Unlock the Door to Dream Retirement With a Golden Visa—See How It Works

Gaining residency and moving to a new country can be the dream of a lifetime and you can do just that in Golden Visa programs available in countries around the world. It won’t be cheap, however.

Golden Visa programs require a significant economic investment into the country where you’ll be living, but they can be a great way to live abroad if you can afford it.

What Is a Golden Visa?

A Golden Visa allows you to gain residency in a country after making a large investment in the country’s economy. The amount of the investment varies by country.

Golden Visa investment options include real estate, business development, a bank deposit, government bonds, and investment funds.

Many Golden Visa programs include family members so you’re free to include them on your application.

What Countries Have Golden Visas?

More than 100 countries around the globe offer Golden Visa programs and more than 60% of EU member countries have active programs. Countries with popular Golden Visa programs include Greece, Portugal, Italy, Malta, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

How Much Do Golden Visas Cost?

The price of an investment into a Golden Visa program varies by country. Portugal’s Golden Visa program comes with a price tag as high as $500,000 Euros, Italy and Greece require investments of 250,000 Euros in their Golden Visa programs.

President Donald Trump announced a $5 million Golden Visa program for the United States in February 2025, called a Gold Card.

How Do I Apply for a Golden Visa?

If you want to apply for a Golden Visa, you must first decide on an investment in the country where you’re looking to gain residency. Will you buy real estate, make a business investment, or purchase government bonds?

You’ll also have to provide several documents, including a passport, health insurance, proof of your investment, and proof that you can support yourself financially. You’ll have to go through a series of background checks.

How long do you have to wait after submitting your Golden Visa application? You’ll receive a response within six months or less from most programs. Some applications are processed as quickly as a couple of months.

Not every country is swift with managing Golden Visa applications, however. Wait time for applicants to Portugal stretches to about two years.

The Bottom Line

An international retirement may be within your reach if you qualify for a Golden Visa and receive residency in the country where you’d like to live. You’ll have to spend a good deal of money, however. Golden Visas require making investments into the country that can range from hundreds of thousands of dollars to millions depending on the country you choose.

The investment can be real estate, government bonds, a bank deposit, or investment funds. A Golden Visa program may be just the way to gain residency in another country if this is something you can financially handle.