For EU residency by property in 2026, Cyprus is the clear and effectively the only choice between these two, because Portugal removed real estate from its Golden Visa in October 2023 and buying property there now grants no residency at all. Cyprus, by contrast, still gives non-EU buyers fast-track permanent residence when they invest at least €300,000 (plus VAT) in a new-build home, with approval in roughly two to three months and no requirement to live on the island.
The upshot: these two countries are no longer comparable as property routes. The honest comparison is Cyprus's live, property-linked permanent residence against Portugal's non-property Golden Visa options (investment funds from €500,000) and the two countries' very different tax regimes. This guide sets out the thresholds, what each status grants, timelines to citizenship, and the tax angle, with every figure checked for mid-2026.
No. Portugal has not offered a property-based residency route since October 2023, when real estate and real-estate funds were removed from the Golden Visa programme. Buying a home, apartment or villa in Portugal in 2026 grants you no residency rights whatsoever.
The Golden Visa itself still exists, but only through non-property investments. The qualifying routes in 2026 are:
If you specifically want residency linked to owning real estate, Portugal is off the table. Within the EU that leaves Cyprus (from €300,000) and Greece (from €250,000 to €800,000 depending on area) as the main property-linked routes in 2026. Spain closed its Golden Visa entirely on 3 April 2025, so it is no longer an option either.
Cyprus grants fast-track permanent residence to non-EU nationals who make a qualifying property investment, under Regulation 6(2) (Category 6.2) of its immigration rules. It remains a genuine buy-property-get-residency route in 2026.
The core requirements are:
Processing typically takes about two to three months. The permit is granted for life, does not expire, and covers the main applicant, spouse and dependent children. To keep it, the holder need only visit Cyprus once every two years; status is lost only through voluntary renunciation or absence of more than two consecutive years.
Two practical notes. Category 6.2 permanent residence does not by itself permit local employment, though holders may own a Cyprus company and draw dividends. On VAT, the standard rate on new-build is 19%; a reduced 5% rate applies to the first 130m²/€350,000 of a qualifying primary and permanent residence (provided total area does not exceed 190m² and total value €475,000, above which 19% applies to the excess), but pure investment buyers generally pay 19%.
Cyprus grants permanent residence immediately, whereas Portugal's Golden Visa grants only a renewable temporary residence permit that becomes permanent after five years. This is one of the biggest practical differences.
Mobility differs too. A Portuguese residence permit allows visa-free travel within the Schengen Area. Cyprus is a full EU member but is not yet in Schengen; it is targeting accession in 2026 or 2027 but had no confirmed Council date as of mid-2026, so a Cyprus residence permit does not currently grant Schengen free movement. Importantly, neither permit gives the automatic EU-wide right to live and work in other member states, that right comes only with citizenship.
Physical presence expectations are light in both. Cyprus asks only for a visit every two years. Portugal's Golden Visa requires roughly seven days in the first year and 14 days in each subsequent two-year period, one of the lowest stay requirements in Europe.
Here is the side-by-side, based on rules in force in mid-2026.
Bottom line: Cyprus wins decisively as a fast, permanent, property-linked route; Portugal is now a funds-and-tax play, not a property play.
Both routes are long journeys to citizenship in 2026, and Portugal's timeline jumped sharply this year. Neither is a fast passport.
Cyprus citizenship by naturalisation requires eight years of legal residence, made up of seven years within the previous ten plus a continuous final 12 months before applying. The crucial catch: this demands genuine physical residence in Cyprus. The passive fast-track permanent residence, which needs only a visit every two years, does not accumulate the presence required, so property investors who do not actually live in Cyprus do not progress toward a passport simply by holding PR.
Portugal historically offered the fastest EU passport, five years of residence with minimal stay. That changed on 19 May 2026, when Lei Orgânica n.º 1/2026 raised the requirement to ten years of legal residence for most applicants, and seven years for nationals of EU and CPLP (Portuguese-speaking) countries. Applicants must also pass an A2-level Portuguese language test. The naturalisation clock now starts when the first residence card is issued rather than when the application is submitted, which can add further time given processing delays. Applications filed on or before 18 May 2026 remain under the old five-year regime.
For passive investment income and retirees, Cyprus non-dom is the stronger regime; Portugal's replacement for NHR mainly rewards qualifying professionals, not passive investors.
Cyprus non-dom status offers:
Portugal's celebrated NHR regime is closed to new arrivals and has been replaced by IFICI, informally NHR 2.0. IFICI gives a flat 20% rate on qualifying Portuguese employment and self-employment income, plus exemption on most foreign-source income, for ten years. However, you must work in an eligible high-skilled or innovation-focused profession and must not have been a Portuguese tax resident in the previous five years. Passive investors, and retirees living on dividends or pensions, generally do not qualify for IFICI at all.
Verdict: choose Cyprus non-dom for dividend, interest and investment income; consider Portugal IFICI only if you are a qualifying professional in science, technology or a similar field.
Several material changes reshaped this comparison in 2026, all of which favour Cyprus on the residency-by-property question.
For context on the wider European picture: Spain ended its Golden Visa on 3 April 2025 (no property route), Portugal's property route has been closed since October 2023, while Greece's property-based Golden Visa remains live with 2024 thresholds of €800,000 in high-demand areas, €400,000 elsewhere and €250,000 for conversions and listed buildings.
Choose Cyprus if you want residency actually tied to owning property, delivered fast and permanently, with a light presence rule and a powerful tax angle.
If your priority is a property-linked route specifically, and Cyprus does not suit, other markets are worth weighing. Greece still offers a live property route (€250,000 to €800,000). The UAE grants a ten-year Golden Visa on property valued at AED 2 million, with 0% personal income, capital gains and property tax, though it is not an EU option. These sit among the nine markets INOVO advises across, which lets buyers compare a Cyprus EU permanent-residence play against Greek, UAE and other routes on a like-for-like basis rather than assuming one country fits every objective.
Yes, Portugal's Golden Visa is still open in 2026, but not for real estate. The property route was removed in October 2023, so buying a home earns no residency. Qualifying investments now include €500,000 into a Portuguese fund, €500,000 in research and development, company investment with job creation, or a €250,000 cultural donation.
Cyprus fast-track permanent residence requires a minimum property investment of €300,000 (excluding VAT) in new-build residential property bought directly from a developer. You must also show at least €50,000 in secured annual income from outside Cyprus, plus €15,000 for a spouse and €10,000 per child. The funds must be transferred from abroad and paid in full before applying.
No. Cyprus permanent residence is a national status; it does not grant the right to live or work in other EU member states, which comes only with citizenship. Cyprus is also not yet in the Schengen Area as of mid-2026, so the permit does not currently give Schengen visa-free travel. That mobility benefit is expected only once Cyprus completes Schengen accession, targeted for 2026 or 2027.
No. Cyprus permanent residence under the fast-track route is granted for life and requires only a visit to Cyprus at least once every two years. Status is lost only through voluntary renunciation or an absence of more than two consecutive years. However, this minimal presence does not count toward citizenship, which needs genuine long-term residence.
Portugal's NHR regime is closed to new arrivals and has been replaced by IFICI, informally called NHR 2.0. IFICI offers a 20% flat tax on qualifying Portuguese professional income and exemption on most foreign income for ten years. Unlike the old NHR, it requires you to work in an eligible high-skilled or innovation profession, so passive investors and retirees generally do not qualify.
In 2026, Cyprus and Greece are the main EU routes offering residency linked to buying property. Cyprus grants permanent residence from €300,000 plus VAT, and Greece's Golden Visa runs from €250,000 to €800,000 depending on the area. Portugal removed its property route in October 2023, and Spain ended its Golden Visa entirely on 3 April 2025.
Neither is fast in 2026. Cyprus citizenship by naturalisation requires eight years of genuine residence, so passive property investors who do not actually live there do not progress toward it. Portugal raised its citizenship requirement to ten years (seven for EU and CPLP nationals) from 19 May 2026, up from five, with the clock now starting when the first residence card is issued.
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