Golden visa countries still open to new investors in 2026 include Portugal, Greece, Italy, Malta, Hungary, Cyprus, Latvia and the UAE, but almost every European scheme has been cut back. Spain closed its programme on 3 April 2025, Ireland and the UK shut theirs years earlier, and Portugal, Hungary and Latvia have all dropped direct property purchases as a qualifying route.
Last checked: October 2026
In short:
- Greece is now the main EU country where buying a home still earns residence: €800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and larger islands, €400,000 elsewhere, and €250,000 only for conversions or listed-building restorations.
- Portugal’s golden visa starts at €250,000 (cultural heritage) or €500,000 (funds, research or a company), with a stay of 7 days in the first year, but naturalisation now takes 10 years for most nationalities.
- The UAE grants a golden visa for property worth at least AED 2 million (10 years in Abu Dhabi; the federal portal says 5 for property), and holders can stay outside the country beyond the usual six-month limit.
Golden visa vs citizenship by investment
A golden visa buys you a residence permit, not a passport. Citizenship comes later, if at all, through normal naturalisation: years of residence, language tests and sometimes real time on the ground.
Citizenship by investment (CBI) skips that and grants nationality directly for a donation or purchase. Inside the EU that is finished: on 29 April 2025 the EU Court of Justice struck down Malta’s CBI scheme as the “commercialisation” of nationality. Outside it, the Caribbean programmes still run; we compare them in Citizenship by investment (2026): Caribbean programmes compared. Argentina joined the CBI club on 2 October 2026, announcing citizenship for a US$350,000 Treasury contribution, with applications due from the fourth quarter of 2026 (Argentina citizenship by investment (2026): the new golden passport).
Golden visa countries compared
Minimums are per main applicant. “Stay” is the time you must spend in the country to keep the permit.
| Country | Cheapest route | Other routes | Stay | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | €250,000 cultural heritage (€220,000 in low-density areas) | €500,000 in non-real-estate funds, research or a company with 5 jobs; 10 jobs created | 7 days in year one, 14 per two-year renewal (per BrightTax) | Real estate removed by Law 56/2023; citizenship 10 years under Organic Law 1/2026 |
| Greece | €250,000 (conversions or listed buildings only) | €400,000 or €800,000 property, single unit of at least 120 m² | None | 5-year renewable permit; no Airbnb-style letting |
| Italy | €250,000 in an innovative startup | €500,000 company; €1m philanthropy; €2m government bonds | (verify) | 2-year visa, renewable for 3 years; long-term residence possible after 5 |
| Malta (MPRP) | Buy at €375,000 or rent at €14,000/year | (verify) | €50,000 admin fee, €30,000 (buy) or €60,000 (rent) contribution, €2,000 NGO donation, €500,000 in assets; permanent from the start | |
| Hungary | €250,000 in an approved real estate fund | €1m donation to a public university | None (per MigratioLex) | 10-year renewable permit; direct €500,000 property route scrapped before launch |
| Cyprus | €300,000 in new residential property | Commercial property, Cypriot company shares or funds | (verify) | Permanent permit; €50,000 a year secured income (+€15,000 spouse, +€10,000 per child), per Deloitte |
| Latvia | €50,000 in a company (€100,000 for larger firms), plus €10,000 state fee | €150,000 state fund route not yet built | (verify) | €250,000 property route ended for new applications on 15 September 2026 |
| UAE | AED 2 million property | AED 2 million public investment; entrepreneur and talent categories | Can exceed 6 months abroad | 10-year visa (Abu Dhabi); off-plan counts once AED 2m paid |
| Panama | US$300,000 new-build or off-plan property | US$500,000 resale property or securities; US$500,000-750,000 deposits | (verify) | Executive Decree 17, in the Gazette 16 September 2026, per IMI Daily |
For scale: €500,000 is about US$561,000 at the ECB reference rate of 1.1225 on 2 October 2026.
Portugal: AIMA requires funds to be non-real-estate, Portuguese-law vehicles with at least five years to maturity and 60% invested in Portuguese companies, held for five years. The catch for passport hunters is Organic Law 1/2026, in force since 19 May 2026: naturalisation now takes 10 years (7 for EU and CPLP citizens), counted from your first AIMA permit, not from when you applied. Applications filed before 19 May keep the old five-year rule. More in Second passport (2026): how to get one by descent, residency or investment. Expect delays: IMI Daily’s Q2 2026 survey put the average wait at a record 50.4 months, and on 7 October 2026 the government told parliament AIMA had processed only about 6,000 of some 46,000 pending files (per IMI Daily); see Portugal says it has cleared only 6,000 of 46,000 golden visa files.
Greece is the property route left standing, but per a September 2026 IBA briefing it has become an asset-classification exercise: one property only, at least 120 m², and short-term letting can cost you the permit plus a €50,000 fine.
Cyprus plans to tighten its scheme before joining Schengen and is reviewing about 12,000 existing permits (Cyprus to tighten its golden visa and review 12,000 permits).
Malta’s MPRP is the costliest non-refundable option: €80,000 to €110,000 in fees and contributions before you buy or rent anything. See Malta residency (2026): nomad permit vs GRP vs MPRP compared.
Closed or shrinking
- Spain: Organic Law 1/2025 ended the investor visa on 3 April 2025. Applications filed before then continue under the old rules, and existing permits run to expiry.
- Ireland: the Immigrant Investor Programme stopped taking applications at close of business on 15 February 2023.
- UK: the Tier 1 Investor route closed at 16:00 GMT on 17 February 2022. The Home Office cited small economic benefit and illicit-wealth risk.
- Hungary: the €500,000 direct property option was removed in the Hungarian Gazette of 20 December 2024, days before it was due to open, per IMI Daily.
- Latvia: the new Immigration Law drops the property and bank-deposit routes. Get Golden Visa and International Investment report it took effect on 15 September 2026; NTL International gives 1 January 2027 for core provisions (verify the date that applies to you).
Why Europe keeps closing doors
The pressure is political. On 28 March 2022 the European Commission told member states to end investor citizenship schemes immediately, run strict security checks on golden residence permits, and stop issuing them to Russian and Belarusian nationals. Add housing shortages, and governments have every reason to pull property out first, which is exactly what Portugal, Hungary, Spain and Latvia did.
Treat any programme as able to change before your renewal, and don’t buy an asset you’d regret owning if the visa disappeared.
Related guides: Second passport (2026): how to get one by descent, residency or investment · Malta residency (2026): nomad permit vs GRP vs MPRP compared · Citizenship by investment (2026): Caribbean programmes compared · Argentina citizenship by investment (2026): the new golden passport · Cyprus to tighten its golden visa and review 12,000 permits · Portugal says it has cleared only 6,000 of 46,000 golden visa files · Cyprus now expects to join Schengen in 2027, a year later than planned
Quick answers
Q: Which countries still offer a golden visa in 2026?
Portugal, Greece, Italy, Malta, Hungary, Cyprus, Latvia and the UAE still run investor residence routes, alongside Panama in Latin America. Spain closed on 3 April 2025, Ireland in February 2023 and the UK in February 2022. Portugal, Hungary and Latvia no longer accept direct property purchases.
Q: Can you still get a golden visa by buying property in Europe?
Yes, mainly in Greece, Malta and Cyprus. Greece requires €800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and larger islands, €400,000 elsewhere, or €250,000 for conversions and listed buildings. Malta’s MPRP needs a €375,000 purchase and Cyprus a €300,000 new home.
Q: Does a golden visa give you citizenship?
No. It gives residence, and citizenship only follows through ordinary naturalisation. In Portugal that now means 10 years of legal residence for most nationalities under Organic Law 1/2026, counted from your first permit. Citizenship by investment, which grants a passport directly, no longer exists in the EU.
Sources
- AIMA: ARI requirements, cultural heritage (subalínea vi)
- AIMA: ARI requirements, investment funds (subalínea vii)
- AIMA: ARI requirements, company investment (subalínea viii)
- BrightTax: Portugal golden visa in 2026
- Sovereign Group: Portugal brings new Nationality Law into force
- Spanish Government ONE: Abolition of the investor visa in Spain
- IBA: The Greek golden visa after the 2024-2026 overhaul
- Italian Government: Investor Visa for Italy
- The Florentine: Italy’s investor visa, how the programme works
- Residency Malta Agency: MPRP FAQs for licensed agents
- Embassy of Hungary Tel Aviv: Visa for guest investors
- IMI Daily: Hungary eliminates real estate option from Guest Investor Program
- MigratioLex: Hungary golden visa 2026
- Deloitte Cyprus: Permanent residence in Cyprus
- Cyprus Mail: Cyprus to tighten golden visa scheme ahead of Schengen entry
- IMI Daily: Portugal says it has processed 13% of its golden visa backlog
- IMI Daily: 10 of 12 programs register longer processing times in Q2 as Portugal hits record high
- IMI Daily: Portugal wait times reach 40 months
- Cobalt: New Immigration Law in Latvia
- Get Golden Visa: Latvia property route ends under new Immigration Law
- International Investment: Latvia’s residence permits for real estate abolished from 15 September
- NTL International: Latvia real estate residency route cancelled
- UAE Government portal: Golden visa
- Abu Dhabi Residents Office: Golden visa for investors
- IMI Daily: Panama raises investor visa property minimum to US$500,000
- Gov.ie: Minister Harris announces closure of the Immigrant Investor Programme
- Lewis Silkin: Home Office closes Tier 1 Investor route
- European Commission: Commission urges member states to act on golden passports and golden residence permits
- Argentina.gob.ar: Luis Caputo anunció la puesta en marcha del Programa de Ciudadanía por Inversión
- Court of Justice of the EU: Commission v Malta, C-181/23
- ECB: Euro reference rates, US dollar
This is general information from the Nomad Forums team, not immigration, tax or legal advice. Rules change; check the official source or a qualified adviser before applying.
Over to you: If you’ve renewed a Portuguese or Greek golden visa in the last year, how long did AIMA or the Greek authorities take, and what did the whole process cost in fees? Anyone caught mid-application by Latvia’s or Spain’s closure, how were you treated?