A golden visa trades capital for residence. It makes sense when you have the money, want a second residence more than a new home, and would hold the investment anyway. It makes less sense when you plan to actually move, because ordinary residence visas get you the same permit for a fee.
Open investor routes we track
| Visa | Government fee | Processing | Money floor recorded | First permit | Permanent residence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States: E-2 Treaty Investor | $460 | 2–6 months | $100,000 | 5 yr | No PR route |
| United Arab Emirates: Golden Visa | $1,000 | 1–3 months | Not recorded | 10 yr | PR route exists |
| New Zealand: Active Investor Plus | $16,400 | 6–10 months | $3,000,000 | 5 yr | PR from grant |
- UAE Golden Visa. 10-year residence for investors, with property among the qualifying assets, and for exceptional talent with no investment at all. $1,000 fee and 1–3 months in our data. Our Golden vs Green Visa guide covers the categories.
- New Zealand Active Investor Plus. Residence from grant, with a recorded floor of about $3,000,000 (USD equivalent) and 6–10 months processing. The most expensive route here, and the only one that starts as residence.
- US E-2 Treaty Investor. About $100,000 in a business you run, for nationals of treaty countries. Renewable indefinitely but no green card. The green-card version is the EB-5: see our EB-5 guide.
Portugal: alive, without property
Portugal's investment residence permit still runs, from EUR 250,000 for cultural heritage to EUR 500,000 for fund units or a company, with a stay requirement of just 7 days in the first year and 14 in later years. Real estate no longer qualifies. Our Portugal golden visa guide has every route and its conditions from AIMA.
Closed to new applicants
- Australia Business Innovation and Investment (subclass 188A). Australia closed the Business Innovation and Investment Program to new applications on 31 July 2024. You cannot apply for a subclass 188 today. Applications lodged before that date are still being processed.
- Ireland Immigrant Investor Programme. Paused to new applications since February 2023. We keep it in our catalogue only as a reference.
Spain, Greece, Malta and Cyprus also come up in golden visa searches. Transita does not cover Greece, Malta or Cyprus, and Spain has no investor route in our catalogue, so we do not publish figures for them here.
Do you need to invest at all?
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Build my workspaceGolden visas for remote workers: usually the wrong tool
Remote workers search for golden visas because they want long, low-hassle residence. Long-stay remote work permits do that without tying up capital:
| Visa | Government fee | Published income floor | First permit | Permanent residence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates: Virtual Work Residence Visa | $300 | USD 3,500/mo (≈ $42,000/yr) | 1 yr | No PR route |
| Thailand: Long-Term Resident Visa (Work-from-Thailand Professional) | $1,470 | USD 80,000/yr (≈ $80,000/yr) | 10 yr | No PR route |
| Spain: Digital Nomad Visa | $80 | EUR 34,188/yr (≈ $37,504/yr) | 3 yr | PR after 5 years |
| Portugal: D8 Digital Nomad Visa | $250 | EUR 3,680/mo (≈ $50,607/yr) | 2 yr | PR after 5 years |
Thailand's Long-Term Resident visa for remote professionals asks for USD 80,000/yr (≈ $80,000/yr) in income and lasts up to 10 years in our data. The Spanish and Portuguese remote-work visas lead to permanent residence. A golden visa only wins if you would rather spend capital than show income, or need the right to work for local clients. More on this trade-off in remote work and retirement visas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which countries still offer golden visas in 2026?
Among the destinations we track: the UAE Golden Visa, New Zealand's Active Investor Plus, Portugal's investment residence permit (without real estate), and the US EB-5 green card. The US E-2 treaty investor visa works similarly for nationals of treaty countries. Australia's business investment visa and Ireland's investor programme are closed to new applicants.
What is the cheapest golden visa?
Of the routes we track, the US E-2, with a recorded money floor of about $100,000, though it requires treaty nationality and an active business, not a passive investment. Among true residence-by-investment programmes, Portugal's culture route at EUR 250,000 is the lowest published minimum.
Can you still get a golden visa by buying property?
In the UAE, property is one of the qualifying investments for the Golden Visa. In Portugal, real estate has been excluded since October 2023. Our Portugal golden visa guide covers what replaced it.
Is there a golden visa for remote workers?
Not as such. Golden visas are bought with capital; remote workers usually do better on a long-stay remote-work permit. Thailand's Long-Term Resident visa for remote professionals runs up to 10 years in our data, without an investment.
Do golden visas lead to citizenship?
Some do, slowly. Portugal's permit leads to permanent residence and naturalisation under the general rules. New Zealand's Active Investor Plus grants residence from the start. The UAE Golden Visa is long-term residence, and UAE citizenship is not a realistic goal for most people.
official sources: E-2 · uscis.gov·Golden Residence · u.ae·AIP · immigration.govt.nz·SC 188A · immi.homeaffairs.gov.au·IIP · irishimmigration.ie·Remote Work Residence · gdrfad.gov.ae·LTR (WFTP) · ltr.boi.go.th·Ley de Startups (Art. 74-78) · exteriores.gob.es·D8 · vistos.mne.gov.pt