Have your heart set on moving abroad—but put off by the mountainous paperwork and frustrating delays of traditional visa applications? For those with savings to spare, “golden visas” can provide a short-cut for Americans to live and work in countries like Portugal, Thailand, and Panama—and some even provide pathways to second citizenship.
Formally known as residence-by-investment programs, golden visas provide legal residence rights—that is, the right to live, work, study, and receive healthcare—to foreign applicants who make a defined economic contribution to the host country, whether through a real estate purchase, philanthropic donation, or other type of investment.
Golden visas and passports can be controversial, especially those that encourage wealthy expats to buy up local homes. “In some countries, residents think the schemes are corrupt, in some they are baffled as to who would want to buy their citizenship, and in others like Saint Kitts they can be very defensive about the schemes and recognize their contribution to the economy,” Dr. Kristin Surak, an Assistant Professor in Sociology at LSE who studies golden passports and visas, explained in a blog post.
While some countries, such as Spain, are in the process of shutting down their residency by investment programs, there’s been a recent surge in American golden visa applicants, according to Henley & Partners, an investment migration advisory firm.
“The spike in interest and applications from US nationals for alternative residence and citizenship has continued unabated after a record-breaking year in 2024,” a Henley & Partners spokesperson tells Condé Nast Traveler, citing a nearly 60% increase in applications since 2023, which itself was an unprecedented year for the firm. And compared to the number of applications from 2019, interest in second residencies and citizenships has skyrocketed over 1000% in just five years, the firm says.
Some of the most popular golden visas among American applicants—including Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Malta—allow holders to travel freely within Europe’s Schengen Area. Other popular countries ranked within the top 10 offer a more affordable cost of living and warmer climes, such as Thailand and Panama.
Below, see the top 30 golden visa programs as recommended by Henley & Partners, in addition to a breakdown of the 10 golden visas that Americans applied to most in 2024 and how to apply. Exact requirements such as employment status, age, and residence requirements vary from country to country.
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The top 30 golden visas
- Australia National Innovation Visa Program
- Austria Private Residence Program
- Canada Start-Up Visa Program
- Canada Quebec Investor Immigration Program
- Costa Rica Residence by Investment Program
- Cyprus Permanent Residence Program
- Greece Golden Visa Program
- Hong Kong Visa Programs
- Hungary Guest Investor Program
- Italy Residence by Investment Program
- Jersey Residence by Investment
- Latvia Residence by Investment Program
- Luxembourg Residence by Investment Program
- Malaysia My Second Home Program
- Malaysia Premium Visa Program
- Malta Permanent Residence Programme
- Mauritius Residence by Investment Program
- Monaco Residence
- Montenegro Residence
- Namibia Residence by Investment
- New Zealand Active Investor Plus Visa Program
- Panama Residence by Investment Program
- Portugal Golden Residence Permit Program
- Singapore Global Investor Program
- Spain Residence by Investment Program
- Swiss Residence Program
- Thailand Residence by Investment Program
- UAE Residence by Investment
- UK Innovator Founder Program
- US EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program