Global Investment Visa & Residency by Investment Guide 2025: Rankings, Tax Strategies & Golden Visa Funds

What Are Investment Visas & Residency by Investment?

In simple terms, an investment visa or residency by investment (RBI) program allows a foreign national to obtain the right to live in a country in exchange for a qualifying investment. That investment can be:

• a real estate purchase or long-term lease;
• an allocation to a regulated investment fund;
• a direct business investment or job-creation project;
• government bonds or donations (less common in the EU now).

Golden Visa is simply a brand name - used most prominently in Portugal, Greece, Spain and a few others - for certain RBI schemes. The underlying concept is the same: align capital deployment, mobility and long-term security.

For a macro overview of the market and numbers, see our article Investment migration reaches $30 billion - new global momentum connects tourism, culture and investment.

2025 Surge: Google Trends Data & the $30bn Market

Google Trends data for 2024-2025 show that “investment visa” and “residency by investment” are among the fastest-growing search terms in global wealth management:

*Illustrative figures based on October 2024-October 2025 trend snapshots.

In parallel, analysts estimate that the global investment migration market now exceeds $30 billion per year, with more than 80 countries offering some form of RBI or CBI structure. The real story is not only growth - it’s the shift from property to regulated funds, and from one-off purchases to portfolio construction.

We analyse the surge in the dedicated article Investment Visa 2025 - Global Surge, Top Countries, Tax Benefits & HNWI Strategies.

Types of Residency by Investment Programs (Beyond Real Estate)

While marketing often focuses on “buy a property, get a visa”, the reality is more diverse. Most RBI frameworks now sit in one of four buckets:

1. Real Estate-Focused Programs

These link residency to a minimum property purchase or lease—still common in Greece and parts of Southern Europe. They appeal to those who truly want a home in the destination country, but they concentrate risk in one illiquid asset.

2. Fund-Based & Private Equity-Linked Programs

Flagship example: Portugal. Instead of buying a flat, investors subscribe to regulated investment funds that deploy capital into diversified portfolios—private equity, venture, infrastructure or real-economy projects—while serving as the qualifying Golden Visa asset.

3. Business & Job-Creation Programs

These require setting up or expanding a local business, hitting thresholds for capital invested and jobs created. They can be powerful for active entrepreneurs but require much more involvement.

4. Donation & Bond-Based Programs

Some Caribbean citizenship-by-investment routes still use pure donations or government bonds. In the EU, pressure from Brussels has pushed structures toward real economic activity instead.

Global Ranking 2025: Best Residency by Investment Options

No single ranking fits every investor, but based on search data, policy stability, tax regimes and quality of life, a 2025 short list often includes:

1. Portugal - fund-based Golden Visa, EU, lifestyle + safety.
2. Greece - competitive property thresholds and a strong Non-Dom tax regime.
3. Italy - powerful flat-tax regime and investor visa.
4. Malta - well-established residency and citizenship options.
5. UAE - long-term visas, low taxation, business hub.
6. Spain - lifestyle-first Golden Visa and digital nomad options.
7. Caribbean CBI - for those prioritising quick citizenship over EU residency.

For a ranking focused purely on Golden Visas and RBI routes, see Best Residency and Golden Visa Programs 2025 - Global Ranking (Why Portugal Still Leads).

Why Portugal’s Fund-Based Golden Visa Became the Institutional Benchmark

Portugal used to be known for relatively low property thresholds and postcard-worthy homes in Lisbon or Porto. That era is over. After regulatory reforms, the flagship route is now the investment fund option, which:

• requires a typical minimum of €500,000 in a qualifying fund;
• uses CMVM-regulated vehicles with licensed managers and depositary banks;
• deploys capital into private companies, infrastructure, tourism, real-economy projects or innovation;
• allows a fully passive approach—no tenant management, construction risk or daily operations.

This shift has turned Portugal into the reference point for institutional-style investment visas. Instead of a speculative apartment, the qualifying asset can be a diversified portfolio—often with a clear track record and audit trail.

For an in-depth breakdown of how these funds work, read Portugal Golden Visa Investment Fund: Secure EU Residency with Passive, Regulated Returns and Why Golden Visa Funds Are Replacing Real Estate in 2025.

Greece & Italy: Real Estate, Non-Dom Tax & Competition

Google Trends data shows that Greece and Italy Golden Visas are the fastest-growing specific program searches. Two reasons stand out:

Greece - Affordable Entry + Non-Dom

Greece still allows residency with property investments from around €250,000 in certain areas, paired with a Non-Dom regime offering a flat €100,000 annual tax on global income for eligible individuals. For investors who genuinely want a Mediterranean base and see value in property, it's a clear contender.

Italy - Major Economy + Flat Tax

Italy's investor visa, combined with its well-known €100,000 flat tax on foreign income for new residents, appeals to entrepreneurs and family offices that want access to a large EU economy with a predictable top-level tax cap.

Both countries remain more property-and-tax-driven, whereas Portugal has repositioned the Golden Visa around funds and private equity.

UAE & Malta: Zero-Tax Hubs and Passport Neighbours

Outside the EU, two names keep showing up in investment visa conversations:

UAE - Long-Term Visas & Zero Tax

Dubai and Abu Dhabi anchor a model built around long-term residence visas, ease of doing business and very low direct taxation. For globally mobile entrepreneurs who don't need an EU base but want a dynamic hub, the UAE is often the default.

Malta - EU Base with Mature Residency/Citizenship Options

Malta blends EU membership, English language and stable institutions with residence and, for some, citizenship programs. It tends to appeal to those who prioritise a small, stable jurisdiction and a combination of EU rights with a tax system that can be optimised through professional planning.

Private Equity & Golden Visa Funds: The Institutional Route

One of the most important evolutions of the last decade is the convergence between:

• private equity investing; and
• residency by investment / Golden Visa programs.

Instead of using a single apartment as the qualifying asset, more sophisticated investors subscribe to regulated private equity or real-economy funds that:

• are supervised by securities regulators;
• hold diversified portfolios of companies and projects;
• have institutional governance—custodians, auditors, investment committees;
• and simultaneously qualify them for a Golden Visa.

This allows families to treat the investment visa not as a random expense, but as part of their overall private markets allocation.

For a step-by-step introduction to the asset class itself, see How to Invest in Private Equity in 2025 - Complete Beginner’s Guide.

UK & US Investors: Tax, Pensions & Fund-Based Strategies

Two groups dominate the inbound interest for EU fund-based investment visas: UK and US investors.

UK Investors

Post-Brexit, UK nationals qualify as non-EU applicants for programs like the Portugal Golden Visa. Many are:

• higher-rate or additional-rate taxpayers;
• holding significant defined-benefit or DC pensions;
• concerned about changes to UK tax policy, inheritance tax and wealth proposals.

Their planning usually combines:

• the UK-Portugal Double Tax Treaty for pension and investment income;
• a fund-based Portugal Golden Visa allocation;
• and, in legacy cases, residual benefits from the old NHR regime or its successors.

See our focused guide UK Pensions, Double Tax Treaty & Portugal Golden Visa Funds - 2025 Guide.

US Investors

Americans face a different challenge: citizenship-based taxation. Even if they move, the IRS moves with them. Yet many still pursue EU investment visas to:

• build an EU base for children and future generations;
• hedge against domestic political and fiscal uncertainty;
• diversify lifestyle and business options while keeping US structures intact.

For US investors, the emphasis is less on tax escape and more on mobility, diversification and long-term optionality.

How HNW Families Design a Multi-Country Investment Visa Strategy

At the top end, families don't just choose one program. They design a multi-country architecture:

1. Define the anchor: Where do you actually see yourself spending time (Portugal, Greece, UAE, etc.)?
2. Rank priorities: mobility, tax, schools, safety, healthcare, ease of doing business.
3. Choose the primary RBI route: often an EU country (Portugal, Greece, Italy, Malta).
4. Layer in tax strategy: Non-Dom regimes, flat-tax options, treaties and transparency.
5. Allocate capital: decide how much goes into real estate vs funds vs operational businesses.
6. Plan succession: ensure children and heirs can use the structures, not just inherit complexity.

“The question is no longer “which Golden Visa is cheapest?”. The real question is: “which jurisdiction and instrument give my family the best mix of safety, freedom and clarity for the next 20 years?”.”

FAQs - Investment Visas, Residency by Investment & Golden Visa Funds