Residency by Investment Comparison: Key Differences Explained

What Is Residency by Investment and How Does It Work?

• Residency in safe, economically strong countries
  
  
• Family Inclusion
  
  
• Visa-free travel in the European Schengen Zone
  
  
• Minimal stay requirements
  
  
• Provide a pathway to Citizenship

It’s a distinct concept from Citizenship by Investment, in which countries confer you immediate citizenship status, allowing you to apply for a passport. In comparison, it is a typically faster process, but countries with citizenship programs tend to have weaker passports.

Residency by Investment Comparison: Key Differences to Guide Your Decision

When making a residency by investment comparison, five key factors should guide your decision: minimum investment, family inclusion, path to citizenship, stay requirements, and bureaucracy.

1. Minimum Investment & Flexibility

Residency by Investment programs can vary significantly in entry point costs. For instance, Portugal’s Golden Visa only offers one true investment route: select, government-approved funds, with the remaining options being centered around donations. Alternatively, Investment Visa offers an exclusive Portugal residency solution that generates returns and paves the path for EU citizenship.

On the other hand, Greece currently offers the EU’s most enticing residency program with a Golden Visa program that starts at €250,000, which is significantly superior to Italy’s Investor Visa, despite the same entry cost. This is because it’s also the most affordable program with a real estate investment visa, which Italy doesn’t offer as an option.

Cyprus and Malta, despite having real estate options as well, require a more substantial capital investment. Your investment capacity will be the first factor to narrow down your options.

Read more:

Real Estate Vs Funds: Which EU Golden Visa Option is the Best?

Investing in Portugal: Opportunities, Benefits, and How to Permanently Live In

The Cheapest Golden Visa Program with the Highest Upside

2. Family Inclusion

All the residency programs allow you to include most of your immediate family members of your household.

Portugal’s Golden Visa lets you include your children, your dependents and spouse. The same applies to the Greece Golden Visa, which enables you to bring your spouse, children under the age of 21 and dependent parents.

Our exclusive program allows your spouse to be included in the application with further family options.

This flexibility is vital if you're planning long-term relocation with family or future generational planning. However, in this category, Malta is the clear winner. Its Permanent Residence Programme allows up to 4 generations to be included in the application.

Read more:

The Best Golden Visas for Families

Relocating With Kids? These Are the Best Countries to Raise a Family

3. Path to Citizenship

In terms of obtaining citizenship, there’s also a clear winner: Portugal. With the shortest time to the much-coveted EU passport, it takes only 5 years from the moment the residency application is first submitted.

Greece is also a solid option, though for permanent residency rather than citizenship, as it takes seven years to apply for the passport, plus the government requires extensive knowledge of Greek and proof of integration in Greek society.

Combining this with our exclusive residency solution, you can easily get the most out of your capital, with an EU passport at its cheapest in the EU for only €155,000, which easily defeats Cyprus and Malta in terms of one-to-one residency by investment comparison. Italy doesn’t even enter the conversation, taking by far the longest at 10 years.

4. Stay Requirements

When comparing the residency programs in terms of stay requirements, they’re all the same, more or less, with very minimal requirements.

For instance, the Greece Golden Visa doesn’t ask you to spend any time in Greece; simply to maintain your investment (e.g. the property you purchased). Malta doesn’t require you to spend any time in the country either, same with Italy, and Cyprus only mandates an initial visit for a biometrics appointment.

The Portugal Golden Visa is the only one that demands you spend a bit more time in the country: a meagre stay 7 days in the first year, and 14 days every year thereafter, which is perfect for a holiday.

5. Processing Times and Bureaucracy

If you’re looking for a time-sensitive solution, Greece offers the most straight-forward solution, taking up to 6 months to get residency. Cyprus, Italy and Malta follow closely, but ultimately, considering it takes only slightly longer than the rest, for a much more affordable entrypoint, our exclusive residency solution is the clear winner.

Portugal’s Golden Visa via investment funds, however, typically takes longer, especially considering AIMA’s current problems, currently around 16 to 18 months, but also due to more extensive due diligence and fund regulation. Still, many investors see the delay as a worthwhile trade-off for the high-return potential and citizenship track it offers.

Ultimately, if speed is your deciding factor, you’ll want to weigh quick approvals against long-term benefits, and and a residency by investment comparison is the best way to start that evaluation.

Why Portugal and Greece are the Best Options in 2025 

Among all the European residency programs, Portugal and Greece stand out as the most balanced options. With minimal stay requirements, strong investment potential, and realistic paths to citizenship, both programs offer a level of flexibility and long-term value that others struggle to match.

Portugal delivers the fastest path to EU citizenship in just 5 years, backed by a transparent legal framework and stable political climate. Greece, while requiring seven years, remains an exceptional choice for those focused on potentially obtaining a higher return on investment due to property appreciation and minimal bureaucracy.

Whether you're seeking lifestyle or other benefits, these two countries consistently outperform the rest, offering not just a second residency, but a true European foothold.

How to Choose the Right Residency Program for You

Ultimately, you should choose the program based on how it benefits you. Consider the following:

• Your timeline: how long are you willing to wait?
  
  
• Desired mobility: do you just want to travel in the European Schengen Zone or go beyond?
  
  
• Family inclusivity: how many family members do you want to bring with you
  
  
• Relocation goals: are you looking to resettle permanently or just looking for a second passport?
  
  
• Investment appetite: are you looking for something hassle-free or where you’ve involved personally?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions, that’s all right. Or, if you do, but need further help in finding the right program for your need, we’re here to guide you regardless of your needs. The best advice we can give you right now, though, is to contact us as soon as possible.

CTA: Need tailored advice? Speak to an Investment Visa advisor today.