Golden Visas Ranked 2026: Every Residency-by-Investment Program Compared

Published June 12, 2026 · Every figure verified June 2026 against official sources · 9 min read

Golden-visa headlines age badly. Greece's famous €250k entry is gone, Bahrain just cut its threshold, the UAE quietly started accepting mortgaged property, and the US EB-5 is scheduled to get more expensive. Here are 12 residency-by-investment programs ranked by what they actually cost all-in in 2026, cheapest first, drawn from our verified incentive database, where every program carries a "last verified" date and an official link.

The ranking, cheapest to priciest

1. 🇲🇾 Malaysia MM2H: from $32,000

The 2024-revamped My Second Home program now runs in tiers, and the new SEZ tier starts at a $65,000 deposit (under 50) or just $32,000 (50+), scaling to $1M for the top tier. The big catch of the revamp: all tiers now require buying property on top of the deposit. What you get is a 5-20 year renewable visa in English-friendly, low-cost Asia, arguably the best value-per-dollar on this list, though it's a long-stay visa rather than permanent residency.

2. 🇲🇹 Malta MPRP: ~€120,000+ all-in, and it's lifetime EU PR

Malta's Permanent Residence Programme is the cheapest route to lifetime EU permanent residency - one of very few lifetime EU PR programs anywhere, with no stay requirement to keep it and the whole family included. The real math after the July 2025 restructuring (LN 146/2025): €37k government contribution + €60k administration fee + property (rent ~€14k/year or buy at €375k) + a charity donation. Call it €120k+ all-in on the rental route. On a cost-per-what-you-get basis, this is the strongest deal in Europe.

3. 🇮🇩 Indonesia Second Home: ~$130,000

An IDR 2 billion (~$130k) state-bank deposit or property buys a 5-10 year visa including Bali. You can't work locally and the deposit process is bureaucratic, but it's the cheapest long-term foothold in one of the world's most popular lifestyle destinations.

4. 🇸🇦 Saudi Premium Residency: ~$213,000

SAR 800,000 (~$213k) paid once buys permanent residency with no sponsor, full property rights, work freedom and family included (there's also a SAR 100k/year rental version). The watch-out: a strict legal and cultural environment, and an approval process that can be opaque.

5. 🇭🇺 Hungary Guest Investor: €250,000

A €250k approved-fund investment (held 5 years) buys a 10-year EU residency - one of the lowest golden-visa entries in Europe, with PR possible after 3 years and no minimum stay requirement. The investment must complete within 93 days of first entry.

6. 🇨🇾 Cyprus Fast-Track PR: €300,000

€300k in new property plus income proof buys lifetime permanent residency in about 2 months, whole family included. EU-member Cyprus, common-law system, English everywhere. Periodic visits are required to keep it, and it's the south (EU) side only.

7. 🇧🇭 Bahrain Golden Residency: BHD 130,000 (~$345,000), cut in 2026

The rare program moving in the buyer's favor: Bahrain cut its property minimum from BHD 200k to BHD 130k in 2026. Ten-year renewable residency in the lower-key, lower-cost Gulf alternative; retirees can also qualify on a BHD 4k/month pension. The economy and infrastructure are smaller than the UAE's, that's the trade.

8. 🇲🇺 Mauritius Property PR: $375,000

$375k+ in approved property schemes buys residency that lasts as long as you own, on a safe, English-official island with a 15% flat tax. Honest catch: it's remote, long flights, and specialist healthcare can mean evacuation. (Mauritius also offers a free 1-year remote-work Premium Visa if you just want to test the island first.)

9. 🇬🇷 Greece Golden Visa: €400,000 / €800,000

The €250k era is over: it's now €400k in standard zones and €800k in Athens and the popular islands, with the €250k route surviving only for restoration projects. You get 5-year renewable EU residency with a citizenship path after 7 years, still popular, no longer cheap.

10. 🇹🇭 Thailand LTR: $500,000 invested

The wealthy-track Long-Term Resident visa wants $1M in net assets or a $500k investment in Thailand (the separate income test was scrapped in February 2025). In return: a 10-year visa (5+5) and a genuinely valuable tax perk, foreign income remitted to Thailand is exempt from Thai tax. Health insurance with $50k coverage is required. (On a much smaller budget, Thailand Privilege sells a 5-year long-stay visa for a ~$25k non-refundable membership, a fee, not an investment.)

11. 🇦🇪 UAE Golden Visa: AED 2M (~$545,000)

AED 2 million in property (amounts combinable across units) buys 10-year renewable residency with zero income tax and no sponsor. The 2026 change that matters: since February 2026, mortgaged and off-plan properties qualify - you no longer need the full AED 2M unencumbered. Watch-outs: high cost of living, and 9% corporate tax on business profits above AED 375k.

12. 🇺🇸 US EB-5: $800,000

The most direct investment route to a US green card: $800k in a targeted employment area ($1.05M elsewhere), family included, citizenship possible after 5 years. It must create 10 jobs, and the thresholds are scheduled to rise around January 2027 (TEA → ~$900k), so the current price has a clock on it.

Comparison table

📌 Not on this list: the Caribbean programs. Dominica ($200k), Antigua, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Kitts & Nevis sell citizenship, not residency, a lifetime passport rather than a permit. Different product, different math: see the CBI cards in the incentive database.

Which one fits you

• You want EU residency at the lowest credible cost: Malta MPRP (lifetime PR, ~€120k+ all-in) or Hungary (€250k, no stay requirement). Cyprus if you want lifetime PR fast and prefer property.
• You want zero income tax: UAE, Bahrain or Saudi, pick UAE for ecosystem, Bahrain for the lowest Gulf property bar after the 2026 cut, Saudi for true PR in one payment.
• You're on a modest budget and want Asia: Malaysia MM2H's SEZ tier from $32k (50+), or Indonesia's Second Home at $130k. (Retirees: the Philippines SRRV gets you permanent residency from a $15k deposit, covered in our retirement guide.)
• You want a US green card: EB-5 at $800k, and the ~Jan 2027 threshold rise rewards moving sooner rather than later.
• You want a passport, not a permit: that's Caribbean CBI territory, from $200k, in the database.

Two universal rules before wiring anything: verify the threshold on the official site (5+ of the 32 programs we track changed in the past 12 months), and get tax advice in both countries first, residency changes your tax picture more than your passport does.

Related: Countries that pay you to move · Cheapest places to retire abroad · Digital nomad visas compared
Always confirm thresholds, deadlines and eligibility on the official government site before acting. This article is information, not legal or tax advice.