A free PDF guide — property as the ground for a status
A guide: propertyand residence
Buying a property does not bring a status by itself. We set out where property leads to residence and where to a passport, how a market asset differs from a share in an approved project, and why selling the property ends the status for the whole family.
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- Free of charge
- Verified on 11.08.2026
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The thresholds are given at the programmes’ published terms. Whether a particular property qualifies is checked before the deal.
01 / The essentials first
What to know before choosing a property
Four things that leave a property bought without the status expected of it.
- A property on the market and a share in a project are different things
In Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Türkiye and the UAE you buy property on the open market and it stays your asset. In the Caribbean programmes it is a share in a state-approved project with a compulsory holding period — 5 years in Grenada, 7 in St Kitts.
- The status lives exactly as long as the property
Selling before the set period means the whole family loses the status. It is not a fine or a dispute with a department: the ground of the status ceases to exist along with the investment.
- The threshold is not the total of the deal
On top of the price come the transfer tax, the notary, the registration and the programme’s fees: in Greece about 10 per cent of the price, and in Cyprus stamp duty reaches €18,000.
- There are requirements on the property itself
Since its reform Greece asks for at least 120 m² and bans short lets on pain of a fine of €50,000. Portugal closed its property route in October 2023: what remains is fund units and cultural projects.
02 / The choice
What your budget reaches
Give the budget and the task: the tool shows the programmes’ thresholds, the conditions on the property and the compulsory holding period.
8 programmes fit the budget
up to $400,000 for the propertyThe threshold is the price of the property, not the total of the deal. On top of it come the purchase taxes, the notary, the registration and the programme’s state fees: on average 8 to 12 per cent of the price in Europe. Below are the thresholds by programme and the conditions on the property.
- Türkiye · Residence through property
- $200,000
- Residential or commercial property on the open market. From a threshold of $400,000 the same property opens the way to citizenship
- no holding period is set
- Dominica · Citizenship through property
- $200,000
- A share in a property from the programme’s approved list. Held for 3 years, or 5 years where it is resold to the next investor in the programme
- held for 3 years
- Grenada · Citizenship through property
- $270,000
- A share in an approved developer’s project. Plus a state fee of $50,000; held for 5 years
- held for 5 years
- Greece · The Golden Visa
- €250,000 - €800,000
- A property on the open market; the threshold follows the zone and the type of work. A minimum floor area of 120 m²; short lets are banned on pain of a fine of €50,000
- no holding period is set
- Antigua and Barbuda · Citizenship through property
- $300,000
- A property from the programme’s approved list. A compulsory holding period of 5 years before a sale
- held for 5 years
- Saint Lucia · Citizenship through property
- $300,000
- A share in an approved property. A state fee of $30,000 for the applicant, and a holding period of 5 years
- held for 5 years
- St Kitts and Nevis · Citizenship through property
- $325,000
- A share in an approved developer’s project. The longest holding period among the Caribbean programmes — 7 years
- held for 7 years
- Cyprus · Permanent residence under Regulation 6(2)
- €300,000
- Residential or commercial property from a developer. Stamp duty on the deal reaches €18,000, and the status is tied to keeping the property
- no holding period is set
- Malta · MPRP — permanent residence · the budget falls short
- €375,000
- Buying a home; the alternative is a long lease. The property is held for the whole term of the programme, and letting to third parties is limited
- held for 5 years
- The UAE · The Golden Visa · the budget falls short
- AED 2,000,000
- A completed property, or one under construction with an approved developer. The visa is issued for 10 years and renewed while the property is held
- no holding period is set
The key difference: in the European programmes the property is bought on the open market and stays your asset; in the Caribbean ones it is a share in a state-approved project, with a compulsory holding period and a narrow circle of buyers on the way out.
03 / Two classes of property
A market asset or a share in a project
Both are called property, but they are different instruments: different liquidity, different obligations and a different result.
The values were checked against the official material on 11.08.2026. Only the rows for which there is no official wording are marked separately.
| Criterion | The open marketEurope, Türkiye, the UAE | An approved projectThe Caribbean programmes |
|---|---|---|
| What is bought | A property of your own choosing | A share in a project from the programme’s list |
| What status it gives | Residence or permanent residence | Citizenship and a passport |
| The threshold | from €250,000 in Greece, from $200,000 in Türkiye | from $200,000 in Dominica |
| The holding period | For as long as you need the status | 3-7 years on the programme’s terms |
| Whom it may be sold to | Any buyer on the market | Often only the next participant in the programme |
| Income from the propertyA BRIDGES estimate | Letting is possible, with limits in some programmes | The project’s return, usually fixed or none |
| What happens on a sale | The status ends, where it rested on the property | The citizenship remains: it has already been granted |
- What is bought
- A property of your own choosing
- A share in a project from the programme’s list
- What status it gives
- Residence or permanent residence
- Citizenship and a passport
- The threshold
- from €250,000 in Greece, from $200,000 in Türkiye
- from $200,000 in Dominica
- The holding period
- For as long as you need the status
- 3-7 years on the programme’s terms
- Whom it may be sold to
- Any buyer on the market
- Often only the next participant in the programme
- Income from the propertyA BRIDGES estimate
- Letting is possible, with limits in some programmes
- The project’s return, usually fixed or none
- What happens on a sale
- The status ends, where it rested on the property
- The citizenship remains: it has already been granted
The thresholds are given at the programmes’ published terms on the date of checking and do not include the taxes on the deal or the programme’s fees.
04 / What is in the guide
How the material is built
The PDF gathers the programmes’ thresholds, the requirements on properties and the terms of leaving an investment.
- The essentials firstWhat to know before choosing a property.
- Two classes of propertyA market asset and a share in an approved project.
- The order of workHow a property is chosen for a status.
- Checking the propertyWhat is checked before the deal and before any deposit.
- The limitsThe holding periods, the liquidity and the risk of a route closing.
- Your teamWho runs the deal and sees the application through.
05 / The order of work
How a property is chosen for a status
The property is chosen after eligibility is checked, not before. The reverse order means a property bought and no status.
- We settle the task and the budget
A status for Europe and a school, or a passport for mobility. The class of property follows from it: a market asset or a share in a project.
- We check eligibility for the programme
The applicant’s citizenship, the family and the source of funds. Some programmes fall away before any property is chosen, and that comes first.
- We find a property that meets the requirements
Not every property qualifies: the floor area, the zone, the use, a developer from the list. In Greece the minimum is 120 m²; in the Caribbean programmes only approved projects count.
- We check the property and the seller
The title, the encumbrances, the building permissions, how the developer stands. Checking a property is set out in a separate guide.
- The deal and the registration
The contract, payment through a bank from a traceable source, the taxes and the registration of title. At this stage every attendant cost is counted.
- Filing for the status
The ownership documents go with the application. The status is granted after the check on the applicant, not at the moment the property is bought.
07 / The check
What is examined before the deal
Six lines of enquiry. The first three concern the property itself; the rest concern how it works for the programme.
- The seller’s title
The extract from the register, the chain of transfers, the absence of disputes. In new builds the developer’s permissions are checked.
- Encumbrances and debts
Mortgages, freezing orders, tax arrears and utility debts pass with the property in most jurisdictions.
- Meeting the programme’s requirements
The floor area, the zone, the use of the premises, whether the project is on the approved list. A mismatch means a refusal with the property already bought.
- The source of the purchase money
Payment goes through a bank and is fully traceable. Cash and transfers from third parties close the programme.
- The tax consequences of owning
The yearly property tax, the tax on rental income, the tax on a future sale. Counted before the deal, not after.
- The terms of exit
The holding period, who may buy, and what happens to the status on a sale. Written into the contract before signature.
The property is checked before any deposit: a contract rarely provides for the deposit to come back where the property fails the programme’s requirements.
08 / The limits
What to take into account in advance
Five limits that decide both the result and the liquidity of the investment.
Selling the property ends the statusThe ground goes with the investment
Residence rests on holding the investment. Selling before the period ends means every member of the family loses the status, children included.
Not every property qualifiesRequirements on area, zone and use
Since its reform Greece asks for at least 120 m² and bans short lets on pain of a fine of €50,000. A property bought before the check may not qualify.
Leaving a Caribbean project is restrictedThe buyer is often only another participant in the programme
The share is sold after 3-7 years and, as a rule, to the next investor in the programme. That is not market liquidity, and it cannot be built into a return.
A route can closePortugal closed property in 2023
Portugal closed its property route in October 2023: what remains is fund units and cultural projects. The programmes change, so a decision is taken on the rules in force rather than on the practice of past years.
The costs on top of the threshold are substantialFrom 8 to 12 per cent on top in Europe
The transfer tax, the notary, the registration, the lawyer and the programme’s fees. In Cyprus stamp duty alone reaches €18,000; in Malta a property from €375,000 is held for the whole term of the programme.
09 / Your team
Who runs the deal
The property and the deal are handled by specialists who work with these programmes.
The editorial record
The material was prepared and checked by
- First published
- 11 August 2026
- Last updated
- 11 August 2026
The official sources
- Enterprise Greece — the Golden Visa programmeEnterprise Greece, the Government of Greece · checked 11.08.2026The thresholds by zone, the requirements on floor area and the limits on letting.
- The Ministry of the Interior of Cyprus — permanent residenceMinistry of Interior, the Republic of Cyprus · checked 11.08.2026The requirements on the property and the procedure under Regulation 6(2).
- Residency Malta Agency — MPRPResidency Malta Agency, the Government of Malta · checked 11.08.2026The thresholds for buying and leasing a home and the holding period.
- The Citizenship by Investment Unit of Dominica — the approved projectsCommonwealth of Dominica, CBIU · checked 11.08.2026The list of approved properties and the holding periods for a share.
10 / Common questions
Questions about property and status
In which countries does property bring residence?
In Greece (from €250,000, depending on the zone), Cyprus (€300,000), Malta under the MPRP (from €375,000), Türkiye (from $200,000) and the UAE. Portugal closed its property route: what remains is fund units and cultural projects.
How does Caribbean property differ from European?
In Europe you buy a property on the open market and it stays your asset. In the Caribbean programmes it is a share in a state-approved project: the holding period is set by the programme, and the share can often be sold only to the next participant in it.
What happens to the status if the property is sold?
Residence ends: it rests on holding the investment. Citizenship obtained through a Caribbean programme remains — but the share cannot be sold before the set period.
What does a deal cost on top of the price?
In Europe 8 to 12 per cent on average: the transfer tax, the notary, the registration, the lawyer. In Cyprus stamp duty reaches €18,000; in Greece the attendant costs come to about 10 per cent of the price.
May the property be let?
It depends on the programme. In Greece, since the reform, short letting of the property the status rests on is banned on pain of a fine of €50,000. In other countries letting is possible, but the income is taxed under local rules.
Does a property under construction qualify?
In several programmes, yes — with approved developers and where the requirements on the stage of completion are met. The risk moves to the developer, so its finances and its permissions are checked.
May a property be bought jointly with a relative?
Joint purchase is not allowed everywhere, and it often requires each applicant’s share to reach the programme’s threshold. For a family application the property is registered to the main applicant.
What should be checked before the deal?
The title and the chain of transfers, the encumbrances and debts, the permissions, compliance with the programme’s requirements and the terms of exit. How a property is checked is set out in a separate guide.
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Take the guide and a choice of property
We will send the PDF with the thresholds and requirements of the programmes and find a property for your budget.
- The threshold in each programme and what exactly is bought
- The requirements on the property: the area, the zone, the developer
- The holding periods and the terms of exit
- The costs on top of the price