Top Countries Offering Golden Visas in 2025

Residency is no longer about lifestyle – it’s about leverage

In an increasingly unpredictable world, Golden Visas offer something most governments can’t: certainty in exchange for capital.

They are more than migration tools; they are strategic safeguards offering residence rights, future citizenship, global mobility, and access to tax-friendly jurisdictions.

For investors, entrepreneurs and globally minded families, golden visa programs serve a variety of purposes by providing:

• A secure foothold in another country
• A hedge against political or economic instability at home
• Better business access to new markets
• Residency as a gateway to a second passport
• Lower tax exposure and more favourable regulations.

In return for a qualifying investment – ranging from US$100,000 to over US$1 million, depending on the country – you gain the legal right to reside in some of the world’s most attractive destinations.

Whether you invest in real estate, fund a local business, or make a government donation, the underlying value is always the same: options.

But 2025 marks a major turning point in the golden visa landscape as governments start to tighten eligibility.

Programs once known for real estate investments, like Portugal and Spain, have either removed or shut down those options entirely. Meanwhile, Ireland has exited the space altogether.

This trend reflects a growing shift toward more targeted, contribution-based programs focused on long-term economic value.

It’s not all bad news. What remains are fewer but often stronger programs that reward early movers.

The Nomad Capitalist team has put together an in-depth guide to the top golden visa destinations still open to investors in 2025. The guide breaks down the program’s individual costs, timelines, benefits, and potential paths to citizenship and flags key risks and recent changes you need to know before applying.

​​Golden Visas and Residence: What’s in a Name?

Before we get started, let’s clarify some terms you might encounter: ‘golden visa’ and ‘residency by investment (RBI).’ 

‘Golden visa’ is a popular term for the RBI schemes offered by highly attractive countries. 

As the name implies, it evokes ideas of a golden ticket to a new life and suggests a relatively easy road to residency in a premium country. 

It’s a term that’s gained a lot of traction because it captures the aspirational nature of these programs.

‘Residency by investment,’ on the other hand, is the more formal or official term that makes this possible. 

This overlap often occurs, and programs technically labelled ‘RBI’ frequently appear in ‘Top Golden Visas’ lists such as this one for a very simple reason. For you, the person seeking new horizons, the primary outcome – earning residency through investment – remains consistent. 

This guide focuses on the best programs that deliver true ‘golden’ outcomes, regardless of how they’re officially labelled. 

Now the terminology is clear, it’s time to explore the leading destinations.

2025 Top Golden Visa Countries

1. Greece’s Golden Visa

Greece tops the list because it still offers that sweet spot of accessibility and genuine European Union (EU) benefits that made golden visas so popular in the first place. 

As of 2025, the Greek Golden Visa still offers a clear route to residency through investment, including in property, though there have been recent updates to its investment amounts, which we cover below.

You can learn more about the Greek Golden visa here. 

Benefits of Greece’s Golden Visa:

• Unrestricted travel throughout the Schengen Area
• Residency for you and your eligible family members
• A potential pathway to Greek (and EU) citizenship
• No strict requirement to live in Greece year-round
• Potential tax advantages for new residents
• Family inclusion extends to parents and parents-in-law.

Greece Golden Visa Investment Requirements for 2025

If Greece sounds like your kind of place, here’s a look at the golden visa investment options for 2025. In terms of property, there are a few options:

• €250,000 minimum for real estate in some specific circumstances, such as converting commercial properties to residential or for properties in certain designated areas.
• €400,000 minimum for property investment in many other areas of Greece, often for a single property of at least 120 sqm.
• €800,000 minimum for real estate in high-demand zones like parts of Athens, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with over 3,100 inhabitants.

Other options exist, such as capital contributions or investments in specific financial instruments, including Greek government bonds, shares or investment funds, typically starting from €350,000 to €500,000 or more.

2. Portugal’s Golden Visa

As for Portugal, the name itself has been almost synonymous with Golden Visas for years.

While it might have changed – largely due to the winding down of its popular NHR tax scheme – Portugal is still a major player with a very strong offering in 2025.

Aside from the NHR, the programme underwent surgery in late 2023 and early 2024. Most notably, the option to gain residency by directly buying residential property in hotspots like Lisbon, Porto or the sunny Algarve was taken off the table. 

Now, the focus is firmly on alternative routes, such as investment funds, supporting cultural heritage, or job creation. 

You can learn more about the Portugal Golden Visa here. 

Even with recent rule changes, the perks of a Portuguese Golden Visa are still pretty impressive.

Benefits of Portugal’s Golden Visa

• Travel visa-free across the extensive Schengen Area
• Bring your close family along with you
• Enjoy very low minimum stay requirements each year
• Clear path to permanent residency after five years
• Potential for Portuguese (and EU) citizenship
• Benefit from a new, more efficient application process
• No wealth tax in Portugal for residents
• Time to citizenship now counts from the application date.

Portugal’s Golden Visa Investment Requirements in 2025

As for the investment amounts and pathways, you have three options for 2025:

• €250,000 supporting arts or national cultural heritage
• €500,000 in approved investment or venture capital funds
• €500,000 in research by scientific institutions
• €500,000 to incorporate or boost a company
• Create at least 10 new full-time jobs.

3. Malta’s Golden Visa / MPRP

When it comes to planting a strategic flag in Europe, Malta’s Permanent Residence Programme, or MPRP, is hard to beat.

Beyond the obvious allure of Mediterranean island living, Malta is an English-speaking EU member with a reliable economy and a favourable tax system for non-domiciled residents.

Learn more about the MPRP here.

Benefits of Malta’s Permanent Residence Programme 

Choosing the MPRP comes with a rather nice package of advantages:

• Travel freely across the Schengen Area
• Includes residency for your spouse, dependents and extended family
• No strict need to live in Malta year-round
• Enjoy an English-speaking, EU Mediterranean lifestyle
• Benefit from Malta’s favourable non-dom tax system
• The right to reside, settle and stay indefinitely.

If Malta’s permanent residency sounds like a good fit, here are the financial commitments involved for 2025. 

Unlike the others, it’s a combined commitment, so you’ll need to cover all these bases.

Malta MPRP Investment Options for 2025:

• First, secure a qualifying property for five years:
  • Either purchase property for a minimum of €375,000
  • Or rent property for a minimum of €14,000 annually
• Then, add a government contribution (non-refundable):
  • €30,000 if you choose to purchase property
  • €60,000 if you choose to rent property
• Additionally, make a €2,000 philanthropic donation to a recognised NGO
• Cover the main administrative fee (around €50,000).

4. Italy’s Golden Visa / Investor Visa Program

Next up is Italy, a country that requires little introduction for its culture, cuisine and sheer beauty. 

But beyond this, Italy also offers the ‘Investor Visa for Italy’ program. 

The Investor Visa itself has a few distinct advantages, including a pre-approval process (you get the green light before committing your capital), which greatly reduces risk. 

Sounds interesting? Learn more about the Italian Investor visa here.

Opting for an Italian Investor Visa opens up a range of appealing benefits for you and your family.

Benefits of Italy’s Investor Visa

• Travel freely across the 29 Schengen Area nations
• Residency for you and eligible family members
• No mandatory physical stay in Italy required
• A pathway to permanent five year residence permit
• Potential for Italian citizenship after ten years
• Special tax regimes can be very attractive
• Relatively fast visa processing and pre-approval.

Italy Investor Visa Investment Options for 2025

If ‘la dolce vita’ through investment sounds appealing, Italy’s Investor Visa offers several distinct pathways. 

You’ll choose one of these routes for 2025:

• A minimum investment of €2,000,000 in Italian government securities
• A commitment of at least €500,000 in shares or stocks of an existing company incorporated and operating in Italy
• An investment in an innovative Italian start-up of €250,000. It can also be invested in shares or stakes of an innovative start-up, as officially recognised in Italy. 
• A donation of at least €1,000,000 to support a public interest project in Italy. This can be in fields like culture, education, scientific research, or heritage preservation.

5. Hungary Guest Investor Program

Hungary is making a significant comeback to the residency-by-investment scene, with its recently relaunched Guest Investor Program (GIP).

What makes the GIP unique is that the initial residency permit is valid for a generous ten years, and you can renew it for another ten. 

The programme squarely focuses on regulated investment funds and philanthropic donations as its main routes.

To learn more about the Hungarian GIP, click here.

Pursuing Hungary’s revamped residency path comes with several significant advantages.

Benefits of Hungary’s Guest Investor Program

• Gain long-term residency
• Potential to renew your residency for 10 more years
• Travel without visas across the EU’s Schengen Area
• Include your spouse and dependent children
• No requirement to live in Hungary to keep the permit
• Permanent residency potential after 3 years
• Citizenship is possible much later, after 8 years
• Enjoy generally lower living costs than other EU countries.

Hungary Guest Investor Investment Options for 2025

Getting your hands on that 10-year guest investor permit involves choosing one of these official investment routes for 2025:

• Invest at least €250,000 in units of a qualified Hungarian real estate fund
• Donate at least €1,000,000 to a public trust foundation that manages a Hungarian higher education institution.

6. United Arab Emirates Golden Visa

As we turn our attention to the East, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a highly regarded program. 

It offers a path to long-term residency, usually for 5 or 10 years, in one of the world’s most exciting and fast-growing economic areas.

Benefits of the UAE Golden Visa:

• Secure long-term residency (5 or 10 years)
• Visa is renewable upon expiry
• No need for a traditional Emirati sponsor
• Freedom to stay outside the UAE for over 6 months
• Sponsor spouse and children (flexible age limits)
• Ability to sponsor domestic support staff
• Full foreign ownership of businesses is possible
• Benefit from zero personal income tax and low 9% corporate tax.

UAE Golden Visa Requirements

Eligibility for the UAE Golden Visa in 2025 is quite broad, but for this article, we’ll focus on ‌a few key categories:

• Purchasing property valued at AED 2 million (about US$545,000) or more
• Putting at least AED 2 million into a certified UAE investment fund 
• You can start or join a UAE company with AED 2 million in capital or share value
• Start a new business that the UAE authorities or a business incubator approves
• Outstanding graduates from top universities and skilled professionals in various sectors can qualify (with high salaries and relevant qualifications).

7. Cyprus Golden Visa

You might remember Cyprus making headlines a while back with its ‘golden passport’ programme, which closed. However, the island’s permanent residence by investment route is very much alive and thriving, offering a solid foothold in the European Union for 2025.

Plus, it has a very appealing tax system for residents who aren’t considered ‘domiciled’ locally.

To learn more about Cyprus’s Golden Visa, click here.

Benefits of the Cyprus Permanent Residency Programme

• Live indefinitely in the Republic of Cyprus
• Residency status is granted for life (card renewed)
• Your spouse and dependent children can join you
• Very favourable tax rules for non-domiciled residents
• Qualify to apply for Cyprus (EU) citizenship later
• Only need to visit Cyprus once every two years to maintain status.

Requirements and Investment Routes for the Cyprus Programme

To become a permanent resident in Cyprus, you must prove a reliable income from abroad each year (starting at €50,000 for one person). 

Aside from that, you need to choose one pathway out of these: 

• Invest €300,000 (plus VAT) in new residential property from a developer. You can buy up to two properties to meet the value
• Invest €300,000 (plus VAT) in commercial property 
• Invest €300,000 directly into the shares of a company that is registered and working in Cyprus
• Invest €300,000 into units of a Cyprus Investment Organisation of Collective Investments (CIOCI). 

8. Latvia’s Golden Visa

As a member of both the European Union (EU) and the Schengen Area, Latvia offers a route to residency through investment, serving as a gateway to Europe. 

However, be aware of recent developments like the stricter investment requirements, particularly for real estate. 

To learn more about Latvia’s Golden Visa, click here.

Benefits of the Latvian Golden Visa

Despite the recent changes, Latvia’s residency programme still offers several key advantages:

• Obtain a 5-year renewable EU residence permit
• Travel freely across the Schengen Area
• Include your spouse and dependent minor children
• Pathway to permanent residency after 5 years
• Possible route to Latvian citizenship after 10 years
• No strict need to live there year-round (for temporary permit renewal)
• Relatively quick processing times are often cited.

Latvia Golden Visa Program Requirements

To get temporary residency in Latvia through investment, you must choose one of these four routes for 2025:

• Investing in the share capital of a Latvian company. Either €50,000 in a smaller company (under 50 staff, <€10m turnover) or €100,000 in a larger one 
• A minimum property purchase of €250,000 that meets certain eligibility criteria 
• You could also choose to put subordinated capital with a Latvian bank deposit, at least €280,000 for a minimum of five years, plus an extra one-time state fee of €25,000
• Buy €250,000 worth of government bonds and pay a one-time state fee of €38,000.

9. Oman Investor Residence Program

Oman’s welcoming Investor Residence Program (IRP) certainly deserves a closer look. 

For investors and expats, the practical pluses are helpful, too, including zero personal income tax and an increasingly open approach to foreign investment. 

Benefits of the Oman Investor Residence Program: 

• Secure long-term Omani residency (5 or 10 years)
• Peace of mind with renewable visa status
• Bring your spouse and children with you
• Pay zero personal income tax on your earnings
• Benefit from a famously safe and stable environment
• No need for a local sponsor for your residency
• Own property in designated areas (ITCs).

Oman Investor Residence Program Requirements

Gaining long-term residency through Oman’s IRP means meeting certain investment levels, which generally fall into these categories for 2025:

• A 10-year renewable residence permit (Tier 1) usually requires a larger investment of at least OMR 500,000 (which is roughly US$1.3 million) in an Omani business, buying government bonds or buying real estate.
• Setting up a company that provides jobs for 50 or more Omanis might also open this door.
• There’s also a 5-year renewable residence permit (Tier 2) available for a lower investment, generally starting at OMR 250,000 (around US$650,000) in an Omani company or government bonds or purchasing real estate at or above this value threshold.
• Oman offers special residency options for retirees. 

Top Countries Offering Golden Visas in 2025: FAQs

Go Where You’re Treated Best

​​As the top residency programs for 2025 show, there’s a world of opportunity for those seeking greater freedom through investment migration.

These programs offer more than just new places to live: They provide the chance to choose where you work, invest, and build your future.

But only if approached strategically.

While residency options are increasingly popular, citizenship by investment remains a compelling alternative for those seeking immediate access to a second passport.

Whether it’s the Caribbean programs in places like St Kitts or Dominica, Turkey’s real estate-based route, or even start-up visas in innovation hubs like Canada, the right fit depends entirely on your goals.

That’s where things can get complicated.

Every program comes with its own regulations, application requirements, and due diligence checks. Laws change, financial implications vary and the long-term impact on your tax situation, residency obligations, or estate planning must all be carefully evaluated.

Navigating this space requires more than research – it demands expert guidance and up-to-date insights.

As always, getting the right advice from the start can save you lots of time, effort and money. Rather than relying on local providers, it pays to have impartial advice from international experts with no specific allegiance to any one jurisdiction. 

That’s just one of the reasons people choose Nomad Capitalist – we have direct experience across multiple jurisdictions and will help you weigh up the pros and cons of each. 

We’ve helped thousands of entrepreneurs and investors with legal tax reduction strategies, company formation and offshore investment. Remove all the guesswork, skip past the gatekeepers and speed up the entire process with a Nomad Capitalist Action Plan.