Golden Visa Guide 2026: Residency-by-Investment Programmes for Asian and Middle East HNW Investors

A Golden Visa is a residency-by-investment programme that grants a residency permit or visa to a foreign national in exchange for a qualifying investment in the host country. The investment is typically property, government bonds, business equity, or a contribution to research or cultural funds. The visa usually carries minimum-stay requirements and a pathway to permanent residency or citizenship after a set holding period.

Property-linked Golden Visas have historically been the most popular pathway for Asian and Middle East HNW investors because the investment delivers a tangible asset alongside the residency benefit. Several major programmes have either closed the property route (Portugal in 2023, Ireland in 2023) or raised thresholds (Greece in 2024, Spain announcing closure 2025). The 2026 landscape is materially different from 2020.

Five programmes are most relevant in 2026: UAE Golden Visa via property at AED 2 million, Greece Golden Visa via property at EUR 250,000 to 800,000 depending on location, Spain Golden Visa (closing to new applicants 2025), Portugal Golden Visa via fund investment at EUR 500,000 (property route closed), and Thailand LTR visa via income or property-plus-income criteria. Each has different residency duration, minimum stay, and citizenship pathway.

The Cyprus and Malta investor programmes are not included here because both have either closed or restructured fundamentally in recent years and now carry materially higher thresholds and EU scrutiny than they did when they originally attracted Asian and Middle East capital.

Yes. Portugal closed the Golden Visa property route in October 2023 under the Mais Habitacao law. Property purchase no longer qualifies for the Portugal Golden Visa, regardless of value or location. The programme remains open for investment in regulated Portuguese funds at EUR 500,000, scientific research contributions at EUR 500,000, or cultural production at EUR 250,000. Investors who hold pre-October 2023 property-route Golden Visas can renew them under the original terms.

The closure was driven by Portuguese housing affordability concerns. Property prices in Lisbon and Porto had risen materially during the Golden Visa programme's peak years. The fund route is the most direct replacement for Asian and Middle East investors who want a Portugal Golden Visa, though it does not deliver the dual asset-plus-residency benefit of the original property programme.

The Greek Golden Visa remains open to property investment with tiered thresholds since the August 2024 reform. Property in Athens, Thessaloniki, and high-demand island areas requires a EUR 800,000 minimum investment. Property in lower-density regional areas requires EUR 400,000. The programme grants 5-year renewable residency with no minimum stay requirement and a pathway to Greek citizenship after 7 years of residency.

The Greek programme contrasts with Portugal's current fund route in three important ways: Greek Golden Visa delivers a property asset alongside residency, applicants can include spouse, children up to 21, and parents of both spouses as dependents, and Greek residency provides Schengen area visa-free access. Portugal's fund route delivers residency without a tangible asset, with a similar dependents allowance and Schengen access.

UAE: AED 2 million (approximately USD 545,000) in property for the 10-year Golden Visa, or AED 750,000 for the 3-year residency. Greece: EUR 800,000 in Athens, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and high-demand areas; EUR 400,000 elsewhere. Portugal: EUR 500,000 in regulated Portuguese funds. Spain: EUR 500,000 in property (closing to new applicants in 2025). Thailand LTR: USD 80,000 annual passive income for Wealthy Pensioner, or USD 40,000 plus USD 250,000 Thai property.

Thresholds in EUR-denominated programmes are subject to revision. Greek thresholds doubled between 2023 and 2024. Portugal raised contribution thresholds for the cultural route during 2023. Investors evaluating a 2026 application should confirm current thresholds with the relevant immigration authority before committing to a specific property or fund.

Intric evaluates property in Golden Visa jurisdictions on the same 10-point due diligence framework applied across all markets, with additional verification for visa-qualifying compliance. The framework confirms that the property meets the programme's investment threshold, that the title structure permits Golden Visa application, and that the developer and asset will support the post-visa rental and resale market beyond the residency holding period.

Intric's role is to ensure the property is a sound investment regardless of the Golden Visa benefit. A property bought purely for residency qualification, with no consideration of rental yield or resale liquidity, often becomes a non-performing asset after the visa is granted. Intric's curation filters this out at the development-selection stage.