Best Countries for Residency by Investment: 2026 Guide

Key Takeaways

• Residency-by-investment programs can provide a structured Plan B, giving your family more mobility, security, and diversification in an uncertain global environment.
• Portugal’s Golden Visa remains one of the few European options that offers a path to citizenship without requiring relocation, although new rules passed in 2025 now require 10 years of residence before citizenship.
• Greece, Hungary, Cyprus, and Grenada each offer distinct trade-offs between investment size, relocation requirements, and long-term residency or citizenship outcomes.
• Portugal’s Golden Visa grants residency rights only in Portugal, along with visa-free travel in the Schengen Area, and later can lead to an EU passport that allows you to live, work, and study anywhere in the EU.
• VIDA Capital advises investors on accessing the Portugal Golden Visa through the VIDA Fund, an asset-backed hospitality strategy in Portugal, and provides end-to-end support for the process. Speak with VIDA Capital to evaluate whether Portugal residency via the VIDA Fund fits your plan.

1. Portugal: Flexible Residency with a Long-Term Path to EU Citizenship

Portugal’s Golden Visa remains a leading option for investors who want residency in Portugal, Schengen mobility, and a long-term path to an EU passport without relocating. Portugal’s Golden Visa continues to rank as one of the strongest value residency programs in Europe for investors who value flexibility.

The program requires a minimum investment of €500,000 into eligible investment funds. Personal properties are no longer qualifying options. Investors receive residency rights in Portugal, plus visa-free travel throughout the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The program allows you to include your spouse, economically dependent children who are full-time students and unmarried, and financially dependent parents or in-laws, using either a marriage certificate or other proof of relationship where relevant. A Portuguese lawyer is essential at every step of the application, from document preparation to submission and renewals, and the overall process usually spans 12 to 18 months.

Once approved, you receive a temporary residency permit that is valid for two years. You must then renew it for two additional two-year periods, while maintaining your eligible fund investment and spending at least 14 days in Portugal every two years. As the approval card issuance usually takes a year, you will most likely only need to do a single renewal instead of two in the 5-year period. Portugal’s Parliament passed a new framework in October 2025 that extended the required period of residence for citizenship to 10 years. Nationals of Portuguese-language countries (CPLP) and EU citizens usually qualify after seven years. The new rules should apply to Golden Visa investors unless they have already submitted their citizenship application before the law is published.

VIDA Capital is an advisory firm that guides investors through this process using the VIDA Fund, an asset-backed fund focused on Portugal’s hospitality sector. The VIDA Fund buys existing hospitality assets and gives them a second life by transforming and repositioning them, rather than building from the ground up. This strategy emphasizes capital preservation through tangible assets instead of speculative projects, while aiming for stable, long-term returns. Historical returns are not a guarantee of future returns. VIDA Capital coordinates closely with your legal counsel, provides transparent information on costs and structure, and supports you from initial assessment through ongoing residency renewals.

Discuss the Portugal Golden Visa and the VIDA Fund with VIDA Capital’s advisory team.

2. Greece: Residency and Citizenship for Investors Prepared to Relocate

Greece offers a Golden Visa that grants residency rights in Greece and Schengen travel, with several qualifying investment options. Minimum investment levels can reach €700,000 or more for some categories, and fund-based options at €350,000 and government bonds at €500,000 are also available.

Greece can lead to citizenship after seven years, but this requires living in Greece and paying taxes there, rather than treating it purely as a backup residency. Greece and Spain both require actual residence to maintain long-term status, and Spain no longer offers a Golden Visa program. Investors who want a low-commitment Plan B without relocating often find Portugal’s minimal 14-day-every-two-years rule more practical.

3. Hungary: Lower Investment Threshold for EU Market Access

Hungary relaunched its residency program in 2024 and positioned it as a relatively low-cost entry point to EU residency. The program allows residency through fund investments at comparatively accessible thresholds, which appeals to cost-conscious investors.

The minimum investment is €250,000 into approved fund units, which is one of the lowest fund-based entries in the EU. Citizenship becomes available only after around 11 years of residence, so the route is less suitable for investors who prioritize a quicker path to an EU passport. Hungary still offers Schengen access and a stable regulatory framework, but the extended citizenship horizon means that many investors compare it carefully with Portugal’s 10-year timeline and more flexible residence requirements.

4. Cyprus: Permanent Residence with a Property-Led Focus

Cyprus provides a residency-by-investment framework that emphasizes property and selected business activity. The program attracts investors who want both residency and exposure to local property markets.

Qualifying investors typically commit at least €300,000 into eligible assets, often through residential or commercial properties or approved business structures. Cyprus offers a path to citizenship after about seven years of legal residence, which usually requires a meaningful physical presence in the country. The program can suit investors who plan to spend significant time in Cyprus, but it is less aligned with those seeking a low-residency Plan B, such as Portugal’s Golden Visa.

Explore how Portugal’s fund route compares with property-focused residency programs by speaking with VIDA Capital.

5. Grenada: Citizenship with Access to the US E-2 Treaty Visa

Grenada is not an EU country, but it holds a distinct place in global mobility planning. It offers the only Caribbean citizenship program that provides eligibility for a US E-2 Treaty Investor Visa, which can allow investors and their families to live and work in the United States through a separate application process.

Investment levels for Grenadian citizenship typically start around $150,000 to $200,000, depending on whether you choose a donation or an approved investment option. Grenadian citizens enjoy visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to over 140 countries, including the Schengen Area, the United Kingdom, and China. The program is citizenship-by-investment rather than residency-by-investment, and its European advantages focus on travel convenience rather than residency rights or a direct EU citizenship track.

Comparing Top Residency by Investment Programs (2026 Data)

Frequently Asked Questions About Residency by Investment

Portugal’s Golden Visa and why it is currently a leading option

Portugal’s Golden Visa is a residency-by-investment program that allows non-EU investors to obtain residency in Portugal through a qualifying €500,000 fund investment. Holders gain the right to live, study, and work in Portugal, plus visa-free Schengen travel for short stays. The requirement to spend only 14 days in Portugal every two years makes it one of the few European routes to potential citizenship that does not require relocation. After 10 years of residence, investors can apply for citizenship, which then grants the right to live, work, study, and access public healthcare and education in any EU or Schengen Zone country.

How does VIDA Capital support the Portugal Golden Visa process?

VIDA Capital acts as an advisory firm, guiding investors who wish to qualify for the Portugal Golden Visa through the VIDA Fund. The fund focuses on buying and upgrading hospitality assets in Portugal, giving these assets a second life rather than developing new builds. VIDA Capital works alongside your lawyer, clarifies the fund’s structure and risks, and helps coordinate documentation, subscription, and renewals. The emphasis is on asset-backed investments, capital preservation, and clear communication about costs and timelines.

Status of the Portugal Golden Visa after recent legal changes

The Portugal Golden Visa remains active and viable in 2026. Changes implemented in late 2023 removed options linked to personal properties, but fund investments such as the VIDA Fund remain accepted for qualification. The main shift is the citizenship timeline, which now requires 10 years of residence for most applicants under the framework approved in October 2025. Investors still benefit from Portugal’s light physical presence requirement and from the ability to maintain their primary base elsewhere.

Typical costs beyond the €500,000 fund investment

Investors should budget for several additional items beyond the €500,000 fund commitment. These usually include government application and card issuance fees, legal fees that often range from about €16,000 to €20,000 for a family, and fund subscription costs. The VIDA Fund applies a 1% subscription fee on the invested amount. VIDA Capital provides a full breakdown of expected fees so that you can assess the total cost before proceeding.

Eligibility of family members for the Portugal Golden Visa

The Portugal Golden Visa can cover your immediate family under a single application. Eligible dependents include your spouse or recognized partner, supported by a marriage certificate or other acceptable proof of relationship, your economically dependent children who are full-time students, not working, and unmarried throughout the residency period until the citizenship or permanent residency application, and your parents or in-laws who are either over 65 or financially dependent on you. This structure allows multi-generational families to secure a coordinated residency and long-term citizenship strategy.

How Portugal Residency Supports a Long-Term Plan B

Residency-by-investment programs provide diversified options for families who want greater control over mobility and long-term security. Among current choices, Portugal stands out as one of the only European programs that offers a clear route to citizenship without requiring relocation, while Spain has closed its Golden Visa and Greece expects investors to live there for seven years to qualify for citizenship. Portugal’s Golden Visa grants residency rights only in Portugal, but it combines this with Schengen access, light physical presence rules, and a path to an EU passport after 10 years of residence.

The VIDA Fund’s focus on buying and enhancing hospitality assets in Portugal, giving them a second life, aligns with investors who prefer asset-backed strategies over speculative plays. VIDA Capital supports investors through fund selection, coordination with legal counsel, and ongoing residency renewals, so that the process remains structured and predictable. A qualified Portuguese lawyer remains essential throughout, from the initial application to your renewals and eventual citizenship filing.

Contact VIDA Capital to assess whether the Portugal Golden Visa and the VIDA Fund match your family’s long-term residency and citizenship goals.