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Posted by admin on March 15, 2023
Residence by investment
European residency by investment is granted in Portugal, Malta, Greece, Spain, Andorra, and Cyprus. Usually, investors may submit a residency application with milder requirements than other applicants. For example, they don’t need to learn a new language or live in the country to remain residents.
€100,000+
Investment amount
2+ months
Passport obtaining period
5+ years
Return of the investment
Country
Portugal
Residence permit
Investment
€250 000+
Time required
8-10 months
Benefits
- Visa-free entry to the Schengen countries
- Apply for citizenship 5 years after obtaining and maintaining the residence permit
- Can keep citizenship of your country of origin
Country
Portugal
D7 Visa
Investment
€760 per month
Minimum applicant’s income
Time required
4+ months
Benefits
- Moving to Portugal at the lowest cost.
- Visa-free travel across the Schengen Area
- Working or running a business in Portugal
Country
Portugal
Digital Nomad Visa
Investment
€3,040 a month
Minimum applicant’s income
Time required
4+ months
Benefits
- Moving to Europe
- Creating a safe haven
- Visa-free travel across the Schengen Area
Country
Malta
Residence permit
Investment
€30,000+
Time required
6-8 months
Benefits
- Visa-free entry to Schengen countries
- Opportunity to live, study, and start a business in Malta
- Residence permit for new family members after the investor has received their residence permit
Country
Malta
Permanent residence
Investment
€150,000+
Time required
2-4 month
Benefits
- Visa-free entry to the Schengen countries
- The ability to live, study, start a business, and work in Malta
- New family members can be added after the investor has received permanent residence
Country
UAE
Golden visa
Investment
AED 750,000+
Time required
2+ months
Benefits
- Moving to the UAE or creating a “safe haven”
- Tax optimisation
- Opening a bank account in the UAE
- Getting a driver’s licence
Country
Greece
Residence permit
Investment
€250,000+
Time required
2-6 months
Benefits
- Visa-free entry to the Schengen countries
- Possibility to live, study, and start a business in Greece
- New family members can be added after the investor receives their residence permit
Country
Austria
Residence permit
Investment
€100,000+
Time required
4-8 months
Benefits
- Visa-free entry to the Schengen countries
- Live in a country with a high level of security, medicine and education
- Permanent residence in Austria after 5 years of holding a residence permit
Country
Spain
Residence permit
Investment
€500,000+
Time required
2-3 months
Benefits
- Visa-free entry to the Schengen countries
- Opportunity to live, study, and start a business in Spain
- Opportunity to obtain citizenship after 10 years
Country
Italy
Residence permit
Investment
€250,000+
Time required
3+ months
Benefits
- Visa-free travel to the Schengen countries
- Creating of safe haven or moving to Italy
- Special tax regime
Differences between Permanent Residence & Residence Permit
Holders of temporary and permanent EU residence permits have pretty much the same rights and opportunities. Still, there are a few differences between the statuses.
Validity term. A residence permit is usually valid for 1 to 5 years and up to 10 years in the UAE. This means you have to renew the status regularly, or it expires. Permanent residence, however, is termless: it does not require renewal and allows you to live in the country unlimitedly.
Steps to citizenship. A residence permit and permanent residence are two successive steps towards the status of a citizen. At first, you obtain a residence permit. After a few years of legal and uninterrupted life in the country, you can apply for permanent residency status and, after another several years — for citizenship.
The exceptions are Malta and Cyprus, where an investor can get permanent residence right away. Another one is Portugal, where you can apply for citizenship after 5 years of holding residence permits without obtaining permanent residency.
Language knowledge. When applying for investor residence, you do not need to pass a language proficiency test. In the case of other types of residence permits, it depends on the country.
To get permanent residence after temporary residency, you must prove you know the country’s language. But the rule does not apply to participants of Maltese and Cypriot investment programs.
Advantages of Residence Permit in Europe
Visa-free travels. An EU residence permit card allows you to travel to Schengen without a visa. The allowed period of stay is for 90 days in 180. However, if an EU member state is not part of the Schengen Area, like Cyprus, this rule does not apply. Holders of Cyprus residency need Schengen visas.
Family members’ participation. Spouses and minor children of investors may take part in each residency program. Some countries grant residence permits to the investor’s children over 18 and parents. Malta PR program requirements are among the mildest: main applicants’ spouses, children, parents, and grandparents may be included in the application regardless of age.
Access to EU banks. As an EU resident, you can open accounts in international banks with high levels of financial security. Accounts are suitable for savings and international transfers.
Business expansion. The European Union has one of the most stable economies in the world. Businesspersons get access to loans, venture capital and other financial instruments. For example, Malta offers numerous benefits and one of the most favourable conditions for entrepreneurs.
Purchase of real estate. In some EU countries, investors can purchase property to obtain residence permits. You can make it your second home or rent it out. This investment might be quite profitable. As an example, the price of real estate in Malta has increased by 1.5 times in the past ten years.
Moving abroad. One of the main benefits of moving to Europe is its safety. Other possible reasons are the great climate, especially in Mediterranean countries, political and social stability, low crime levels and LGBTQ-friendliness.
Education. With a residence permit, you can get a high-quality world-class education in almost any field in European higher education facilities. Investor’s minor children also get access to both public and private schools.
Health care. Residence permit holders have access to medical treatment all across the EU. Some countries, such as Portugal, offer free-of-charge public healthcare to their residents.
Tax benefits. Some EU countries offer investors special tax regimes. For example, in Malta, foreign residents can pay 15% of the income earned outside of the country and received in it and 0% on other foreign income if they participate in Malta Global Residence Programme. In Cyprus, there is no tax on global income and inheritance; property and income taxes are pretty low.
Requirements for obtaining a residence permit in Europe
You can get a residence permit in Europe on different grounds. Most are associated with marrying a European citizen, reuniting with a family, and working or studying in Europe. In addition, countries usually have special conditions for scientists, highly qualified specialists and people who have done exceptional service for the state or volunteer work.
However, the fastest way to obtain a residence permit is through investment programs that operate in several EU countries, such as Greece, Portugal, Spain, Cyprus and Malta. Investment options are buying real estate, business investment, capital transfer or the purchase of securities.
No criminal record. You must have no legal issues to be granted a residence permit.
Financial solvency. In most cases, to get a residence permit, you must provide proof of legal and regular income outside said country equal to or above the set minimum level. Usually, you must transfer savings allowing you and your family to live without the state’s assistance for the residence permit’s validity period to a local bank.
Residing in the country. To maintain residency in an EU country, you have to spend at least 183 days of the year there. However, these conditions do not apply to investment residency. In Greece and Spain, there is no minimum residence requirement for investors, while in Portugal, investors have to spend only 7 days a year in the country.
Residential address. Most EU countries require their residents to own or rent housing in the country. Some states set the minimum price foreigners must pay for rent or purchase.
Benefits of EU Permanent Residence
The benefits of EU permanent residency are mostly the same as those of a residence permit, including:
- Visa-free travel within the Schengen Area and EU.
- Family members’ participation.
- Opening bank accounts with high levels of financial security.
- Business expansion in a stable economic zone.
- Purchase of real estate for living or renting.
- Moving to Europe.
- Access to high-quality education and medical services.
- Tax optimisation.
In addition, EU permanent residence has other advantages.
Road to EU citizenship. After living in the country for 1—5 years with a permanent residence permit, you can apply for citizenship. EU citizens can travel visa-free to more than 170 countries.
Lifelong status. Once you obtain permanent residence, it is yours for life. You can stay in the country for as long as you want. The residence card has to be renewed every 5 years, but most of the time, the renewal is automatic: the holder has to fill in a simple application and provide the expired permit to get a new one.
No minimum presence requirement. If you obtain permanent residence through an investment program, you are not obliged to spend any time in the country of residence to maintain the status.
Requirements for obtaining EU permanent residence
You can be issued a permanent residence permit after fulfilling the following conditions:
- You have lived in the country for several years — most EU countries require 5+ years of stay.
- You have successfully passed a language exam.
- You have a clean criminal record.
- You have a place to stay and money to support yourself and your family.
Where to obtain residency by investment?
One needs to define the goals and requests to choose the right residence-by-investment program. For example, if an investor wants to live in Spain, the Spanish residence permit might suit them the best. And if the goal is to apply for EU citizenship by naturalisation with a minimum investment and time of residency, a Portugal Golden Visa may be a perfect choice.
Immigrant Invest is a licensed agent of citizenship by investment programs of EU and Caribbean countries. We can help you choose a program depending on your goals, budget, family composition and other conditions.
Individual meeting
Help with the choice
Second citizenship helps register a business abroad, open a corporate bank account, avoid currency control restrictions and expedite money transfers. Some jurisdictions also do not reveal beneficiaries’ personal data, protecting the investor’s privacy.
FAQS
A residence permit is a document which confirms that a foreigner has the right to live in a certain country. Usually, it is obtained for working, running a business, getting an education in the country or on other grounds.
Some countries grant residency by investment: Portugal, Malta, Greece, Cyprus, Spain, Andorra, and the UAE.
Some countries grant residency to investors with milder conditions than those for other applicants. For example, investors are not obliged to pass language exams or live in the country permanently to remain their residents.
One may get a residence permit by investing in real estate in Portugal, Greece, Spain, Cyprus, Andorra, Malta, and the UAE. Applicants can buy residential or commercial properties and then apply for residency.
One should prove the purpose of moving to the country: for example, find a job, enter a university, open a business there or marry the state’s citizen.
Portugal, Malta, Greece, the UAE and some other countries offer residency by investment to high-net-worth individuals. An investor needs to buy a property, government bonds or other securities or run a business and create jobs.
A temporary residence permit is granted for a certain time, usually a year or two, with the right to prolong the status. One should follow some rules to retain residency: for example, live in the country most of the year.
Some countries grant a residence permit for a more extended period. In Greece, you may apply for a 5-year residence permit if you invest in real estate.
A permanent residence permit can usually be obtained after several years of residing in the country. In most cases, the status is life-long, and the ID cards should be updated in several years.
In some countries, investors may also submit a permanent residency application. The processing time is several months.
The residence permit validity depends on the country. For example, in Portugal, investors obtain residence cards for a year or two, and in Greece, the permit’s validity period is five years.
Permanent residence by investment allows one to exchange documents less frequently. In Malta, they change residence permit cards once every five years, and in Cyprus, this document doesn’t have an expiry date.
The fastest European countries that offer residency by investment are Spain, Greece and Cyprus, where the process can only take 3 months.
The most inexpensive program is offered by Malta, where you can get permanent residence for as little as €150,000.
The simplest route to citizenship is offered by Portugal. Here, you can apply for citizenship after holding a residence permit for 5 years without moving to the country. The stage of permanent residency can be skipped.
The easiest EU countries to obtain permanent residency in are Malta and Cyprus. These countries grant permanent residence permits in exchange for investments and allow foreigners to skip the stage of temporary residence.