Where buying property still gets you residency — or a passport — in 2026, and where it no longer does. The minimum property investment and what each route grants, country by country, with the routes that have closed marked clearly. Compiled by INOVO from official and reputable industry sources.
| Country | Property route? | Min. property investment | What it grants |
|---|---|---|---|
| UAE | Yes · residence | AED 2M (≈ $545k) | 10-year renewable Golden Visa; family included |
| Greece | Yes · residence | €250k / €400k / €800k by zone | 5-year renewable permit; family + both sets of parents |
| Cyprus | Yes · permanent residence | €300k + VAT (new-build) | Permanent residence (indefinite); family included |
| Malta | Yes · permanent residence | From €375k + contributions | Permanent residence; up to three generations |
| Montenegro | Yes · residence | €150k (assessed value) | 1-year renewable residence; PR after ~5 years |
| Bali (Indonesia) | Yes · residence | ≈ IDR 2bn (≈ $126k) | 5-year Second Home Visa (KITAS), renewable to 10 |
| Maldives | New in 2026 · residence | From $250k (leasehold) | 5-year renewable 'Pearl Residence'; family included |
| Thailand | Partial | Condo counts toward the $500k LTR; new ฿3M (≈ $85k) visa | LTR = 10-year residence; ฿3M = 1-year long-stay |
| Caribbean (5 states) | Yes · citizenship | $200k–$325k real estate | Full citizenship + passport; hereditary; family included |
| Spain | Closed | — | None |
| Portugal | Closed for property | — (funds €500k only) | Residence via funds, not property |
| United Kingdom | Closed | — | None |
| Italy | No (property excluded) | — (bonds / company / donation) | Investor visa via non-property routes |
| Hungary | No direct property | €250k real-estate fund only | 10-year Guest Investor permit via a fund |
| Switzerland | No (tax route) | — (lump-sum tax) | Residence via lump-sum taxation |
Indicative minimums for guidance only, compiled from official and reputable industry sources — not legal or immigration advice. Programmes and thresholds change frequently; always verify current rules for your nationality before acting.
Active and stable in 2026 — the clearest property-to-residency route; off-plan and mortgaged property both count.
The main EU property golden visa still fully open; tiered thresholds since 2024.
PR route active; the separate citizenship 'golden passport' was scrapped in 2020.
MPRP residency continues; the citizenship-by-investment scheme was struck down by the EU court in April 2025.
Non-EU (EU candidate); a €150k minimum was introduced in 2026. Citizenship-by-investment closed at the end of 2022.
Active in 2026. Note that Bali property is leasehold / Hak Pakai, not freehold land.
Brand-new — the Maldives' first residency-by-investment scheme, launching 2026; confirm final figures.
Buying a condo alone does not grant residency; it can count toward the LTR investment.
The only place you can still get citizenship through property in 2026 (St Kitts, Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia); a $200k floor took effect July 2024.
Golden Visa abolished — final applications closed 3 April 2025 (Organic Law 1/2025). No replacement.
Property was removed from the Golden Visa in October 2023; only qualifying funds and other non-property routes remain.
The Tier 1 Investor visa closed to new applicants in February 2022; UK property never granted a visa.
Buying property does not qualify and no property option is planned.
The planned direct-property option was scrapped days before launch in December 2024; only a fund route remains.
Not a property scheme — residence is via a negotiated annual tax (forfait fiscal), not a purchase.
Methodology: minimum property investments are compiled by INOVO from official government portals and reputable residency-and-citizenship advisers as at 2026-08-01, and converted to approximate US dollars. Immigration rules and thresholds change frequently and depend on your nationality — this is general information, not legal, tax or immigration advice; always verify current rules and take professional advice before acting.
The clearest routes are the UAE (property from AED 2M / about US$545,000 for a 10-year Golden Visa), Greece (from €250,000–€800,000 by zone), Cyprus (€300,000 + VAT new-build, for permanent residence), Malta's MPRP, Montenegro (from €150,000), Bali (about IDR 2bn), and the Maldives' new 2026 Pearl Residence (from US$250,000). Thailand's condo can count toward its LTR investment but does not grant residency on its own.
No — not through property. Spain abolished its Golden Visa entirely on 3 April 2025, and Portugal removed real estate from its Golden Visa in October 2023 (only qualifying funds and other non-property routes remain). Neither offers residency for buying a home in 2026.
In 2026, only the five Caribbean citizenship-by-investment states — St Kitts & Nevis, Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada and St Lucia — grant full citizenship and a passport through approved real estate, from about US$200,000 to US$325,000. No European country sells citizenship for property; Cyprus, Malta and Montenegro all ended their citizenship schemes.
No. The UK's Tier 1 Investor visa closed in February 2022 and UK property never conferred a visa. Switzerland grants residence via a negotiated lump-sum tax arrangement, not a property purchase — it is not a golden visa.
Related: The INOVO 2026 Property Investment Index · Residency & Golden Visa by Property: 2026 Country Guide · Best Countries to Buy Property Abroad in 2026
Entry prices, net yields, taxes and residency thresholds across nine markets — plus current availability and price lists for the markets you are weighing. Sent to your inbox, usually within the hour.
Tell us which residency or citizenship route you are weighing and a private advisor will match it to qualifying developments — usually within the hour.