Golden Visa Countries: Investment, Requirements and How to Apply

A golden visa is a residence permit, and in a few cases a path to citizenship, that a country grants in return for a set investment, such as property, a fund, a company or government bonds. The 13 golden visa countries in this guide show how wide the range has become. Entry starts at a 50,000 euro company investment in Latvia and rises to 2 million euros in Italian government bonds, and the outcomes range from a two-year renewable permit to permanent residence on day one.

Honesty matters here, because the label is often used loosely. Some of these 13 countries have closed their program, and some never had one at all. Spain and the United Kingdom closed their investor routes, Portugal and Greece removed or raised their property routes, and Japan, Canada and the United States have no visa that simply sells residence for an investment. In those sections you will find the status stated plainly at the top, followed by the real alternative route the original guide describes, such as a start-up, talent or skilled worker route. Read the status line before the investment figure, and confirm every amount with the official authority for that country before you pay anyone.

Golden Visa Countries at a Glance

Latvia Golden Visa

Latvia is open through one route only: €50,000 invested in the share capital of a Latvian company, plus a €10,000 one-time payment to the state budget. A new Immigration Law took effect on 15 September 2026 and closed the real estate, bank deposit and government securities routes to new applicants. A second route, a state alternative investment fund at €150,000 held for at least five years, exists on paper, but the fund has not been established, so no one can file under it yet. The company route gives a two-year temporary residence permit, decided by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA).

The €50,000 figure applies to a small or medium-sized company, meaning fewer than 50 employees and turnover or a balance sheet total below €10 million, and the company must pay at least €40,000 a year in taxes. A large company needs €100,000. The route is capped at 10 investors per company, and the €10,000 state payment falls due only after OCMA gives a positive decision. State duties add €160 per person for a 30-day review, €280 for 10 business days or €560 for 5 business days.

Any third-country national aged 18 or over with a clean criminal record and a legal source of funds can apply. Citizens of Russia and Belarus are excluded from both routes. Applicants must show funds of €950 per month, plus €285 per family member, and hold Latvian health insurance.

How to apply:

1. Select a qualifying company and agree a share capital increase of €50,000 or €100,000.
2. Gather your passport, criminal record certificate, proof of funds and family certificates.
3. Legalise and translate the documents into Latvian where OCMA requires certified copies.
4. Pay in the share capital and register the increase with the Latvian Enterprise Register.
5. Submit the application to OCMA in Latvia or at a Latvian embassy or consulate, and pay the state duty for your chosen review speed.
6. Pay the €10,000 state budget payment after a positive decision.
7. Enter Latvia, give biometrics and collect the residence card.

Review follows the duty paid, and the full run to a card in hand typically spans 2.5 to 4 months. A spouse and children under 18 apply under the same file, with no second investment, and each person pays the per-person duty. There is no minimum stay in Latvia.

Five years of continuous residence opens EU long-term resident status, which requires residence in Latvia for at least four of the five years and Latvian at A2 level. Citizenship follows after 10 years of legal residence, the last five as a permanent resident, with language, constitution and history examinations.

Official source: https://www.pmlp.gov.lv/en

Japan Golden Visa

Japan has no golden visa: no Japanese visa grants residence in exchange for an investment. J-Skip is a fast track for high earners, J-Find is for recent graduates of top universities, and the Business Manager visa is for founders.

J-Skip sits under the Highly Skilled Professional system. Professionals and researchers need a master’s degree or higher, or at least 10 years of work experience in the intended field, plus annual income of at least ¥20 million. Managers need at least five years of management experience and income of at least ¥40 million. J-Skip gives a five-year stay. The sources disagree on whether a points score of at least 70 also applies, so ask the Immigration Services Agency which rule applies to your case.

J-Find lets graduates of universities on the government’s eligible list stay for up to two years to look for work or prepare a business. You must be 18 or over, apply within five years of graduation and show at least ¥200,000 in savings, plus a concrete activity plan. The first stay is generally six months or one year, renewable up to two years in total.

The Business Manager visa changed in October 2025. Capital rose from ¥5 million to ¥30 million, the business must employ one or more Japanese nationals, and one employee must provide evidence of Japanese ability. The founder also needs at least three years as a business manager or in a CxO-level role, or a master’s or doctorate related to the planned business, plus an office and a vetted business plan. The sources differ slightly on the effective date, giving 10 October 2025 and 16 October 2025.

How to apply:

1. Check which route matches your income, degree and business plans.
2. Read the official page for that route on the Immigration Services Agency or foreign ministry site.
3. Collect identity, education, income and business documents.
4. Ask a Japanese immigration lawyer to review your file.
5. Apply and keep every receipt.

The source guide gives no processing times for these routes. J-Skip holders can bring a spouse who may work in specified activities, and parents can accompany them under certain conditions. For J-Find, two sources say spouses and children are eligible for residency and one is silent, and no source states spousal work rights, so confirm family rules before you plan a move. J-Skip shortens the required period of stay for permanent residence to one year. The sources do not state a permanent residence timeline for J-Find or the Business Manager visa, and neither source discusses citizenship.

Official source: https://www.isa.go.jp/en/

Turkey Golden Visa

Turkey is open in two forms: a residence permit from $200,000 in residential property, and citizenship by investment from $400,000 in real estate. The residence route does not lead to citizenship on its own, while the citizenship route can end with a passport, although that passport gives no visa-free Schengen entry and no EU citizenship.

The citizenship program has seven routes. Real estate needs $400,000. Fixed capital investment, a bank deposit, government bonds, real estate or venture capital fund shares, and a private pension contribution each need $500,000. Creating 50 certified Turkish jobs is the seventh route. Every money route carries a three-year holding period, and a citizenship property must carry a no-sale annotation on the title deed, because selling before three years voids the basis for citizenship. The appraisal and the registered value may not fall below $400,000.

The residence permit route needs residential property worth at least $200,000 in the title deed price, paid through official banking channels, a rule in effect since 16 October 2023. Commercial property such as shops and offices does not qualify. The first permit is typically two years, renewable while you own the property, and you must register your residential address at the property.

Eligibility for citizenship starts with a main applicant aged at least 18 who can document the source of funds and complete the purchase through official channels. One guide estimates the total real estate budget at roughly $420,000 to $450,000 once valuation, legal, permit, passport, insurance and registration costs are added, and warns that service fees are not refunded if an application is refused.

How to apply:

1. Decide between the residence permit and the citizenship route.
2. Hire an independent lawyer and valuer, not ones recommended by the seller.
3. Check the title deed, the building permit and the earthquake safety of the building.
4. Pay through official banking channels and register the title, with the no-sale annotation if you apply for citizenship.
5. File the application with the valuation and the supporting papers.
6. Keep the asset for the full holding period.

The two source guides give different citizenship timelines, 4 to 9 months and 6 to 12 months from investment to passport, so plan on the longer range. Citizenship needs no residence, language, education or interview, and living in Turkey is not required for the passport. A spouse and children under 18 receive citizenship at the same time. Parents and adult children cannot be included. On the residence route, a spouse and children under 18 may receive permits based on the same property, each with a separate card. Naturalisation through ordinary residence is a separate, discretionary route after five years of continuous legal residence.

Official source: https://en.goc.gov.tr/

Cyprus Golden Visa

Cyprus is open as permanent residence by investment: at least €300,000 in a qualifying asset plus secured income of €50,000 a year from outside Cyprus for the main applicant. The old citizenship by investment scheme was abolished on 1 November 2020, so this route gives residence, not a passport.

Four routes share the €300,000 minimum. New residential property must be a new build from a developer, because resale homes do not qualify, and at least €200,000 plus VAT must already be remitted from abroad when you apply. Commercial property can be a resale. A Cypriot company stake needs a Cyprus office and at least five employees, and units in licensed funds also qualify. The residential property must be paid in full with no mortgage, and renting it out is allowed. One source passage says the €300,000 is stated excluding VAT, so get the VAT treatment confirmed in writing.

The income test adds €15,000 a year for a spouse and €10,000 for each child, so a family of four needs at least €85,000 a year. For the new-build route the income must come from abroad. Holders must give annual confirmation of investment, income and insurance, so the test is repeated.

How to apply, condensed from the source guide:

1. Choose one of the four routes and select the property, company or fund with your own lawyer.
2. Remit at least €200,000 plus VAT from abroad for a new residential purchase, and open a Cyprus bank account.
3. Prepare proof of the full investment and of income from abroad of €50,000, plus €15,000 for a spouse and €10,000 per child.
4. File the permanent residence application with the Civil Registry and Migration Department.
5. Register as a resident within a year of approval.

The official target for a decision is two months, one guide says decisions often take three to four months, and another puts the whole process at 6 to 12 months once property selection and file preparation are counted. A spouse, children under 18 and dependent unmarried full-time students aged 18 to 25 can be included. Parents were removed by the 2023 amendments and cannot join. You do not have to live in Cyprus, but you must enter at least once every two years to keep the status.

There is no citizenship by investment. On timing, the sources differ: one says naturalisation requires seven years of legal residence within the preceding 10 years, including the last 12 months continuously, while the other says about eight years of actual residence on the island and knowledge of Greek, and that periodic visits do not count. Ask a Cypriot lawyer which rule applies to your case.

Official source: https://www.moi.gov.cy/

Malta Golden Visa

Malta is open through the Malta Permanent Residence Programme, which grants permanent residence, not citizenship, to non-EU, non-EEA and non-Swiss nationals. The government cost is about €99,000 before property: a €60,000 administration fee, a €37,000 contribution and a €2,000 donation to a registered Maltese NGO. On top of that you either buy a property of at least €375,000 or rent at least €14,000 a year for five years. The rental route works out at a minimum of about €169,000 once five years of rent at €70,000 is added to the fees. Each additional adult dependant beyond a spouse and dependent minor children costs €7,500.

The administration fee is staged: €15,000 on submission and €45,000 after approval in principle. One source describes the first payment slightly differently, so confirm the schedule with the Residency Malta Agency before you pay. Applicants must be 18 or over, with a clean criminal record, and pass four-tier due diligence.

There is also an asset test, separate from the money you pay. You must show either €500,000 in total capital with at least €150,000 liquid, or €650,000 with at least €75,000 in financial assets. The sources differ slightly in wording on that second figure, so ask which definition the agency applies. The agency will want bank statements and proof of how the money was earned.

How to apply, condensed from the source guide:

1. Build an asset file with recent statements and a note on how each amount was earned.
2. Work through a licensed Maltese agent and submit the application, paying the first €15,000 of the administration fee within one month of submission.
3. Go through due diligence, which takes about three to seven months.
4. After the Letter of Approval in Principle, pay the remaining €45,000 within two months, and complete the property purchase or lease, the €37,000 contribution and the €2,000 donation within eight months.
5. Give biometrics and collect the residence certificate and cards.

Official processing is four to six months, but one guide describes up to 12 months as realistic, with the certificate about seven days after final documentation and cards about two weeks after biometrics. The property or lease must be held for at least five years.

A spouse and dependent minor children are covered by the main fee, and extra adult dependants pay €7,500 each. Permanent residents can travel in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Residence cards are valid for five years and renewable. The program gives permanent residence only. The citizenship by investment scheme is described as closed to new applicants after a 2025 court ruling, and naturalisation after legal residence is discretionary.

Official source: https://residencymalta.gov.mt/

Italy Golden Visa

Italy is open through the Investor Visa for Italy, which starts at €250,000 in an innovative startup and has no real estate route. You choose one of four routes and the amounts cannot be combined: €250,000 in a registered innovative startup, €500,000 in an operating, non-listed Italian company, a €1 million philanthropic donation to a qualifying public-interest project, or €2 million in Italian government bonds with at least two years of residual maturity, held for at least two years. The donation is non-recoverable. The first permit lasts two years and can be renewed for three more while the investment is maintained.

Eligibility turns on a clean file rather than a property purchase. You file with proof of funds, an investment description, source of funds evidence, criminal record certificates for the past 10 years and a commitment declaration. Holders do not have to become Italian residents. The reviewing body is the Investor Visa for Italy Committee.

How to apply:

1. File online through the government portal with proof of funds, the investment description, source of funds evidence, criminal record certificates and the commitment declaration.
2. Wait for the committee to issue the clearance, called a nulla osta.
3. Apply for the Type D visa at the competent Italian consulate within the nulla osta’s six-month validity.
4. Within eight days of arrival, apply at the police headquarters (Questura) for the investor residence permit.
5. Make the investment within three months of entry and notify the committee with evidence.
6. Maintain the investment through the permit, and apply for renewal at least 60 days before expiry with a fresh nulla osta.

The statutory period for the nulla osta is 30 days. In practice, complete files take about 30 to 45 days, files needing clarification or extra screening can take 60 to 90 days or longer, and the whole process from application to entry visa usually takes 90 to 120 days. One source ties the three-month investment deadline to entry and another describes payment about three months after the visa is issued, so get your deadline confirmed in writing.

A spouse or registered civil partner, minor children including adopted children, adult children dependent due to health conditions, and dependent parents with no other means of support can be included. Holders can travel in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. EU long-term resident status comes after five years of continuous legal residence. Citizenship by naturalisation takes 10 years of continuous legal residence, with B1-level Italian, a clean criminal record and tax compliance, and the investor visa does not shorten that period.

Official source: https://investorvisa.mise.gov.it/

Greece Golden Visa

Greece is open through real estate, at €800,000 in high-demand areas and €400,000 in the rest of the country, for a single property of at least 120 square meters. The high-demand band covers Attica, the Thessaloniki regional unit, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with a population above 3,100. A reduced €250,000 route exists only for converting a non-residential building to residential use, where the change must have been legally completed after 5 April 2024, or for restoring or reconstructing a listed building, where full restoration is required before the first renewal. Smaller properties cannot be added together to reach a threshold, and storage and parking do not count toward the 120 square meters.

The permit runs for five years, renewable every five years while the investment is held, with no minimum stay. The source guide does not state government fees, so ask a Greek lawyer for a written cost sheet before you commit.

One restriction shapes the returns. A property acquired for a golden visa may not be let short term through the sharing economy and may not be subleased. A breach can lead to revocation of the permit and a €50,000 fine. The ban does not apply to properties acquired under the previous regime or completed within the transitional period, and long-term lets are not prohibited.

How to apply:

1. Choose the region and the category, and check the 120 square meter rule.
2. Have a lawyer check the title, permits, debts and planning status.
3. Open a Greek bank account and transfer the funds.
4. Sign the purchase contract and register the title.
5. File the residence application and receive the certificate of submission.
6. Attend biometrics and collect the permit.

Prepare your passport, proof of funds, a Greek tax number, a bank account and the property title documents. The source guide says applications are commonly completed within a few months, and the certificate of submission lets you remain legally in Greece in the meantime. A spouse, children up to age 21 and the parents of both spouses can be included, which is wider than most programs in this guide. Holding the permit does not make you a Greek tax resident unless you spend more than 183 days a year in Greece. The same guide says citizenship may be possible after seven years of lawful residence. Demand has shifted with the higher prices: new applications fell from 4,553 in the first half of 2025 to 2,551 in the first half of 2026.

Official source: https://migration.gov.gr/en/

Spain Golden Visa

Spain is closed: the golden visa stopped accepting new applications on 3 April 2025, and buying property in Spain now gives no residence right. The old route, which most applicants used, needed a property purchase of €500,000 or more. The closure came through Organic Law 1/2025, which modified Law 14/2013 and left its investor articles without content. The stated reason was housing costs in cities such as Madrid and Barcelona. Anyone still advertising a new Spain golden visa for a property purchase is selling something that no longer exists.

Existing holders are in a different position. Valid permits keep their validity, and renewal may be possible under transitional rules if the qualifying investment still exists and the general requirements are met. One source gives an initial term of one year, or three years if the application was made from inside Spain, renewal up to five years in total, and at least one visit to Spain in each year. Another says renewed permits now run five years. Selling or restructuring the investment may create renewal risk, so take legal advice first.

For new applicants, the real alternatives are not tied to property. The non-lucrative visa suits retirees: about €28,800 a year for the main applicant plus €7,200 per dependant, no work in Spain, a one-year permit then two renewals of two years each, and at least 183 days a year in Spain. The digital nomad visa needs income of at least 200 percent of the minimum wage. The sources differ slightly, giving about €2,762.66 a month and an estimate of €2,500 to €2,850 a month for 2026, and no more than 20 percent of income may come from Spanish clients. The entrepreneur visa needs an innovative business plan with a favorable report and has no fixed minimum investment in one source. The EU Blue Card needs a job offer and a salary of about €50,000 a year.

How to apply for an alternative route, condensed from the source guide:

1. Choose the route that fits your situation: non-lucrative, digital nomad, entrepreneur or Blue Card.
2. Prepare and apostille your documents, which takes 2 to 3 months.
3. File at the consulate and allow 1 to 3 months for consular processing.
4. Apply for the foreigner identity card within 30 days of arrival.
5. File renewals up to 60 days before the card expires.

Family members join under the alternative routes: the non-lucrative figures add €7,200 a year per dependant, and renewals on that route need roughly double the funds, about €57,600 plus €14,400 per dependant. One source says golden visa holders were eligible for citizenship after 10 years, a point that concerns existing holders.

Official source: https://www.inclusion.gob.es/en/web/migraciones

Portugal Golden Visa

Portugal is still open, but the real estate route is abolished for new applicants and the remaining routes start at €250,000. Law 56/2023 revoked residence permits for real estate investment, and the old capital transfer option is also gone. What remains is a residence permit for funds, research, culture, companies or job creation, and processing can take one to three years.

The routes are: creating at least 10 jobs; €500,000 for scientific research by eligible institutions; €250,000 for artistic production or national cultural heritage; €500,000 in a qualifying fund; €500,000 in a new company creating five permanent jobs; or a share capital increase in an existing company creating five permanent jobs, or maintaining 10 jobs with five permanent for three years. The fund route is the one most investors choose. It needs a non-real-estate fund formed under Portuguese law, a maturity of at least five years, and at least 60 percent of the fund invested in Portuguese commercial companies.

Fees are charged per person, and family members pay the same fees as the main applicant: an application analysis fee of €806.80, an initial issuance fee of €8,060.20 and a renewal fee of €4,030.90, with lower digital rates. The minimum stay is seven days in the first year and 14 days in each later two-year renewal period.

How to apply:

1. Choose the route and check it is still listed by AIMA.
2. Open a Portuguese bank account and arrange the investment.
3. Gather your passport, criminal record certificate and source of funds evidence.
4. Submit the application through the official digital system.
5. Attend the biometrics appointment and wait for the card.

Official decisions are due within 90 days, a period one source notes is described as calendar days in one place and working days in another. In practice, the sources give six to 24 months from submission to biometrics and six to 18 months from biometrics to the card, a total of about 12 months to more than three years. AIMA announced in late October 2025 that it would resolve all outstanding applications in 2026. Family members are included, and each pays the same fees as the main applicant.

Citizenship is the uncertain part. The old rule allowed an application after five years. Changes re-approved in April 2026 would raise the period to 10 years for most non-EU nationals and seven years for EU and CPLP nationals, with the clock starting when AIMA issues the permit. The sources disagree on whether the law is in force: one says the five-year rule still applies, another says the law awaits publication in the official gazette. Plan on the longer period.

Official source: https://aima.gov.pt/

UAE Golden Visa

The UAE golden visa is open and is a real long-term residence visa of five or ten years, with no local sponsor needed. The best-known route needs property worth at least AED 2 million. Holders can also stay outside the UAE for longer than the usual six-month limit without losing residence.

For investors, real estate gives five years of residence, while public investment gives 10 years. Public investment means a deposit or business investment of AED 2 million in an approved fund, company capital of AED 2 million, or a company confirmed by the Federal Tax Authority as paying at least AED 250,000 a year in taxes. The property must be worth AED 2 million or more, registered with the land department, legally owned by the applicant and free of disputes. One source contradicts itself on mortgages, describing the property as without loans in one section and saying financed properties from an authorized UAE bank qualify in another, so get the answer in writing before you buy. The official five years is the safer residence figure to plan around.

Entrepreneurs get five years and need an innovative project with approval from a business incubator or a competent authority. One consultancy page adds that an auditor’s letter must confirm a project value of at least AED 500,000, a second-hand figure until it appears on a government page. Exceptional talent gets 10 years and covers doctors, scientists, inventors, creatives, executives, athletes and specialists, each with category-specific approvals. The consultancy figures give executives a degree, five years of experience, a contract and a salary of at least AED 50,000; high school students a recommendation and at least 95 percent; and university students a GPA of at least 3.8. Students get five years at school level and 10 years at university level, and humanitarian pioneers get 10 years.

How to apply:

1. Choose the category that matches your profile.
2. Collect your documents, legalized and translated where required.
3. Apply through the government or approved portals.
4. Complete a medical examination.
5. Apply for the Emirates ID.
6. Receive the visa after approval.

The official page lists no fees. A consultancy page gives government fees of AED 2,800 to AED 4,000 inside the UAE and AED 3,800 to AED 4,800 outside, plus the Emirates ID, medical test and insurance, with processing of about one to three months. Holders can sponsor a spouse and children. One consultancy page also lists parents and domestic helpers, but the official page is shorter, so confirm those rules with the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security first. No citizenship path is described in the source guide: this is long-term residence, not a passport program.

Official source: https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/visa-and-emirates-id/types-of-visas/golden-visa

United States Golden Visa

The United States has no official visa called a golden visa: the nearest routes are the EB-5 investor green card and the new Trump Gold Card. EB-5 is a long-running program in immigration law. The Gold Card was created by Executive Order 14351 in September 2025 and works inside the existing EB-1 and EB-2 National Interest Waiver categories, so a payment alone does not qualify anyone.

EB-5 needs an at-risk investment of $1,050,000, or $800,000 in a targeted employment area (a high-unemployment or rural area) in a new commercial enterprise creating at least 10 full-time jobs. Regional center investors can count indirect jobs for up to 90 percent of the requirement. EB-5 is capped at 9,940 visas a year including spouses and minor children, with a per-country ceiling of 7 percent. Regional centers are authorized through 30 September 2027, and the amounts adjust for inflation every five years from 1 January 2027.

The Gold Card reports a $15,000 nonrefundable processing fee plus a gift of $1 million for an individual or $2 million for a corporate sponsor, with a 1 percent annual maintenance fee and a 5 percent transfer fee on the employer route. One law firm page reports an extra $1 million for each family member, so confirm that figure officially. Applications opened on 10 December 2025 and use Form I-140G. Uptake has been slow: reports through mid-2026 point to one confirmed approval. The program faces a court challenge filed in February 2026, and no court had ruled on the merits by June 2026.

How to apply, condensed from the source guide:

1. Decide whether EB-5 or the Gold Card fits your case, and confirm the category rules on the USCIS site.
2. Prepare source of funds documents such as tax returns, bank records, records of major asset sales and business ownership documents, with a look-back described as roughly five to seven years.
3. For EB-5, choose the enterprise or regional center and place the capital at risk so that 10 full-time jobs are created.
4. File the investor or Gold Card petition, pay the government fees and complete biometrics.
5. Wait for a visa number if one is required, then complete the green card process.

The source guide gives no overall processing time for either route. Spouses and minor children count inside the EB-5 cap, and separate amounts apply for each family member on the Gold Card. Both routes lead to a green card, meaning permanent residence, rather than a temporary permit. Permanent residents are generally taxed on worldwide income and may have reporting duties for foreign accounts.

Official source: https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/permanent-workers/eb-5-immigrant-investor-program

Canada Golden Visa

Canada has no golden visa: no Canadian program sells permanent residence for an investment, and the closest entrepreneur route, the Start-up Visa, is marked Paused on the official IRCC page. The page says the program is closed to all applications except those from people with a valid 2025 commitment certificate who applied by 30 June 2026, a deadline that has passed.

The Start-up Visa worked by having a designated organization, such as a venture capital fund, an angel group or an incubator, back an entrepreneur’s business. A law firm article attributes the pause to a backlog of about 42,200 applications including dependants, and says designated organizations could submit new commitment certificates only until the end of 2025. Files already submitted are assessed against language level CLB 5 in all four skills, and IRCC prioritizes applications backed by incubators with at least $75,000 in committed capital, among others. The official page and the article do not fully agree on work permit extensions: the page marks that section closed to new applicants, while the article says existing permit holders can still apply to extend. Check your own status in your IRCC account.

Because there is no investor program, there is no golden visa investment figure or family package to quote. The alternatives depend on your goal. Express Entry and work permits suit skilled workers. Provincial nominee entrepreneur streams suit business owners ready to settle in one province, and often need significant personal net worth, without figures given in the source. The Self-Employed Persons Program is reported as paused since April 2024. A study permit can lead to work and later permanent residence for some people. A targeted entrepreneur pilot was reported for 2026, but its details were not public and nothing in that report appears on the IRCC page, so treat it as unconfirmed.

How to apply for an alternative route:

1. Decide whether you are a worker, a founder or a visitor.
2. Check the official IRCC page for the route to see if it is open.
3. Collect identity, education, work, language and funds evidence.
4. For a provincial stream, check the province’s own rules and net worth requirement.
5. Apply only through the official government system and keep copies of every receipt.

The sources give no single budget and no processing timeline: budget for government fees, language tests, translations, education assessments and advice, and confirm each amount officially. Family members are covered by the rules of the route you use, and dependants have their own requirements. Each alternative leads toward permanent residence through tests of skills, business or a link to a province, not through a payment.

Official source: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/start-visa.html

United Kingdom Golden Visa

The United Kingdom has no open golden visa: the Tier 1 Investor visa closed to new applicants at 4pm on 17 February 2022, and no replacement investor visa is planned. The old route required an investment of £2 million in certain UK companies and, in some cases, government bonds. The government cited minimal economic benefit and security concerns about illegitimately acquired wealth. A solicitors’ guide adds that no new visa grants residency through investment alone.

People who already held the investor visa could extend until 17 February 2026 and can apply for settlement until 17 February 2028, according to that guide. Its FAQ still describes the 2026 extension deadline as upcoming, so treat its timing details with care.

The real routes now test talent, a new business or a sponsored job, not wealth. Global Talent is for leaders or potential leaders in academia or research, arts and culture, or digital technology. It needs an endorsement, unless you have won an eligible prize on the official list, and GOV.UK gives a total cost of £766 with an endorsement, split as £561 for the endorsement and £205 for the visa. Stays run up to five years at a time. The Innovator Founder visa is for a new, innovative, viable and scalable business, and you cannot join a business that is already trading. It costs £1,357 per person from outside the UK, plus a £1,000 endorsement fee and £500 for each of two progress meetings. The first stay is three years. Skilled Worker needs a job offer from a licensed sponsor and costs £819 for up to three years from outside the UK. Every route also carries the healthcare surcharge, usually £1,035 per year per person.

How to apply:

1. Choose the route that matches your profile: Global Talent, Innovator Founder or Skilled Worker.
2. For Global Talent and Innovator Founder, apply for the endorsement first, unless a prize exemption applies.
3. Gather your passport, the endorsement or sponsor details, financial evidence and any English evidence the route asks for.
4. Apply online, pay the application fee and the healthcare surcharge, and give biometrics.
5. Wait for the decision.

Processing is usually three weeks from outside the UK and eight weeks from inside for Global Talent and Innovator Founder. Each partner or child on a Global Talent application pays £766, and dependants pay their own fees and surcharge on the other routes. Settlement takes three years for Innovator Founder applicants who meet the business criteria and for some Global Talent applicants, five years for emerging Global Talent leaders and for Skilled Worker applicants,. British citizenship can follow 12 months after indefinite leave to remain.

Official source: https://www.gov.uk/global-talent

FAQs

Which golden visa country is the cheapest?

Latvia, at €50,000 in company share capital plus a €10,000 state payment. The next lowest entry points are Greece and Portugal at €250,000 for their special or arts categories.

Which golden visa leads to citizenship fastest?

Turkey, through citizenship by investment from $400,000 in real estate held for three years. The source guides estimate 4 to 9 months and 6 to 12 months to a passport.

Which golden visa countries have closed their programs?

Spain closed to new applications on 3 April 2025 and the UK investor visa closed on 17 February 2022. Portugal and Cyprus closed only their real estate and citizenship routes respectively.

Can I still buy property to get a golden visa in Portugal or Spain?

No. Portugal abolished real estate routes for new applicants under Law 56/2023, and Spain closed its whole program in 2025. Property in either country now gives no residence right.

Which programs give permanent residence straight away?

Malta and Cyprus. Malta’s programme grants permanent residence for about €99,000 in fees plus property or rent, and Cyprus grants permanent residence for €300,000 plus a €50,000 income test.

Do I have to live in the country to keep a golden visa?

Often not. Latvia, Greece and Malta state no minimum stay, Cyprus requires entry at least once every two years, and Portugal requires seven days in the first year.

Sources

• Latvia, Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA): https://www.pmlp.gov.lv/en
• Japan, Immigration Services Agency of Japan: https://www.isa.go.jp/en/
• Turkey, Directorate General of Migration Management: https://en.goc.gov.tr/
• Cyprus, Ministry of the Interior: https://www.moi.gov.cy/
• Malta, Residency Malta Agency: https://residencymalta.gov.mt/
• Italy, Investor Visa for Italy portal: https://investorvisa.mise.gov.it/
• Greece, Ministry of Migration and Asylum: https://migration.gov.gr/en/
• Spain, Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration: https://www.inclusion.gob.es/en/web/migraciones
• Portugal, AIMA: https://aima.gov.pt/
• UAE, UAE Government Portal, Golden Visa: https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/visa-and-emirates-id/types-of-visas/golden-visa
• United States, USCIS EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program: https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/permanent-workers/eb-5-immigrant-investor-program
• Canada, IRCC Start-up Visa: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/start-visa.html
• United Kingdom, GOV.UK Global Talent visa: https://www.gov.uk/global-talent

Last checked: November 2026