The whole “golden visa” thing in Europe is crashing. Like, it’s shrinking so fast. Spain shut its doors, Malta’s program was basically called illegal, and places like the Netherlands and Ireland just quietly stopped doing it. There are still a few countries open in 2026, but everything has changed… you really gotta know the new rules before you put any money down.
What’s already gone
Before you look at what’s left, it’s wild to see how much has vanished lately:
Spain: Totally shut down their Golden Visa in April 2025. They said it was making houses way too expensive for regular people. No more applications at all.
Malta: The EU courts basically blocked their “buy a passport” thing in 2025. They ruled it went against their rules.
Ireland: Closed their investor thing back in 2023.
United Kingdom: Ended their big investor route even earlier, in 2022.
Netherlands: Just stopped offering it and didn’t really say why or if a new one is coming.
Romania: They almost started a €400,000 one in late 2025, but then they got worried it would mess up their status in the Schengen zone… so they scrapped it.
What’s still open in 2026
There’s maybe eight countries in Europe still doing this:
Portugal: It’s still around, but you can’t just buy a house anymore. That part is dead. Now you have to put money into funds, research, or create jobs.
Greece: This is probably the best one left if you want property. But the prices are tiered now… like €250k, €400k, or even €800k depending on where the house is. They also have a new €250k startup investment thing.
Italy: This one is getting super popular. Applications went up over 60% last year because everyone who wanted Spain is moving over here now.
Hungary: They have a “Guest Investor” permit from 2024. You can do €250k into a real estate fund or just donate €1 million to a school. It lasts 10 years and you don’t even have to live there, which is kinda crazy.
Cyprus: Permanent residency that’s actually pretty fast (like 4-6 months).
Latvia: Honestly the cheapest way in. About €50k if you invest in a business.
Bulgaria: This one gives you residency right away, but it costs about €512k.
Why this matters even if you aren’t rich
It’s not just a niche thing for millionaires. It shows how Europe is trying to balance needing money with the fact that regular people can’t afford to live in their own cities. Spain and others literally quit because the golden visas were driving up rent so much.
What’s coming next
There’s this new thing called ETIAS starting in late 2026. It’s a new travel check that’ll be mandatory by 2027. Some people think it’s gonna make these golden visas way more complicated because even if you have the residency, you’ll still have to deal with more screening.
The bottom line
The list of places where you can “buy” residency is getting really short. What’s working today might be gone by next year. Seriously, if you’re looking into this, check the official government sites because the rules have changed like three times in the last two years alone.
This is just for info, not legal or investment advice. Things change fast, so talk to a lawyer before you try to move your life across the ocean.