Golden Visas & Residency by Investment 2026: Every Programme Compared

A golden visa is a residence route linked to a qualifying investment. It does not automatically grant citizenship, and its stay and renewal rules depend on the country. These guides are for families comparing where they can live, investors considering a qualifying route and readers weighing residency against citizenship by investment. Begin with our explanation of what a golden visa is and the programme comparison. Then use the country guides for Portugal, Greece, Italy, Cyprus, Malta, the UAE and other destinations. Our coverage also includes costs, timelines, family dependants and routes from residence to citizenship. Some once-popular programmes have closed or changed, so the closed-programmes guide belongs alongside the active routes. The comparison below draws only on facts recorded in the published guides. A quoted investment threshold does not capture legal fees, tax residence or eligibility. Check each article's detail and verify the current official rules before applying.