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 63 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 2026-09-22. Verify against the linked official source before acting.
MCP
The short answer
63 residency by investment programmes are active and ranked in the 2026 Q3 Edition of the Mirabello Investment Migration Index. Ecuador Investor Residence ranks first with a composite score of 87.6 out of 100. A golden visa grants a renewable residence permit, not a passport.
Evidence: Mirabello Investment Migration Index · Official source: cancilleria.gob.ec · Open data: index.json · As of 2026-09-22
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
Golden-visa programmes change. This edition reflects official sources checked 2026-09-22. The vocabulary below is used consistently across the ranked table and the full status register.
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
63 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 | 🇪🇨 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 |
87.6 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Low | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 2 | 🇦🇱 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 |
85.4 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Low | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 3 | 🇲🇹 Malta Global Residence Programme (GRP) Index | €220,000 Tax-residence by property (purchase EUR 220k-275k or lease) mtca.gov.mt · 2026-03-20 |
3-6 months mtca.gov.mt · 2026-03-20 |
84.6 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | Verify | Schengen | Low | 2026-03-20 | # |
| 4 | 🇦🇲 Armenia Residency Index | $150,000 Business investment mfa.am · 2026-03-20 |
Up to 30 days mfa.am · 2026-03-20 |
84.5 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | 3-year cycle | Domestic | Low | 2026-03-20 | # |
| 5 | 🇵🇪 Peru Investor Residence Index | $130,000 Business investment (PEN 500k) + 5 local jobs gob.pe · 2026-06-04 |
Approx | 83.7 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Medium | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 6 | 🇬🇷 Greece Golden Visa | €250,000 Real-estate investment (tiered 250k-800k) et.gr · 2026-06-28 |
90 days statutory maximum migration.gov.gr · 2026-03-20 |
83.1 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | 7-year cycle | Schengen | Low | 2026-09-19 | # |
| 7 | 🇧🇷 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 | 82.8 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Medium | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 8 | 🇺🇸 USA EB-5 Investor Visa | $800,000 EB-5 Targeted Employment Area investment uscis.gov · 2026-09-20 |
rural tea reserved: 6-12 months uscis.gov · 2026-03-20 |
82.7 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | 2-year cycle | Domestic | Low | 2026-09-20 | # |
| 9 | 🇲🇹 Malta Permanent Residence (MPRP) | €99,000 Government contribution + admin fee + donation (excl. property) residencymalta.gov.mt · 2026-07-05 |
6-12 months residencymalta.gov.mt · 2026-03-20 |
82.2 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | 5-year cycle | Schengen | Medium | 2026-07-05 | # |
| 10 | 🇲🇾 Malaysia MM2H Index | $150,000 Fixed-deposit long-stay pass (Silver tier; SEZ route from ~USD 65k) imi.gov.my · 2026-06-04 |
Approximately 2-3 months after complete imi.gov.my · 2026-06-04 |
82.1 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Medium | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 11 | 🇭🇳 Honduras Investor Residence Index | $50,000 Business investment + refundable US$5k Central Bank deposit inm.gob.hn · 2026-06-04 |
Not published inm.gob.hn · 2026-06-04 |
82 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Medium | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 12 | 🇯🇵 Japan Business Manager Visa Index | ¥30,000,000 Business management (JPY 30,000,000 capital + employee + JLPT N2) moj.go.jp · 2026-09-22 |
Approximately 1-3 months for the isa.go.jp · 2026-06-04 |
81.7 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Medium | 2026-09-22 | # |
| 13 | 🇸🇮 Slovenia Business Residence Index | €50,000 Company (d.o.o. + ~€50k fixed-asset investment) gov.si · 2026-06-04 |
Not published | 81.7 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Schengen | Low | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 14 | 🇵🇦 Panama Qualified Investor Residency Index | $300,000 Real estate, first sale USD 300k (resale USD 500k) migracion.gob.pa · 2026-09-14 |
Article 15 of Decree 17 sets maximum migracion.gob.pa · 2026-06-04 |
81.5 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Low | 2026-09-14 | # |
| 15 | 🇬🇬 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 |
81.1 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Low | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 16 | 🇰🇭 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 |
80.7 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Medium | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 17 | 🇷🇸 Serbia Residence Index | €50,000 Investor category: EUR 50,000 held at a SERBIAN-registered bank for the first permit, plus at least EUR 5,000 paid into the company's share capital to extend. The founder/self-employment and property grounds prescribe NO sum. welcometoserbia.gov.rs · 2026-09-18 |
Statutory decision deadline 30 days welcometoserbia.gov.rs · 2026-06-04 |
80.7 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Medium | 2026-09-18 | # |
| 18 | 🇦🇮 Anguilla Residence by Investment Index | $150,000 Capital Development Fund (US$150k) or real estate (US$750k) selectanguilla.com · 2026-06-04 |
Approximately 3 months to approval | 80.6 / 100 | High | Light presence | Verify | Domestic | Low | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 19 | 🇬🇪 Georgia Residence by Investment | $150,000 Real estate (US$150k) or US$300k investment (5-yr) sda.gov.ge · 2026-06-04 |
Not published | 80 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | Verify | Domestic | Low | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 20 | 🇨🇾 Cyprus Permanent Residency | €300,000 Real-estate investment mip.gov.cy · 2026-03-20 |
4-6 months mip.gov.cy · 2026-03-20 |
79.9 / 100 | High | Light presence | 2-year cycle | EU (not Schengen) | Low | 2026-03-20 | # |
| 21 | 🇬🇹 Guatemala Investor Residence Index | $100,000 Company participation and/or purchase of movable or immovable property igm.gob.gt · 2026-09-22 |
Approximately 2-6 months from complete | 79.3 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Medium | 2026-09-22 | # |
| 22 | 🇮🇹 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 |
78.7 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | Verify | Schengen | Medium | 2026-09-19 | # |
| 23 | 🇨🇴 Colombia Migrant Investor Visa Index | $191,930 Visa M Inversionista, real estate of at least 350 SMMLV (Colombian monthly minimum wages), about COP 612.8m / US$191,930 at the 2026 SMMLV of COP 1,750,905. The foreign-direct-investment route requires MORE than 650 SMMLV (about US$356,440). Thresholds are set in SMMLV and re-price every 1 January. The separate Visa M Socio o Propietario (company shareholding, 100 SMMLV, about US$54,840) is NOT the investor visa, it was previously published here in its place. cancilleria.gov.co · 2026-06-04 |
Approximately 2-6 weeks cancilleria.gov.co · 2026-06-04 |
78.1 / 100 | High | Verify | 1-year cycle | Domestic | Medium | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 24 | 🇲🇺 Mauritius Residency | $375,000 Real-estate investment edbmauritius.org · 2026-03-20 |
2-6 months edbmauritius.org · 2026-03-20 |
77.7 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Low | 2026-06-22 | # |
| 25 | 🇵🇹 Portugal Golden Visa | €250,000 Investment fund / cultural / scientific aima.gov.pt · 2026-03-20 |
12-18 months aima.gov.pt · 2026-03-20 |
77.6 / 100 | High | Light presence | 2-year cycle | Schengen | Low | 2026-06-28 | # |
| 26 | 🇹🇼 Taiwan Investment Residence | TWD 15,000,000 Investment (NT$15m) + 5 jobs, or NT$30m government bonds immigration.gov.tw · 2026-09-22 |
Investment approval immigration.gov.tw · 2026-06-04 |
77.1 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Low | 2026-09-22 | # |
| 27 | 🇪🇪 Estonia Business Residence | €65,000 Company investment (~€65k) or Startup Visa politsei.ee · 2026-06-04 |
Decision within 90 days politsei.ee · 2026-06-04 |
76.3 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Schengen | Low | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 28 | 🇱🇻 Latvia Golden Visa Index | €60,000 Share capital of a Latvian company (€50,000 for a small company; €100,000 for a larger one) PLUS a compulsory €10,000 state-budget payment, €60,000 all-in at the lower tier. Permit up to 2 years; PMLP decides within 4 months. pmlp.gov.lv · 2026-09-18 |
Approximately 2-4 months pmlp.gov.lv · 2026-06-04 |
76.1 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | 5-year cycle | Schengen | Medium | 2026-09-18 | # |
| 29 | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic Residence by Investment Index | $200,000 Investment → fast-track permanent residence migracion.gob.do · 2026-06-04 |
Not published | 75.6 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Medium | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 30 | 🇲🇸 Montserrat Economic Residence Index | XCD 400,000 Economic residence (EC$400k deposit/RE/bonds + net worth) agc.gov.ms · 2026-09-22 |
Not published | 75.6 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Low | 2026-09-22 | # |
| 31 | 🇧🇬 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 |
75.2 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | EU (not Schengen) | Low | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 32 | 🇰🇪 Kenya Class G Investor Permit | $100,000 Business capital (Class G investor permit) immigration.go.ke · 2026-06-04 |
Approximately 3-6 months immigration.go.ke · 2026-06-04 |
75 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Medium | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 33 | 🇭🇷 Croatia Business Residence Index | €26,545 Company (capital + ~3 local hires) mup.gov.hr · 2026-06-04 |
Typically several weeks to a few months | 74.2 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Schengen | Medium | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 34 | 🇫🇯 Fiji Investor Residence Index | FJD 250,000 Investor permit (7-year): FJD 250,000 of capital invested AND MAINTAINED in a Fijian business, statutory, reg 41(3) Immigration Regulations 2007. The 3-year investor permit prescribes no sum at all. ecoi.net · 2026-09-18 |
21 working days immigration.gov.fj · 2026-06-04 |
73.6 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Low | 2026-09-18 | # |
| 35 | 🇲🇽 Mexico Residence by Investment Index | $300,000 Investor basis: paid-in share capital of a Mexican company (45,850 daily UMA, about US$312,000 at the 2026 UMA of MXN 117.31). The property basis is roughly double; the economic-solvency savings test (about US$78,000) is proof of existing funds, NOT an investment, verified 2026-09-18 against SRE consular criteria + INEGI UMA bulletin gob.mx · 2026-06-04 |
Not published | 73.2 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Medium | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 36 | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica Investor Residency Index | $150,000 Real estate / business / securities, USD 150,000 under Ley 9996 art. 8 (USD 100,000 forestry under the general Reglamento). ⚠ Ley 9996's five-year term LAPSED on 14 July 2026 and no gazette instrument or DGME notice confirms whether USD 150,000 survives or the Reglamento's USD 200,000 revives, treat as unconfirmed and check with DGME before advising. migracion.go.cr · 2026-06-04 |
Approximately 6-12 months migracion.go.cr · 2026-06-04 |
72 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Medium | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 37 | 🇦🇪 UAE Golden Visa | AED 2,000,000 Real-estate investment u.ae · 2026-07-01 |
2-3 months u.ae · 2026-04-29 |
71.6 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | Verify | Regional (Gulf) | Low | 2026-07-01 | # |
| 38 | 🇰🇷 South Korea Investment Immigration Index | KRW 1,000,000,000 Real-estate investment immigration in a designated tourism/leisure zone (F-2 → F-5 after 5 years): KRW 1,000,000,000. The USD figure is an indicative conversion of that KRW statute. ifez.go.kr · 2026-09-22 |
Approximately 3-4 months from complete | 71.6 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Medium | 2026-09-22 | # |
| 39 | 🇨🇱 Chile Investor Residence Index | $500,000 Productive investment (InvestChile-sponsored) serviciomigraciones.cl · 2026-06-04 |
Official pages do not publish a fixed serviciomigraciones.cl · 2026-06-04 |
70.9 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Low | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 40 | 🇿🇦 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 |
70.7 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Medium | 2026-06-05 | # |
| 41 | 🇲🇪 Montenegro Residence by Investment Index | €150,000 Real-estate residence (tax-assessed value) gov.me · 2026-06-04 |
~40 days | 70 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Medium | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 42 | 🇨🇼 Curaçao Investor Residence Index | $281,000 Tiered investment (XCG 500k → 1.5m) immigrationcur.org · 2026-06-04 |
Not published | 69.7 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Medium | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 43 | 🇹🇨 Turks & Caicos Permanent Residence Index | $300,000 Real estate (US$300k lesser islands / US$1m Providenciales) gov.tc · 2026-06-04 |
Not published | 69.7 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | Verify | Domestic | Medium | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 44 | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg Investor Residence Index | €500,000 Company investment (real estate excluded) guichet.public.lu · 2026-06-04 |
Not published | 69.2 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Schengen | Medium | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 47 | 🇲🇻 Maldives Pearl Residence Index | $250,000 Pre-approved real-estate investment maldivespearl.gov.mv · 2026-03-20 |
Not published maldivespearl.gov.mv · 2026-03-20 |
65.6 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | Verify | Domestic | Low | 2026-03-20 | # |
| 48 | 🇳🇿 New Zealand Active Investor Plus | NZD 5,000,000 Active investment (Growth category) immigration.govt.nz · 2026-09-18 |
4 months to approval in principle immigration.govt.nz · 2026-09-18 |
65 / 100 | High | Light presence | 3-year cycle | Domestic | Medium | 2026-09-18 | # |
| 49 | 🇧🇸 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 |
64 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Low | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 50 | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Premium Residency | SAR 800,000 Premium Residency (one-off or annual) pr.gov.sa · 2026-09-22 |
60-90 business days for review saprac.sa · 2026-03-20 |
63.9 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | Verify | Regional (Gulf) | Low | 2026-09-22 | # |
| 51 | 🇶🇦 Qatar Residence by Investment Index | QAR 730,000 Property (QAR 730,000 residence; QAR 3,650,000 adds permanent-residency privileges) almeezan.qa · 2026-09-22 |
Typically 1-3 months end-to-end | 63.6 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Regional (Gulf) | Low | 2026-09-22 | # |
| 52 | 🇵🇭 Philippines SRRV | $15,000 Refundable time deposit, SRRV Classic, age 50+ with a pension of at least US$800/month. Age 40-49 is US$25,000 (pensioner) or US$50,000 (non-pensioner); 50+ without a pension is US$30,000. Covers the principal plus two dependants (US$15,000 each beyond). Convertible after 30 days into a condominium purchase or a 25-year lease of at least US$50,000. The US$1,500 previously published here is the PRA PROCESSING FEE, and the US$1,500 Courtesy deposit is a restricted-eligibility category (retired diplomats, recognised international-organisation officers, treaty-country military, former Filipinos), not an open route. pra.gov.ph · 2026-06-04 |
Approximately 1-2 months from the date | 63 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | Verify | Domestic | Verify | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 53 | 🇻🇳 Vietnam Investor Visa Index | $115,500 ĐT3, capital contribution of VND 3,000,000,000 to under VND 50bn ("vốn góp giá trị từ 03 tỷ đồng đến dưới 50 tỷ đồng", Luật 51/2019/QH14 Điều 8): visa up to 3 years and a temporary residence card up to 3 years. The statutory figure is VND 3bn; the USD amount is an indicative conversion at VND 25,964/USD (18 Sep 2026) and moves with FX. Higher tiers: ĐT2 from VND 50bn (about USD 1.9m, card up to 5 years), ĐT1 from VND 100bn (card up to 10 years). ĐT4, under VND 3bn, gets a visa of up to 1 year and NO residence card. xaydungchinhsach.chinhphu.vn · 2026-09-18 |
Not published | 61.5 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Medium | 2026-09-18 | # |
| 54 | 🇧🇭 Bahrain Golden Residency Index | BHD 130,000 Property investment (BHD 130,000, stated by NPRA as USD 345,000) goldenresidency.gov.bh · 2026-09-22 |
5 working days for property owners goldenresidency.gov.bh · 2026-06-04 |
61 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | Verify | Regional (Gulf) | Low | 2026-09-22 | # |
| 55 | 🇴🇲 Oman Golden Visa | OMR 200,000 Investment of OMR 200,000 (bank deposit / bonds / listed equities / employment creation) tejarah.gov.om · 2026-09-22 |
3-6 weeks omanresidence.gov.om · 2026-03-20 |
58.9 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Regional (Gulf) | Low | 2026-09-22 | # |
| 56 | 🇨🇿 Czechia Residence for Investment | CZK 75,000,000 Long-term residence for investment (~CZK 75m + ~20 jobs) ipc.gov.cz · 2026-06-04 |
Not published | 57.2 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | Verify | Schengen | Medium | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 57 | 🇸🇬 Singapore Global Investor Programme | SGD 10,000,000 Business investment (Option A, SGD 10m) edb.gov.sg · 2026-09-22 |
Approximately 12 months for a GIP edb.gov.sg · 2026-06-04 |
55.5 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | Verify | Domestic | Low | 2026-09-22 | # |
| 58 | 🇳🇬 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 |
53.7 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Low | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 59 | 🇷🇼 Rwanda Residence by Investment Index | $250,000 RDB investor permit (PR via ~$500k property / ~$1m project) migration.gov.rw · 2026-06-04 |
Not published | 51.4 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Low | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 60 | 🇰🇾 Cayman Islands Residence by Investment | KYD 1,000,000 Real estate (25-yr R41 CI$1m; permanent R42 CI$2m) my.egov.ky · 2026-09-22 |
R41: approximately 4 months | 51.1 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Low | 2026-09-22 | # |
| 61 | 🇸🇨 Seychelles Permanent Residence | $1,000,000 Direct business investment (after prior residence) ics.gov.sc · 2026-06-04 |
Not published | 51 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Medium | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 62 | 🇮🇩 Indonesia Golden Visa | $350,000 Govt bonds/shares/deposit (5-yr) evisa.imigrasi.go.id · 2026-06-04 |
No fixed statutory SLA published evisa.imigrasi.go.id · 2026-06-04 |
49.2 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Low | 2026-06-04 | # |
| 63 | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka Golden Paradise Residence Visa | $200,000 Qualifying foreign-currency deposit / approved investment (10-yr visa) immigration.gov.lk · 2026-06-05 |
Not published | 41.4 / 100 | High | No minimum stay | Verify | Domestic | Medium | 2026-06-05 | # |
| 64 | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong CIES | HKD 30,000,000 Capital investment (HKD 30m total: HKD 27m permissible assets + HKD 3m CIES Investment Portfolio) newcies.gov.hk · 2026-09-22 |
No single official end-to-end figure is newcies.gov.hk · 2026-06-04 |
38.4 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Low | 2026-09-22 | # |
| 65 | 🇦🇩 Andorra Passive Residence | €400,000 Housing Fund (€400k) or €1m Andorran assets portaljuridicandorra.ad · 2026-09-22 |
The applicant undertakes, when filing govern.ad · 2026-06-04 |
37.1 / 100 | High | Verify | Verify | Domestic | Low | 2026-09-22 | # |
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 | 🇲🇹 Malta Nomad Residence Permit | Tracked for reference, Digital-nomad residence (income-based, no investment). See the Index entry. | Index entry | 2026-03-20 |
| 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 | 2026-07-06 |
| Reference | 🇺🇸 USA O-1 Extraordinary Ability Visa | Tracked for reference, Extraordinary-ability talent visa (no investment). See the Index entry. | Index entry | 2026-07-09 |
| Reference | 🇺🇾 Uruguay Residence | Tracked for reference, Residence by income/solvency (no fixed minimum); tax-residency via investment thresholds. See the Index entry. | Index entry | 2026-09-18 |
| Reference | 🇯🇪 Jersey High-Value Residency | Tracked for reference, No investment: £250,000 minimum ANNUAL tax contribution + qualifying 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 | 🇬🇮 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 | 🇲🇨 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 | 🇱🇮 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 | 2026-09-18 |
| Reference | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia Golden Visa | Tracked for reference, residency route. See the Index entry. | Index entry | 2026-09-18 |
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 ranked programmes to an indicative route. This is a starting point for a conversation, not a recommendation.
Indicative starting point: 🇪🇨 Ecuador Investor Residence
$48,200, Investment (real estate / CD / equity), ~US$48.2k · Index composite 87.6 / 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
Model the full cost on each programme page's calculator.
Questions
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 63 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.
17 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), Greece Golden Visa, Malta Permanent Residence (MPRP), Slovenia Business Residence, Italy Investor Visa, Portugal Golden Visa. 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, Ecuador Investor Residence 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.
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.