Golden visa residency in Portugal, Greece and Malta: 2026 comparison

It is residence granted in return for a qualifying investment. It is residence, not citizenship, and does not directly give you a new passport, but it gives the right to reside and to move within the Schengen area under its rules.

Per Portugal’s Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA): €500,000 in qualifying non-real-estate investment funds, €250,000 to support artistic production or national heritage, or €500,000 for scientific research. Portugal’s property route has ended, so buying property no longer qualifies. Read more about the Portugal Golden Visa.

Per Law 5100/2024 published by the Ministry of Migration and Asylum: €800,000 for property in Attica (Greater Athens), Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with more than 3,100 residents; €400,000 elsewhere; and €250,000 for commercial-to-residential conversion or restoration of a listed building. Read more about the Greece Golden Visa.

Per Residency Malta Agency: buy a qualifying residential property worth at least €375,000 or rent one for at least €14,000 a year, held for five years, plus a non-refundable €60,000 administrative fee and a €37,000 government contribution, and €7,500 per adult dependant other than the spouse. Read more about Malta permanent residence.

Malta grants permanent residence from the start. Greece and Portugal grant renewable residence permits for as long as the investment is maintained. In Portugal, residence can later lead to a citizenship application under the nationality law in force, whose residence period was tightened in 2026, so we review it with you at the time of applying. Beyond these three, we also advise on Cyprus permanent residency by investment.

If you want property you own, Greece or Malta. If you prefer a financial investment without property, Portugal. If permanent residence for the family is the priority, Malta. We weigh total cost, processing time and your family’s needs with you.