Golden Visa for EU offers a very fast, safe, and easy way to get European citizenship. With this program you can live, work and travel in 28 European countries without requiring a visa. The Golden Visa is available to investors and people with special talents.A Golden visa is a residency permit given by the countries in Europe. It allows the person who has it to live in these countries without any problem or obstruction. This requires the applicant to make a huge investment in on of these countries and then they are eligible for this visa. The advantage of this golden visa is that once it is obtained it can never be taken away with no matter what happens. Also, you have to live within the country that you have invested in for at least six months out of a year before you are considered a tax resident.

Golden Visa For Eu

Welcome to the Morocco Golden Visa program. This guide can be your assistance in applying for a residence in the Kingdom of Morocco through real estate investment. Since 2013, the Government of Morocco has launched this new program which offers a residence permit for a minimum real estate investment of €350,000.

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European Golden Visas – How to Get EU Permanent Residence by Investment

What Is a Golden Visa?

A “Golden Visa” is an immigration program that grants wealthy individuals a residence permit in a foreign country in return for a substantial investment. A “Golden Passport“, on the other hand, is a program that grants someone the citizenship and the passport of the county in which they have invested. In both instances, the investor is (usually) not required to live full-time in the country in which they have invested.

To be eligible for a Golden Visa or Golden Passport in Europe, your investment should be quite large; ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars. Considering the amount of money involved and the fact the investment is in a foreign country, it can be overwhelming.

Fortunately, consultancy companies, such as La Vida – Golden Visas, are a great resource when it comes to golden visa programs, since they have a range of experts on hand, offering consultations on international accountancy, investment property, and residency and citizenship abroad. Most potential investors abroad will need all these experts either way, so it’s probably easier to just have them all in the same place.

European Golden Visa

You will receive a European Golden Visa if you purchase a property or make a large investment in a European country. EU Golden Visas are issued in the form of a temporary residence permit, which can be renewed continuously for as long as you maintain your investment (or until you become eligible for permanent residency). The EU Member States that issue Golden Visas or investment programs include Spain, Greece, and Malta as some of the most popular.

You do not always have to live in the EU State to keep renewing your residence permit. However, to obtain permanent residence or citizenship, most States will require actual residency

Citizenship is not guaranteed if you receive a Golden Visa. In order to receive citizenship in a certain EU State via a Golden Visa, you must spend a specific amount of time actually living there. Requirements for citizenship by investment depend on each State separately, but you are usually looking at about seven to ten years of continuous residency.

European Golden Passport

Golden Passport programs are a facilitated way of obtaining an EU passport in return for an investment. Investors who are part of Golden Passport schemes do not need to live in the EU State in which they invested in order to obtain citizenship, but EU citizenship is not instantaneous. For example, Portugal (which is one of the most popular Golden Passport schemes in Europe) only grants citizenship five years after the initial investment.

Portugal and Bulgaria are the only EU Member States which offer the possibility of a second passport to investors who are not full-time residents.

Requirements for a Golden Visa or Golden Passport

The eligibility requirements for a Golden Visa or Golden Passport are different from country to country, but generally include the following:

You must own the money intended for investment
The money must have been acquired legally
You must have no history of criminal records
You must be able to sustain yourself and your family members for the period of time you intend to live in the EU State.

Do the Same Conditions Apply to Family Members?

Yes, in most cases, a Golden Visa or Passport is issued to the main investor, as well as their immediate family members (spouse and children).

How Much Investment Is Required for a Golden Visa?

The amount of money you have to invest to be eligible for a Golden Visa depends on the country.

Some countries, such as Spain, Portugal, or Greece offer residence by investing in real estate, companies, government bonds, or certain industries in the country. In these cases, the amount of money required for investments usually does not exceed €500,000.

On the other hand, there are EU countries such as Switzerland, Italy, and Austria which require a much more active investment method, such as creating job opportunities. Investment requirements in these countries are higher.

The experts at La Vida – Golden Visas will guide you in the right direction on exactly what type of investment is the best for you.

Can You Get a Loan to Pay for a Golden Visa?

No, you cannot. If you intend to make an investment as a means of obtaining residency, you will need to prove that the money being invested is actually in your name, so no loans are allowed.

However, if you intend to purchase a property, a mortgage may be allowed, depending on the country. You still have to pay the minimum amount of money required upfront, and for anything over the minimum required amount, you can get a mortgage or loan. But remember, the exact rules change from country to country, so this may not always be true.

Which EU Countries Offer Golden Visas and Investment Schemes?

EU countries that offer Golden Visas, Golden Passports, and other residency-by-investment schemes are:

Spain
Portugal
Greece
Italy
Malta
Switzerland
Austria
Belgium
Germany
Bulgaria
Ireland

Comparison between the most popular EU Golden Visa programs

	Portugal	Spain	Greece	Malta	Bulgaria
Minimum investment	€250,000	€500,000	€250,000	€600,000	€512,000
Investment options	Real estate, investment fund, or capital transfer.	Real estate, the Spanish public debt, or company investment.	Real estate, capital transfer, or investment bonds.	National development fund.	Private equity funds, venture capital funds, real estate investment companies, stocks/shares.
Residency requirements to renew residence permit	Seven to fourteen days per year.	No residency requirements	No residency requirements.	No residency requirements.	No residency requirements.
Citizenship	After five years. No residency requirements.	After ten years of residency.	After seven years of residency.	After one year of residency.	After 18 months. No residency requirements.
Family members included	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Investment holding time	At least five years.	At least five years.	At least five years.	At least five years.	4 – 6.5 years, depending on the investment.
Visa-free travel to EU/Schengen Zone	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Spain

The most common method of getting a Spanish Golden Visa is by investing in real estate. You need to purchase a property amounting to at least €500,000.

Conditions

To be eligible for a Spain Golden visa, you must make one of the following investments:

Invest in real estate amounting to at least €500,000
Invest in shares in a Spanish company or bank deposits of at least €1 million.
Invest in Spanish public debt, at least €2 million.

Benefits

There is no minimum stay requirement
All family members can make use of visa-free travel in Schengen
If you decide to live in Spain, you can get permanent residence in five years, and citizenship and an EU passport in ten years

>> Spain Golden Visa – Invest in Spain and Get the Residence Permit

Portugal

If you invest in Portugal, you can obtain a Golden Passport in as little as five years – without the need to actually reside in the country. After you finalize your investment, you initially receive a residence permit, which can be extended up to five years, after which you become eligible for citizenship.