Home / Golden Visa and Residency
A golden visa is a renewable residence permit, not a passport. It may allow the investor and family to live in the country and, for Schengen programmes, to travel within the Schengen area. Citizenship is never automatic: it exists only for some programmes, after years of lawful residence, physical presence, language and integration and good-character rules, and it may change. This 2026 Q3 Edition tracks 81 residency-by-investment programmes, of which 36 are active and ranked. If you want residence without relocating full-time, start with the Stay Requirement column, then request a private suitability review with Vito Magagnino.
Comparative research from official sources, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Golden-visa programmes change; this edition reflects sources checked 2026-07-26. Verify against the linked official source before acting.
MCP
Shortcuts by goal
There is no universal best. These are established programmes Mirabello advises on, each shown against the goal it fits, with the qualifying figure, the date it was verified and a Mirabello confidence band. The full, objective ranking of every active programme is in the table below. A residence permit is not a passport, and none of this is a recommendation.
Schengen access at a low EU entry: Greece Golden Visa
Qualifying investment from €250,000, Real-estate investment (tiered 250k-800k). Schengen movement while the permit is held.
An established route into the Schengen area at one of the lower published EU entry levels, with no minimum-stay requirement to maintain the permit.
View Greece Golden VisaIndicative, from official sources on the date shown. Suitability depends on your circumstances. Information, not advice.
EU residence with a published citizenship route: Portugal Golden Visa
Qualifying investment from €250,000, Investment fund / cultural / scientific. Published naturalisation route.
One of the few golden visas with a published route toward citizenship after years of lawful residence. A published route is years-long, never guaranteed, and subject to change.
View Portugal Golden VisaIndicative, from official sources on the date shown. Suitability depends on your circumstances. Information, not advice.
Residence in a major EU economy: Italy Investor Visa
Qualifying investment from €250,000, Innovative startup investment (tiered).
Investor residence in a G7 economy, with flexible qualifying routes and no minimum-stay requirement to hold the permit.
View in the tableIndicative, from official sources on the date shown. Suitability depends on your circumstances. Information, not advice.
Established EU permanent residence: Malta Permanent Residence (MPRP)
Qualifying investment from €99,000, Government contribution + admin fee + donation (excl. property).
A long-running EU permanent-residence programme, contribution and property based, with residence granted for life subject to compliance.
View Malta Permanent Residence (MPRP)Indicative, from official sources on the date shown. Suitability depends on your circumstances. Information, not advice.
Fast Gulf residence: UAE Golden Visa
Documented processing: 2-3 months. GCC regional access.
A renewable long-term residence in a no-personal-income-tax jurisdiction, with fast documented processing and regional mobility.
View UAE Golden VisaIndicative, from official sources on the date shown. Suitability depends on your circumstances. Information, not advice.
Programme status, at a glance
This 2026 Q3 Edition tracks 36 ranked, active residency-by-investment programmes accepting new applications. Spain, the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands have closed their investor routes; Portugal has removed the real-estate route while the programme continues via funds. Every status entry is verified against an official source, with the last-checked date shown. Always verify before acting.
See the full status register below for the closed and route-narrowed programmes, each with its official source and last-checked date.
The programmes, ranked
36 residency-by-investment programmes are ranked and active this 2026 Q3 Edition, in Mirabello Investment Migration Index order. A golden visa is a renewable residence permit, not a passport. Every figure is verified against official sources and provenance-tracked.
| Rank | Programme | Minimum qualifying route | Typical processing | Index score | Confidence | Stay requirement | Renewal cycle | Mobility | Tax relevance | Last verified | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇦🇱 Albania Residence by Investment Index | €100,000 Business/bonds (€100k; 1:5 local-employee) or real estate €300k e-albania.al · 2026-06-04 |
Approx e-albania.al · 2026-06-04 |
79.8 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Verify | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 2 | 🇪🇨 Ecuador Investor Residence Index | $48,200 Investment (real estate / CD / equity), ~US$48.2k cancilleria.gob.ec · 2026-06-04 |
~60 days cancilleria.gob.ec · 2026-06-04 |
79.6 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Medium | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 3 | 🇧🇷 Brazil Residence by Investment Index | BRL 700,000 Real estate (R$700k North/NE; R$1m elsewhere) portaldeimigracao.mj.gov.br · 2026-06-04 |
Not published | 79.5 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Verify | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 4 | 🇯🇵 Japan Business Manager Visa Index | $200,000 Business management (¥30m capital + employee + JLPT N2) isa.go.jp · 2026-06-04 |
Approximately 1-3 months for the isa.go.jp · 2026-06-04 |
78.1 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Verify | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 5 | 🇲🇹 Malta Global Residence Programme (GRP) Index | €220,000 Tax-residence by property (purchase EUR 220k-275k or lease) 2026-07-26 |
3-6 months | 77.6 / 100 | Medium | No minimum stay | Verify | Schengen | Medium | 2026-07-26 | # |
| 6 | 🇦🇲 Armenia Residency Index | $150,000 Business investment mfa.am · 2026-07-05 |
Current system: 80-90 days mfa.am · 2026-07-05 |
77.6 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | 3-year cycle | Domestic | Low | 2026-07-05 | # |
| 7 | 🇲🇹 Malta Permanent Residence (MPRP) | €99,000 Government contribution + admin fee + donation (excl. property) residencymalta.gov.mt · 2026-07-05 |
6-12 months | 77.2 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | 5-year cycle | Schengen | Medium | 2026-07-05 | # |
| 8 | 🇵🇹 Portugal Golden Visa | €250,000 Investment fund / cultural / scientific aima.gov.pt · 2026-07-05 |
12-18 months aima.gov.pt · 2026-07-05 |
77 / 100 | High | Light presence | 2-year cycle | Schengen | Low | 2026-07-05 | # |
| 9 | 🇨🇴 Colombia Migrant Investor Visa Index | $48,920 Company (100 SMMLV ~US$49k) or real estate (350 SMMLV) cancilleria.gov.co · 2026-06-04 |
Approximately 2-6 weeks cancilleria.gov.co · 2026-06-04 |
76.8 / 100 | High | Verify | 1-year cycle | Domestic | Medium | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 10 | 🇬🇷 Greece Golden Visa | €250,000 Real-estate investment (tiered 250k-800k) et.gr · 2026-06-28 |
90 days statutory maximum migration.gov.gr · 2026-07-05 |
76.3 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | 7-year cycle | Schengen | Medium | 2026-07-05 | # |
| 11 | 🇨🇾 Cyprus Permanent Residency | €300,000 Real-estate investment mip.gov.cy · 2026-07-05 |
4-6 months mip.gov.cy · 2026-07-05 |
75.8 / 100 | High | Light presence | 2-year cycle | EU (not Schengen) | Low | 2026-07-05 | # |
| 12 | 🇰🇭 Cambodia My Second Home (CM2H) Index | $50,000 10-year long-stay (fee / real estate / deposit) cm2h.com · 2026-06-04 |
4-6 months cm2h.com · 2026-06-04 |
75.6 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Verify | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 13 | 🇵🇦 Panama Qualified Investor Residency Index | $300,000 Real estate (USD 300k until 15 Oct 2026, then USD 500k) migracion.gob.pa · 2026-06-04 |
Approximately 30-90 days migracion.gob.pa · 2026-06-04 |
75.4 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Verify | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 14 | 🇮🇹 Italy Investor Visa Index | €250,000 Innovative startup investment (tiered) investorvisa.mise.gov.it · 2026-06-04 |
Approximately 3-6 months end to end investorvisa.mise.gov.it · 2026-06-04 |
75 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | Verify | Schengen | Verify | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 15 | 🇺🇸 USA EB-5 Investor Visa | $800,000 EB-5 Targeted Employment Area investment uscis.gov · 2026-07-05 |
Not published uscis.gov · 2026-07-05 |
73.5 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | 2-year cycle | Domestic | Low | 2026-07-05 | # |
| 16 | 🇬🇪 Georgia Residence by Investment Index | $150,000 Real estate (US$150k) or US$300k investment (5-yr) sda.gov.ge · 2026-06-04 |
Not published | 73.2 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | Verify | Domestic | Low | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 17 | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria Investor Permanent Residence Index | €512,000 FSC-licensed fund investment (5-yr → PR) mvr.bg · 2026-06-04 |
Approximately 3-7 months mvr.bg · 2026-06-04 |
70.3 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | EU (not Schengen) | Low | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 18 | 🇲🇺 Mauritius Residency | $375,000 Real-estate investment edbmauritius.org · 2026-07-05 |
2-6 months edbmauritius.org · 2026-07-05 |
70 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Medium | 2026-07-05 | # |
| 19 | 🇪🇪 Estonia Business Residence Index | €65,000 Company investment (~€65k) or Startup Visa politsei.ee · 2026-06-04 |
Decision within 90 days politsei.ee · 2026-06-04 |
69 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Schengen | Medium | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 20 | 🇱🇻 Latvia Golden Visa Index | €50,000 Business equity (from €50k + €10k state fee) pmlp.gov.lv · 2026-06-04 |
Approximately 2-4 months pmlp.gov.lv · 2026-06-04 |
68.1 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | 5-year cycle | Schengen | Verify | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 21 | 🇿🇦 South Africa Business Visa Index | ZAR 5,000,000 Active business (ZAR 5m + 60% local staff; DTIC-waivable) dha.gov.za · 2026-06-05 |
2 months dha.gov.za · 2026-06-05 |
67 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Verify | 2026-06-05 | # |
| 22 | 🇦🇪 UAE Golden Visa | AED 2,000,000 Real-estate investment u.ae · 2026-07-01 |
2-3 months u.ae · 2026-04-29 |
66.7 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | Verify | Regional (Gulf) | Verify | 2026-07-01 | # |
| 23 | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica Investor Residency Index | $150,000 Real estate / business / securities (USD 150k; USD 100k forestry) migracion.go.cr · 2026-06-04 |
Approximately 6-12 months migracion.go.cr · 2026-06-04 |
66.7 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Verify | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 24 | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Premium Residency | SAR 800,000 Premium Residency (one-off or annual) saprac.sa · 2026-07-01 |
60-90 business days for review saprac.sa · 2026-07-05 |
66.1 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | Verify | Regional (Gulf) | Low | 2026-07-05 | # |
| 25 | 🇲🇻 Maldives Pearl Residence Index | $250,000 Pre-approved real-estate investment maldivespearl.gov.mv · 2026-07-05 |
Not published maldivespearl.gov.mv · 2026-07-05 |
60.6 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | Verify | Domestic | Low | 2026-07-05 | # |
| 26 | 🇧🇸 Bahamas Residency by Investment Index | $1,000,000 Real-estate permanent residency immigration.gov.bs · 2026-06-04 |
Approximately 3-6 months under the immigration.gov.bs · 2026-06-04 |
58.1 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Verify | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 27 | 🇰🇪 Kenya Class G Investor Permit Index | $100,000 Business capital (Class G investor permit) immigration.go.ke · 2026-06-04 |
Approximately 3-6 months immigration.go.ke · 2026-06-04 |
55.4 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Medium | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 28 | 🇴🇲 Oman Golden Visa | $520,000 Investment (bank deposit / bonds / listed equities / employment creation) omanresidence.gov.om · 2026-07-01 |
3-6 weeks omanresidence.gov.om · 2026-07-05 |
55.2 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Regional (Gulf) | Low | 2026-07-05 | # |
| 30 | 🇬🇬 Guernsey Investor Residence Index | £200,000 Entrepreneur £200k / Investor £750k + Open Market housing gov.gg · 2026-06-04 |
Adviser/market guides: Open Market gov.gg · 2026-06-04 |
54.4 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Verify | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 31 | 🇧🇭 Bahrain Golden Residency Index | $345,000 Property investment (~US$345k) goldenresidency.gov.bh · 2026-06-04 |
5 working days for property owners goldenresidency.gov.bh · 2026-06-04 |
53.4 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | Verify | Regional (Gulf) | Verify | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 32 | 🇹🇼 Taiwan Investment Residence Index | $480,000 Investment (~NT$15m) + 5 jobs, or NT$30m bonds immigration.gov.tw · 2026-06-04 |
Investment approval immigration.gov.tw · 2026-06-04 |
52.4 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Verify | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 33 | 🇻🇳 Vietnam Investor Visa Index | $2,000,000 Capital investment (DT tiers; card up to 10 yrs) immigration.gov.vn · 2026-06-04 |
Not published | 48.5 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Verify | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 34 | 🇳🇬 Nigeria Investor Visa Index | $250,000 Investor residence (N3A-N3E tiers) immigration.gov.ng · 2026-06-04 |
, NIS pages state the visa is valid 90 immigration.gov.ng · 2026-06-04 |
47.9 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Verify | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 35 | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka Golden Paradise Residence Visa Index | $200,000 Qualifying foreign-currency deposit / approved investment (10-yr visa) immigration.gov.lk · 2026-06-05 |
Not published | 45.7 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Medium | 2026-06-05 | # |
| 36 | 🇨🇿 Czechia Residence for Investment Index | CZK 75,000,000 Long-term residence for investment (~CZK 75m + ~20 jobs) ipc.gov.cz · 2026-06-04 |
Not published | 43.6 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | Verify | Schengen | Medium | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 37 | 🇷🇼 Rwanda Residence by Investment Index | $250,000 RDB investor permit (PR via ~$500k property / ~$1m project) migration.gov.rw · 2026-06-04 |
Not published | 42.3 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Medium | 2026-06-04 | # |
Stay requirement is the minimum physical presence to maintain the permit, from official data where published, otherwise shown as Verify. Renewal cycle is the documented permit cadence where stated. Mobility flags Schengen movement, EU membership, Gulf regional access or domestic residence. Tax relevance is a light indicator only, not tax advice, and holding a residence permit does not by itself make you tax-resident. Confidence bands are Mirabello's, from source tier and corroboration.
Residence without relocating
The defining question for a golden visa is how much time you must actually spend in the country to keep the permit. Programmes are grouped below by physical-presence burden, from published official data. Where a figure is not officially published, the entry reads Verify. Each stay figure should be confirmed against the linked official source.
No physical-presence requirement documented to maintain the permit. Suited to a life that stays where it is.
A small number of documented days to maintain the permit. Compatible with a mostly non-resident life.
No prominent physical-presence minimum is officially published. Confirm the current requirement before relying on it.
Stay requirements and renewal rules change and are enforced differently in practice. Treat this grouping as a starting point and confirm against each programme's official source, or discuss it in a private review.
The full record
A factual register of golden-visa programmes that have closed to new applicants or narrowed their routes, each with its official source and last-checked date, alongside programmes tracked for reference. This is a record, not a forecast.
| Status | Programme | Position | Official source | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Closed to new applicants | 🇪🇸 Spain golden visa | Ended for new applicants on 3 April 2025 under Organic Law 1/2025, which repealed residence visas and permits for investors, including the real-estate route. Existing holders may have transitional or renewal rights. | La Moncloa (Government of Spain) | 2026-07-05 |
| Closed to new applicants | 🇬🇧 UK Tier 1 (Investor) visa | Closed to new applicants on 17 February 2022. The official page states new Tier 1 (Investor) applications are no longer accepted. Existing holders may have transitional or renewal rights. | gov.uk | 2026-07-05 |
| Closed to new applicants | 🇮🇪 Ireland Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) | Closed to new applications from close of business on 15 February 2023. Existing approved projects and applications on hand at closure were unaffected. | gov.ie | 2026-07-05 |
| Closed to new applicants | 🇳🇱 Netherlands investor residence scheme | The admission scheme for foreign investors was abolished on 17 April 2024. A previously obtained permit could still be extended under the prior requirements. | ind.nl | 2026-07-05 |
| Open, route narrowed | 🇵🇹 Portugal golden visa, real-estate route | The real-estate investment route was removed in October 2023 under Law 56/2023 (Mais Habitacao). The programme continues via qualifying funds and other routes, so it remains open with a narrowed set of options. | Diario da Republica, Law 56/2023 | 2026-07-05 |
| Reference | 🇺🇸 USA O-1 Extraordinary Ability Visa | Tracked for reference, Extraordinary-ability talent visa (no investment). See the Index entry. | Index entry | 2026-07-26 |
| Reference | 🇲🇹 Malta Nomad Residence Permit | Tracked for reference, Digital-nomad residence (income-based, no investment). See the Index entry. | Index entry | 2026-07-26 |
| Reference | 🇺🇸 USA E-2 Treaty Investor Visa | Tracked for reference, Substantial at-risk investment in a US business (no statutory minimum). See the Index entry. | Index entry | 2026-07-26 |
| Reference | 🇷🇸 Serbia Residence | Tracked for reference, Residence via company/real estate (no fixed minimum). See the Index entry. | Index entry | 2026-06-04 |
| Reference | 🇫🇯 Fiji Investor Residence | Tracked for reference, Residence via Investment-Fiji-approved business. See the Index entry. | Index entry | 2026-06-04 |
| Reference | 🇺🇾 Uruguay Residence | Tracked for reference, Residence by income/solvency (no fixed minimum); tax-residency via investment thresholds. See the Index entry. | Index entry | 2026-06-04 |
| Reference | 🇬🇮 Gibraltar Category 2 Residence | Tracked for reference, HNWI tax-status residence (£2m net worth + capped tax). See the Index entry. | Index entry | 2026-06-04 |
| Reference | 🇯🇪 Jersey High-Value Residency | Tracked for reference, High-value residency (~£250k/yr tax + £1.75m+ home). See the Index entry. | Index entry | 2026-06-04 |
| Reference | 🇨🇭 Switzerland (Lump-Sum Taxation) | Tracked for reference, Residence by lump-sum (expenditure-based) taxation. See the Index entry. | Index entry | 2026-06-04 |
| Reference | 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein Residence | Tracked for reference, No formal investment scheme, quota/lottery or discretionary residence. See the Index entry. | Index entry | 2026-06-05 |
| Reference | 🇦🇹 Austria Financially-Independent Residence | Tracked for reference, Quota residence by passive income (no fixed investment). See the Index entry. | Index entry | 2026-06-04 |
| Reference | 🇲🇨 Monaco Residence | Tracked for reference, Residence by means (bank deposit ~€500k-1m; not a fixed investment). See the Index entry. | Index entry | 2026-06-04 |
| Reference | 🇰🇼 Kuwait Investor Residency | Tracked for reference, Value-linked investor residency (5-15 yr). See the Index entry. | Index entry | 2026-06-04 |
Closed programmes generally do not affect existing holders, who may have transitional or renewal rights, but the exact position is programme-specific. Confirm against the linked official source before acting.
One clarification
Holding a residence permit does not, by itself, make you tax-resident in that country. Tax residence follows each country's own day-count and personal-ties rules, which are separate from the immigration permit. Some countries operate special regimes for new residents, and these change: treat any figure as needing confirmation and verify against the linked official source. The Tax relevance column in the ranked table is a light indicator only.
Find your shortlist
Four choices narrow the 36 ranked active residency programmes to an indicative shortlist covering your goal, budget, family size and relocation tolerance. The result is a starting point drawn from the 2026 Q3 verified data, not a personal eligibility determination. A Mirabello specialist confirms fit and reviews your full profile in a complimentary consultation.
Indicative starting point: 🇦🇱 Albania Residence by Investment
€100,000, Business/bonds (€100k; 1:5 local-employee) or real estate €300k · Index composite 79.8 / 100 · verified 2026-06-04
Indicative only, from the ranked dataset. A golden visa is a renewable residence permit, not a passport, and citizenship, where a route exists, comes only after years of lawful residence. Confirm any figure against the linked official source.
How this is ranked
Each programme is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions, combined into a weighted composite. Where a dimension has no verified data it is excluded and the remaining weights are re-normalized (see data_completeness). Index weights: cost 22% · mobility 22% · speed 16% · path 15% · stability 13% · family 7% · tax 5%. Full method on the Mirabello Investment Migration Index.
Dataset: the Mirabello Investment Migration Index, 2026 Q3 Edition, machine-readable at /index.json and /mirabello-index.csv.
The process
A golden visa is a renewable residence permit, not a passport. To obtain one, an investor selects a qualifying route, typically real estate, investment funds, or a government deposit, completes a source-of-funds due-diligence review, and submits through a licensed adviser. Total costs for a single applicant typically range from USD 68,000 (Malta) to USD 800,000 (USA EB-5), plus government and professional fees.
Model the full cost on each programme page's calculator.
Questions
The most common questions cover whether a golden visa is the same as a passport, which programmes are still accepting applications, how long investors must stay in the country, which routes lead to citizenship, and whether a residence permit creates a tax obligation. Detailed answers follow; for questions about your specific situation, a Mirabello specialist responds in a complimentary consultation.
No. A golden visa is a renewable residence permit, not a passport. It can allow the investor and family to live in the country and, for Schengen programmes, to travel within the Schengen area. Citizenship is never automatic.
This 2026 Q3 Edition tracks 36 ranked, active residency-by-investment programmes. Spain, the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands have closed their investor routes to new applicants, and Portugal removed its real-estate route while the programme continues via funds. See the status register for each official source.
13 of the ranked programmes document no minimum physical-presence requirement to maintain the permit, including Malta Global Residence Programme (GRP). Stay rules change and are enforced differently in practice, so confirm against the official source.
Among the ranked programmes, the Schengen-area movers are Malta Global Residence Programme (GRP), Malta Permanent Residence (MPRP), Portugal Golden Visa, Greece Golden Visa, Italy Investor Visa, Estonia Business Residence. A residence permit allows visa-free movement within the Schengen area; it is not a right to settle in another Schengen country.
Some programmes publish a route to citizenship after years of lawful residence, subject to physical presence, language, integration and good-character rules. Among the ranked programmes, Albania Residence by Investment carries one of the clearest published routes. A published route is years-long and never guaranteed, and the rules can change.
Not by itself. Tax residence follows each country’s own day-count and personal-ties rules, separate from the immigration permit. Take tax positions only with a qualified adviser and verify current rules against official sources.
A confidential, no-obligation conversation with Vito Magagnino and the Mirabello team, in your language, on the verified 2026 Q3 figures. Mirabello holds IMC membership and ACAMS certification, with a 99% approval rate across 350+ Golden Visa cases. Confirm which residency route fits your goal, budget and relocation profile.
Book a free consultation WhatsApp usMirabello Consultancy provides comparative research and advisory services. This page is information, not legal, tax or immigration advice, and there is no universal best programme. A golden visa is a renewable residence permit, not a passport. Figures are indicative and change; verify against the linked official source before acting.