Las 14 residencias secundarias más asequibles y fáciles de conseguir en la UE

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.

Al regresar al Reino Unido, ambos fueron retenidos e interrogados en el aeropuerto.

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. 

Sí tenía dinero suficiente.

Y así, sin más, se les concedió la residencia no habitual.

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

Bélgica

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.

Como ciudadano extracomunitario, lo mejor es solicitar primero un visado de larga duración y después solicitar la residencia belga. A la larga, será más fácil obtener la residencia permanente después de vivir en Bélgica con un visado. 

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

Bélgica es también uno de los mejores países que ofrecen un pasaporte europeo. Tras unos cinco años de residencia legal, puedes solicitar un pasaporte y viajar a cualquier parte sin visado.

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.

Malta

Estas son las opciones de inversión del programa de residencia permanente de Malta (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.

Portugal

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. 

España

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.

Bulgaria

Obtener un permiso de residencia búlgaro te dará todos los derechos de un ciudadano búlgaro, excepto el derecho a voto. También podrás entrar y salir del país tantas veces como quieras sin necesidad de visado.

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.

Chipre

La mejor manera de obtener la residencia en Chipre es adquirir una propiedad cuyo valor mínimo sea de 300.000 euros. Además, debes tener pruebas de que has depositado un capital mínimo de 30.000 euros desde el extranjero en un banco chipriota. También tendrás que presentar tus ingresos anuales.

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. 

Austria

Existen dos categorías distintas en las que se te puede clasificar a la hora de solicitar un permiso de residencia en Austria: como persona independiente o como gestor principal.

La solicitud como persona con medios independientes incluye demostrar que dispones de fondos suficientes, una dirección permanente en Austria, la prueba de que conoces la lengua alemana a un nivel A1 y un seguro médico que cubra todos los gastos.

Parece una lista sencilla, y lo es, pero hay algunos criterios adicionales dentro de estas cualificaciones.

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.

Una vez que te conviertes en residente, el proceso de renovación es sencillo.

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.

El coste de un permiso de residencia es de unos 120 euros por adulto y 75 euros por niño, más la prueba de fondos y el salario mensual. La aprobación del permiso puede tardar hasta tres meses.

Grecia

Obtener la residencia en Grecia es sencillo; basta con adquirir una propiedad por un valor de 250.000 euros por familia. Tendrás la residencia desde el primer día.

Una vez adquieras tu propiedad, no necesitas permanecer en Grecia para mantener la residencia. Basta con renovarla cada cinco años para seguir siendo residente permanente.

Tras siete años de residencia, puedes obtener la nacionalidad. La residencia griega también conlleva la exención de visado para viajar por el espacio Schengen. Se trata de una de las segundas residencias más económicas y sencillas de la UE cuando se trata de residencia por inversión.

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.

Letonia

Letonia solía ser una opción mucho más económica y sencilla. Antes, si no se padecía tuberculosis y se podía dar una razón suficientemente buena del motivo por el que se quería vivir en Letonia, bastaba con pagar unos gastos de tramitación de al menos 300 euros.

Por desgracia, el gobierno de Letonia ha empezado a seguir el mismo camino que el resto de Europa, y ahora es más difícil obtener segundas residencias en la UE. Sigue sin ser difícil, pero es más complicado de lo que era.

The Letonia 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.

En total, las tasas gubernamentales rondarán entre los 12.000 y los 25.000 euros.

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.

Sin embargo, si te gusta la idea de vivir en el norte de Europa durante el verano, podría ser una buena opción para ti.

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.

¿Cómo?

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.

Por lo tanto, si quieres aprovechar las oportunidades de crecimiento e inversión de estos mercados emergentes y, al mismo tiempo, disfrutar de la historia y el encanto de Europa sin la burocracia y los elevados impuestos de la UE, considera la posibilidad de cambiar tu estrategia centrada en las residencias en la UE por los programas de segunda residencia disponibles en el resto de Europa.

Here are our top five recommendations.

Montenegro

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.  

Dado que algunas nacionalidades han abusado del sistema y han metido a 16 o más personas en un mismo apartamento, serán más minuciosos a la hora de asegurarse de que solo vivís tú y tu familia. También te exigirán que vivas allí al menos una parte del año.

Montenegro es un gran país muy favorable desde el punto de vista fiscal, por lo que podría ser una buena opción para obtener un permiso de residencia europeo.

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.

Serbia

El programa de Serbia es idéntico al de Montenegro y Albania, pero el problema es que el requisito de residencia en el país se controla de forma más exhaustiva.

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.

Pero si estás dispuesto a dedicarle tiempo y asegurarte de estar presente cuando vengan a inspeccionar tu propiedad, puede ser una buena opción. Es un país acogedor con tipos impositivos relativamente razonables.

Armenia

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.

Hay varias opciones para obtener un permiso de residencia en Armenia. 

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.

Georgia

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. 

Y si quieres la residencia permanente, tendrás que hacer algo más que eso. 

El cambio se produjo porque Georgia era un país bastante liberal en cuanto a sus políticas de inmigración. Desgraciadamente, se aprovecharon de esa disposición, lo que está haciendo que aumenten los requisitos para obtener la residencia. 

Y lo mismo con los requisitos de ciudadanía.

Dicho esto, los impuestos sobre bienes inmuebles son una maravilla y es un lugar increíblemente sencillo para hacer negocios. Dependiendo de tu situación, podría ser una gran opción para tu segunda residencia.

Easiest and Cheapest Second Residencies in the EU: FAQs

European Residence Permit – Are There Cheaper Options?

Como probablemente hayas visto, los términos sencillo y económico son muy relativos cuando se habla de segundas residencias en la UE.

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.

Esto te dará derecho a vivir y trabajar en Camboya. Después de esto, puedes establecer una segunda residencia.

Este visado de negocios no permite obtener la nacionalidad ni el pasaporte, pero es muy sencillo y adecuado para una segunda residencia en la que vivir y establecer vínculos.

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.