Gaining residency and shifting to a brand new nation could be the dream of a lifetime and you are able to do simply that in Golden Visa applications out there in international locations around the globe. It will not be low cost, nonetheless.

Golden Visa applications require a big financial funding into the nation the place you will be residing, however they could be a nice option to reside overseas for those who can afford it.

What Is a Golden Visa?

A Golden Visa means that you can acquire residency in a rustic after making a big funding within the nation’s financial system. The quantity of the funding varies by nation.

Golden Visa funding choices embrace actual property, enterprise growth, a financial institution deposit, authorities bonds, and investment funds.

Many Golden Visa applications embrace relations so that you’re free to incorporate them in your utility.

What International locations Have Golden Visas?

Greater than 100 international locations across the globe supply Golden Visa applications and greater than 60% of EU member countries have energetic applications. International locations with well-liked Golden Visa applications embrace Greece, Portugal, Italy, Malta, Canada, the UK, and Australia.

How A lot Do Golden Visas Price?

The value of an funding right into a Golden Visa program varies by nation. Portugal’s Golden Visa program comes with a price ticket as excessive as $500,000 Euros, Italy and Greece require investments of 250,000 Euros of their Golden Visa applications.

President Donald Trump introduced a $5 million Golden Visa program for america in February 2025, known as a Gold Card.

How Do I Apply for a Golden Visa?

If you wish to apply for a Golden Visa, you should first resolve on an funding within the nation the place you are trying to acquire residency. Will you purchase actual property, make a enterprise funding, or buy authorities bonds?

You may even have to supply a number of paperwork, together with a passport, medical insurance, proof of your funding, and proof you could assist your self financially. You may must undergo a collection of background checks.

How lengthy do it’s important to wait after submitting your Golden Visa utility? You may obtain a response inside six months or much less from most applications. Some purposes are processed as rapidly as a few months.

Not each nation is swift with managing Golden Visa purposes, nonetheless. Wait time for candidates to Portugal stretches to about two years.

The Backside Line

A global retirement could also be inside your attain for those who qualify for a Golden Visa and obtain residency within the nation the place you’d wish to reside. You may must spend a great deal of cash, nonetheless. Golden Visas require making investments into the nation that may vary from a whole lot of hundreds of {dollars} to hundreds of thousands relying on the nation you select.

The funding could be actual property, authorities bonds, a financial institution deposit, or funding funds. A Golden Visa program could also be simply the best way to achieve residency in a foreign country if that is one thing you possibly can financially deal with.