In several countries, owning property can come with something more than a set of keys: It can secure the legal right to live there. These real estate–linked residency programs, often grouped under the “golden visa” umbrella, allow foreign buyers to secure residency through a qualifying investment, most often in property.
For years, many countries offered these “golden visas,” believing them to be a win-win. Buyers got a relatively direct route into a country’s immigration system, while governments drew foreign capital into their property markets and wider economies.
But these programs are harder to find now. Portugal, long one of the best-known golden visa markets, removed standard residential real estate from its golden visa program in 2023. Spain, too, ended its program in 2025, after both countries faced growing political pressure over housing costs and the role of foreign capital in already strained markets.
Still, the category has not disappeared—a smaller group of countries continues to offer residency through property. Some grant renewable residence permits, others permanent residency, and a few can lead, over time, to citizenship if adyearslongditional requirements are met.
These are the countries where buying property can still lead to residency.
Greece
Greece runs the most prominent real estate–linked residency program left in the European Union. Reforms completed in 2024 and 2025 raised thresholds and narrowed eligible zones, but by buying qualifying property, you can receive a long-term permit with almost no obligation to live there.
- Minimum investment: €800,000 in Athens, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, and Santorini; €400,000 elsewhere; €250,000 for single-building conversions
- Permit length: Five years, renews indefinitely while the property is retained
- Stay requirement: None
- Family coverage: Spouse, children under 21, dependent parents
- Work rights: Not included
- Path to citizenship: Seven years of residence plus a Greek language exam
United Arab Emirates
The UAE’s Golden Visa, in place since 2019, remains one of the most actively used property-based residency programs globally. Recent updates have made it even easier to qualify.
- Minimum investment: AED 2 million (about $545,000); off-plan and mortgaged properties now qualify
- Permit length: 10 years, renewable
- Stay requirement: One entry every six months
- Family coverage: Spouse, children, in some cases domestic staff
- Work rights: Included, no local sponsor needed
- Path to citizenship: Not applicable. Naturalization is handled separately and remains rare
Turkey
TurkUAE’s runs two parallel tracks tied to real estate: a comparatively affordable route to a renewable residence permit, and a separate, pricier route to citizenship outright.
Minimum investment: $200,000 for a residence permit; $400,000, held three years, for direct citizenship
Permit length: Short-term, renewable periodically
Stay requirement: None specified for the residence permit
Work rights: Varies by permit type
Path to citizenship: Five years of continuous renewal on the residency track, or direct application at the $400,000 tier
Hungary
Relaunched in 2024, Hungary’s Guest Investor Program offers one of the longer-running residence permits on this list, tied to a real estate purchase and a notably light set of ongoing obligations.
Minimum investment: €500,000 in property, held at least five years
Permit length: 10 years, renewable
Stay requirement: None
Family coverage: Spouse, children under 18
Work rights: Not automatically included
Path to citizenship: Eight years of demonstrated residence, plus a Hungarian cultural exam
Panama
Hungary’s
Minimum investment: $300,000 in real estate, held for five years, free of any mortgage or lien
Permit length: Permanent residency granted directly
Stay requirement: One visit every two years
Family coverage: Spouse, dependent children, dependent parents
Work rights: Not automatically included
Path to citizenship: Available after five years; the resulting passport supports a U.S. E-2 investor visa application
Malta
Malta’s Permanent Residence Programme offers one of the more accessible entry points into the EU, with the notable distinction of granting permanent status immediately rather than a temporary permit that needs renewing.
Minimum investment: €375,000 to purchase, or €14,000/year to rent, plus a government contribution and admin fee
Permit length: Permanent, issued outright
Stay requirement: None
Family coverage: Spouse, dependent children, in some cases parents and grandparents
Work rights: Not automatically included
Path to citizenship: A separate, considerably more expensive naturalization program exists independently of the property route
Egypt
Malta’s runs one of the least expensive property-to-residency programs anywhere, with pricing structured around how long a buyer wants the permit to last.
Minimum investment: $100,000 for a one-to-three-year permit; $200,000 for a five-year permit; $300,000 for citizenship outside the Sinai region
Permit length: One, three, or five years depending on tier
Stay requirement: None
Family coverage: Spouse, dependent children
Work rights: Included in some permit types
Path to citizenship: Direct application at the $300,000 tier, subject to government discretion
Cyprus
Cyprus shut down its fast-track citizenship-by-investment program in 2020 after an undercover investigation exposed officials appearing to facilitate applications for individuals with criminal records. What survived is a more modest, still-active permanent residency route.
Minimum investment: €300,000 in new residential real estate, VAT-inclusive
Permit length: Permanent
Stay requirement: Not tied to daily presence, but annual proof of foreign income is required
Family coverage: Dependents allowed, each with an added income requirement
Work rights: Not included
Path to citizenship: No fast-track. A standard, years-long naturalization applies
Julia Cancilla is the social media & news editor at ELLE Decor, where she oversees the brand’s socials and covers design, pop culture, and emerging trends. She also authors the monthly ELLE Decoroscope column. Her work has appeared in Inked magazine, House Beautiful, Marie Claire, and more.