Golden Visa

A **Golden Visa** is a colloquial name for a residency-by-investment program. Governments offer these programs to attract foreign capital, retirees, founders, and high-net-worth individuals. Common qualifying investments include real estate purchases above a threshold (historically 500,000 EUR in Portugal and Spain), capital transfers into local banks, fund subscriptions, government bonds, business investment with job creation requirements, or scientific and cultural donations.\n\nIn return, applicants and dependents receive residence permits with minimal physical presence requirements, often as low as 7 to 14 days per year. Many programs allow visa-free travel inside the Schengen Area for EU-based programs, and a path to permanent residency or citizenship after 5 to 10 years.\n\nSeveral countries have ended or restricted their programs in response to EU pressure and money-laundering concerns, including Portugal phasing out the real estate route in 2023 and Ireland closing its IIP in 2023. The UAE, Greece, Italy, and the United States (EB-5) maintain active programs in 2026.

You will encounter Golden Visa programs when planning international relocation, tax residency change, or family wealth diversification. They matter to founders selling a company, families with multi-jurisdictional ties, and high earners seeking access to a second residence for travel, healthcare, or education access. Golden Visas are often paired with NHR-style tax regimes, but the two are independent: holding a Golden Visa does not automatically grant any tax benefits.