How to relocate to Europe, Turkey or the UAE

An investor can get a residence permit or citizenship in European countries, as well as a Turkish passport or a long-term residential visa to the UAE. These documents allow their holders to relocate legally.

Discover the countries with investment programs granting a residence permit or citizenship and who can qualify to participate in these programs.

Easiest European countries to move to and get a residence permit

Investments: €150,000+
Obtaining period: 2+ months

Where to get a residence permit by investment?Portugal, Spain, Greece, and Andorra issue temporary residence permits; Malta and Cyprus grant permanent residence.

Investors aren’t obliged to live in their countries of residence: they can maintain their status without relocation. Some countries require to spend several days a year on their territories. For example, Portugal has a rule for investors with residence permits to annually visit the country for at least a week to renew their permits without trouble.

Austria, Switzerland, Portugal, and other European countries also offer residence permits to financially independent persons. Such a resident must spend at least 6 months in the country to maintain the permit.

Conditions of investment programs. Investors become residents in two to six months. The investment amount depends on the country.

All programs allow investors’ family members to participate. But there are different requirements for relatives. Thus, children under 21 can get residence permits in Greece, while the age limit is 26 years in Portugal.

Terms of obtaining a European residence permit by investment

Program or status

Investments

Time frame

Qualifying family members

Portugal Golden Visa Program

€250,000+

8+ months

Spouse, children under 26 and parents

Greece Golden Visa Program

€250,000+

6+ months

Spouse, children under 21 and parents

Malta Permanent Residence Programme

€150,000+
If renting housing for five years

4+ months
Application processing

Spouse, children, parents and grandparents of any age

Cyprus permanent residence

€300,000+

3+ months

Spouse, children under 25 and parents

Spain Golden Visa Program

€500,000+

2—3 months

Spouse, children and parents of any age

Andorra residence permit

€400,000+

2+ months

Spouse and children under 25

Portugal D7 visa

No investments are required; an applicant proves they have enough funds to live in Portugal

2+ months

Spouse, children under 21 and parents

Austria residence permit for financially independent persons

No investments are required; an applicant proves they have enough funds to live in Austria

3+ months

Spouse and children under 18

Switzerland residence permit for financially independent persons

₣450,000+ as a lump-sum tax

6+ months

Spouse and children under 18

There are strict conditions for adult family members like children and parents. As a rule, they must financially depend on the main applicant. In addition, children mustn’t be married. In some countries, adult children can participate in investment programs only if they are students; for example, Andorra sets such a rule.

Investments in European real estate can lead to a residence permit. Portugal, Greece and Spain have this option in their residency programs. The Malta Permanent Residence Programme requires an applicant to purchase or rent housing in the country as a mandatory condition. Thus, an investor can buy an apartment or a house for future relocation.

Benefits for relocation abroad. A residence permit or permanent residency allows its holder to move to the chosen country. Therefore, one must choose a future place of living before applying for a permit: assess the cost of living, quality of educational programs for children, business opportunities, stability of the economy, and features of the tax system.

A residence permit card from a Schengen country, namely Portugal, Spain, Greece, Austria, Switzerland, or Malta, enables its holder to visit other Schengen states visa-free to spend up to 90 days out of 180. Andorran residents can travel to Spain and France visa-free.

UAE residence visa

Investments: $204,000+
Obtaining period: 2+ months

The UAE residence visa equals a residence permit. It can be obtained by purchasing real estate: a property worth AED 750,000+ ($204,000+) brings a two-year visa, and a property worth at least AED 2,000,000 ($545,000) qualifies for a ten-year visa. Alternative options are opening a deposit or investing in a business.

Entrepreneurs, freelancers, hired employees, and retirees can get UAE residence visas, too.

Opportunities for family members depend on the visa type. If an investor applies for a ten-year visa, they can include a spouse and children — unmarried sons under 25 and unmarried daughters of any age. A two-year visa limits the children’s age to 18.

Benefits for relocation abroad. The residence visa makes it possible only to move to the UAE.

The UAE attracts expats with high living standards and low taxes. The country doesn’t tax individuals’ income, capital gains and inheritance. Companies registered in Free Zones benefit from a special tax regime.

Citizenship in European countries

Investments: €690,000+
Obtaining period: 1+ years

EU citizenship cannot be obtained by investment. However, after several years of holding a residence permit, a wealthy foreigner can apply for citizenship by naturalisation.

Investors can get Malta citizenship for exceptional services by direct investment. It is a naturalisation path: an investor gets a residence permit and applies for citizenship a year or three years later.

An applicant for citizenship meets three investment conditions: purchasing or renting housing, contributing to a state fund, and donating to a non-governmental organisation. The minimum investment sum is €690,000.

A spouse, children under 29, parents and grandparents over 55 can obtain Malta citizenship with the investor.

Benefits for relocation with Malta citizenship. A Maltese passport provides the right to choose a comfortable place for living, working and doing business.

First of all, Maltese citizens can reside in the country unlimitedly. Secondly, Malta is an EU member state. Therefore, its citizens have the right to relocate within the region under a simplified procedure. In the latter case, a Maltese citizen must register in the chosen country a few months after arrival. The registration procedure implies filling out several government forms and proving that the applicant has health insurance, housing and a sufficient income.

Citizenship of other European countries is granted to investors upon naturalisation, namely, after several years of living in the chosen state.

Here are some time frames of how long one needs to live in the country to apply for citizenship by naturalisation:

pt-flag Portugal — at least 5 years;

cy-flag Cyprus — at least 5 years;

at-flag Austria — at least 6 years;

gr-flag Greece — at least 7 years;

es-flag Spain — at least 10 years;

ch-flag Switzerland — at least 10 years.

Portugal is the only EU country where an investor can qualify for citizenship by naturalisation without constantly living there. The applicant for citizenship must hold a residence permit for five years; it’s enough to spend seven days a year in Portugal to maintain residency.

Austria and Spain don’t allow dual citizenship. Thus, if you decide to get a passport from one of these countries, you are to give up any other citizenship.

Turkey citizenship

Investments: $400,000+
Obtaining period: 6+ months

The Turkish passport can be granted to those who purchased real estate for at least $400,000 in the country. The alternative options are investing in a business or securities or opening a bank deposit for at least $500,000.

Becoming a citizen takes 6+ months under the investment program. A spouse and children under 18 can participate, too.

Relocation with Turkey citizenship. Turkish citizens can live in the country without time restrictions, enrol children in local schools and universities, and do business.

Moving to other countries is unavailable without additional permits. However, Turkish citizens can travel to 110 states visa-free. But these destinations don’t include the Schengen Area, the UK or the USA: trips there require visas.

Material prepared by an expert

Julia Loko

Investment programs expert

Updated:

April 26, 2024

Frequently asked questions

What is the easiest European country to move to?
One of the easiest ways to move to a European country is to obtain a residence permitby investment. Several countries offer this opportunity: Malta, Greece, Portugal, Spain.
In general Portugal is one of the easiest European countries to move to. Besides investment option it also has a D7 visa for economically sufficient persons and a D2 and a Start-Up visas for entrepreneurs.
What country is best to move to in Europe?
Among the best countries for living in Europe are Germany, Switzerland, the UK, and the Scandinavian countries. They have a stable economy, high quality of life and safety, many job opportunities.
Spain is one of the best countries with residence by investment programs. It has a warm climate, a high level of life and relatively low expenses.
How can I move to Europe permanently?
There are several ways to obtain a residence permit in Europe: by working, by studying, by family reunification, by marriage. All of these options will allow you to move to Europe for a long period.
Another way is to get a residence permit by investment. It is issued in 2—6 months and is granted for persons who invest in the country’s economy. Among the European countries that have residence by investment programs are Malta, Spain, Greece, Portugal.