Residence by Property or Investment in 2026: 9 Countries to Compare

Buying a home and receiving residence are not the same legal event. In 2026, some countries still connect residence to qualifying property, while others require a fund, business or public-interest investment. This guide separates the two so you do not treat an asking price as an immigration guarantee.

How to read this comparison

A property price is not an immigration approval. Property-linked means qualifying real estate is one legal basis; investment-linked means another asset or investment is required.

2026

Before comparing countries: three different outcomes

A property purchase, a residence permit and citizenship are not interchangeable. A country may allow a property owner to apply for a temporary permit without offering a Golden Visa. Another country may offer permanent residence only through a programme combining property, contributions and due diligence. A third may offer investment residence through a fund while excluding real estate entirely.

The figures below are programme thresholds, not property recommendations. They do not include taxes, legal fees, registration, valuation, insurance, contributions, donations, financing costs or renewal fees. The authority’s rule on the application date controls.

Turkey: property-owner short-term residence

Turkey does not operate a simple “buy any home and receive residence” scheme. A foreign property owner may apply for a short-term residence permit on the basis of owning a suitable home, but the application still goes through the Migration Management process and must satisfy the current legal, address, insurance, document and appointment requirements.

Current threshold: For a property-based residence application in 2026, the current operational minimum is generally USD 200,000 in current property value. This is an eligibility threshold, not an automatic approval: the property value must be evidenced, the address must be eligible for registration, and the applicant must still satisfy the residence, insurance, document and nationality/location rules.

What the property proves—and what it does not

The title deed helps establish the purpose of the application and the address where the applicant intends to live. It does not automatically create a right to approval, permanent residence or citizenship. The property must be suitable for the application, the address must be usable for residence registration, and nationality- or location-based restrictions must be checked before purchase.

Investor warning

The residence route is separate from Turkish citizenship by investment. A property bought for residence should not be marketed as a citizenship investment unless the transaction independently satisfies the citizenship rules, including the current investment threshold, title and payment conditions, holding period and official review.

Greece: Golden Visa through qualifying real estate

Greece remains one of the clearest property-linked residence programmes in Europe, but the old “€250,000 anywhere” description is no longer accurate. The applicable category depends on the location, the type of property and the legal structure of the transaction. The current framework includes €250,000 exceptions as well as €400,000 and €800,000 categories.

Property and transaction checks

The threshold is not the only test. The notarial purchase deed, payment trail, land-registry status, encumbrances, property use and any conversion or development condition must be examined. The Greek Ministry’s application material requires, among other items, a valid travel document, insurance, fees and a notarial certificate describing the property and payment. A buyer should confirm the exact category in writing before paying a deposit.

Renewal and family planning

The permit is tied to the qualifying investment and continuing compliance. Family members, travel rights, tax residence and future citizenship are separate questions. A Golden Visa residence permit does not itself make the holder a Greek citizen or a tax resident.

UAE: real-estate Golden Residency

The UAE’s federal ICP framework recognises real-estate investors for Golden Residency. The current ICP material states a minimum property value of AED 2 million for the real-estate investor category. This is a federal eligibility headline, not a substitute for checking the emirate-specific filing process, title status, financing and ownership structure.

What to verify before buying

Confirm whether the property is completed or off-plan, whether the title or developer documentation is accepted for the application, how financed property is treated, and which authority processes the nomination. Co-ownership, mortgages, family sponsorship and renewal conditions can affect the result. Obtain written confirmation from the competent UAE authority rather than relying on an agent’s brochure.

Residence is not citizenship

Golden Residency can provide a long-term residence framework, but it does not grant UAE citizenship. Tax residence, business licensing, school access, health insurance and emirate-level costs should be assessed separately.

Cyprus: investor immigration permit under Regulation 6(2)

Cyprus has an investor immigration-permit route under Regulation 6(2). It should not be reduced to “buy a €300,000 home and receive permanent residence”. The applicant must meet the current investment, income, family, health-insurance and continuing-residence requirements, and the property or investment must fit the official category.

Why headline thresholds are risky

Developers and agents often advertise a headline purchase amount, while the official route may also require a new property, secured annual income, clean background, family documentation and continuing ownership or income conditions. Verify the current Migration Department checklist and the exact VAT, title and income treatment before signing.

Outcome

This is an immigration-permit route, not automatic citizenship. Permanent residence, tax residence, work rights and naturalisation are separate legal questions and should not be combined in a sales promise.

Georgia: property and investment residence routes

Georgia has residence routes connected with real estate and investment, but the correct threshold depends on the permit category and the effective rule on the application date. Older online guides cite different amounts, so a 2026 article should not repeat a $35,000 or $100,000 figure without confirming the current Service Development Agency rule and the valuation method.

Due diligence before relying on the route

Check the cadastral record, seller title, encumbrances, market valuation, permitted use and the exact residence category. Ask the official agency whether the property value is assessed by purchase price, market appraisal or another statutory test. A residence permit is not the same as citizenship and does not remove tax, insurance or renewal obligations.

Latvia: temporary residence as a real-estate owner

Latvia’s PMLP publishes a specific real-estate-owner basis for temporary residence. The official rule describes property with a total value of at least €250,000. In Riga, Jūrmala and listed municipalities the property must be one functionally connected property; outside those territories, up to two functionally connected properties may be used under the stated conditions.

Value, payment and land conditions

The official page also requires non-cash payment, no real-estate tax debt, an eligible seller, and cadastral-value conditions. The property must not be agricultural or forest land. If the cadastral value is below the stated level, a certified appraisal may be required. On the first temporary residence permit, the applicant must pay 5% of the purchase value into the state budget.

Income and family documents

The PMLP page lists required subsistence of €1,500 per month for the applicant, with additional amounts for accompanying family members, as well as passport, application, photo, payment, tax-debt, criminal-record and state-fee documents. These figures and document rules should be checked again on the filing date.

Malta: the Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP)

Malta’s active property-linked product is the MPRP, not the former investor-citizenship model. It is a permanent-residence programme for eligible non-EU, non-EEA and non-Swiss nationals and is submitted through a licensed agent.

Property, contribution and donation

Residency Malta states that applicants may purchase a qualifying property for at least €375,000 or rent one for at least €14,000 per year, subject to the programme’s location rules. The property requirement is only one component. The official structure also includes a €60,000 non-refundable administrative fee, a €37,000 government contribution, a €2,000 donation to an eligible NGO and residence-card fees. Adult dependants may trigger additional fees.

Assets and due diligence

The programme requires capital assets of at least €500,000, including €150,000 in financial assets, or €650,000 including €75,000 in financial assets, according to the official page. Applicants undergo multi-tiered due diligence, must have stable resources, a clean record and no relevant security or public-order concerns. The qualifying property must normally be retained for at least five years. MPRP permanent residence is distinct from Maltese citizenship.

Hungary: Guest Investor residence is not a property visa

Hungary’s Guest Investor Residence Permit is an investment route. The official Enter Hungary information describes it as residence granted where entry and stay are in the national economic interest because of qualifying investment. It should not be presented as a programme in which buying an ordinary apartment automatically creates residence.

What an investor must establish

The applicant must identify the approved investment category, document the investment, follow the application sequence and satisfy entry, security, accommodation and other residence conditions. The permit’s duration, renewal and family rules should be taken from the current official notice, not from a generic “Golden Visa” advertisement.

For a property buyer, Hungary belongs in the investment comparison only if the reader understands that the qualifying investment and a property purchase are different things.

Portugal: ARI investment residence without the old property route

Portugal’s ARI framework remains relevant to investment residence, but residential-property purchase is not a current qualifying route. The old “buy a €500,000 property and obtain a Golden Visa” explanation must be removed. Current categories, fund rules, job-creation routes, minimum stay and renewal requirements must be checked directly with AIMA on the application date.

Why this matters to property buyers

A person may still buy property in Portugal for housing or investment, but that purchase should not be marketed as the qualifying basis for ARI. The property transaction, tax position, source of funds and immigration investment must be analysed separately. Fund investments also require their own eligibility, regulatory and risk review.

What investors should budget and verify

The headline investment is only one part of the decision. Depending on the country and route, the file may also involve transfer taxes, registration, legal review, valuation, insurance, government fees, translations, contributions, donations, proof of funds and renewal costs. A qualifying property can still fail because of title issues, zoning, financing, location, ownership structure or an applicant’s nationality.

Residence is also different from tax residence. A permit may allow lawful stay without making the holder a tax resident, and physical presence can create separate tax consequences. Confirm the tax position in the country where you live and in the country where the asset is located before signing.

Documents and decision sequence

1. Choose the legal route first, not the cheapest listing.
2. Ask the authority or a licensed local professional for the current checklist.
3. Verify title, valuation, source of funds, insurance and address eligibility.
4. Model total cost and renewal obligations, not only the purchase price.
5. Submit the residence file and wait for official approval; do not promise an outcome in advance.

Routes removed from the old list

Spain

Spain ended the real-estate Golden Visa route on 3 April 2025; buying property is not a current residence route.

Portugal and Malta citizenship

A property price is not an immigration approval. Property-linked means qualifying real estate is one legal basis; investment-linked means another asset or investment is required.

Application checklist

• Confirm the legal route and effective date.
• Verify title, valuation, zoning, location and ownership.
• Separate price from taxes, fees, contributions, donations and income proof.
• Ask the authority or a qualified local lawyer whether the route is open for your nationality.
• Do not transfer funds based only on an agent headline.

Sources and date note

This guide was reviewed in September 2026. Property purchase, residence approval and citizenship are separate outcomes.

Sources: Sources and date note official authorities linked above

Official programme sources

• Turkey
• Greece
• UAE
• Cyprus
• Georgia
• Latvia
• Malta MPRP
• Hungary
• Portugal ARI