Saint Kitts and Nevisfrom $325kPanamafrom $200kGreecefrom $280kGrenadafrom $270kTurkeyfrom $400kAntigua and Barbudafrom $300kItalyfrom $35kGeorgiafrom $150kCyprusfrom $337kSpainfrom $32k · we sell homes hereThailandfrom $500k · we sell homes hereUnited Arab Emiratesfrom $546k · we sell homes hereMalaysiafrom $147k · we sell homes hereOmanfrom $652k · we sell homes hereSaudi Arabiafrom $1.07m · we sell homes here
The Continental Residency Index2027 edition
Where your money buys a second home country.
34countries would give a British passport holder residency for $2m or less
General information, checked 20 October 2026. Rules change; this isn’t immigration advice.
01 · The Index
Every route, ranked for UK citizens.
Scored out of 100 on the money, the path to a passport, the speed, the days you must stay, whether a home counts and who comes with you.
- 01
Saint Kitts and NevisCitizenship by Investment: Developer's Real Estate Investment (approved development) · a home counts$325k3 moNoneDirect85 - 02
PanamaFriendly Nations residence (Países Amigos) · a home counts$200k1 moNone7 yrs84 - 03PanamaQualified Investor permanent residence: new (first-sale) real estate · a home counts$300k2 moNone5 yrs83
- 04
GreeceResidence permit for real estate investors (golden visa): conversion or listed-building restoration · a home counts$280k2 moNone7 yrs82 - 05Saint Kitts and NevisCitizenship by Investment: Private Real Estate Investment (approved single-family home) · a home counts$600k3 moNoneDirect81
- 06
GrenadaCitizenship by Investment: approved real estate project · a home counts$270k—NoneDirect81 - 07PanamaQualified Investor permanent residence: resale (secondary-market) real estate · a home counts$500k2 moNone5 yrs80
- 08GreeceResidence permit for real estate investors (golden visa): rest of Greece · a home counts$449k2 moNone7 yrs78
- 09
TurkeyTurkish citizenship by investment (real estate purchase) · a home counts$400k—NoneDirect78 - 10
Antigua and BarbudaCitizenship by Investment: approved real estate · a home counts$300k—5 daysDirect78 - 11
ItalyElective residence visa · a home can count$35k3 mo—10 yrs75 - 12Saint Kitts and NevisCitizenship by Investment: Sustainable Island State Contribution (SISC)$250k4 moNoneDirect75
- 13Saint Kitts and NevisCitizenship by Investment: Public Benefit Option$250k4 moNoneDirect75
- 14GreeceResidence permit for real estate investors (golden visa): high-demand areas · a home counts$897k2 moNone7 yrs74
- 15
GeorgiaShort-term residence permit (property owner) · a home counts$150k0.3 mo—10 yrs74 - 16
CyprusImmigration permit (permanent residence) for investors, Regulation 6(2) fast-track · a home counts$337k—None8 yrs73 - 17GrenadaCitizenship by Investment: National Transformation Fund (NTF) contribution$235k—NoneDirect72
- 18
Costa RicaInvestor temporary residence (Inversionista) · a home counts$150k——7 yrs71 - 19
PortugalResidence visa for retirees and people living on passive income (D7) · a home can count$12k——10 yrs70 - 20PanamaQualified Investor permanent residence: fixed-term bank deposit$500k2 moNone5 yrs70
- 21
SpainWe sell homes hereNon-lucrative temporary residence visa · a home can count$32k3 mo183 days10 yrs69 - 22Antigua and BarbudaCitizenship by Investment: National Development Fund (NDF) donation$230k—5 daysDirect69
- 23Antigua and BarbudaCitizenship by Investment: University of the West Indies (UWI) Fund$260k—5 daysDirect69
- 24GeorgiaInvestment residence permit · a home counts$300k0.3 mo—10 yrs68
- 25Costa RicaPensionado (retiree) temporary residence$12k——7 yrs68
- 26
PhilippinesSpecial Resident Retiree's Visa (SRRV) Classic · a home can count$15k—NoneNo67 - 27Costa RicaRentista (passive income) temporary residence$60k——7 yrs67
- 28
HungaryGuest investor residence permit: real estate fund · a home can count$280k1 mo—8 yrs66 - 29
United StatesEB-5 Immigrant Investor Program · a home can count$800k—None5 yrs65 - 30
ThailandWe sell homes hereLong-Term Resident (LTR) Visa - Wealthy Global Citizen · a home counts$500k1 moNoneNo64 - 31
United Arab EmiratesWe sell homes hereGolden Visa (real estate investor) · a home counts$546k0.2 moNoneNo64 - 32
LatviaTemporary residence permit for investment in a company's share capital$56k1 mo—No61 - 33ThailandWe sell homes hereThailand Privilege membership (Privilege Entry Visa)$19k—NoneNo60
- 34
BahrainGolden Residency (property owner) · a home counts$346k0.2 mo—No60 - 35
MalaysiaWe sell homes hereMalaysia My Second Home (MM2H) - Silver, Gold and Platinum · a home counts$147k—90 daysNo59 - 36MalaysiaWe sell homes hereSarawak Malaysia My Second Home (S-MM2H) · a home can count$123k—30 daysNo59
- 37
IndonesiaSecond Home Visa (E33) · a home can count$130k0.2 mo—No58 - 38PortugalResidence Permit for Investment (ARI, golden visa): arts and cultural heritage$280k—7 days10 yrs58
- 39
MaltaMalta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP) · a home counts$421k—NoneNo58 - 40TurkeyShort-term residence permit (property owner) · a home counts$200k——No55
- 41
IrelandStamp 0 permission for persons of independent means (retirement)$56k4 mo—No55 - 42PortugalResidence Permit for Investment (ARI, golden visa): investment fund$561k—7 days10 yrs54
- 43PortugalResidence Permit for Investment (ARI, golden visa): scientific research$561k—7 days10 yrs54
- 44PortugalResidence Permit for Investment (ARI, golden visa): company capitalisation or job creation$561k—7 days10 yrs54
- 45ItalyInvestor Visa for Italy: innovative startup$280k——10 yrs54
- 46
MontenegroTemporary residence on the basis of real estate ownership · a home counts$168k——No54 - 47
QatarReal estate residency (property owner) · a home counts$201k——No53 - 48MaltaGlobal Resident Status (tax status; formerly the Global Residence Programme) · a home counts$785k—NoneNo53
- 49
SwitzerlandResidence with lump-sum (expenditure-based) taxation · a home can count$544k——10 yrs53 - 50HungaryGuest investor residence permit: donation to a higher-education institution$1.12m1 mo—8 yrs52
- 51
MauritiusResidence permit for property buyers under EDB property schemes (IRS, RES, PDS, Smart City) · a home counts$375k——No51 - 52MalaysiaWe sell homes hereMalaysia My Second Home (MM2H) - Special Economic Zone / Special Financial Zone (SEZ/SFZ) · a home countsNo minimum—90 daysNo49
- 53ItalyInvestor Visa for Italy: Italian company or venture capital fund$561k——10 yrs49
- 54
OmanWe sell homes hereGolden Residency - second tier (5 years) · a home counts$652k——No48 - 55
KuwaitProperty-owner residency (up to 10 years) · a home countsNo minimum——No47 - 56
Saudi ArabiaWe sell homes herePremium Residency - Real Estate Owner · a home counts$1.07m——No45 - 57Saudi ArabiaWe sell homes herePremium Residency - Unlimited Duration$214k——No45
- 58
FranceTalent residence card - project holder, economic investment track (carte de séjour pluriannuelle 'talent - porteur de projet', parcours investissement économique)$337k4 mo—No45 - 59ItalyInvestor Visa for Italy: philanthropic donation$1.12m——10 yrs44
- 60OmanWe sell homes hereGolden Residency - first tier (10 years) · a home counts$1.3m——No43
- 61QatarReal estate residency with permanent-residency privileges · a home counts$1m——No42
- 62ItalyInvestor Visa for Italy: government bonds$2.24m——10 yrs40
- 63
MonacoResidence card (carte de séjour de résident) · a home can countNo minimum——No40 - 64
Hong KongNew Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES) · a home can count$3.82m—NoneNo38 - 65
New ZealandActive Investor Plus - Growth category$2.99m2.5 mo21 daysNo37 - 66
LuxembourgInvestor residence permit (Art. 53bis, Immigration Law of 29 Aug 2008)$561k——No36 - 67
CanadaQuébec Investor Program (Programme des investisseurs)$876k—183 daysNo31 - 68New ZealandActive Investor Plus - Balanced category · a home can count$5.99m2.5 mo105 daysNo28
- 69KuwaitLong-term investor residency (up to 15 years) - KDIPA-licensed investors$16.29m——No17
- 70
SingaporeGlobal Investor Programme (GIP)$7.82m12 mo183 daysNo10
Residency rules, thresholds and fees change often, sometimes without notice. Everything here is general information, checked on the date shown, not legal, tax or immigration advice: confirm with the official source and a licensed adviser before you act. Continental sells property; we don’t arrange visas or residency.
Closed routes
- Spain Residence visa for investors (Law 14/2013, arts. 63-67), "golden visa"closed 2025-04-03 (Organic Law 1/2025, BOE 3 Jan 2025, emptied arts. 63-67 of Law 14/2013 three months after publication; applications filed before then decided under old rules)
- Portugal Residence Permit for Investment (ARI, golden visa): real estate purchaseclosed 2023-10-07 (Law 56/2023 of 6 Oct 2023, the Mais Habitação package: residence-by-investment money may no longer go directly or indirectly into real estate)
- Greece Residence permit for real estate investors (golden visa): former €250,000/€500,000 ruleclosed 2024-08-31 (only buyers who had paid a 10% deposit by 31 Aug 2024 could still use it, with completion due by 28 Feb 2025)
- Cyprus Cyprus Investment Programme (citizenship by investment)closed 2020-11-01 (abolished by the Council of Ministers on 13 Oct 2020, after the Al Jazeera investigation)
- Malta Citizenship by naturalisation for exceptional services by direct investmentclosed 2025-07-24 (Maltese Citizenship (Amendment) Act, Act XXI of 2025, after the EU Court of Justice ruling of 29 Apr 2025 in case C-181/23); replaced by a discretionary citizenship-by-merit route with no fixed investment
- Montenegro Citizenship by investment (special investment projects programme)closed 2022-12-31 (the government decision applied to applications from 1 Jan 2019 to 31 Dec 2022)
- Latvia Temporary residence permit for real estate purchaseclosed 2026-09-15 (new Immigration Law; applications lodged by 14 Sep 2026 decided under the old law)
- Latvia Temporary residence permit for investment in a state-established fundnot yet open (created by the Immigration Law in force since 15 Sep 2026, but the state fund it needs has not been set up; a bill sent to the Saeima on 10 Sep 2026 would remove the route)
- Hungary Guest investor residence permit: residential property purchaseclosed before opening (removed in the Hungarian Gazette of 20 Dec 2024, before its planned 1 Jan 2025 start)
- Ireland Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP)closed 2023-02-15 (to new applications from close of business; approved projects and pending files continue)
- Panama Qualified Investor permanent residence: $300,000 any property (Decree 722 of 2020, superseded)closed (2026-09-16) to new investments; transitional filings allowed until 16 Mar 2027 only for investments or binding contracts made before 16 Sep 2026
Netherlands Foreign investor scheme (Regeling buitenlandse investeerders, 'Dutch golden visa') - CLOSEDclosed 2024-04-17 (no new applications accepted since 17 April 2024)- Canada Start-up Visa Program - CLOSED to new applicantsclosed 2025-12-31 (announced 19 Dec 2025; holders of 2025 commitment certificates could apply until 30 Jun 2026; optional SUV work permit closed 19 Dec 2025); replacement entrepreneur pilot promised for 2026, not confirmed launched
- Canada Federal Immigrant Investor Program - CLOSEDclosed 2014-06-19 (Economic Action Plan 2014 Act royal assent; backlog applications without a selection decision before 11 Feb 2014 terminated)
Australia Significant Investor stream (Business Innovation and Investment visa subclass 188C) - CLOSEDclosed 2024-07-31 (the stream closed to new applications; applications made before then are still processed, and holders can apply for permanent residence through subclass 888)
02 · How the Index scores
One method for every route.
- 35The money The qualifying spend in US dollars, on a log scale from $50k (full marks) to $10m (none).
- 20A passport Years from the permit to citizenship: three or fewer scores in full; no path scores nothing.
- 15Speed Months from application to the permit, at the quick end of the published range.
- 15Freedom The days a year you must spend there: none scores in full, half the year or more scores nothing.
- 10A home counts Full marks when buying a home qualifies on its own, half when it can be part of the spend.
- 5Family Spouse, children and parents in full; spouse and children 80%; the applicant alone 40%.
43 countries, 93 routes. Facts from government pages first, then law firms, each linked and dated on the country’s page. US dollar figures convert local minimums at the ECB reference rates of 2026-10-20 (Gulf currencies at their dollar pegs).
Residency rules, thresholds and fees change often, sometimes without notice. Everything here is general information, checked on the date shown, not legal, tax or immigration advice: confirm with the official source and a licensed adviser before you act. Continental sells property; we don’t arrange visas or residency.
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Writing about residency or golden visas? Every route, its conditions and its official source, for 43 countries. Free to use under CC BY 4.0: credit Crown Continental with a link to this page.
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Homes
Start with the home.
Several of these routes begin with buying property. We sell homes in Thailand, Malaysia, the UK, Spain, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE: tell us what you have in mind and we’ll show you what’s available at the price points the routes ask for.