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Citizenship of an EU member state is a desirable status for many foreigners. As you know, living, working, or studying in one of these states is not so easy if you do not have permanent residence in the country of the Schengen agreement. The governments of many European countries offer foreigners to participate in the Golden Visa program for investment. It does not necessarily lead to citizenship, but in any case, the benefits of this visa will provide the investor with comfortable conditions for living and working in the EU.
The Golden Visa requirements vary from country to country. One of the differences that foreigners most often pay attention to is the required amount of investment. According to the estimation of Svetlana Gorchakova, a specialist from the Immigrant Invest agency, the cheapest Golden Visa in Europe is in:
- Malta
- Portugal
- Greece
- Latvia
- Cyprus
What is the cheapest EU country to buy a Golden Visa?
The Maltese MPRP program has the lowest cost of required investments. This method allows foreigners to eventually obtain an EU golden passport. The foreigner must donate 100,000 euros to the Government of Malta. But there is another important condition: a foreigner must prove that they have 500,000 euros in the form of bank deposits, savings, real estate, or other assets.
This program is beneficial for several reasons:
- A foreigner can rent property instead of buying it.
- If the program participant has not violated the conditions for 5 years, they can fill out an application for a Maltese passport.
- There are no mandatory residency requirements in Malta.
- Malta has a strong economy, a low crime rate, and a favorable tax regime.
- Family members of the main applicant may participate in the program.
Other countries with cheap Golden residence in Europe
- Portugal
Portugal has several visas that lead to citizenship: Golden visa, HQA, and D7.
The D7 visa can go to those foreigners who have passive income in Portugal in the amount of almost 1,000 euros per month. There are also strict residency requirements in the country to get this visa. Since the generation of passive income can be achieved by different methods and amounts, the D7 visa is difficult to compare with others in terms of cost.
The HQA visa has more attractive conditions for those who want to get a passport from an EU member state. The required investment is 175,000 euros. These funds must be invested in a start-up project in Portugal. At the same time, such a business cannot be sold within 3 years. For that, after 5 years, you can get the status of a citizen. If the investor has good business management skills, the HQA visa is a great alternative to the more expensive Golden Visa.
There are many ways to get a Portugal Golden Visa. The cheapest option is donations to the fund for the preservation of the country’s cultural heritage. The minimum amount of such an investment is 250,000 euros. An alternative cheap option is investing in real estate. A foreigner will need to invest:
- €280,000 for a residential property suitable for restoration in one of the low-density areas.
- 350,000 euros in real estate for rehabilitation. There are no such facilities in large cities like Lisbon or Porto.
- €500,000 for properties that do not meet the criteria above.
A Golden Visa requires the investor to live a minimum of 1 week per year in Portugal. After 5 years, the applicant can obtain a passport of that country.
- Greece
The Greek Golden Visa is another cheap EU residence permit. The minimum price of real estate that a foreigner must buy to participate in the program is 250,000 euros. A residence permit does not require the applicant to necessarily reside in the country for a certain period. However, to obtain a Greek passport, an investor must spend 183 days a year in the country.
There are other additional requirements as well. For example, the applicant needs to learn Greek to at least level B1. It is possible to become a Greek citizen 7 years after receiving a Golden Visa.
- Latvia
The Latvian Golden Visa is one of the cheapest EU residences by investment. You need to invest at least 250,000 euros either in real estate or in Latvian government bonds. Any option makes it possible to live and work in the territory of the country, as well as visit the countries of the Schengen zone.
But the Latvian program has several significant drawbacks compared to the Golden Visas above. Firstly, to obtain permanent residence, an investor needs to wait 5 years after receiving a visa. And only after another 5 years can you fill in an application for citizenship. Total required period = 10 years. Secondly, to become a citizen of Latvia, you need to learn the state language to the level of “free communication.” Thirdly, dual citizenship is not legal here (with some exceptions). Not every investor agrees to live for 10 years in a country that is not the richest in the EU to obtain citizenship.
- Cyprus
Another inexpensive Golden Visa can be obtained in Cyprus. To do this, you need to invest at least 300,000 euros in real estate. Since Cyprus is not part of the Schengen Agreement, investors prefer to invest in other countries’ Golden Visas.
A similar problem has befallen Bulgaria, which also requires a €300,000 investment in real estate. Both states offer citizenship 5 years after obtaining a residence permit.
Requirements for obtaining a cheap EU residence
Before applying for a Golden Visa, a foreigner must make sure that they meet all the criteria:
- The minimum age of the applicant is 18 years.
- Mandatory medical insurance.
- Have no criminal record.
- Have a bank account in the country in which the foreigner will invest.
- Prepare in advance a document that will prove the legal source of the investor’s income.
How to get a Golden Visa and citizenship?
After preparing all the necessary documents, the foreigner must invest in the selected project, depending on the option they have chosen to participate in the Golden Visa program. Proof of this investment will also be needed to apply. All documents must be translated into the desired language and notarized.
Before obtaining citizenship, it is usually required to live a certain time in the country. Also, some states require you to learn the language at a certain level or even learn the law of the country. Another necessary condition for extending the Golden Visa and obtaining citizenship is the preservation of investments. That is, it will not work to sell the property immediately after obtaining a visa.
Conclusion
The cheapest Golden Visa in Europe is available in Malta. In addition to the minimum investment amount, the investor should also pay attention to other features of the Golden Visa:
- Required time to obtain citizenship;
- Requirements for knowledge of the language, etc.;
- Requirements for compulsory residence in the country;
- Possibility of participation in the program of relatives of the investor;
- Additional fees that the applicant must pay for processing the application or obtaining a Golden Visa.
- Standard of living in the country, tax regime, and economic conditions for doing business.
It all depends on the goals and capabilities of the foreigner. Other Golden Visa countries in Europe may also be of interest to investors. But the requirements will be much higher.
David Prior
David Prior is the editor of Today News, responsible for the overall editorial strategy. He is an NCTJ-qualified journalist with over 20 years’ experience, and is also editor of the award-winning hyperlocal news title Altrincham Today. His LinkedIn profile is here.
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