How to Get European Citizenship as an Investor

Residency and citizenship by investment programs have become viable alternatives for those seeking to relocate to various countries. There are many countries that offer golden visas in return for significant investments, however, European countries are among the most sought at the moment.

There are several ways of relocating to a European country and obtaining residency or citizenship, however gaining citizenship as an investor is more and more appealing to non-EU citizens interested in doing business in the European Union.

Below, our golden visa immigration specialists explain how foreign citizens can obtain EU citizenship as investors. We can help those who want to acquire European citizenship by investment in some of the most important destinations of the moment. We can offer tailored support to access any golden visa program.

What are the countries offering European citizenship by investment in 2026?

Also known as the Old Continent, Europe offers many investment opportunities especially within the EU area which has a very important advantage: unified legislation when it comes to investments and regulations.

When seeking to obtain European citizenship by investment in 2026, it is important to make a clear distinction between the countries which have enabled golden visa programs under which residency can be acquired first, followed by citizenship and the countries which offer European citizenship directly.

The countries in which one can directly enter a golden visa program are Greece which is one of the countries whose Golden Visa (in place since 2013) grants residence, not citizenship. Malta is another small country that offered European citizenship by investment until the CJEU struck its scheme down on 29 April 2025; today it offers residence through the Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP).

If you want to buy a golden visa and obtain residence by investment in Malta or Greece, our immigration advisors are at your disposal for guidance in applying for golden passports.

You and your family can move to any of the available citizenship by investment countries legally if you make the necessary investment and apply for residency or passport. Depending on your state of choice, you are able to live, attend school, and obtain medical treatment under very advantageous conditions, not to mention the tax benefits you can be entitled to.

Obtain European citizenship as an investor in Cyprus

Those who want to buy golden passports and acquire residence by investment in Cyprus (citizenship by investment was abolished on 1 November 2020) need to comply with a few requirements and must make specific investments.

The following requirements need to be met in order to obtain permanent residence as an investor in Cyprus:

the program is dedicated to non-EU citizens only, and no Schengen visa is required;
the applicant must have a clean criminal record upon the submission of the application with the Cypriot authorities.
the minimum investment criteria to be satisfied is an investment of at least EUR 300,000 (plus VAT), typically in new real estate in Cyprus, together with a secured annual income of at least EUR 50,000;
the applicant is required to submit proof that the funds to be invested have been lawfully obtained.

We can provide more information on the golden visa/citizenship by investment in Cyprus.

Obtain EU citizenship by investment in Malta

Another country which offered direct European citizenship by investment was Malta, but the CJEU struck the scheme down on 29 April 2025 (Case C-181/23) and Malta removed the investment route from its Citizenship Act in July 2025. Those who want to buy a golden visa in Malta with the purpose of obtaining European citizenship had to meet the following requirements (former Individual Investor Programme, closed in 2020):

a minimum investment of 650,000 euros must be deposited with the National Development Fund;
another 150,000 euros must be invested in financial instruments approved by the Maltese government;
buy a property in Malta – the minimum value of the real estate is 350,000 euros;
in case of bringing other family members, 25,000 euros (spouse, minor children) or 50,000 euros (other dependants) had to be pledged to National Development Fund;
the investment must be maintained for a minimum period of 5 years with a minimum residency period of 1 year.

Even if most foreign citizens seek to obtain European citizenship by investment in 2026 in countries which offer this option directly, there are countries that offer permanent residency which also lead to European citizenship under very advantageous conditions. Among these golden visa countries, we mention Greece and Portugal (the Irish and UK investor programmes have closed).

Move to Portugal in 2026

One of the most appreciated European residence by investment schemes for 2026 remains the Portuguese Golden Visa program. Since the program’s October 2012 inception, over 12,000 individuals have submitted applications for a golden visa.

Significant changes were made to Portugal’s golden visa application process in October 2023. Real estate investment is not one of the accessible investment possibilities in the country, according to the government. Foreigners can now invest in:

specific investment funds (the sum cannot be less than EUR 500,000);
business setup with the creation of permanent employment roles;
research projects run by public or private research organizations, of at least 500,000 euros.
provide funding (starting at 250,000 euros) for projects aimed at conserving or restoring the nation’s cultural heritage.
establish a business with at least 5 employees and authorized capital of at least EUR 500,000.

Choosing a suitable country for European citizenship by investment in 2026

Moving to a European country with the purpose of moving to citizenship by investment countries implies several steps. First of all, it should be noted that the UK is no longer part of the European Union, therefore, those targeting EU states must shift their attention to other member countries. Among these, Portugal (fund route), Greece and Italy remain some of the most appealing, as Ireland (2023) and Spain (2025) have closed their investor programmes.

If you have any questions on obtaining European citizenship through investment in 2026, we have teams of agents in most countries and they can provide you with information on each program.

How many immigrants live in Europe?

As of January 1^st, 2024, the immigrant population in the EU was younger than the national one. The distribution by age group reveals that the share of young working-age individuals (ages 20 to 49) in the non-national population is higher than that of nationals. Data indicates that:

men between the ages of 20 and 49 made up 29% of the non-national population, compared to 18% of the national population;
women between the ages of 20 and 49 made up 27% of the non-national population, compared to 17% of the national population.

3.5 million first-residence permits were granted to non-EU nationals by all EU member states in 2024. This represents an 8% drop from 2023.

Please contact us if you need more information on citizenship by investment countries.