As of 17 October 2026, ten countries publish open residence-by-investment programmes with stated minimum investment amounts. The lowest published minimum among the EU programmes verified here is EUR 50,000 for Latvia's company share capital route.
Spain closed its investor residence visa on 3 April 2025, and Ireland stopped accepting applications to its Immigrant Investor Programme from close of business on 15 February 2023. Portugal no longer accepts real estate investment; its residence permit for investment now requires capital in non-real-estate funds, company creation with job creation, scientific research, arts production or job creation. Malta and Cyprus are not listed because their official pages could not be checked this month.
Key figures
- €50,000 lowest published minimum among the EU programmes listed (Latvia, company share capital) (as of 17 October 2026)
- €500,000 Portugal ARI minimum for investment fund units (as of 17 October 2026)
- €800,000 Greece golden visa real estate minimum in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and larger islands (as of 17 October 2026)
- €400,000 Greece golden visa real estate minimum elsewhere (as of 17 October 2026)
- €2,000,000 Italy Investor Visa minimum in government bonds (as of 17 October 2026)
- €250,000 Italy Investor Visa minimum for innovative start-ups (as of 17 October 2026)
What this page measures
This page lists the official minimum investment for each route of each open residence-by-investment programme where the minimum could be verified on 17 October 2026 from a government or government-agency page. Amounts are shown in the currency each programme publishes and are not converted. Government fees and processing times appear only where an official page states them. The figures often exclude costs for dependants, medical tests and agent fees. Programmes change often, so the linked official source is the final word.
Open programmes and their minimum investment
Golden visa programmes: minimum investment by route, 2026
| Country | Programme | Main routes and minimum investment | Status | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | Residence permit for investment (ARI), AIMA | Units in non-real-estate investment funds: EUR 500 000; company creation with job creation: EUR 500 000; scientific research: EUR 500 000; arts production or national cultural heritage: EUR 250 000; creation of at least 10 jobs (no capital minimum). Investment may not go directly or indirectly into real estate. | Open | https://www.pgdlisboa.pt/leis/lei_mostra_articulado.php?nid=920&tabela=leis |
| Greece | Golden visa (residence permit for real estate investors) | Real estate: €800,000 in greater Athens, greater Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with more than 3,100 inhabitants; €400,000 elsewhere; €250,000 for industrial buildings converted into housing and for historic buildings. Residential property must be at least 120 sq.m. and may not be used for short-term rentals. | Open | https://newsletters.enterprisegreece.gov.gr/newsletter-articles/greece-adjusts-golden-visa-program-amid-rising-outlook-for-property-market/ |
| Italy | Investor Visa for Italy | Government bonds: EUR 2 million; corporate bonds or shares: EUR 500.000 (EUR 250.000 for innovative start-ups); public-interest projects: EUR 1 million | Open | https://ambharare.esteri.it/it/news/dall_ambasciata/2024/05/investors-visa-for-italy/ |
| Latvia | Temporary residence permit for investors (OCMA) | Company share capital: EUR 50 000 (company with up to 50 employees and turnover or balance up to EUR 10 million) or EUR 100 000 (larger company); real estate: EUR 250 000; subordinated liabilities to a Latvian credit institution: EUR 280 000 for at least five years; interest-free government bonds: 250 000 euro | Open | https://www.pmlp.gov.lv/en/share-capital-investor |
| Hungary | Guest Investor Programme (residence permit for guest investors), OIF | Real estate fund shares: EUR 250 000; donation to a higher education institution run by a public trust: EUR 1 000 000 (the OIF factsheet lists only these two routes) | Open | https://oif.gov.hu/factsheets/residence-permit-for-guest-investor |
| United Arab Emirates | Golden visa (investor category) | Public investment or real estate: minimum capital of AED 2 million | Open | https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/visa-and-emirates-id/residence-visas/golden-visa |
| United States | EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program (USCIS) | Standard: $1,050,000; targeted employment area (includes infrastructure projects): $800,000 (petitions filed on or after 3/15/2022; inflation adjustment for petitions filed on or after Jan. 1, 2027) | Open (Regional Center Program visas authorized through Sept. 30, 2027) | https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/permanent-workers/employment-based-immigration-fifth-preference-eb-5/about-the-eb-5-visa-classification |
| Panama | Permanent residence for own economic solvency (Servicio Nacional de Migración) | Real estate: B/.300,000.00; fixed-term bank deposit: B/.300,000.00; real estate and deposit combined: B/.300,000.00 | Open | https://www.migracion.gob.pa/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/RP5.pdf |
| Mauritius | Residence permit through property acquisition (Economic Development Board) | Residential property under the Integrated Resort Scheme: minimum USD 375,000; Property Development Scheme: price exceeding USD 375,000 | Open | https://residency.mu/acquire/integrated-resort-scheme/ |
| Thailand | Thailand Privilege Card (long-stay membership visa; a fee, not an investment) | Membership fee: THB 650,000 (Bronze), THB 900,000 (Gold), up to THB 5,000,000 (Reserve, by invitation only) | Open | https://www.thailandprivilege.co.th/home |
| Spain | Residence visas for investors (golden visa) | Former real-estate route: more than 500.000 euros. All investor residence visas repealed. | Closed: repealed by Organic Law 1/2025, in force 3 April 2025 | https://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/serviciosdeprensa/notasprensa/vivienda-agenda-urbana/Paginas/2025/020425-fin-golden-visa.aspx |
| Ireland | Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) | No longer accepting applications | Closed to new applications from close of business 15 February 2023 | https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-justice-home-affairs-and-migration/press-releases/minister-harris-announces-closure-of-the-immigrant-investor-programme/ |
Source: Official government programme pages
Portugal's residence permit for investment (ARI) requires EUR 500,000 for units in non-real-estate investment funds or company creation with job creation, EUR 500,000 for scientific research, or EUR 250,000 for arts production or national cultural heritage as of 17 October 2026. A route creating at least ten jobs has no stated capital minimum. The law states that investment may not go directly or indirectly into real estate.
Greece's golden visa requires €800,000 for real estate in greater Athens, greater Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with more than 3,100 inhabitants, and €400,000 elsewhere as of 17 October 2026. A lower minimum of €250,000 applies to industrial buildings converted into housing and to historic buildings. Residential property must be at least 120 square metres and may not be used for short-term rentals.
Italy's Investor Visa for Italy requires EUR 2 million in government bonds, EUR 500,000 in corporate bonds or shares (EUR 250,000 for innovative start-ups), or EUR 1 million for public-interest projects as of 17 October 2026.
Latvia's temporary residence permit for investors requires EUR 50,000 in company share capital for a company with up to 50 employees and turnover or balance up to EUR 10 million, or EUR 100,000 for a larger company, as of 17 October 2026. Other routes require EUR 250,000 in real estate, EUR 280,000 in subordinated liabilities to a Latvian credit institution for at least five years, or 250,000 euro in interest-free government bonds. A separate state budget payment also applies.
Hungary's Guest Investor Programme requires EUR 250,000 in real estate fund shares registered by the Hungarian National Bank, or EUR 1,000,000 as a donation to a higher education institution run by a public trust, as of 17 October 2026. The OIF factsheet lists only these two routes.
The United Arab Emirates golden visa investor category requires minimum capital of AED 2 million in public investment or real estate as of 17 October 2026.
The United States EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program requires $1,050,000 as the standard minimum and $800,000 in a targeted employment area or infrastructure project for petitions filed on or after 15 March 2022, as of 17 October 2026. USCIS states that the first inflation adjustment applies to petitions filed on or after 1 January 2027. The Regional Center Program visas are authorised through 30 September 2027.
Panama's permanent residence for own economic solvency requires B/.300,000.00 in real estate, a fixed-term bank deposit, or a combination of the two, as of 17 October 2026.
Mauritius offers a residence permit through property acquisition requiring a minimum of USD 375,000 for residential property under the Integrated Resort Scheme, or a price exceeding USD 375,000 under the Property Development Scheme, as of 17 October 2026.
Thailand's Privilege Card is a long-stay membership visa with a membership fee of THB 650,000 for Bronze, THB 900,000 for Gold, and up to THB 5,000,000 for Reserve (by invitation only) as of 17 October 2026. This is a fee, not an investment.
Lowest published minimum by programme
Lowest published minimum investment by programme
| Country | Lowest minimum (as published) | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Latvia | EUR 50 000 | Share capital in a company with up to 50 employees and turnover or balance up to EUR 10 million (a state budget payment is also due) |
| Greece | €250,000 | Industrial building converted into housing, or a historic building |
| Italy | EUR 250.000 | Shares in an innovative start-up |
| Portugal | EUR 250 000 | Capital for arts production or national cultural heritage (a route creating at least 10 jobs has no stated capital minimum) |
| Hungary | EUR 250 000 | Shares in a real estate fund registered by the Hungarian National Bank |
| Panama | B/.300,000.00 | Real estate or fixed-term deposit (own economic solvency) |
| Mauritius | USD 375,000 | Residential property under the Integrated Resort Scheme |
| Thailand | THB 650,000 | Bronze membership fee (a fee, not an investment) |
| United States | $800,000 | EB-5 in a targeted employment area or infrastructure project |
| United Arab Emirates | AED 2 million | Public investment or real estate |
Source: Official government programme pages. Currencies as published; not converted, so this is not a ranking across currencies. Open programmes only; Malta and Cyprus are omitted because their official pages could not be checked this month
The lowest published minimum among the EU programmes verified here is EUR 50,000 for Latvia's company share capital route as of 17 October 2026. This applies to a company with up to 50 employees and annual turnover or balance up to EUR 10 million; a separate state budget payment also applies. Greece, Malta and Cyprus could not be machine-verified and are not in the comparison. Amounts are shown in the currency each programme publishes and are not converted, so this table is not a ranking across currencies.
Government fees and processing times
Government fees and processing times, where an official page states them
| Country | Government fees (as published) | Processing time (as published) | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latvia | State budget payment: 5% of the real estate purchase value (real estate); 25 000 euro (bank deposit); EUR 38 000 (government bonds) | Not stated | https://www.pmlp.gov.lv/en/real-estate-owner |
| Hungary | Not stated | 21 days | https://oif.gov.hu/factsheets/residence-permit-for-guest-investor |
| United Arab Emirates (Dubai real estate) | AED 9,884.75 total for the main applicant | 7 – 10 business days | https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/request-for-golden-visa-investor |
| Panama | B/.250.00 to the national treasury plus B/.800.00 to the Servicio Nacional de Migración | Not stated | https://www.migracion.gob.pa/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/RP5.pdf |
| Italy | Not stated | Not stated | https://ambharare.esteri.it/it/news/dall_ambasciata/2024/05/investors-visa-for-italy/ |
| United States | Not stated | Not stated | https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/permanent-workers/employment-based-immigration-fifth-preference-eb-5/about-the-eb-5-visa-classification |
| Mauritius | Not stated | Not stated | https://residency.mu/acquire/integrated-resort-scheme/ |
| Thailand | Not stated (the membership fee is shown in the programmes table) | Not stated | https://www.thailandprivilege.co.th/home |
Source: Official government pages and fee schedules. Fees as published, in the currency printed; not converted. Fees change often and may exclude dependants, medical tests and agent costs.
Latvia publishes a state budget payment of 5 per cent of the real estate purchase value for the real estate route, 25,000 euro for the bank deposit route, and EUR 38,000 for the government bonds route as of 17 October 2026. Hungary states a processing time of 21 days as of 17 October 2026. The United Arab Emirates Dubai Land Department lists total fees of AED 9,884.75 for the main applicant on the Dubai real estate route, with a service time of 7 to 10 business days, as of 17 October 2026. Family members cost extra. Panama's Servicio Nacional de Migración lists fees of B/.250.00 to the national treasury plus B/.800.00 to the migration service as of 17 October 2026. Italy, the United States, Mauritius and Thailand do not state fees or processing times on the official pages checked. Fees change often and may exclude costs for dependants, medical tests and agent fees.
Programmes that have closed
Spain repealed all investor residence visas by Organic Law 1/2025, in force from 3 April 2025. The former real-estate route required more than 500,000 euros. Ireland closed its Immigrant Investor Programme to new applications from close of business on 15 February 2023. Portugal's residence permit for investment no longer accepts real estate; the law states that investment may not go directly or indirectly into real estate as of 17 October 2026.
What changed since the last update
This is the first edition of this page; the next refresh will show what has changed.
How we calculate this
Every figure was read on 17 October 2026 from an official government or government-agency page and kept only if it could be matched, as printed, in the page's plain HTML without JavaScript. Official PDFs are marked binary and were read separately. Amounts are shown in the currency each programme publishes and are not converted, so the cheapest table is not a ranking across currencies. Fees and processing times appear only where an official page states them, and they often exclude costs for dependants, medical tests and agent fees. Programmes change often; Spain closed its investor residence visa on 3 April 2025, Ireland stopped accepting applications to its Immigrant Investor Programme from close of business on 15 February 2023, and Portugal no longer accepts real estate investment. Malta and Cyprus are not listed because their official pages could not be checked this month. The linked official source is the final word.
Frequently asked questions
Which country has the cheapest golden visa?
The lowest published minimum among the EU programmes verified here is EUR 50,000 for Latvia's company share capital route as of 17 October 2026. A separate state budget payment also applies. Amounts are shown in the currency each programme publishes and are not converted, so programmes in different currencies cannot be ranked as cheaper or more expensive.
Does Portugal still offer a golden visa for real estate?
No. Portugal's residence permit for investment no longer accepts real estate. The law states that investment may not go directly or indirectly into real estate as of 17 October 2026. Open routes require EUR 500,000 for non-real-estate investment funds or company creation with job creation, EUR 250,000 for arts production, or creation of at least ten jobs with no stated capital minimum.
What is the minimum investment for the US EB-5 visa?
$1,050,000 as the standard minimum and $800,000 in a targeted employment area or infrastructure project for petitions filed on or after 15 March 2022, as of 17 October 2026. USCIS states that the first inflation adjustment applies to petitions filed on or after 1 January 2027.
How long does it take to process a golden visa application?
Hungary states 21 days as of 17 October 2026. The United Arab Emirates Dubai Land Department states 7 to 10 business days for the Dubai real estate route as of 17 October 2026. Italy, the United States, Latvia, Portugal, Greece, Panama, Mauritius and Thailand do not state processing times on the official pages checked.
Which golden visa programmes have closed?
Spain repealed all investor residence visas by Organic Law 1/2025, in force from 3 April 2025. Ireland closed its Immigrant Investor Programme to new applications from close of business on 15 February 2023. Portugal no longer accepts real estate investment as of 17 October 2026.
Download the data
Download the tables as CSV (data as of 17 October 2026).
Related statistics
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- UK Company Formations Statistics 2026
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Sources
- Law 23/2007 (Portuguese immigration law), consolidated text, Procuradoria-Geral Regional de Lisboa
- Embassy of Italy in Harare (Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs): Investors visa for Italy
- Latvia OCMA (PMLP): Share capital investor
- Latvia OCMA (PMLP): Real estate owner
- Latvia OCMA (PMLP): Investments (credit institution liabilities)
- Latvia OCMA (PMLP): Person investing in bonds
- Hungary OIF (National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing): Residence permit for guest investor
- UAE government portal u.ae: Golden visa
- Dubai Land Department: Golden Visa application – Investor
- USCIS: About the EB-5 Visa Classification
- Panama Servicio Nacional de Migración: Solvencia económica, bienes inmuebles (requirements PDF)
- Panama Servicio Nacional de Migración: Solvencia económica, depósito a plazo fijo (requirements PDF)
- Panama Servicio Nacional de Migración: Solvencia económica, inversión mixta (requirements PDF)
- Economic Development Board Mauritius (residency.mu): Integrated Resort Scheme
- Economic Development Board Mauritius (residency.mu): Property Development Scheme
- Thailand Privilege Card Co.: Membership packages
- La Moncloa (Government of Spain): El 3 de abril entra en vigor el fin de las 'Golden Visa'
- gov.ie (Department of Justice): Minister Harris announces closure of the Immigrant Investor Programme
- Enterprise Greece: Greece adjusts Golden Visa program
- Greek Housing Policy Portal: higher minimum investment for the golden visa
Updated 18 October 2026. This page is refreshed automatically when new data is published; figures carry the date they are true for. Figures checked against their sources on 18 October 2026. Permanent link: https://millionaire.news/countries-with-golden-visa/
Last verified: 2026-10-18
