Residence or citizenship by investment

Investment migration programmes give a residence status or a citizenship in return for a qualifying investment or contribution. This directory lists agents and advisory firms that work on these programmes.

Two different routes

• Residence by investment, often called a golden visa, gives a residence permit. You do not become a citizen.
• Citizenship by investment (CBI) gives citizenship and a passport.

The rights, the obligations and the checks are different for each route. Some residence permits can count towards citizenship later, and some cannot. Always read the current official page for the programme.

Programmes change and close

Governments change their programmes, and some programmes close. The site's guides record these examples, checked on 2026-11-01:

• Malta repealed its MEIN citizenship scheme in July 2025 (Act XXI of 2025). Its MPRP residence programme was open on 2026-11-01.
• Spain ended its investor residence routes in April 2025 (Organic Law 1/2025).
• Portugal removed real estate investment from its ARI golden visa in October 2023 (Lei 56/2023).

An old article, an old brochure or an old agent web page can describe a route that is now closed. Check the date on everything you read.

Figures change too

Investment amounts, government fees and processing times change. This course does not teach figures. When you need a figure, read it on the official government page and write down the date. Use a figure only when you can see its official source and its date.

What to do with this

Before you speak to an agent, write down which route you want to ask about and why. Ask the agent to confirm in writing that the programme and the route are open now. Then check this on the official page yourself.

Sources

• GoldenVisas.fyi guide: Residence vs citizenship by investment explained, updated 2026-11-01
• GoldenVisas.fyi guide: Recent EU changes to investment migration programmes, updated 2026-11-01

This course is general information, not medical, legal or financial advice.