Explainer
Golden Visa, explained
"Golden Visa" is marketing shorthand: a residence-by-investment permit granted for a qualifying property or capital contribution — a fixed sum or an approved asset, not citizenship.
Mechanics differ sharply by jurisdiction and by the version of the law in force: entry thresholds, regional price tiers, holding-period rules, renewal presence rules and the naturalization clock that follows are all program-specific. That is why DoublePassport publishes one canonical record per route with its rule versions, costs and sources — rather than duplicating a 'Golden Visa' page per country.
Portugal Golden Visa (Residence by Investment)
Two-year renewable residence permit in Portugal (plus Schengen travel) for qualifying investors and family. Not citizenship.
Research cutoff 2026-09-21 · 3 source references · review pending
Greece Golden Visa (Residence by Investment)
Five-year renewable Greek residence permit (multiple-entry, Schengen access) for qualifying investors and eligible family.
Research cutoff 2026-09-19 · 3 source references · review pending
Spain Investor Residence Permit (legacy route)
Legacy investor-residence route closed to new applications from 3 April 2025; existing-holder and transitional questions require current individual verification.
Research cutoff 2026-09-21 · 1 source references · review pending
Cyprus Investor Permanent Residence (Regulation 6(2))
An immigration permit with an unlimited residence right; the residence card is replaced every ten years while the conditions remain satisfied.
Research cutoff 2026-09-21 · 1 source references · review pending
U.S. EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program
Conditional (then permanent) U.S. green card via qualifying investment (US$800,000 in a Targeted Employment Area or US$1,050,000 nationally) and job creation; citizenship is a later, separate step.
Research cutoff 2026-09-19 · 3 source references · review pending
Singapore Global Investor Programme (GIP)
Long-term Singapore investor pass (employment / work eligibility) for high-value investors; permanent residency typically after 12 months. Citizenship is a rare, discretionary, later step.
Research cutoff 2026-09-19 · 2 source references · review pending
Investor Visa for Italy
A two-year investor visa and residence permit for qualifying non-EU investors, renewable for three years if the investment or donation is maintained.
Research cutoff 2026-09-21 · 2 source references · review pending
Hungary Guest Investor Residence Permit
A Hungarian residence permit for up to ten years, renewable once for up to another ten years, after a qualifying fund investment or higher-education donation.
Research cutoff 2026-09-21 · 2 source references · review pending
Latvia Temporary Residence Permit for Investors
A Latvian temporary residence permit based on a qualifying real-estate purchase or investment in a Latvian company's share capital.
Research cutoff 2026-09-21 · 2 source references · review pending
New Zealand Active Investor Plus Resident Visa
A New Zealand resident visa through either the Growth or Balanced investment category, subject to investment, presence and source-of-funds requirements.
Research cutoff 2026-09-21 · 1 source references · review pending
Hong Kong New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme
Permission to enter and remain in Hong Kong as a capital investment entrant after satisfying the net-asset, investment and immigration requirements.
Research cutoff 2026-09-21 · 2 source references · review pending
What a Golden Visa is not
It is not a passport (you need naturalization for that), not a permanent right (the permit renews), and not uniform across countries (thresholds and tiers move). When you read a single 'Golden Visa: X days per year' figure online, treat it as a guess — the real answer is the rule dimension and counting method on the specific program page. Use the compare tool to put two routes side by side, each source-dated.
Research cutoff 2026-09-21; verify before acting.