Golden Passport Countries and Their Investment Requirements

Golden Visa programs are unique investment programs through which individuals can acquire permanent resident status and, potentially, a second passport that ranks high on the Global Passport Index for themselves and their family members in another country. Depending on the Golden Visa country’s regulations, you can purchase a property or directly contribute to its economy by participating in its investment scheme.

If your application for a specific Golden Visa program is approved, you and your family can become legal residents of that country and eventually acquire passports. As a Golden Visa holder, you’ll have access to residency benefits, like free education or healthcare.

Portugal charms people worldwide with its year-round sunshine, engrossing Atlantic coastline, and stunning landscapes. The Portugal Golden Visa program is a five-year residency by investment opportunity for non-EU nationals. The intention is to attract foreign investment into the country.

With a Portuguese passport, you will access all 27 European Union nations and have visa-on-arrival or visa-free access to 172 countries worldwide, making it one of the world’s most powerful passports. The minimum investment requirement for the Portugal Golden Visa is €500,000 ($530,000), through the cultural Golden Visa route, reduced to €350,000 ($371,000) if the project is located in a low-density area). 

The Greece Golden Visa is now ten years old, and in that time, it has allowed many expats from around the world to benefit from the fabulous Greek lifestyle. Although Greece doesn’t offer a citizenship by investment scheme, the Golden Visa will enable you to maintain residency long enough to qualify for EU citizenship.

Upon acquiring Greek citizenship, you’ll be eligible for one of the strongest passports in the world, providing visa-free and visa-on-arrival travel to over 170 countries worldwide.

Greece is unbeatable as a choice for US expats looking to relocate abroad. Whether you would like to establish a life in a historical city like Athens, or you’re drawn to the charm and island life of small Greek islands like Mykonos, you have many options open to you.

Spain has one of the most sought-after European Golden Visa programs for expats, and for good reason. The abundance of benefits it offers its residents is almost limitless. The Spain Golden Visa program is a residency by investment scheme that allows foreigners to enjoy legal residence in Spain in exchange for a qualifying investment.

Once residency has been maintained for ten years, foreigners are eligible for naturalization and a Spanish passport. The Spanish passport ranks in the top 20 on the Global Passport Index, allowing visa-free and visa-on-arrival access to 173 countries worldwide.

With some of the best cuisine in the world and every region having its own gastronomical identity, it’s the ideal destination for expats with a broad sense of taste when it comes to food.

Cypriot lifestyle is a dream for thousands of people who decide to move abroad. The Cyprus Golden Visa is one of Europe’s most popular Golden Visa programs and has facilitated the growth of a large expat community.

It’s possible to obtain a residency by investment permit through the Cyprus Golden Visa Program – more accurately referred to as a Cyprus Investor Immigration Permit. A minimum investment of €300,000 ($323,000) in Cypriot real estate or another financial contribution to the nation is required to be eligible for the residency program. 

An annual income of €30,000 ($32,000) is also required to apply for the Cyprus Golden Visa. This can be in various forms of income, such as wages, pensions, rental income, or dividends.

After seven years of holding the residency permit, you can apply for citizenship.

Austria is one of the wealthiest European countries; consequently, its citizenship by investment program is quite costly. Apart from the multi-million dollar investment requirement, the program is very selective and can be complicated.

According to Austrian citizenship laws, the Austria Golden Visa is granted to wealthy foreign nationals who can show extraordinary capabilities to invest in the country’s economy and thus contribute to its financial, cultural, and social prosperity. You have to be able to create job prospects by setting up a business or by directly contributing to any national development fund.

The estimated investment ranges from €3 million ($3.22 million) for investments in government funds to €10 million ($10.72 million) for investments in businesses.

Antigua and Barbuda is a heavenly beach paradise in the Caribbean that provides powerful passport-related benefits to holders. Antigua and Barbuda passport holders enjoy visa-free and visa-on-arrival travel to over 140 countries due to its high ranking on the Global Passport Index. 

For the past decade, the Antigua and Barbuda Golden Visa scheme has been available to foreign nationals willing to contribute significantly to the country’s economy in one of four ways outlined below.

The country’s most economical investment plan is to make a $100,000 donation to the Antigua National Development Fund. This amount extends to a family of up to four people, which increases to $125,000 for a family of five or more.

The second option of the residency by investment scheme is contributing $150,000 to the University of the West Indies Fund, which offers an opportunity for a one-year tuition-only scholarship at the University of West Indies to one of the family members. This option is great for families of six people or more.

Since 1993, the Caribbean island of Dominica has had a flexible and pocket-friendly investment scheme for foreign nationals, which can grant them Dominica citizenship and one of the Caribbean’s most powerful passports. This passport, which has a high visa-free score, will allow travel visa-free or visa-on-arrival to more than 140 countries worldwide.

Dominica is a fantastic choice for US expats looking for a stable life abroad. Their local currency is pegged to the US dollar, so foreign residents need not worry about erratic currency value fluctuations. It’s also ideal for expats who enjoy international yachting, as neighboring island nations like Guadeloupe and Martinique are just 50 to 60 miles from the north and south coasts.

The Grenada citizenship by investment scheme allows investors to obtain second citizenship and Grenadian passports. Another of the most powerful passports in the Caribbean, Grenadian passport holders have access to visa-free and visa-on-arrival travel to more than 140 countries. 

Additionally, Grenada is the only Caribbean country that allows you to acquire the USA E2 treaty visa through the Golden Visa program.

Grenada is also one of the safest and most naturally preserved island nations in the Caribbean. And travel to and from the US is straightforward, with plenty of options for daily direct flights.

The St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment program is the oldest Golden Visa scheme in the world, providing a new home for many expats over the past decade and more. St. Kitts and Nevis has another of the Caribbean’s most powerful passports. Passport holders have access to over 140 countries visa-free. There are also a number of destinations in the Caribbean that are nearby.

Moreover, applying for this scheme does not require language proficiency or residence permit mandates, making it even more appealing for foreign investors who speak English.

For those looking to move for tax purposes, St. Kitts and Nevis has tax saving incentives like no income tax, with just a small contribution required for the local Social Security Board (SSB).

A small country with great historical significance, Jordan is a nation that often goes unmentioned in talks of Golden Visa countries. It came second after Kuwait among Middle Eastern countries in the last Global Peace Index ranking, with low security issues and perceived criminality in the country.

Jordan doesn’t have a claim to the world’s most powerful passport or one on par with the United Arab Emirates passport. Still, Jordanian passport holders have access to visa waivers for a number of destinations in the Middle East and worldwide.

Besides the perfect quality and pace of life, Malta is an exciting choice for wealthy foreigners looking for investment opportunities and a nation with one of the world’s most powerful passports. The country is a European Union member state and thus offers many benefits to foreign investors.

Maltese passports are highly ranked on the passport index and provide visa-free travel to the United Kingdom and visa-free access to many of the world’s top travel destinations.

Even though the granting of citizenship in Malta has become more selective and thorough due to government regulations, it is still preferred by many expats.

Montenegro is a charming and historical Balkan country on the border of Europe, with many villages containing medieval architecture and buildings that are well maintained and still in use. Retiring expats looking for real estate can get a lot for their money in the country. The average cost per square meter in a city center was €1,850 ($1,980), more than 128 percent cheaper than the states at $4,525.31.

Montenegro offers two types of citizenship by investment programs. You can invest in several government projects in the northern region for €250,000 ($285,000) or projects worth €450,000 ($482,000) in southern areas to be eligible for residency by investment status. An additional donation of €200,000 ($214,000) must be placed in the government’s donation and innovation funds, along with due diligence and processing fees, which amount to €21,000 ($22,500).

Another Balkan country that formed part of the former state of Yugoslavia, North Macedonia has seen a remarkable resurgence over the last 30 years. Its mountainous terrain and border on the Mediterranean mean that, whether you prefer a cooler climate or warm Mediterranean weather, you have both to choose from. 

The country has a number of English-speaking international schools, and high school students can attend numerous bilingual classes in languages such as Albanian, Turkish, and Serbian.

North Macedonia employs a highly controlled and restricted system for approving residency in the country. Only 1000 applicants can apply for residency through the investment scheme every year.

Turkey is one of the most popular choices for foreign investors for several reasons. It has one of the cheapest costs of living available for countries that offer Golden Visas. The affordable cost of living doesn’t come at the sacrifice of quality of life either, with world-class healthcare, particularly in cosmetic surgery and dental care.

It also has a young and flourishing workforce and very competitive rates to employ highly skilled workers. International investors involved in fields such as the textile industry receive high-quality labor at a fraction of the cost compared to western countries. Turkey is also the ideal geographical location for importing and exporting, being on the border of Asia to the east and Europe to the west.

Although not the most powerful passport in the world, the Turkish passport includes visa-free and visa-on-arrival access to 126 countries. Turkish citizenship by investment is diverse and provides expats with a number of ways to obtain it.