Golden visas and residency by investment

What a golden visa is

A golden visa grants residency — the right to live in a country — in exchange for a qualifying investment: commonly real estate, a government fund or bonds, or a business that creates jobs. It is an immigration product, not a securities investment; the return is the residence permit, and any financial return on the underlying asset is secondary.

Citizenship-by-investment is the stronger and rarer product: a passport rather than a permit, offered by a smaller set of countries, at higher price points and with heavier due diligence.

What varies between programs

The minimum investment, the qualifying assets, physical-presence requirements (some programs require days per year in the country, some none), the path from residency to permanent status or citizenship, and family coverage. Programs change frequently — countries raise minimums, close real-estate routes, or shut programs entirely — so treat any listed minimum as a starting point to verify with the program's official source.

Tax residency is a separate question from immigration residency, and moving may create tax obligations in the new country without ending them in the old one. This is the point where a specialist, not a website, is the right tool.

How this site covers it

The relocate page lists covered countries' programs with their stated minimums and notes, linked to each country page. It is research, not immigration, legal, or tax advice.

Compare residency programs →Cheapest golden-visa minimums →