إقامة ثانية هي الأسهل والأقل تكلفة في الاتحاد الأوروبي

We have a friend, Tim.

He’s originally from the United Kingdom but had just completed his PhD in the Netherlands. While there, he met his girlfriend of two years, who is originally from Taiwan. On her residence card, she is registered as a member of the family of a European Union (EU) citizen.

وحين عادا إلى المملكة المتحدة، احتُجزا في المطار وخضعا للاستجواب.

Airport customs claimed that they could no longer come to the UK and stay there if they were together.

Of course, as anyone would do in this situation, they freaked out and left. They both went to Portugal, where they got a second residence in just a matter of days.

It was remarkably easy and took less than ten minutes. 

Officially, to get a residence permit in Portugal, it was enough to declare under oath that they had enough money to live there. 

When Tim told the desk clerk that he had enough money to live in the country without working there, she looked at him suspiciously and asked to see his bank account. 

تبيّن أن الرجل يملك ما يكفي من المال.

سارت الأمور على هذا النحو، ومُنح الخطيبان إقامة غير اعتيادية.

The total cost was €30. It was €15 for an EU citizen, then another €15 for a family member with a residence card.

As nationalist groups take hold in many countries in Europe, they are making it harder to get second residencies in the EU – especially in countries in Central Europe – but don’t let that discourage you. 

As you can see from the list of countries below, it is still possible to get a second residence in many European countries.

While some are more difficult to get than others, here are the 14 easiest and cheapest second residencies in the EU that you can get as a non-EU resident.

Easy Second Residence Countries in Europe

بلجيكا

While the timeline toward citizenship has increased in recent years, the cost of obtaining a residence permit in Belgium has gone down. 

The country now requires less paid-up capital in a new venture and has changed rules regarding the minimum salary required for those seeking residence.

You can obtain residence in Belgium by starting a small business. Another option is to make a significant investment in a Belgian company or by self-employment.

وبالنسبة إلى المواطنين من خارج الاتحاد الأوروبي، من الأفضل التقدّم للحصول على تأشيرة إقامة طويلة ثم التقدّم للحصول على الإقامة البلجيكية. السبب في ذلك هو أن الحصول على الإقامة الدائمة يصبح أسهل على المدى الطويل بعد المكوث في بلجيكا بموجب تأشيرة. 

Since Belgium is in the EU and the Schengen zone, a Belgian resident can travel in the region visa-free.

بلجيكا من أفضل البلدان التي تقدم الجواز الأوروبي؛ حيث يمكن التقدّم للحصول على جواز سفر بعد مرور خمس سنوات تقريبًا من الإقامة القانونية، وهذا يخوّل حامل هذا الجواز السفر إلى أي مكان دون الحاجة إلى تأشيرة.

If you decide not to go the business route or opt for the long-stay visa, the Belgian residence permit is actually one of the more expensive programs out of all the EU countries. 

If you want to obtain a European residence permit here, it is easiest if you are an investor, entrepreneur or self-employed.

مالطا

وفيما يلي خيارات الاستثمار للحصول بموجبه على برنامج الإقامة الدائمة في مالطا (MPRP):

• Property Purchase – For the purchase option, the minimum purchase value should be €300,000 in the south of Malta and €350,000 for the rest of the island.
• Rent a Property – For renting the minimum amount should be €10,000 if in the south of Malta and €12,000 for the rest.

In both cases, you need to hold the property for five years.

You will spend a minimum of €300,000 (plus fees) for Malta’s EU residence permit. It takes from six to nine months to process all information through the MPRP.

Fees include a non-refundable administrative fee of €40,000, a Government contribution of €68,000 if purchasing a property or €98,000 if leasing a property, and a mandatory charity donation of €2,000.

Your other option is to go through the Global Residence Programme.

But hurry because Malta’s golden visa program is under pressure to close, and other European programs will soon follow. If such programs interest you, it’s imperative you get in touch with us today to discuss your options before it’s too late.

البرتغال

The Portugal Golden Visa was significantly amended recently, with the biggest change being the closure of the property investment option.

However, the Golden Visa program remains open, and the application process period will now count towards the five-year requirement for citizenship, starting from the date of application.

Despite the loss of the property investment route, attractive alternatives are still available, such as company creation, donations to research and investments in venture capital and private equity funds.

Additionally, the Non-Habitual Residency (NHR) tax regime has been replaced with the new NHR 2.0.

Outside of the entrepreneur route, there are also various capital contribution options, including:

• €500,000 – Venture Capital/Private Equity Fund
• €500,000 – Donation to Research Activities 
• €250,000 – Donation to Arts 

After five years, you will be a permanent resident. Then, after one year of permanent residence, you may apply for citizenship. 

إسبانيا

Spain currently offers a Golden Visa Program for non-EU citizens to get residence.

If you have €500,000 to invest in a real estate property in Spain, you can get this European residence permit for your entire family.

You will need to renew your second residence every two years, and after five years, it’s possible to gain permanent residence in Spain. After ten years, you can apply for citizenship.

It’s not necessary to live in Spain in order to retain and renew this second residence. And if you want to avoid paying Spain’s high taxes, don’t plan on spending more than six months a year there.

Note: At the time of writing in mid-2024, Spain’s government announced its intention to potentially phase out the real estate investment pathway in the future. However, no formal action has been taken yet and applications are still being processed. 

If you’re considering the Golden Visa through real estate investment, it’s advisable to stay informed about potential changes or to contact us today to discuss your options before you lose your real estate opportunity for good.

بلغاريا

ولا فرق بين حامل الإقامة البلغارية والمواطن البلغاري، فهو يتمتع بكافة الحقوق باستثناء حق التصويت في الانتخابات. وبموجب الحصول على الإقامة، يمكنك الدخول إلى البلاد ومغادرتها بقدر ما تشاء ودون الحاجة إلى استصدار تأشيرة.

Bulgaria cancelled its fast-track to citizenship option in 2022, so the best way to become a permanent resident of Bulgaria is to get a long-term stay permit, which is valid for one year and can be renewed each year after that.

As of March 31, 2024, thanks to the country’s accession to the Schengen area, the Bulgarian residence permit is now one of the most desirable EU Golden Visas and an easier path to full EU citizenship.

قبرص

فالاستثمار بمبلغ 300 ألف يورو على الأقل هو السبيل الأمثل للحصول على الإقامة في قبرص. وبالإضافة إلى ذلك، لا بد من تقديم إثبات لإيداع رأس مال قدره 30 ألف يورو على الأقل في مصرف داخل قبرص من مصرف خارج البلاد. ويجب على المتقدم أيضًا التصريح بدخله السنوي.

You can also invest €300,000 in share capital either in a newly registered company or in an existing company registered in the Republic of Cyprus. 

Depending on which investment route you take, you may have to provide evidence of accommodation, either a contract or sale or proof of rental payments.

Citizenship is possible after seven years but requires five years of residence in Cyprus. 

النمسا

عند التقدّم للحصول على تصريح إقامة في النمسا، يمكن وضع المتقدّم ضمن واحدة من فئتين متمايزتين: إما شخص مستقل أو مدير رئيسي.

يُفرض على الشخص المستقل إبراز دليل على امتلاك مبالغ مالية كافية، وامتلاك عنوان دائم في النمسا، وتقديم دليل يثبت إتقان اللغة الألمانية بالمستوى A1، بالإضافة إلى تأمين صحي بتغطية شاملة.

تبدو هذه القائمة بسيطة للوهلة الأولى، ولكن ثمة بضعة معايير إضافية ضمن هذه الشروط.

Your documentation of sufficient funds must show liquid assets at your disposal of about €40,000. These assets must be shown in a statement of an account from an Austrian or major international bank.

To apply for residence as a key manager, you must be appointed as a manager of an Austrian-based company and make a minimum salary of €2,500 per month. It takes about three months for this route of application to be processed.

وبمجرد الحصول على الإقامة، تصبح عملية التجديد أسهل وأبسط.

After about five years of temporary residence in the country, you can earn permanent residence. If you want, you can apply for Austrian citizenship after ten years of permanent residence. Austrian residence gives you visa-free access to all Schengen States.

تبلغ تكلفة التقدّم لتصريح الإقامة 120 يورو تقريبًا للشخص البالغ و75 يورو للطفل، إضافةً إلى إثباتي امتلاك المال والراتب الشهري. ويمكن أن تستغرق الموافقة على الإقامة ثلاثة أشهر بالحد الأقصى.

اليونان

من السهولة بمكان الحصول على الإقامة في اليونان، حيث يكفي شراء عقار قيمته 250 ألف يورو لكل أسرة كي يحصل المتقدّم وجميع أفراد أسرته على الإقامة. وستكون الإقامة سارية المفعول من اليوم الأول.

بمجرد شراء العقار، لا حاجة للبقاء في اليونان للحفاظ على الإقامة. ويكفي تجديد الإقامة كل خمس سنوات كي يحافظ المقيم على إقامته الدائمة في اليونان.

وبعد الإقامة لمدة سبع سنوات، يحقّ له التقدّم لنيل الجنسية. ويمكن لحامل الإقامة اليونانية السفر دون تأشيرة إلى منطقة شنغن. وهذا النوع من الإقامات من أرخص أنواع الإقامة الثانية وأسهلها في الاتحاد الأوروبي من خلال الاستثمار.

However, if you want to apply, the time to do so is now. One by one, Europe’s golden visa programs are closing, and because of this, obtaining EU citizenship will soon become far more difficult.

So, don’t waste any more time; get in touch with us today to discuss your options today because we guarantee those options will be narrower tomorrow.

لاتفيا

لطالما كانت لاتفيا خيارًا أسهل وأقل تكلفة للحصول على الإقامة. فإذا لم يسبق أن أصيب المتقدم بالسل وكانت لديه مبررات مقنعة لرغبته في العيش في لاتفيا، كان يكفيه دفع رسوم معالجة قيمتها 300 يورو على الأقل لكي يحصل على الإقامة.

ولكن لسوء الحظ، أخذت حكومة لاتفيا تحذو حذو مثيلاتها من الدول الأوروبية، وأصبح من الأصعب الحصول على إقامة ثانية هناك. ومع ذلك، لا يمكن القول إن لاتفيا خيار سيء، ولكنها أصبح أكثر تعقيدًا مما مضى.

The لاتفيا residence program now mirrors more of the Golden Visa programs that you’ll find in other places in Europe. 

If you invest €250,000 in property anywhere in Latvia or deposit €280,000 in a type of bank deposit, they will give you a five-year residence permit.

Once you have that permit, you don’t need to stay in the country to maintain it. You can simply come and go as you please and renew the permit every five years. 

The thing to keep in mind here is that if you aren’t spending time in the country, you won’t be able to turn that residence into citizenship.

وأخيرًا، تتراوح الرسوم الحكومية بين 12 ألف يورو و25 ألف يورو.

There are a few restrictions to be mindful of as well. For example, if you’re looking to buy property in the Latvian capital of Riga, you’re going to be limited to one property. So you’re going to be buying something relatively nice and relatively big that won’t be that liquid.

وثمة خيار جيد آخر، ألا وهو شراء عقار في الشمال الأوروبي إذا كنت ممن يفضلون المكوث هناك خلال فصول الصيف.

Since 2022, Russians and Belarusians have been excluded from the Latvia Golden Visa program. 

Five Additional European Residence Permits

Now, if your goal is merely to live in Europe for the charm and other lifestyle benefits, you do not necessarily need to get residence in the high-tax countries of the EU. 

You can still get a European residence permit without opting for one of the available second residencies in the EU.

كيف؟

Well, not all of Europe is part of the EU.

In fact, many of the non-EU countries in Europe are some of our favourites here at Nomad Capitalist, not just for their residence programs but for their business friendliness, low taxes and investment opportunities.

إذا أردت الاستفادة من فرص النمو والاستثمار في هذه الأسواق الناشئة والاستمتاع في الوقت نفسه بتاريخ أوروبا وسحرها دون أن تعاني من بيروقراطية الاتحاد الأوروبي وضرائبه المرتفعة، فركّز على برامج الإقامة التي توفرها بقية دول قارة أوروبا غير الأعضاء في الاتحاد الأوروبي.

Here are our top five recommendations.

الجبل الأسود

We like Montenegro a lot, and what’s interesting about many of the non-EU Balkans countries is that most of them have a very similar program for getting a second residence.

In Montenegro, you can buy just about any property and use that to get a residence. They aren’t really picky about what property you buy. It can be just about anything bigger than 12 square meters. 

Despite the lax standard on the property you have to purchase, Montenegro is beginning to crack down and become stricter about this path to residence.  

السبب في ذلك هو أن جنسيات محدّدة أخذت تسيء استغلال هذا النظام وتحشر 16 شخصًا أو أكثر في شقة واحدة، لذلك ازداد التدقيق للتأكّد من أن صاحب العقار وأسرته يقطنون هناك فقط. وأُضيف شرط ينص على ضرورة العيش هناك لجزء من العام على الأقل.

الجبل الأسود بلد رائع لا يفرض أي ضرائب، ما يجعلها خيارًا جيدًا للحصول على إقامة أوروبية.

The one downside is that, unlike some of the other options on this list, buying property this way won’t allow you to eventually get citizenship. 

Albania

Similar to and right next door to Montenegro, Albania is a great option for residence, especially for US persons. 

It has the same program as Montenegro but with a very different feel to the country. There are plenty of different opportunities for you to invest in real estate, especially because Albania is one of the cheapest places in Europe to buy real estate.

It is most definitely the cheapest place anywhere for coastal property. We’re talking €800-€2,000 per meter right on the seaside promenade in some places.

Like Montenegro, they will definitely check on you to make sure you’re living at the property for at least part of the year. 

If you’re a US citizen, however, they don’t worry about you very much. Americans get a few advantages when it comes to the Albanian residence program.

صربيا

برنامج صربيا مطابق لجارتيها الجبل الأسود وألبانيا، والمشكلة الوحيدة هنا هي الرقابة الأشد على متطلبات الإقامة داخل البلاد.

But it’s essentially the same deal: buy a property, then get residence through that purchase.

The difference is that Serbian officials will come and knock on your door to check if you’re there. If you’re thinking of buying a small fixer-upper in the countryside for €6,000, you will need to be ready to spend a lot of time there.

ولكن، يمكنك تخصيص بعض الوقت والحضور في العقار خلال وقت زيارة التفتيش لحل هذه المشكلة. صربيا بلد ودود ونسب الضرائب فيه معقولة إلى حد ما.

أرمينيا

Armenia is a country that we have been talking about more at Nomad Capitalist. From their stable and profitable currency to their citizenship-by-descent program, there are many good things happening in Armenia at the moment.

Now, you can debate whether Armenia (and, by extension, Georgia) is actually a part of Europe or whether they’re actually in Asia, but Armenia has somewhat of a European feel to it. Still, the culture will have a different feel to it than somewhere like Portugal.

تتيح أرمينيا العديد من الخيارات للحصول على تصريح إقامة. 

There is a business immigration option where you start up a business and hire someone local. However, the country is a little strict on this kind of immigration. 

They want to make sure that your business actually works. You can’t just set it up and walk away, but it doesn’t have to be a large company or a large part of your company.

There are other options where you can get residence through investment in real estate or bonds. We’ve put together strategies where you can invest in a kind of real estate arbitrage. 

You buy and rent out some real estate, make a little money, and then get a European residence permit.

جورجيا

We’ve talked about Georgia quite a bit, especially for banking. Georgia requires an investment of US$100,000 for its real estate residence program for a temporary residence permit.

A foreign citizen can also become a permanent resident by investing at least US$300,000 in purchasing non-agricultural land, apartments, commercial areas or other Georgian-based businesses. 

ويفوق المبلغ ذلك لمن يريد الحصول على الإقامة الدائمة. 

السبب الذي أدى إلى هذا التغيير هو أن جورجيا كانت بلدًا ليبراليًا فيما يتعلق بسياسات الهجرة. ولسوء الحظ، استُغلّ هذا النهج أسوأ استغلال بسبب كونه عاملاً محفزًا على الإقبال للحصول على الإقامة. 

وينطبق الأمر نفسه على متطلبات الحصول على الجنسية.

ولكن من جهة ثانية، الضرائب على العقارات زهيدة للغاية، كما أن مزاولة الأعمال هناك بسيطة جدًا. ومن شأن هذا البلد أن يكون خيارًا ممتازًا لنيل إقامة ثانية اعتمادًا على ظروفك.

Easiest and Cheapest Second Residencies in the EU: FAQs

European Residence Permit – Are There Cheaper Options?

كما يتضح مما سبق، فإن السهولة والتكلفة الميسورة نسبيتان إلى حد بعيد عند مناقشة الإقامة الثانية في الاتحاد الأوروبي.

But a couple of questions arise at this point:

• Are these programs the most affordable ones in Europe? – Yes.
• Are they the easiest and most affordable residence programs in the world? – No.

A good example is Cambodia. Practically anyone qualifies. Anyone who arrives on a visa-on-arrival or a travel visa can then convert that visa into a one-year Cambodian business visa for less than US$300.

From there, you can take your visa to a fixer; they will take your passport and visa to an immigration office and will get you a one-year visa. That visa is renewable every year as long as you pay that small fee.

وهي تمنحك الحق في العيش والعمل في كمبوديا. وهكذا يمكنك الحصول على إقامة ثانية.

لا تُتوّج تأشيرة الأعمال هذه بالحصول على الجنسية وجواز السفر، ولكنها سهلة للغاية وصالحة للحصول على إقامة ثانية تخوّلك العيش في هذا البلد وتكوين علاقات.

This program is so easy and cheap that you could get it simply because it’s fun. When you are building your Nomad Capitalist lifestyle offshore, getting a couple of wins under your belt is important.

If you’re not ready to get one of the available second residencies in Europe by putting US$300,000 in a bank account, you could ease your way into planting the second residence flag by doing something simpler in a place like Cambodia first.

It’s also an interesting option to have another place where you could potentially live, at least part-time. If you are a perpetual traveller and you are looking to establish some bases, Europe is certainly one option. 

However, if you are looking for something a little more frontier with some opportunities to do business or invest, Cambodia would be a great base to set up in Asia.

Cambodia needs your couple hundred bucks, and they are willing to do what it takes to bring investors and business people into the country.

You won’t find that as much or to the same degree in Europe. Even the non-EU programs still expect a large real estate investment and substantial fees. So, while it’s nice to keep ‘affordable’ European residence programs on your radar, don’t think that they are your only option.

We help people create holistic offshore plans every day, and we would love to help you get started.

If you would like help finding the right residence program for you – whether it is one of the second residencies in the EU or elsewhere – feel free to reach out to our team.