Top 5 'golden' visa destinations that elitists eyed for residency in 2025

So-called "golden" visas enjoyed a roar successful popularity among America’s wealthiest implicit the past year.

Mo Bennis, an subordinate vice president astatine Arton Capital, a planetary fiscal advisory and consultancy firm, told Fox News Digital that galore Americans realized these peculiar visas correspond "the eventual security argumentation against uncertainty."

Bennis shared the apical 5 destinations his steadfast observed radical flocking to passim 2025 — present are details. 

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Portugal

Portugal’s LXL Ventures Fund offers a five-year residence-by-investment programme for non-EU nationals. 

The peculiar visa allows radical to live, enactment and survey successful Portugal, on with enjoying visa-free travel across the Schengen Area. 

Visas lone necessitate an mean of 7 days per year spent successful Portugal, according to the program.  (iStock)

"Portugal continues to beryllium the benchmark for aureate visas. Even with longer processing timelines, it remains 1 of the astir effortless ways to unafraid EU residency," said Bennis, "particularly done fund-based options with minimal carnal beingness requirements. For galore investors, the semipermanent citizenship pathway acold outweighs immoderate short-term hurdles."

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Visas necessitate lone an mean of 7 days per year spent successful Portugal, per the program. 

Lisbon-based Vida Capital saw a 571% summation successful postulation from the U.S. successful the archetypal fractional of 2025 compared to the archetypal fractional of 2024, Forbes reported. 

Greece

Greece "clearly" has been a breakout "golden" visa communicative of 2025, said Bennis.

"Lower introduction thresholds, faster processing and a straightforward existent property way person made it particularly charismatic to investors who privation clarity, velocity and manner successful 1 package," said Bennis.

Greece "golden" visa holders tin question visa-free crossed the Schengen Area. (istock)

Greece offers a two-tier strategy with a minimum existent property concern of astir $600,000 successful high-demand areas specified arsenic Athens and astir $300,000 for astir different regions, according to the law.

"Golden" visa holders tin question visa escaped crossed the Schengen Area.

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United Arab Emirates

Bennis said the "UAE has firmly established itself arsenic the starring non-European alternative."

He added, "Many high-net-worth individuals are prioritizing semipermanent residency, taxation ratio and stableness implicit passports, and the UAE aureate visa delivers each 3 with exceptional speed."

There is zero income taxation imposed connected corporations and employees successful the UAE. (iStock)

There is simply a 0% income taxation imposed connected corporations and employees successful the UAE.

To suffice for the UAE aureate visa arsenic an investor, you indispensable marque a important fiscal concern — specified arsenic placing astatine slightest $545,000 successful a UAE money oregon business, oregon holding an ownership stock of akin worth successful a company. 

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The visa lasts for 10 years.

Arton Capital’s Passport Index ranked the UAE arsenic the astir stable, providing state of mobility.

Malta

"Malta continues to pull families looking for a premium and legally robust EU residency," said Bennis.

"One of its strongest advantages is the flexibility to see big children arsenic dependents, which is progressively important for multi-generational planning."

"Malta continues to pull families looking for a premium and legally robust EU residency," said a planetary fiscal advisory expert.  (Piotr Kurzyna)

Visa holders indispensable either acquisition a spot for astatine slightest astir $410,000 successful Malta, oregon rent a spot for astir $14,000 per twelvemonth successful Malta.

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The spot indispensable beryllium held for astatine slightest 5 years, and the idiosyncratic indispensable marque a nonstop publication to the Government of Malta of astir $68,000 if renting oregon astir $33,000 if purchasing.

Botswana

"As 2025 winds down and attraction turns to 2026, Botswana stands retired arsenic a wide awesome of Africa’s emergence arsenic a strategical destination," said Bennis.

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While the Botswana authorities does not people a fixed minimum concern amount, those funny indispensable beryllium a existent concern investment.

"Botswana stands retired arsenic a wide awesome of Africa’s emergence arsenic a strategical destination," said 1 expert.  (iStock)

"While the interaction citizenship programme is expected to unfastened successful Q1 of 2026, involvement has already exceeded 1,000 applicants, with U.S. nationals present the largest group," Bennis added.

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"Investors are drawn by governmental stability, beardown governance and the entreaty of being aboriginal successful a credible, well-structured program."