European Golden Visas Compared: Greece, Portugal, Italy and More

You make a qualifying investment, receive a renewable residence permit, gain the right to live in that country and travel the Schengen Area, and — after a set number of years of lawful residency — may apply for citizenship. The investment type, the minimum-stay requirement and the citizenship clock are what separate one programme from the next. If the concept is new to you, read what is residency by investment first.

The Greece Golden Visa is among the most popular in Europe. Real-estate thresholds vary by zone — higher in prime areas such as central Athens and the most sought-after islands, lower elsewhere — and there is a capital-markets route. There is no minimum-stay requirement to keep the permit, and citizenship becomes possible after several years of residency. It is the default starting point for many families.

Portugal retains one of the lowest physical-presence requirements in Europe, which is why it stays in demand despite a higher entry point. Its qualifying routes shifted away from residential real estate toward investment funds and other categories — covered in our note on the fund route — and the period of residency required before citizenship was extended under a 2026 revision of the nationality law. Confirm the current figures before relying on them.

Italy's Investor Visa has an appealing feature: you transfer the funds only after the visa is approved, removing upfront risk, with routes from an innovative-startup investment upward. Hungary's Guest Investor Visa offers a notably long ten-year permit via an approved real-estate fund. Latvia is among the most affordable entries to EU residency through its business route. Each suits a different balance of cost, commitment and timeline.

Not every European option is a path to citizenship. Malta's Permanent Residence Programme grants permanent EU residence from the outset — combining a government contribution with a property purchase or lease — and Cyprus Permanent Residence offers a fast, lifelong residence permit. Both are residence rather than citizenship routes, which is exactly right for families who want a settled EU base without the longer naturalisation journey.

If you want the shortest path to an EU passport, compare citizenship timelines and be realistic about the physical presence each actually requires for naturalisation (often more than the permit itself). If you want a low-hassle base, weigh Portugal's light stay rule or the permanent-residence options. Cost, stay requirement and citizenship clock rarely point to the same programme — our comparison tool helps you see the trade-offs at once, and the residency hub carries the detail on each.