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Permanent Residency

Greece has a lot to brag about: stunning views, 250 days of sun per year, and one of the healthiest diets in the world. Those who want to live by the Mediterranean Sea and enjoy the breeziness of life can apply for Greek residence. Permanent residence is a status that allows its holder to reside and work in Greece for a long period of time as opposed to a temporary residence permit, which has to be renewed every 1 or 2 years and provides fewer benefits.

Residence permit

Around 26.5 million foreigners live in EU countries with residence permits, according to Eurostat{{source: Source: Eurostat — [Residence permit statistics 2025](https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/SEPDF/cache/74584.pdf)}}. For non-EU citizens, European residence enables them to live and work legally within the EU, travel visa-free across the Schengen Area, and have access to medical treatments and education. Countries like Italy, Portugal, and others offer residence by investment to non-EU wealthy foreigners, providing them with certain benefits in their host country.

Citizenship

Global migration is at an all-time high. In 2025, more than six million people received permanent status in OECD countries. At the same time, wealthy individuals face fewer investment routes as many programmes close and tax rules become stricter.  As a result, interest is shifting toward simpler and more affordable citizenship options. São Tomé and Príncipe offers the lowest-cost citizenship by investment in the world, starting at $90,000. This is well below Vanuatu’s $130,000 and Caribbean programmes that begin at $200,000.

Citizenship

There are officially 4.4 million stateless people worldwide\[1\]. For a small group with sufficient resources, citizenship-by-investment and Golden Visa programs offer a potential way to secure a passport and full legal identity. São Tomé and Príncipe and Grenada are among the few CBI programs that accept stateless applicants, with minimum investments of $90,000 and $250,000. São Tomé and Príncipe takes about 2 months, while Grenada takes around 8 months but offers a stronger passport and extra benefits.