Programs · 18 countries
Residence by investment in property
18 countries grant a residence permit for buying property. Several more programs exist, but property does not qualify under them — the table shows which. Each row cites the relevant law and the date we checked it against the primary source.
Countries in the program
18
property qualifies
Lowest threshold
$100k
Egypt
Residence permit programs compared
| Country | Threshold | Terms and restrictions | Source | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt | $100,000 — paid via an Egyptian bank | Ownership contract registered with the Egyptian notary; covers spouse and children. | Ministry of Interior of Egypt, Passports, Immigration and Nationality Administration → checked on Nov 4, 2026 | Eligible homes → |
| Georgia | $150,000 — short-term permit and D5 visa; non-agricultural property | Market value must be set by a certified appraiser from an accredited body. The permit runs one year at a time and ends if you sell the property. | Law of Georgia No. 863-IIMS-XIMP of 26 June 2025 (amending the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens and Stateless Persons) Legislative Herald of Georgia (matsne.gov.ge) →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | Eligible homes → |
| Montenegro | €150,000 — taxable base in the local property-transfer-tax assessment | EU, EEA and Swiss citizens are exempt. Renewal requires proof that taxes were paid during the permit's term. | Zakon o izmjenama i dopunama Zakona o strancima («Sl. list CG», br. 3/2026), čl. 24 i 89 (čl. 56, 217b) Official Gazette of Montenegro (sluzbenilist.me) →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | Eligible homes → |
| Panama | 200,000 PAB — real estate (local mortgage allowed)200,000 PAB — 3-year fixed deposit | Only for citizens of listed countries (about 50, including the US, EU states and Canada). A job offer is an alternative. A two-year provisional permit comes first. | Decreto Ejecutivo 197 de 7 de mayo de 2021, mod. Decreto Ejecutivo 226 de 20 de julio de 2021 (G.O. 29335) Gaceta Oficial Digital de Panamá, N° 29335 (21.07.2021) →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | |
| Qatar | 730,000 QAR — residence3,650,000 QAR — permanent-resident benefits | Cabinet Decision No. 21 of 2026 amending Cabinet Decision No. 28 of 2020 Official Gazette of Qatar, 2026 (scan on aqarat.gov.qa) →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | Eligible homes → | |
| Paraguay | $200,000 — real estate used for economic activity$70,000 — industry, trade or services, plus 5 formal jobs and a business plan$150,000 — tourism projects$200,000 — financial instruments held at least 2 years | Property must be used for economic activity; a home for personal or family use is excluded. Set by Ministry of Industry and Commerce Resolution 0283/2026, which governs the foreign investor certificate. The resolution text itself was not retrieved; the 21 April date comes from secondary sources, with the official announcement on 22 April 2026. | Resolución MIC N.º 0283/2026 REDIEX / Ministerio de Industria y Comercio →based on secondary sources checked on Nov 4, 2026 | |
| Turkey | $200,000 — a home, lira equivalent at purchase date, all of Turkey | Residential property only, used as your own home and not let out. Value is taken from the title-deed price; valuation reports are accepted only for inherited or gifted homes. | Law No. 6458, Art. 31(1)(b) and 31(6) (added by Law No. 7533 of 21 Nov 2024); Presidency of Migration Management document requirements for short-term residence permits (kısa dönem ikamet izni) Göç İdaresi, «Kısa dönem ikamet izni başvurularında istenen belgeler» (PDF, 18.03.2025) →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | Eligible homes → |
| Greece | €800,000 — all of Attica, Thessaloniki regional unit, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with over 3,100 residents€400,000 — rest of Greece€250,000 — conversion of commercial or industrial buildings to residential use; listed buildings | One property only, with at least 120 m² of main living space under the standard tiers. Short-term and holiday letting is prohibited; breaches mean losing the permit and a €50,000 fine. | Ν. 5100/2024, άρθρο 64 (ΦΕΚ Α' 49/05.04.2024) — αντικατάσταση άρθρου 100 ν. 5038/2023 Housing Policy Portal of the Hellenic Republic (stegasi.gov.gr), official government portal →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | Eligible homes → |
| Thailand | 10,000,000 THB — condo purchase, Thai bank deposit or government bonds, alone or combined | The condo must be registered in the applicant's name at the Land Office. Stays are renewed one year at a time at the local immigration office. Foreigners who entered before 1 October 2006 and have kept renewing on a THB 3 million investment are grandfathered at the old level. We could not locate the order's official text. | Royal Thai Police Order No. 327/2557 (30 June 2014) Tilleke & Gibbins (secondary source) →based on secondary sources checked on Nov 4, 2026 | Eligible homes → |
| Bulgaria change pending | 600,000 BGN — per applicant; about EUR 306,775 at the fixed rate | The full price must pass through a licensed Bulgarian bank, with any outstanding loan below 25%. The purchase can also go through a Bulgarian company you own more than 50% of. This is renewable long-term residence, not permanent residence. Pending: Bill to restate Foreigners Act thresholds in euro. A government bill filed on 28 July 2026 restates the lev amounts in euro at the fixed conversion rate after the euro changeover; the thresholds themselves do not change. It had not been confirmed as passed. source → | Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act, Article 24(1)(19) (State Gazette No. 16 of 2013) Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act, consolidated text (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria) →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | Eligible homes → |
| Cyprus | €300,000 — house or apartment bought new from a developer, plus VAT€300,000 — other real estate (offices, shops, hotels), resale allowed€300,000 — share capital of a Cyprus company with 5 staff, or Cyprus fund units | Secure foreign income of €50,000 a year plus €15,000 for a spouse and €10,000 per minor child. Selling the investment without replacing it cancels the permit, and parents or adult children over 25 can no longer be added. Fourth revision of the criteria, in force since 2 May 2023. | Regulation 6(2) Aliens and Immigration Regulations; Criteria, 4th Revision, May 2023 Civil Registry and Migration Department of Cyprus (page dated 29 December 2025) →based on secondary sources checked on Nov 4, 2026 | Eligible homes → |
| Mauritius | $375,000 — apartment in a building of at least ground plus two floors, with EDB approval | Non-citizens may buy such apartments from MUR 6 million, but residence comes only with a single unit worth US$375,000 or more. | Finance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2021 (Act No. 15 of 2021), s. 37 — inserting new s. 5(1)(ga) of the Immigration Act Mauritius Revenue Authority, Government Gazette No. 121 of 5 August 2021 →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | |
| Malta | €375,000 — home purchase in Malta or Gozo€14,000 — annual rent | The cheaper south-of-Malta and Gozo tier was scrapped. Applicants show €500,000 in assets (€150,000 financial) or €650,000 (€75,000 financial). | L.N. 310 of 2024, Malta Permanent Residence Programme (Amendment No. 2) Regulations, 2024 Residency Malta Agency →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | |
| Oman | 200,000 OMR — any route, including property in tourism zones | Property counts only in designated tourism zones (Integrated Tourism Complexes); secondary sources say completed units only. | Oman Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, 13 September 2025; omanresidence.gov.om → checked on Nov 4, 2026 | Eligible homes → |
| UAE | 2,000,000 AED — one or more properties | Mortgages from approved local banks and off-plan purchases from approved developers count. A lien is registered for the life of the permit and the property cannot be sold during it. | Executive Regulations of Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021 on Entry and Residence of Foreigners UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 19 April 2022; GDRFA Dubai — Issuing a golden residence permit (investors) →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | Eligible homes → |
| Indonesia | $1,000,000 — purchase of a flat or apartment in Indonesia$130,000 — deposit in the applicant's own account at a state-owned bank | The commitment must be met within 90 days and kept for the life of the permit. Landed houses are not listed. The Director General may revise the amounts. | Minister of Law and Human Rights Regulation No. 22 of 2023 on Visas and Stay Permits, Art. 56 (State Gazette 2023 No. 651) Ditjen Imigrasi, E33 Visa Rumah Kedua →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | Eligible homes → |
| Saudi Arabia | 4,000,000 SAR — completed residential property | Residential and completed only, never mortgaged or financed, valued by a TAQEEM valuer; recent guidance says it must lie in designated areas. The law amendment is in the official gazette; the SAR 4 million floor was announced by the Premium Residency Center on 10 January 2024 and is confirmed here only via press coverage. | Council of Ministers Decision No. 437 of 06/06/1445 AH amending the Premium Residency Law (Royal Decree No. M/106 of 1440 AH) Umm al-Qura, 10.01.2024 →based on secondary sources checked on Nov 4, 2026 | Eligible homes → |
| Serbia | no minimum amount | Only residential buildings and flats that you live in qualify, and the general conditions (means of support, health insurance) apply. | Zakon o strancima («Sl. glasnik RS», br. 24/2018, 31/2019, 62/2023), čl. 40 st. 1 tač. 10 i čl. 54 Text of the Law on Foreigners (consolidated version, paragraf.rs) →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | |
| Latvia | property not eligible | Buying property no longer qualifies. The permit is issued for up to five years. Adopted on 20 August 2026, the law replaced the previous Immigration Law. Holders of earlier permits can apply again if they still meet the old conditions. | Imigrācijas likums (pieņemts 20.08.2026), 27. panta pirmās daļas 36. punkts; pārejas noteikumu 10. punkts likumi.lv →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | |
| Hungary | property not eligible | Fund units must stay in a blocked securities sub-account for at least five years. The permit lasts up to 10 years and can be extended for up to 10 more. Act LXXXIV of 2024, adopted on 17 December 2024, rewrote the investment list; the change took effect on 30 December 2024 under the act's general commencement rule. | 2024. évi LXXXIV. törvény 135. § (2) National Legislation Database of Hungary (njt.jog.gov.hu) →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | Properties → |
| Portugal | property not eligible | Since 7 October 2023 neither property nor a plain capital transfer qualifies; funds, research, culture and job-creating businesses remain. Existing permits can still be renewed. | Lei n.º 56/2023, de 6 de outubro (Mais Habitação) Lisbon Regional Attorney General's Office (PGDL) - current Article 3 of Law 23/2007 →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | Properties → |
| Italy | property not eligible | The May 2020 relief decree halved the company and start-up thresholds; the bond and donation levels were unchanged. | D.L. 19 maggio 2020, n. 34, art. 38, c. 10 Brocardi.it (text of the law) →based on secondary sources checked on Nov 4, 2026 | Properties → |
| USA | property not eligible | This is a non-refundable gift, not an investment; property does not count. A $15,000 filing fee applies per secondary sources. Executive Order 14351 of 19 September 2025. USCIS released Form I-140G in December 2025. A lawsuit filed in February 2026 in D.C. federal court challenges the programme; no merits ruling found as of November 2026. | Executive Order 14351 of September 19, 2025 «The Gold Card», 90 FR 46031 Federal Register via GovInfo →based on secondary sources checked on Nov 4, 2026 | Properties → |
| Argentina | property not eligible | Requires an investment project reviewed by the immigration authority with a ministry opinion; a personal home purchase does not count. The peso amount has not been indexed since 2010 and is now nominal; officials assess the project on its merits. Signed on 3 May 2010, the decree took effect 60 days after publication in the Official Bulletin. | Decreto 616/2010, reglamentación del art. 23 inc. d) de la Ley 25.871 InfoLEG (Ministerio de Justicia) →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | |
| Spain | program closed | The law emptied every investor-visa article, so no investment route remains. Applications filed before 3 April 2025 are decided under the old rules, and existing permits are renewed on their original terms. | Ley Orgánica 1/2025, de 2 de enero, disposición final vigesimoprimera (BOE 03.01.2025) BOE →checked on Nov 4, 2026 | Properties → |
What is residence by investment?
Residence by investment in property (often called a Golden Visa) is a government program that grants a foreign national the right of long-term residence in return for buying residential or commercial property above a set amount.
Most programs require you to keep the investment for as long as the residence permit is valid (usually 5 years) and extend visa-free entry to family members as well.
The rules change often, so each row in the table cites the relevant law and the date we checked it against the primary source, and changes that have been adopted but are not yet in force are marked separately. We do not hide programs under which buying a home does not qualify — they are in the same table, marked accordingly.
Questions and answers
Which countries grant residence for buying property?
Currently 18 countries: Egypt — from $100,000, Georgia — from $150,000, Montenegro — from €150,000, Panama — from 200,000 PAB, Qatar — from 730,000 QAR, Paraguay — from $200,000, Turkey — from $200,000, Greece — from €250,000, Thailand — from 10,000,000 THB, Bulgaria — from 600,000 BGN, Cyprus — from €300,000, Mauritius — from $375,000, Malta — from €375,000, Oman — from 200,000 OMR, UAE — from 2,000,000 AED, Indonesia — from $1,000,000, Saudi Arabia — from 4,000,000 SAR, Serbia — no minimum amount. Thresholds are given in the currency of the law.
Where is the lowest residence threshold for buying property?
Egypt: from $100,000. This is the lowest threshold among the countries where buying a home qualifies. No minimum amount: Serbia.
Where does a program exist but buying a home does not grant residence?
Latvia, Hungary, Portugal, Italy, USA, Argentina. What qualifies instead of a home is shown in the table, in the “Terms and restrictions” column.
Which residence programs are closed?
Spain — since 2025.
Which changes have already been announced?
Bulgaria: Bill to restate Foreigners Act thresholds in euro. Until a change takes effect, the table shows the rule currently in force.
How does residence differ from citizenship by investment?
A residence permit gives the right to live in the country; citizenship gives its passport. Citizenship programs for property buyers are compared on the Citizenship by investment page.
How up to date is the data?
We check the rows of the table against the law or the agency's website. Last checked: Nov 4, 2026. For 6 countries the fact is confirmed only by secondary sources — those rows are marked.
Related tools
What else is useful when applying for a residence permit