Updated
GL-G-01
Glossary · Citizenship and residency programs
Golden Visa - Residence through investment
A general name for residence programs through a real estate purchase, a deposit, or an investment in funds. It grants the right to live in the country, to use the Schengen area (in the EU), and over time to obtain citizenship. Greece, Portugal, UAE.
01 / In 30 seconds
The short answer
- What it is
- A residence permit for a large investment — real estate, funds or a deposit
- Where it applies
- Greece, Portugal, the UAE, Hungary and other countries
- Cost
- From €250,000 (real estate in Greece) to €500,000+ (Portuguese funds)
- Duration
- Processing from a few weeks to 2-3 months
- Can you prepare
- Yes: choose the country and option, check the property, assemble the source-of-funds file
02 / In plain words
What Golden Visa means
Golden Visa is the general name for programmes that grant a residence permit for a large investment: a property purchase, an investment in funds or a deposit. In essence it is a type of RBI, but the term has stuck to the best-known European and Middle Eastern programmes — Greece, Portugal, the UAE.
What you get: the right to live in the country, and in the EU also to move freely within the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180. Most European Golden Visas do not require permanent residence — a few days a year is enough for the status to be renewed. Over time, if you start living in the country permanently, the road leads to citizenship.
Entry thresholds depend on the country and the type of investment. In Greece real estate costs from €250,000 to €800,000 depending on the region; in the UAE an investment from AED 2 million gives a 10-year visa. Processing is usually quick: from a few weeks to a couple of months. Spain closed its Golden Visa in 2025 — the market is changing, and windows sometimes slam shut.
A case from practice
An entrepreneur applies for a UAE Golden Visa: they buy property in Dubai for about AED 2 million (around $545,000) and receive a 10-year residence visa for themselves and their family. There is no need to live in the Emirates permanently, and the country has no personal income tax — for many that is the main motive.
Why people choose a Golden Visa
- Free travel in the Schengen area (EU)
- A second home and a “plan B” for the family
- Tax optimisation (the UAE has no income tax)
- A basis for future citizenship
- Education and healthcare in Europe
- Rental income from property
03 / What it covers
What a Golden Visa gives
Who receives it
- Principal applicant
- Spouse and children
- Sometimes parents and grandchildren
Types of investment
- Real estate
- Investment funds
- Deposit or government bonds
Freedom of movement
- Residence in the country
- Schengen up to 90/180 days (EU)
- Minimal presence per year
Outlook
- Path to permanent residence
- Path to citizenship
- Tax planning
04 / How it works
How to obtain a Golden Visa
Choosing the country and option
Due diligence check
Investment and purchase
Filing the application
Receiving the residence card
05 / Cost and timelines
What a Golden Visa costs: thresholds by country
01Greece
from €250,000
Real estate. The threshold depends on the region: €250,000 in certain areas, €400,000-800,000 in Athens, Thessaloniki and the popular islands.
02Hungary
from €250,000
Guest Investor Programme (relaunched in 2024): a stake in a real estate fund or a property purchase.
03UAE
from AED 2,000,000
About $545,000 in real estate — a 10-year visa. The country has no personal income tax.
04Portugal
from €500,000
Investment funds. The property purchase option has been closed since 2023.
Spain closed its Golden Visa in April 2025. Government fees, legal support and property taxes are added to the investment itself. We calculate the exact budget for the chosen country and family composition.
Timelines
- Processing time
- From a few weeks to 2-3 months (faster in the UAE, longer in the EU)
- Who issues it
- The country’s migration service
- What it depends on
- The country, the investment option, the check, the number of applicants
- Residence
- Usually minimal (a few days a year); actual residence for citizenship
06 / Key facts
What you need to know
01Conditions and thresholds change
Spain closed its Golden Visa in 2025
02
Most EU programmes do not require permanent residence
03
The property usually has to be held for the whole term of the status
04A Golden Visa is not citizenship
a passport comes only through naturalisation
05
Schengen travel is limited (90/180) and gives no right to work in other EU countries
Common mistakes
- Delaying the application: thresholds rise and programmes close (Spain, real estate in Portugal)
- Buying property without checking the title and eligibility for a Golden Visa
- Confusing a Golden Visa with citizenship and expecting a passport “straight away”
- Expecting to work in another EU country on this permit — Schengen gives travel only
- Selling the property early and losing the status
07 / Expert advice
How to prepare in advance
Before filing, decide on the goal (Schengen, taxes or a second home) — the choice of country depends on it. Then gather documents on the origin of funds (source of funds), check the property’s title and land registry records and that it qualifies for the programme, and build government fees and property taxes into the budget. Then the deal and the filing go through without surprises.
What we do for you. We keep a finger on the pulse of Golden Visas in every country at once: where each threshold stands today, and where a programme is about to close or become more expensive. We will choose an option for your goal — Schengen, taxes or a second home — and take you through the property purchase and filing end to end.
Anna KovalevskayaLead lawyer for EU citizenship and residency, 12 years of practice
08 / Questions
Frequently asked questions
No. A Golden Visa is a residence permit. A passport may come later, through naturalisation, and only if you start living in the country permanently for the required number of years.
For most European Golden Visas, no. A few days a year is usually enough. Future citizenship, however, will require actual residence.
While the Golden Visa is in force, the property usually has to stay in your ownership — it is the basis of the status. Selling early may cost you the visa, so we check each programme’s conditions in advance.
At present Greece and Hungary — from €250,000. In Greece it is real estate (with a higher threshold in Athens and on the popular islands); in Hungary a stake in a real estate fund. In Portugal the entry is through funds — from €500,000.
In the country that issued the visa — as a rule, yes. But in the Schengen area it gives travel only: this residence permit does not allow you to work in other EU countries.
Usually the spouse and children (often under 18, sometimes up to 24-26 if dependent), and in some programmes parents and grandchildren. The exact family composition depends on the country.
Yes: since April 2025 the Spanish Golden Visa is no longer issued. Portugal removed the property purchase option back in 2023 but kept investment funds.
Essentially, yes. Golden Visa is the popular name for RBI (residence by investment) programmes that has stuck to the European and Middle Eastern ones. The opposite is CBI, where a passport is granted straight away.
Related terms
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