What Is Residency by Investment (the Golden Visa)?

Residency by investment (RBI) grants the legal right to live in a country — and, within the EU, usually to travel freely across the Schengen Area — in exchange for a qualifying investment. What it does not grant, on day one, is a passport. You become a resident, not a citizen.

That distinction matters. A residence permit must usually be renewed on a schedule, and many programmes can lead to citizenship only after you have held residency for a number of years and met conditions such as language tests or physical presence.

Europe dominates this category. The Greece Golden Visa is among the most popular, with real-estate thresholds that vary by zone. Portugal remains sought-after for its low stay requirement, though its qualifying routes changed significantly in recent years and now centre on investment funds rather than residential property. Others include Italy, Hungary, Latvia, and the permanent-residence options in Malta and Cyprus. We line them up side by side in European golden visas compared.

Not every residency programme is European. The UAE Golden Visa offers a renewable ten-year residency with no path to citizenship but considerable lifestyle and tax appeal — a natural fit for the many investors already based in Dubai. The US EB-5 programme is different again: it leads to a green card and, in time, to American citizenship, in exchange for a substantial job-creating investment.

For many clients the appeal of a golden visa is precisely that it can become citizenship. The number of years required varies widely — and changes. Greece counts toward citizenship after several years of residency; Portugal's nationality law was revised in 2026 to extend that period. Because these timelines move, treat any figure you read — including ours — as indicative, and confirm the current rule on the relevant programme page and with the official authority.

A residency programme tends to suit people who want a genuine base in a particular country — for lifestyle, business, education or an eventual move — and who are comfortable with a longer horizon to citizenship. If your priority is a passport now, with no intention of relocating, a citizenship programme may fit better. Work through CBI vs RBI: which is right for you, or use our eligibility quiz to narrow the field in a few minutes.