Which European countries give permanent residency by buying a property? - Discus Holdings (2024)

FAQs

What is the easiest European country to get permanent residency? ›

The easiest country for obtaining a residence permit in Europe is Portugal. There are options like a D7 visa for financially independent persons, a StartUp visa, a visa for retired persons, and the Golden Visa for investors.

The citizenship by investment process requires an investment of €2 million in real estate. Other options are investing in government bonds, a bank deposit in a Cyprus bank, or a new company. The difference of this program is that the €2 million will be invested rather than donated. Most programs require donations.

Can you get citizenship if you buy real estate? Yes, many countries have programs that award applicants with citizenship if they buy real estate within that country. These countries are Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia, St Kitts & Nevis, Portugal, Malta, Montenegro, Turkey, and Vanuatu.

Portugal consistently tops lists of the best places for expats to live, and in fact, the number of Americans living in Portugal rose 45% in 2021, according to government data.

Portugal is the easiest European country to buy property in. Those who wish to purchase property in Europe can purchase commercial property under Portugal's Golden Visa scheme.

Buying property in Italy does not give owners the right to permesso di soggiorno, an Italian permit to stay. However, owning property can strengthen your application for an Italian elective residency visa if you prove you have stable and sufficient funds to support your stay without employment.

If you're a non-EU citizen and you invest in property worth a certain value, you can qualify for a Golden Visa residence permit in Portugal. This permit allows you to live, work, and study in Portugal, and travel freely across the Schengen area.

Where can I buy a house in Europe and get residency? ›

Several European countries have residence and citizenship by investment: Malta, Cyprus, Portugal, Greece, Spain, and Latvia to name a few all allow investors to get residence cards if they invest in the country.

Yes, anyone can get a permanent residency in Hungary. But if you are outside of the EU, you need to have a permanent income in Hungary from renting out your property, or from running a successful business.

Yes, you can get residency in Spain after buying a house, and that is thanks to the golden visa scheme. Since 2013, non-EU citizens who purchase a property in the Spanish territory can get a 2-year residence permit (that can be renewed) as long as the property investment is at least € 500.000.

Mexico is the top destination for Americans moving abroad, followed by the U.K., Canada and Australia. So far in 2022, ~75% more Americans have moved to Mexico than Canada. Portugal has seen the biggest percentage increase in Americans moving in (+122% from 2019-2021)

Which are the easiest countries to immigrate to from the US? Portugal, Malta and Spain are some of the easiest countries to relocate to from the United States. American citizens can either gain permanent residency or apply for citizenships via each country's Citizenship by Invest programs.

If you can handle the cold, Germany and the Netherlands are two of the most popular countries for expats, both offering international communities and unique residency options. Switzerland: Although many European countries offer a better quality of life than the U.S., Switzerland takes the cake.

Canada. Having garnered a reputation for being one of the most welcoming countries for immigrants and being ranked as one of the most liveable places in the world, Canada is definitely the best and easiest country to immigrate to.

North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea):

U.S. passports are not valid for travel “to, in, or through” this country, home to one of the world's longest-running dynastic dictatorships.

Which country is best to buy property for foreigners? ›

Asian countries like Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius, Bhutan, Singapore, and Thailand are liked because of their easy access. Foreigners are generally subject to the same laws as nationals in South Africa and can buy property."

Satisfy one of the following three requirements: A minimum of EUR 2 million in Italian government bonds. A minimum of EUR 500,000 in Italian shares (reduced to EUR 250,000 if investing in innovative start-ups)

How much money do I need to invest to get permanent residency in Italy? The minimum investment amount to get an investor visa for Italy is €250,000.

Carta di Soggiorno: a permanent residence permit issued for an indefinite period. You can apply for it after 5 uninterrupted years of residing in Italy with a temporary residence permit. This type of permit grants you rights similar to Italian citizens.

In Europe, no law prohibits foreign citizens from buying property but certain countries have put limitations on this right, often with regards to residency rights, property type or buyer category.

Many countries allow you to acquire permanent residency or citizenship. You can become a permanent resident via investments, marriage, naturalisation, etc. Some easiest countries to get citizenship to include Canada, New Zealand, Portugal, Thailand, Australia and Ireland.

American or non-EU residents are unrestricted from purchasing property in Europe. They might profit from a government program that pays for energy efficiency upgrades when purchasing an investment property.

Unfortunately, it is not possible in Sweden to buy a house and receive permanent residency or citizenship. The requirements to get permanent residency or citizenship are instead based on the amount of time you have lived in Sweden.

Why are Americans moving to Portugal? ›

Why do Americans move to Portugal? An excellent year-round climate, fantastic beaches a short distance from the capital, great food, high quality of life, and low living costs are some reasons Americans move to Portugal. There are also some successful tax incentives that US citizens can benefit from in Portugal.

It allows non-EU nationals the ability to get a five year residence permit by buying a property worth 500,000€ and then the chance to apply for permanent residence after those five years provided the owner has met certain criteria during their stay.

Make and maintain an investment of at least €250,000 in Portugal. This investment can be made through a number of different routes, although Portuguese real estate residency is the most popular of all, accounting for over 90% of all investments made through the Portugal residence permit program.

You can remain in the EU and the Schengen zone for 90 days in an 180-day period without requiring a visa or residency permit.

Foreign nationals requesting entry to Hungary with a purpose of a long stay may submit a residence permit application. In case of successful application, applicant will get a visa authorizing to a single entry for receiving a residence permit and to stay for maximum 30 days in Hungary.

Permanent residency can be obtained by an investment scheme, which is called the golden visa scheme. Portuguese law also permits to apply for residency by family reunification. The student also can apply for a residency permit, but their study should be more than six months.

In general yes, foreigners may own and occupy real estate and can hold shares in property owning companies, but acquisition of real property in Hungary by foreign (non-EU) legal and private persons is subject to the approval of the competent government agency, which is more of a formal administrative procedure.

Italian citizenship by descent is one of the easiest to obtain. You may be eligible for citizenship if you have Italian heritage. To acquire citizenship, you must have an ancestor who was a citizen of Italy on March 17th, 1861 or was born in the country after that.

The major key benefits of getting citizenship in Antigua and Barbuda are that it gives you the right to move from there to Hong Kong, Singapore, Europe's Schengen areas, etc. You have to donate around USD 100,000 to the Antigua and Barbuda national development fund.

Austria, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, and the United States are five nations that make it especially difficult for foreigners to establish permanent residency or obtain citizenship.

Can Americans own property in Portugal? ›

The country has no restrictions on foreigners looking to buy a house in Portugal. You won't have to fill in any extra paperwork or meet any criteria to buy a home per say. All you need is a VAT identification number, known as a número de identificação fiscal (NIF) or número de contribuinte in Portugal.

Essentially, investing in a business or buying a property in the U.S. could give you permanent residency. Of course, you have to fulfill the EB-5 program requirements first, like investing at least $800,000 or $1,050,000, depending on the location. As well as create at least 10 full-time jobs.

There is no limit on US citizens buying or selling properties in Italy thanks to something called mutual agreements. These apply between Italy and foreign citizens meaning that you don't need any special documents or pay higher taxation on property when compared to citizens from within the EU.

One of the popular nations on our list for citizenship or residency is none other than New Zealand. The country has a skilled migration program that makes it easier for people to immigrate. However, to move to the destination, criteria such as having an age limit under 55 and work experience are mandatory.

Usually, the process takes around 18 months. Malta citizenship by investment is the fastest in Europe. It's among the easiest countries to get a passport – but only if you can afford it. Malta also has a passive income residency pathway, which, in theory, you can use to become eligible for citizenship after five years.

Malta. Malta has one of the speediest routes to citizenship of the country and by extension the EU, with a fast-track program enabling citizenship within one year in return for an investment of at least 750,000 Euros into government programs, government bonds or donation to an approved organisation.

Technically, you cannot get German citizenship or permanent residency simply by investing in real estate. However, if you can live in Germany relying solely on your own funds, then you may be granted a temporary residence permit if you purchase real estate.

Which countries grant citizenship by investment? Many countries worldwide offer citizenship by investment programs, including but not limited to Spain, Portugal, Malta, Greece, Vanuatu, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Dominica, among others.

If you can handle the cold, Germany and the Netherlands are two of the most popular countries for expats, both offering international communities and unique residency options. Switzerland: Although many European countries offer a better quality of life than the U.S., Switzerland takes the cake.

Which country is easiest to get US citizenship? ›

Japan has the world's most powerful passport for the 5th year in a row. Holders can visit 193 out of 227 global destinations visa-free. South Korea and Singapore are tied in 2nd place on the index, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 192.

Foreign born population

Germany was also the country with the highest foreign-born population in 2020, at over 15 million people. France 8.5 million people, while the small island-country of Malta only had 118 thousand foreign born people among its population.