Guide
Golden Visas & Investment Residency
What is a golden visa?
A golden visa is a common name for residence based on a qualifying investment. Programs differ in what you must invest in and the residence rights they provide. Citizenship, where available later, has separate requirements.
About this guide
Investment residence can be part of a plan to establish a new home or maintain a base abroad. A suitable route needs to fit both how you want to live and how you are willing to commit your money.
This guide compares investment routes with that broader decision in mind. Consider the type of investment and the obligations that come with keeping residence, alongside the initial cost. The lower-cost investment comparison provides further context for building a shortlist.
Pathways compared
103
Countries covered
80
Filter by
Hong Kong Investment Residence
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Investment Residency | HKD 30 million | Permitted financial assets under New CIES | Maintain the qualifying investment; ordinary residence is separate | Not a direct pathway | No under Chinese nationality rules |
Singapore Investor Permanent Residence
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Investment Residency | SGD 10 million business, SGD 25 million select fund, or SGD 200 million family office with SGD 50 million deployed | Business / GIP-select fund / single-family office | — | — | — |
Anguilla Business Property Residence
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Investment Residency | USD $750,000 in qualifying business premises or mixed real estate | Business premises or mixed business and residential real estate | No minimum published for maintaining this residence | Separate nationality and residence requirements | — |
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Anguilla Fund Residence
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Investment Residency | USD $150,000 contribution for one applicant; USD $50,000 per dependent | Capital Development Fund contribution | No minimum published for maintaining this residence | Separate nationality and residence requirements | — |
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Anguilla Property Residence
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Real Estate Residency | USD $750,000 qualifying residential real estate for a family of up to four | Qualifying residential real estate | No minimum published for maintaining this residence | Separate nationality and residence requirements | — |
Bermuda Investment Residence
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Investor Residency | BMD 2,500,000, including or plus the required BMD 25,000 donation | Approved property, business, charity, or another approved initiative | At least 90 days each year for five years under published terms; confirm the 2026 policy with BDA | — | — |
Cayman Islands 25-Year Residence
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Investment Residency | KYD 500,000 on Cayman Brac or Little Cayman; KYD 1 million on Grand Cayman | Qualifying investments with a required developed real estate portion; separate income or KYD 400,000 local account | At least 30 days each year | No direct citizenship pathway | — |
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Cayman Islands Property Residence
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Investment Residency | KYD 2 million paid into qualifying developed real estate | Developed real estate with at least KYD 2 million paid up | — | Separate status and nationality requirements | — |
TCI Business Investment Residence
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Investment Residency | USD $750,000 qualifying business on named islands; USD $1.5 million elsewhere | Operating business or enterprise with local jobs and a Governor’s undertaking | — | Separate BOTC naturalization requirements | — |
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TCI USD $1 Million Investment Residence
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Investment Residency | USD $1 million qualifying home or business investment | Qualifying completed home or business investment; no advance Governor’s commitment required | — | Separate BOTC naturalization requirements | — |
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Turks and Caicos Home Investment Residence
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Real Estate Residency | USD $300,000 eligible home project on named islands; USD $1 million elsewhere | Qualifying home construction, purchase, or distressed-property renovation with Governor’s undertaking | — | Separate BOTC naturalization requirements | — |
New Zealand Active Investor Plus Visa
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Investment Residency | Growth NZD 5M; Balanced NZD 10M | Growth or Balanced | Growth 21 days / 3 years; Balanced normally 105 days / 5 years | Separate citizenship presence test | Yes |
UAE Investor Residence Visa
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Investment Residency | AED 2M (~USD $545k) | Real estate | None | — | — |
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UAE Public Investment Golden Visa
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Investment Residency | — | — | — | — | — |
South Korea Investor or Startup Visa
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Investment Residency | KRW 100M for D-8-1/D-8-3; other tracks differ | D-8 investor, venture, and technology-startup tracks | — | — | — |
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South Korea Public Investment Residence
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Investment Residency | KRW 500M; KRW 300M for qualifying investors over 55 plus KRW 300M other assets | Principal-guaranteed public fund or approved risk-based project | — | — | — |
Luxembourg Investor Residence Permit
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Investment Residency | €500,000 | Business / company | — | 5 years | Yes |
U.S. Investor Green Card
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Investment Residency | USD $800,000 (TEA) | Job-creating enterprise | Maintain green card | 5 years | Yes |
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U.S. Treaty Investor Visa
Lowest
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Investment Residency | No fixed minimum; substantial for the business | Active treaty business | Run the business | Not directly | Yes |
Malta Permanent Residence Program
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Investment Residency | ~€375k property + contributions | Property + government contribution | None | PR (no direct citizenship) | Yes |
Cyprus Permanent Residence by Investment
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Investment Residency | €300,000 | Property / company / fund | Residence within 1 year; lapses after 2-year absence | No direct citizenship | Yes |
Italy Investor Visa
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Investment Residency | €250,000 | Startup / company / bonds | — | 10 years | Yes |
Greece Investor Residence Permit
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Investment Residency | €250k–€800k | Qualifying real estate, specified financial investments, or a qualifying National Startup Registry capital contribution | None | No direct citizenship; ordinary naturalization rules apply | Yes |
Bahrain Golden Residence
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Investment Residency | BHD 130,000 property for the property-owner branch | Property / long-term work / retirement / exceptional talent | No general minimum under the current FAQ | Not a direct pathway | Limited |
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Bahrain Property Owner Residence
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Investment Residency | BHD 50,000 qualifying home, plus income and other requirements | Qualifying residential real estate | Confirm the current permit conditions | No direct citizenship grant | — |
Andorra Residence for Self-Funded People
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Investment Residency | €600,000 | Bonds/property + €47.5k deposit | 90 days/yr | 10 years | No |
San Marino Business-Investment Residence
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Investment Residency | Project-specific; no universal amount in this provision | Approved operating business, employment and related property commitments | — | — | — |
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San Marino Investment Residence
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Investment Residency | €500,000 qualifying home or €600,000 specified financial investment | Qualifying home or specified ten-year financial investment | — | — | — |
Qatar Property Owner Residence
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Real Estate Residency | QAR 730,000 in qualifying property | Real estate in an approved ownership area | At least 90 days each year | Not a direct pathway | Limited |
Saudi Business Investor Residence
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Investment Residency | SAR 7 million in an operating business | Licensed business investment with job creation | Maintain the qualifying business and product conditions | Not a direct pathway | Limited |
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Saudi Property Owner Residence
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Real Estate Residency | SAR 4 million in qualifying residential property | Qualifying residential real estate | Maintain the qualifying ownership or rights | Not a direct pathway | Limited |
Portugal Golden Visa
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Investment Residency | €250,000 cultural support (€200,000 in qualifying low-density areas); other routes differ | Funds / business / cultural | ~7 days/yr | 7-10 years | Yes |
Latvia Investor Residence Permit
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Investment Residency | €50,000 company investment + €10,000 State-budget payment | Qualifying company investments; state-fund option not yet available | Permit-specific compliance; permanent residence requires actual residence | 10+ years | limited |
Chile Investor Temporary Residence
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Investment Residency | USD $500,000 for the principal foreign-company investment track | Productive foreign-company investment or qualifying related personnel | — | — | Yes |
Türkiye Short-Term Residence Permit
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Real Estate Residency | — | — | — | — | — |
Hungary Guest Investor Residence Permit
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Investment Residency | €250,000 | Real-estate fund / donation | No minimum stated | Separate naturalization rules; actual residence is required | Yes |
Argentina Investor Visa
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Investor Residency | Regulation names ARS 1,500,000; actual project must pass official review | Operating productive, commercial, or service project | — | — | Yes |
Kuwait KDIPA Investor Residence
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Investor Residency | Entity investment at least KWD 5,000,000 and capital at least KWD 1,000,000 | Ownership or partnership in a qualifying KDIPA-licensed entity | — | — | — |
Montenegro Property Residence
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Property Residency | Normally €150,000 tax-assessed property value; specified nationality exemptions | Qualifying real estate; nationality-based value exemptions apply | — | — | — |
Uruguay Business Owner Permanent Residence
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Investor Residency | No fixed immigration investment amount | — | — | — | — |
Bahamas Permanent Residence by Investment
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Investment Residency | BSD 750,000 real estate | Real estate | None | 10 years | — |
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Bahamas Residence Card for Homeowners
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Property Residency | — | — | — | — | — |
Panama Friendly Nations Residence
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Investment Residency | PAB 200,000 for the real-estate or deposit basis | Real estate or three-year fixed deposit; employment is a separate basis | — | — | — |
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Panama Qualified Investor Visa
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Investment Residency | PAB 300,000 new property; PAB 500,000 resale property, securities or state-bank deposit; PAB 750,000 private-bank deposit | Real estate / qualifying securities / five-year fixed deposit | — | — | — |
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Panama Reforestation Investor Visa
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Investment Residency | PAB 100,000 provisional-to-permanent tier; PAB 350,000 direct permanent tier | Ministry of Environment-authorized forestry activities | — | — | — |
Georgia Investment Residence Permit
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Investment Residency | USD $300,000 investment or property certified above USD $300,000 | Georgia investment / applicant-owned non-agricultural property | — | — | — |
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Georgia Property-Owner Residence
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Investment Residency | Property with certified market value exceeding USD $150,000 equivalent in GEL | Applicant-owned non-agricultural real estate | — | — | — |
Oman Golden Investor Residence
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Investment Residency | OMR 200,000 for an investment branch | Property / company / bonds / shares / deposit / jobs / nomination | Confirm the selected route's current rule | Not a direct pathway | Limited |
Malaysia 20-Year Long-Stay Visa
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Investment Residency | MYR 1 million fixed deposit plus participation fees | Mandatory fixed deposit plus income or net-worth evidence | — | Not a citizenship path | — |
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Malaysia Long-Stay Residence Program
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Investment Residency | Four category-specific fixed-deposit and compulsory-property packages | US-dollar fixed deposit at a licensed Malaysian institution plus residential property | 90 days/year for applicants age 21–49; no minimum for applicants age 50+ | Not a citizenship path | — |
Costa Rica Investor Residence
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Investor Residency | USD $150,000 | Registered property, shares, securities, approved projects, venture capital, or sustainable-tourism infrastructure | — | — | — |
Serbia Residence for Homeowners
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Investment Residency | — | — | — | — | — |
Mauritius Approved-Property Residence
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Property Residency | More than USD $375,000 under the cited residence guidelines; EDB approval required | Real estate in an EDB-approved IRS, RES or PDS residential scheme | Keep the qualifying ownership and comply with the issued permit | Separate requirements; not granted by the property purchase | — |
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Mauritius Golden Investor Residence
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Investment Residency | USD $1 million | Approved high-value sector project | No general minimum stated for the initial visa | Separate naturalization rules | Yes |
Albania Business-Investor Residence
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Investor Residency | Published ALL 10,000,000 threshold; confirm current joint instruction and valuation | Qualifying active Albanian business investment with staffing, wage, operating, and tax requirements | — | — | — |
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Albania Residence for Property Owners
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Real Estate Residency | No published minimum purchase price; you must be able to prove ownership | Property in Albania held in your own name, either outright or with at least a half share | — | — | — |
Bosnia Residence Through Real Estate
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Real Estate Residency | No general minimum property value stated in the official checklist | Registered real estate plus a documented effective connection | — | — | — |
Mexico Residence by Business Investment
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Investment Residency | More than 45,850 daily UMA (MXN 5,378,663.50 in 2026) | Paid-in company capital plus qualifying assets or business-activity evidence | — | — | — |
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Mexico Residence by Property Ownership
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Real Estate Residency | More than 91,710 daily UMA (MXN 10,758,500.10 in 2026) | Real estate | — | — | — |
Sri Lanka Investor Residence
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Investment Residency | USD $100,000 for five years; USD $200,000 for ten-year arrangement | — | — | — | — |
Montserrat Business Investment Residence
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Investment Residency | No single published commercial minimum; separate local holding required | Commercial investment plus a separate XCD 400,000 local property, bank deposit, or government-securities holding | — | No direct citizenship pathway | — |
Dominican Republic Investor Residence
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Investment Residency | USD $200,000 ordinary; certified official regimes may differ | Registered capital / approved financial instrument / certified free-zone, incentive-law, or state project | — | Separate naturalization process after qualifying permanent residence | Yes |
Ecuador Investor Visa
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Investor Residency | USD $48,200 in 2026 for threshold-based branches | Deposit or security / real estate / Ecuador company equity / qualifying state contract | — | — | — |
Moldova Temporary Residence by Investment
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Investment Residency | MDL 522,000 of equity in 2026, or a qualifying job-creation alternative | Moldovan-company equity or qualifying jobs | — | — | — |
Maldives Corporate Resident Visa
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Investment Residency | USD $250,000 deposit or approved project; alternative USD $1,000,000 investment | — | — | — | — |
Peru Investor Residence
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Investment Residency | PEN 500,000 | Qualifying company formation or capital increase | — | — | — |
Azerbaijan Deposit or Securities Residence
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Investment Residency | AZN 100,000 | Fixed-term deposit or eligible government/state-controlled-company securities | — | — | — |
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Azerbaijan Property Residence
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Property Residency | AZN 100,000 in qualifying property | Qualifying real estate | — | — | — |
Brazil Investor Residence for Businesses
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Investor Residency | BRL 150k–500k | Brazilian business / qualifying innovation | — | — | — |
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Brazil Property Investor Residence
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Investor Residency | BRL 700k–1M | Urban real estate | — | — | — |
Colombia Investor Residence Visa
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Investment Residency | — | — | — | — | — |
Mongolia Business Investor Residence
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Investment Residency | USD $100,000 per foreign investor in a qualifying company | Investment in a qualifying foreign-invested business | — | — | — |
Jordan Bank Deposit Residence
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Investment Residency | JOD 20,000 deposit; or JOD 10,000 plus owned apartment | Bank deposit, optionally with an owned apartment | Confirm annual residence and renewal conditions | Separate citizenship rules; no direct grant | — |
Egypt Bank Deposit Residence
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Investment Residency | USD $50,000 qualifying bank deposit | — | — | — | — |
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Egypt Property Owner Residence
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Investment Residency | USD $50,000 in qualifying property | — | — | — | — |
Fiji Investor Permit
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Investment Residency | No fixed amount published on the current application page | Business | — | — | — |
Paraguay Permanent Residence by Investment
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Investor Residency | — | — | — | — | — |
Tonga Business Investor Visa
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Investment Residency | Approval of the actual investment; no universal cash threshold stated | Approved local business investment | — | — | — |
Uzbekistan Investment Visa
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Investment Residency | At least 8,500 statutory base calculation units | — | — | — | — |
Vietnam Investor Visa
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Investment Residency | Documented Vietnamese investment; statutory categories range from DT4 under VND 3 billion to DT1 at VND 100 billion+ or certain incentive projects | Capital contribution / Vietnamese company / qualifying investment project | — | — | — |
Indonesia Investor Residence
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Investment Residency | USD $350,000 for the five-year portfolio branch | Business / bonds / listed shares / funds / qualifying property | Maintain the selected qualifying commitment | Not a direct pathway | Generally no for adults |
Philippines Investor Residence Visa
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Investment Residency | USD $75,000 | Eligible corporate shares or government securities under BOI rules | — | No direct citizenship grant | — |
Belize Investor Temporary Residence
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Investment Residency | BZD 500,000 | Documented property, business, or other accepted investment | Designed for investors unable to meet ordinary PR attendance rules | Separate residence and citizenship requirements | Check the separate citizenship route |
Venezuela Investor Visa
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Investment Residency | No universal amount stated in the Foreign Ministry checklist | Officially accepted investment with investor certificate | — | — | — |
Kyrgyzstan Investment Visa
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Investment Residency | KGS 10,000,000 for up to five years; KGS 20,000,000 for up to ten | — | — | — | — |
Namibia Investor Business Permit
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Investor Residency | Capital criteria not yet publicly released; NIPDB assessment required | Approved active business investment | — | — | — |
El Salvador Investor Residence
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Investor Residency | 4,000 monthly trade-and-services minimum wages | Active registered foreign capital in a Salvadoran enterprise | — | — | — |
Nicaragua Investor Residence
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Investment Residency | Investment-specific; current MIFIC confirmation required | — | — | — | — |
Guatemala Investor Residence
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Investment Residency | USD $100,000 | Business, movable assets, or real estate with accepted evidence | Maintain the residence conditions; confirm absence rules | Separate permanent residence, domicile, and naturalization process | Naturalization and renunciation rules require separate review |
Honduras Investor Residence
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Investment Residency | USD $50,000 plus a separate USD $5,000 deposit guarantee | Permitted economic activity or accepted financial instruments | Maintain residence and any applicable absence permissions | Separate naturalization requirements | Nationality renunciation and treaty rules require separate review |
Laos Business Investor Residence
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Investment Residency | Depends on the approved project; no universal amount asserted | — | — | — | — |
Vanuatu Investor Residence Visas
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Investment Residency | VUV 10 million funds for provisional; >VUV 20 million local assets for direct; >VUV 50 million local assets plus 10-year history for permanent | Provisional / operating business / direct assets / permanent investor | — | — | — |
Nepal Investor Residential Visa
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Investment Residency | USD $100,000 threshold; industry guidance says more than this amount | — | — | — | — |
Angola Investor Visa
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Investor Residency | Registered project; confirm applicable investment requirements | — | — | — | — |
Zambia Investor Permit
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Investor Residency | USD $150,000 existing business; USD $250,000 new business (published checklist; confirm current application) | New business or joining an existing company | Follow the permit conditions; later permanent residence has separate rules | Separate requirements; not granted by investment | — |
PNG Business Investor Visa
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Investment Residency | Approval of the actual investment; no universal cash threshold stated | Approved local business investment | — | — | — |
Solomon Islands Established Investor Visa
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Investment Residency | Existing qualifying investor status and continuing business evidence | Approved local business investment | — | — | — |
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Solomon Islands Investor Visa
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Investment Residency | At least five points; listed capital bands start at SBD 1 million | Approved local business investment | — | — | — |
Nigeria Small Business Investor Residence
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Investment Residency | — | — | — | — | — |
DR Congo Approved Investor Residence
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Investor Residency | Approved project; no universal immigration price stated | — | — | — | — |
Mozambique Investment Visa
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Investment Residency | Approved project value of at least USD $500,000; not a flat personal contribution | Qualifying role in an approved investment project | Follow the actual visa and entry conditions | Separate requirements; not granted by this visa | — |
Curaçao Investor Residence
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Investment Residency | XCG 500,000 | Qualifying investment benefiting Curaçao | — | — | — |
Cook Islands Investor Permit
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Investment Residency | Approval of the actual investment; no universal cash threshold stated | Approved local business investment | — | — | — |
No pathways match that filter.