The idea of selling gold visas emerged in Europe in 2012 in the middle of a strong economic crisis, but recently Donald Trump proposed to sell “golden” residence permits for US $ 5 million, apparently to attract millionaire investors to his country.
On February 25, Trump said that the United States will begin selling a new type of residence permit called “Golden Cards” for a price of US $ 5 million.
“We are going to sell a golden card (…) we will put a price” of about US $ 5 million, “Trump told reporters in the Oval Office of the White House.
“It’s something like a green card,” permanent residence in the United States, “but with a higher level of sophistication,” explained the Republican tycoon. He added that this “Golden Card” will allow its headlines to access the “road to citizens” in the long term.
With her “the rich will arrive” in the country, “they will succeed, they will spend a lot of money, pay many taxes and use many people,” he added.
What countries have the best golden visas
Many countries offer several types of residence or citizenship program in exchange for money; However, some European nations reverse these types of visas for fear that they can be used for criminal purposes or in some cases due to resident claims for the increase in real estate, since many of the people who acquire that benefit are dedicated to the purchase of real estate.
Among the countries that put an end to those programs is the United Kingdom, Ireland and Chipre; In addition, Spain will stop offering new golden visas in April, while Greece and Portugal modified their offers.
The fear is that these visas can be used for money laundering, tax evasion and corruption, according to a 2019 projection of the European Commission.
Henley & Partners, a company that manages such visas, publishes two ranking every year: one on the best visas for investors to get citizenship in one country, and another on the best visas to obtain the residence.
Entitled to citizenship
According to the 2025 global citizenship programs of Henley & Partners, the European Island of Malta, strategically located in the Mediterranean Sea, obtained the first place of the ranking for the tenth consecutive year.
Austria occupies second place with its premium citizenship offer for investment, which requires applicants to make a substantial contribution to the local economy.
Granada occupies the third place, and ancient and Barbuda the room.
The fifth box is shared by the Nauru, San Cristóbal and Nieves and Santa Lucía Islands.
Dominica, another Caribbean country, occupies the sixth place, while Türkiye is placed in the seventh position.
Egypt, which is the only golden visa option in Africa occupies the eighth place, along with Jordan and Macedonia del Norte.
Vanuatu is in ninth place and Cambodia in the tenth.
Right to residence
Henley & Partners also publishes another ranking, which calls 2025 global residence programs, which classifies 26 initiatives around the world.
Greece has the most popular golden visa, and therefore leads the ranking with the first position. This, according to studies, is due to the announcement of the end of the Golden Visa program in Spain, which has motivated many investors, especially of the USA, to look towards Greece, where investment requirements are more accessible.
It is known that this visa operates mainly on the basis of real estate investments, where the minimum investment required on a property is 250 thousand euros (about US $ 260 thousand).
The second position of the ranking is occupied by Switzerland, while the third position is shared by Portugal, Italy and the United Kingdom.
The fourth place is shared by Australia, which recently launched its National Innovation Visas Program to attract high -level technological skills; Canada, which introduced changes in its visa program for emerging companies; and Spain, which will end its golden visa linked to the purchase of housing next April.
United Arab Emirates is located in fifth place. That nation expanded its golden visas program last year.
Hungary occupies the sixth place. There foreigners can obtain a residence permit by investing in a real estate fund or by making a donation to a higher education institution.
Luxembourg and Singapore occupy positions seven and eight. Those nations are considered powerful centers of wealth.
The ninth position is shared among the island country of Jersey, in northwestern Europe, and Panama, in Central America.
Costa Rica just entered the ranking and completes the Top 10 and, according to Henley & Partners, offers a “favorable business panorama, a favorable tax regime and a safe environment.”
Latin American
In Panama, according to the measurement, people of high heritage can become residents with the possibility of acquiring citizenship after five years.
To postulate the program you can make a real estate investment of US $ 300 thousand, an investment in the stock market of at least US $ 500 thousand or a fixed -term deposit in a bank of US $ 750 thousand.
According to Henley & Partners, there are also other mechanisms for citizens from countries considered as “friendly nations” of Panama, such as making an real estate investment of US $ 200 thousand or investing at least US $ 100,000 in a company that has a forest record in the Ministry of Environment.
Regarding Costa Rica, Henley & Partners gives it a good qualification for considering that it has a commercial environment and a favorable tax regime for business.
There are several mechanisms to get the golden visa in Costa Rica, such as investing at least US $ 150 thousand in real estate, in shares of a local company or in the country stock of values.
In addition, they can apply retirees who receive a monthly life pension of at least US $ 1,000, or those who receive a monthly income of at least US $ 2,500 from investments or businesses.
With information from AFP and BBC News Mundo