Top 7 Countries for European Residence by Investment

• €250,000 — investment

• Visa-free — Schengen

• 7 days a year — in Portugal

With a residence permit in Portugal, you can travel to Schengen countries without a visa, get a European diploma and keep your savings in a European bank. In addition, the investor’s income earned outside Portugal will not be taxed for the first ten years. It is possible to apply for Portuguese citizenship after five years.

To get a residence permit in Portugal, you can get a job in a local company, become a student at a Portuguese educational institution or marry a citizen of the country. But the fastest and easiest way to get a residence permit is to take part in the investment program.

Individual cost calculation of the residence permit in Portugal

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A residence permit in Portugal by investment is usually issued in six months. Investors do not need to take a language proficiency test. They are not required to live in Portugal permanently — it is enough to spend seven days a year in the country. You can choose any investment program:

• buy a property worth €500,000;

• invest €350,000 in historic buildings — objects of cultural heritage — and restore them;

• buy shares of Portuguese companies for €1,000,000;

• invest at least €350,000 in research and development projects;

• invest at least €250,000 in the restoration and preservation of the national cultural heritage;

• purchase shares in investment funds for at least €500,000;

• open a company and create at least ten jobs.

• Investment — of €31,000

• Visa-free — Schengen

A residence permit in Malta opens up cosmopolitan opportunities for the investor like travel without visas to Schengen countries, an account in a European bank, doing business and tax optimization. It is necessary to renew the status every year, and it is possible to apply for the citizenship of Malta in a year or three years.

A residence permit by investment is issued in just three months. It can include family members as well as service personnel.

To participate in the program, you need to buy or rent property in Malta. The minimum rental price is €9,600 per year, purchases — €275,000. In the south of Malta and on the island of Gozo, the minimum is slightly lower at €8,750 for rental housing per year and €220,000 to purchase.

Individual cost calculation of the Malta Residence Permit

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There are additional costs:

• administration fee — €6,000;

• medical insurance at approximately €500 per year;

• tax — €15,000 per year.

• From € 80,000 — costs

• Visa-free — Schengen

• Accounts — in European banks

With permanent residence in Malta, you can travel without a visa to the Schengen countries to do business in Europe, optimize taxes and open an account within a European bank. The resident’s family can access high—quality medicine and the children can study at a prestigious European university. It is not necessary to live in Malta to know the language or history at this stage.

Permanent residence in Malta is issued in five to six months for the whole family and is preserved for life. To do this, you need to fulfill four conditions of the program:

1. Rent or buy real estate. Rent will cost €10,000 per year and purchase of at least €300,000.

2. Make a non—refundable government contribution of €28,000 when buying a home and €58,000 when renting.

3. Pay a one—time administration fee of €40,000.

4. Confirm annual income of at least €500,000, of which €150,000 are financial assets.

After five years, you can terminate the lease and sell the property.

• Minimum cost — of €100,000

• Visa-free — Schengen

• High standard — of living

Austria attracts investors with economic and political stability due to the possibility of visa—free travel to the Schengen countries, prestigious education, high—quality medicine and the prospects for obtaining citizenship of an EU country. Moreover, Vienna, the capital of Austria, has been ranked first in the renowned Mercer World Quality of Life Ranking for eight consecutive years.

There are no investment programs in Austria. The state makes it possible to obtain a residence permit only for financially independent people. This means that the applicant does not invest in the economy of the state, but provides for himself and his family members. Simultaneously, neither the investor nor his family members can work in Austria.

Quotas for a residence permit in Austria. Austria has quotas for financially independent people — 450 quotas per year. One quota is one family member. In order to get a quota in time, it is important to prepare a package of documents in advance without a single mistake and submit an application on the first working day of the year in Austria.

Status in Austria is issued in three to six months. To obtain it, you need to:

1. Confirm the monthly income, which is enough to support a family, housing and a car. For example, a married couple should receive about €7,000 per month or €70,000 per year.

2. Buy or rent a home in Austria.

3. Get medical insurance.

4. Know German at A1 level.

5. After obtaining a residence permit, stay in Austria for at least 183 days a year.

The first time a residence permit is issued for a year, it is extended for another year and then for another three years. In this case, each time, you would need to confirm income.

After five years, you can apply for permanent residence status, and after six to ten years — receive citizenship, which is inherited.

Together with the investor, a spouse and children under 18 can participate in the program.

• Visa-free — Schengen

• After 7 years — you can obtain citizenship if you learn the language

Travel to Schengen countries without visas, a European bank account, warm climate, sea and Greek citizenship in seven years — these are the reasons why investors choose a residence permit in Greece.

A residence permit in Greece is issued in just three months. To obtain it, you need to choose an investment option:

• buy or rent real estate for at least €250,000;

• buy Greek securities or bonds for at least €400,000;

• open a deposit in a Greek bank for at least €400,000.

There are also additional costs:

• state fee — €2000

• medical insurance — €300

• issuing a residence permit card — €16

In Greece, you can live immediately after submitting an application, without waiting for the assignment of resident status. The investor receives a certificate with which he can stay in the country for a year or until a residence permit card is issued.

Resident status is issued for five years and is renewed every five years. It is not necessary to live in Greece for this, but it is important to preserve assets like real estate, stocks or a bank deposit.

In order to obtain a Greek passport in the future, you need to maintain a resident status for seven years, live in the country and pass an exam on knowledge of language, culture and history.

• Investments — from €500,000

• Visa-free — Schengen

• Citizenship — in 10 years

Investors have been choosing a residence permit in Spain because of the opportunity to travel to the Schengen countries without visas, obtain status for all family members and buy real estate in a beautiful country with a mild climate.

A residence permit for investments in Spain is issued in three months and for two years. It needs to be renewed after five years. But there is an important caveat: Spain does not allow second citizenship, with the exception of only a few countries in Latin America. This means that you will have to renounce your previous citizenship, however, this is one the easiest ways to get permanent residence in Europe. Full-fledged Spanish citizenship can be obtained only after ten years.

Individual cost calculation of the residence permit in Spain

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You can choose any of the investment options:

• purchase real estate in the amount of €500,000;

• invest €1,000,000 in shares of Spanish companies;

• open a bank deposit for the amount of €1,000,000 or more;

• buy government bonds for the amount of €2,000,000 or more;

• open and run a business with an investment volume of €1,000,000.

After five years, you can sell real estate and shares, whilst withdrawing money from the deposit.

• Minimum costs — ₣450,000 per year

• Visa-free — Schengen

• Citizenship — in 12 years

Investors choose Switzerland for political and economic stability, the ability to travel to the Schengen countries without visas and get citizenship after twelve years.

The residence permit in Switzerland offers the status only to financially independent people. That is, you do not need to invest, the main thing is to provide for yourself and your family members. However, you cannot work in Switzerland. The income must come from outside the country.

Residence permit status in Switzerland can be obtained in six months. To do this, you need to select a canton and confirm an agreement with its administration on the payment of the annual lump-sum tax. The approximate minimum amount is ₣450,000 per year.

Residence permit in Switzerland is issued for a year and is renewed annually. The main thing is to pay tax and prove income.

If it is important to subsequently obtain citizenship, it is worth considering Portugal and Malta. Portugal does not require long-term residence — only seven days a year.

If a high standard of living, high-quality medicine and a prestigious education for children stand as important values, then a residence permit in Austria, Portugal or Switzerland is most suitable.

If you do not need to live or come to a specific country, but want to travel without visas to the Schengen countries, a residence permit in Malta or Greece will do.

A residence permit in Spain is convenient because you can apply for a status immediately for the whole family. But in this case, you will have to give up your current citizenship.

Residency by investment can be obtained in Portugal, Greece, Spain and Malta when buying real estate.