Guide
Golden visas in Europe 2026: which programmes are still open, compared
Updated
Spain has gone and Portugal no longer takes property money, but five meaningful European routes remain. Here is how they compare on price, what you must buy, and how much time you must spend in the country.
The open programmes at a glance
| Country | Minimum | What you invest in | Physical presence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greece | €250,000–€800,000 | Real estate (tiered by location; €250k conversions/listed) | None required to renew |
| Portugal | €500,000 | Qualifying non-real-estate investment fund | Average 7 days per year |
| Malta (MPRP) | €474,500 all-in (purchase route) | Property + government contribution and fees | No minimum stay |
| Italy | €250,000–€2,000,000 | Start-up, company shares, philanthropy or bonds | No minimum for the permit |
| Cyprus | €300,000 + VAT | New residential property | Visit at least once every two years |
Greece: cheapest entry, tighter rules
Since 1 September 2024 Greece prices by location: €800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with over 3,100 inhabitants; €400,000 everywhere else, both with a 120 m² minimum property size, and €250,000 anywhere for commercial-to-residential conversions or listed-building restorations. Golden-visa properties can no longer be used for short-term lets (migration.gov.gr).
Portugal: funds only, but a path to citizenship
Portugal's surviving route is €500,000 into a regulated investment fund that is not real-estate linked, with a famously light physical-presence requirement of an average of about seven days a year. Its citizenship clock is no longer the draw it was: since 19 May 2026 naturalisation requires 10 years of legal residence, or 7 years for citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries and EU member states, under Organic Law 1/2026 (justica.gov.pt). Confirm the current route rules and fees with AIMA.
Malta, Italy and Cyprus
Malta's MPRP is permanent residence bought with a bundle: €375,000 minimum property purchase (or €14,000 a year in rent) plus a €60,000 administrative fee, a €37,000 government contribution, a €2,000 NGO donation and a €500 residence card each, with €7,500 for every adult dependant other than the spouse (residencymalta.gov.mt). Italy's investor visa starts at €250,000 for an innovative start-up, €500,000 for an Italian limited company, €1m for philanthropy or €2m in government bonds, and needs no minimum stay for the permit itself (investorvisa.mise.gov.it). Cyprus grants permanent residence from €300,000 plus VAT in a first-sale house or apartment, with a secured annual income from abroad of at least €50,000 (gov.cy). Hungary also operates a guest-investor residence programme, reworked since its 2024 launch; it is newer and less tested, so verify its current routes and thresholds directly before relying on it.
Run your own numbers, programme, route and family size, in the calculator. Every threshold above matches its tables.