portfolio. We confirm current thresholds and timelines with you before any commitment.

Greece Golden Visa

From €250,000

Greece offers renewable residency through real estate investment, with no minimum stay requirement to maintain status — making it a popular choice for clients who want EU and Schengen access without relocating full-time. Investment thresholds were significantly restructured in 2024 and now vary by location and property type.

Investment from €250,000 — restored heritage buildings or commercial-to-residential conversions only

Standard thresholds €400,000 outside major centers; €800,000 in Athens, Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini

Processing time Several months

Physical presence None required to maintain the residence permit

Family inclusion Spouse, dependent children, and in some cases parents

Path forward Citizenship requires 183+ days/year for 7 consecutive years, plus language and culture exam

⚠️ Good to know Short-term and holiday rentals are no longer permitted on Golden Visa qualifying properties; violating this can put the visa at risk.

Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP)

From €375,000

Malta’s MPRP grants an indefinite EU residence permit with no minimum stay requirement, making it attractive for clients who want the option to live in the EU without a full relocation commitment. It does not directly convert to citizenship — Maltese naturalization is a separate, residency-based process.

Investment from €375,000 real estate purchase (or €14,000/yr lease) + ~€99,000 govt contributions

Asset requirement Applicants must demonstrate €500,000–€650,000 in total assets

Processing time Several months

Physical presence None required to maintain the permit

Family inclusion Spouse, dependent children (to ~29), dependent parents/grandparents

Path forward Naturalization requires 12 mos immediate prior residence + 4 of 6 prior years, language test, 2 sponsors

Italy Investor Visa

From €250,000

Italy’s investor visa offers a distinctive advantage: the qualifying investment is only made after your visa is approved, reducing upfront risk. It also opens access to Italy’s flat-tax regime for new residents on foreign income.

Investment tiers €250k innovative startup · €500k Italian company · €1M public interest · €2M gov bonds

Processing time Approximately 3–6 months

Physical presence No minimum required to renew permit; 183+ days/year generally needed for PR/citizenship

Family inclusion Spouse and minor children on the same application

Path forward Permanent residency after 5 years; citizenship after 10 years

Latvia Residency by Investment

From €50,000

Latvia offers one of the EU’s most accessible residency programs, with multiple investment routes and no minimum stay requirement — a strong option for clients seeking a lower-cost entry point into the EU’s Schengen Area.

Investment from €50,000 business investment plus €10,000 state fee

Also available €250k gov bonds · €280k 5-yr bank deposit · €250k real estate near Riga

Processing time 2–4 months

Physical presence None required to maintain residency

Family inclusion Spouse and dependent children under 18

Path forward Permanent residency after 5 years; citizenship after 10 years (language/civics apply)

Hungary — Guest Investor Program

From €250,000

Relaunched in 2024, Hungary’s Guest Investor Program grants a ten-year renewable residence permit through a real estate fund investment or an education-linked donation, with fast processing relative to other EU programs.

Investment options €250,000 real estate fund or €1,000,000 higher-education trust donation

Processing time Residence permit typically issued within 21–30 days

Physical presence None required to maintain the 10-year permit

Family inclusion Spouse and dependent children

Path forward Permanent residency eligible after 3 years; citizenship after 8 years

United Arab Emirates — Golden Visa

AED 2,000,000

The UAE Golden Visa is one of the fastest-processing residency programs in our portfolio, granting a renewable 10-year visa through qualifying real estate with no employer sponsor required.

Investment AED 2,000,000 (~$545,000) in qualifying property (mortgaged equity qualifies)

Processing time Typically a matter of weeks

Physical presence None required to maintain the visa

Family inclusion Spouse, children of any age, and domestic staff

Path forward No statutory path to UAE citizenship — designed for long-term residency and lifestyle

💡 Good to know We are always upfront that the UAE Golden Visa does not lead to citizenship, so clients can plan accordingly.

United Kingdom — Innovator Founder Visa

No Min. Investment

Designed for entrepreneurs, the UK’s Innovator Founder Visa has no fixed minimum investment — approval instead hinges on a Home Office–endorsed, genuinely viable business plan. We help clients build a proposal that meets the endorsement bar.

Investment No fixed minimum; funding must be realistic for the proposed business

Processing time Approx. 3 weeks (outside UK) to 8 weeks (in-country)

Language requirement English at level B2

Family inclusion Spouse and dependent children as accompanying dependants

Path forward Settlement (ILR) after 3 years active business; UK citizenship via naturalization thereafter

Canada — Start-Up Visa

From CAD $75,000

Canada’s Start-Up Visa offers direct permanent residency — not a temporary visa — to qualifying entrepreneurs backed by a designated Canadian venture capital fund, angel investor group, or business incubator.

Investment CAD $200k (venture fund) or CAD $75k (angel investor group)

Ownership requirement Must hold at least 10% of voting rights in the qualifying business

Language requirement Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5

Family inclusion Spouse and dependent children

Path forward Grants PR directly; citizenship eligible after meeting Canada’s PR residency rules

⚠️ Program Status Notice As of January 2026, this program is paused for new applications; only previously submitted applications continue processing. We monitor its status closely and will advise clients the moment it reopens.

United States — EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program

From $800,000

The EB-5 program remains the primary direct route to a US Green Card through investment, typically via a regional center project. It is a longer-term commitment than most residency programs in our portfolio, but offers an unmatched destination for clients prioritizing the United States.

Investment $800,000 in a Targeted Employment Area (TEA) or $1,050,000 standard

Processing time I-526E petition ~32–33 months; full process to unconditional Green Card 5–8+ years

Family inclusion Spouse and unmarried children under 21

Path forward 5-year continuous residence clock starts at conditional Green Card; citizenship at 5-year mark

💡 Good to know Thresholds are next due for inflation adjustment in January 2027 — clients considering EB-5 should factor timing into their decision.

Alternative Pathway: Employment-Based Immigration

Option

United States — EB-3 Skilled Worker Program

Employer-Sponsored

For clients who prefer not to make a direct capital investment, we also advise on the EB-3 visa — an employer-sponsored Green Card route for skilled workers, professionals, and other workers. This is not an investment migration program: it requires a genuine job offer from a US employer and labor certification (PERM), and recruitment costs are borne by the employer, not the applicant.

Investment required None — employer-sponsored pathway

Processing time 2–4 years (current dates); 7–12+ years for India-born applicants due to backlogs

Family inclusion Spouse and children includable as derivative applicants

Coming Soon

Upcoming

Panama

Finalizing Advisory Offering

Panama already offers active residency-by-investment routes — including a Qualified Investor Visa from $300,000 in real estate, granting permanent residency in as little as 30–45 business days. Blueshore Advisors is finalizing our Panama advisory offering; contact us to register your interest ahead of launch.

Argentina

Pre-Launch Status

Argentina is developing a citizenship-by-investment program under recent government reforms, but as of mid-2026 it remains in pre-launch status with implementing regulations pending. This program will appear on our Citizenship page once formally open.

Which Program Is Right for You?

The best-fit residency program depends on your budget, timeline, and long-term goals — whether that is EU access, US relocation, tax planning, or simply establishing a second home. Contact Visacite for a personal consultation and an honest comparison of your realistic options.

Contact Visacite