How to Obtain European Union Citizenship: Residence Routes

The European Union is very appealing thanks to the unified legislation system which makes it easier for entrepreneurs to understand and use when setting up companies here. Moreover, most EU countries offer residence by investment programs (no EU country currently sells citizenship) through which non-EU foreign businesspersons and high net worth individuals can acquire European Union citizenship.

Below, our specialists in the golden visa program provide some useful information on how to obtain European Union citizenship. We can help you apply for citizenship by investment in some of the world and EU’s quoted countries.

What are the countries in which EU citizenship can be obtained in 2026?

One of the best aspects of being an EU member state is that the legislation available at the entire Community level has inspired many countries to enable a golden visa program.

Those who want to buy a golden visa and obtain European Union citizenship can choose any of the countries mentioned below:

Cyprus, which abolished its citizenship by investment in November 2020 but still offers a residence program for non-EU high net worth individuals;
Malta, which is one of the most performant small countries within the European Union;
Ireland, whose Immigrant Investor Programme closed on 15 February 2023, which remained in the European Union after the United Kingdom left the EU in 2020;
Greece which offers residence (not citizenship) by investment;
Portugal which is one of the most appealing golden visa destinations in the entire Europe, not just the EU;
Italy is very appealing for investors interested in obtaining EU citizenship under advantageous conditions.

Austria, Belgium and Hungary do not sell citizenship; Hungary offers residence through its Guest Investor Program (2024).

You can rely on our golden visa consultants if you want to acquire European citizenship by investment in one of the countries in the enumeration above.

European Union member countries’ conditions for citizenship by investment

European Union member states individually provide European golden visas. They allow foreign investors to obtain a temporary residence visa that may be extended as long as the investment, which is frequently made in real estate, is upheld. These allow travel throughout the Schengen area without a visa. Your required investment will depend on the package you select. For instance, the minimum in Portugal is €250,000 (cultural projects), as real estate no longer qualifies. Spain abolished its golden visa on 3 April 2025. Every EU golden visa scheme has its own specifications and costs. If you get in touch with us, we’ll tell you more about the specifics.

An important aspect to consider when seeking to obtain EU citizenship by investment is that the European Parliament has issued various documents with respect to the policies enabled by member states offering these programs.

The Parliament includes here all the programs which provide for citizenship or residence by investment schemes in order for foreign business people and high net worth individuals to understand that they can acquire golden passports, not only a member state’s citizenship.

These programs usually target:

foreign citizens from non-EU countries only (this was the main reason for the creation of such programs);
the individual applying for EU citizenship must make a significant investment in return for residency or citizenship;
the investments take various forms, in accordance with the country’s specific regulations in this sense;
the procedure to be completed for obtaining citizenship by investment is clear and has strict regulations with respect to the provenience of the funds;
some programs do not impose the applicants to live in the country they want to obtain citizenship in.

Citizenship by investment countries have its own regulations in relation to the type of investment to be made and whether it must be an active or passive one.

If you are interested in obtaining European Union citizenship by investment in a specific country, our golden visa advisors can offer personalized support in the matter.

Our consultants can also help those who want to buy golden visas in other countries, such as the United States.

Investments available for European Union citizenship in 2026

Golden visa countries have the liberty of imposing their own regulations with respect to the amount of money and the types of assets to invest in, governments know it is in their best interest to offer advantageous conditions.

Most of the EU countries offering residence by investment schemes provide for investments to be made in real estate, in government-issued or approved financial instruments, creating new businesses or investing in existing ones.

Obtaining European Union citizenship in 2026 often implies creating jobs and supporting the economy of a country.

Among the advantages of citizenship by investment countries is the possibility of visa-free travels in all the states of the Union and the Schengen area and the possibility of immigrating with family members.

The most prolific EU countries in 2026

Choosing a state to relocate and apply for European Union citizenship in 2026 can be difficult. It can be difficult to decide for one country, however, what is important to note is that moving to one EU country will lead to EU citizenship.

Families, businesspeople, and investors are choosing to live in Malta in large numbers. It is the perfect place for foreign investment because of its advantageous location, excellent standard of living, and stable political environment.

Renting a home or purchasing real estate are the two accepted methods for earning the right of residence through investment in Malta.

The minimum sum of money must be invested:

EUR 375,000 anywhere in Malta, including for the purchase of a home in Gozo or the southern part of Malta;
EUR 14,000 a year for a rental home, including in Gozo or the southern part of Malta, and the same over the entire island.

The Golden Visa in Portugal

After discussions to terminate the program, the government decided to revamp the Golden Visa Scheme and adapt it so that it attracts foreigners interested in other investments than real estate. This is why, property acquisition was abolished giving leeway to other possibilities. Among these are:

investment in research activities;
investment in art and cultural heritage;
business setup with the creation of jobs.

The new provisions were introduced by Law 56/2023 amending the Aliens Act (Law 23/2007), which also stipulates that after maintaining the investment for a minimum period of 5 years, the applicant becomes eligible for permanent residence (citizenship now requires 10 years of legal residence under the 2026 Nationality Law amendment).

It should also be noted that for applicants who started the visa application procedure before the new regulations were set in place, the conditions have not changed.

If you are considering applying for golden visa/citizenship by investment in 2026, you can rely on the advice of our agents.

The new Greek Golden Visa scheme

Starting on August 31^st, 2024, Greece’s Golden Visa program saw substantial modifications, including the introduction of a tiered investment system, as follows:

the entire Attica region (including Athens), Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, and 32 other well-known islands like Crete and Corfu are among the high-demand areas and require a minimum investment of EUR 800,000);
for all other Greek areas, the minimum investment amount is EUR 400,000;
for the restoration of historically significant properties or the conversion of commercial properties to residential use, the minimum amount required is EUR 250,000.

Also, new rules require residential homeowners to invest in a single property that is at least 120 square meters in size. Additionally, houses that have been purchased cannot be utilized for short-term rentals.

If you are interested in obtaining European Union citizenship, do not hesitate to contact us. Also, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to send them to us.