The EU has not been particularly receptive to Golden Visas. The leadership is always seeking to torpedo these popular residency programs.
As lovely as Europe may be, the continent remains thoroughly socialist. Brussels and many of its subjects do not like migration of wealthy people, whether in or out:
- Imposing exit taxes to prevent wealthy Europeans from leaving
combined with
- Restrictions on Golden Visas to prevent wealthy non-Europeans from moving in.
Portugal recently changed legislation with regards to naturalization. For years agents were promoting the Portuguese Golden Visa as “citizenship after 5 years with just 2 weeks on the ground every two years”.
It turns out none of these people will get their easy citizenships.
Longtime subscribers may have noticed that we never promoted Portugal here. As a European, I know better than to trust the promise of a Portuguese government.
Italy is also again discussing raising its flat tax from €200,000 to €300,000 – it started at €100,000 just a few years ago.
Greece remains an option, but can take ages to process.
Good news from Hungary
As with many policies, Hungary stands out against its European neighbors. Its Golden Visa is low drama, quick to process, and grants the applicant and his family a 10 year residency in Hungary, with the option to renew for another 10 years.
The Golden Visa requires an investment of €250,000 in a Hungarian real estate fund.
But it didn’t start off smoothly. When the program was first announced we were of course quite enthusiastic, that is, until we saw the actual mechanics.
The fees amounted to about €65,000 on top of the investment. Needless to say, together with Laszlo we stopped offering this as a viable option to our clients.
But the fees have since been reduced to €25,000 for a family of four, putting it in line with other European programs. The Hungarian Golden Visa now makes sense.
In this video, Laszlo and I compare the Hungary Golden Visa with the other European Golden Visas.
Does the Hungarian Golden Visa lead to citizenship?
Technically yes. But in practice not really. Even getting permanent residency in Hungary is very hard to obtain. The government is not keen on naturalizing foreigners. You are expected to live in Hungary full time, learn the language (the toughest European language) and be fully integrated. Even then, people get rejected.
But time is of the essence
I hate having to write this, but this is another case where you must act quickly. If you think this is a good option for you, act now.
Why?
There are elections in Hungary next year and if the government were to change, they could very well terminate the Golden Visa program. Current holders would be grandfathered in, but new applications will not get processed.
Unlike in other European countries, applications are efficiently processed in Hungary, taking around 3-4 months.
You can get more details and contact Laszlo for the Hungary Golden Visa.
Another little-discussed but very relevant option is the Malta Permanent Residency option. Just donate €100,000 and you will get permanent residency. Laszlo can also help with this.
To a World of Opportunities,
The Wandering Investor.
Services in Hungary:
- A Real Estate Lawyer in Budapest, Hungary
- My favourite buyer’s agent in Budapest, Hungary
- Golden Visa in Hungary through real estate investment
Articles on Hungary:
- Budapest, Hungary Real Estate Market: 2025 Investor Guide for good value for money in Central Europe
- A cheap Plan B in rural Hungary
- Investing in the Stock Market in HUNGARY, good value or value trap?
- Best neighbourhoods and districts to buy Real Estate in Budapest
- Buying historic property in Budapest – full rental yield and ROI calculation
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