Permanent residency and golden visas from Dubai
Permanent residency and golden visas in Europe: which suits you?Six routes with Schengen access, compared honestly.
Visa Doctor compared every European residence by investment route open to UAE residents in November 2026. These six give a residence permit in a Schengen country, so you can live there and travel across the Schengen Area without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180.
- Greece from $279,500, Hungary from $279,500, Italy from $279,500, Portugal from $559,000, Malta from $110,700 in government costs plus a home, Latvia from $67,100 through your own company
- Only Malta is permanent from day one. The others are long renewable permits.
- We give our fee in writing before you pay anything
A European residence card ends your Schengen visa applications, but it is not a passport.
All six routes give a residence card from a Schengen country, so you can travel across the other Schengen countries without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180. Check three 2026 changes before you choose: Greece plans a much higher property tax for non EU buyers from 2027, Hungary’s new government may review its programme, and Portugal now needs 10 years for citizenship. We give our fee in writing before you pay anything.
Up to 90 days in any 180 in the other Schengen countries, with no Schengen visa applications.
You can live in the country that issued the permit. Work rights depend on the programme.
The permit does not let you live or work in the other Schengen countries.
A European residence permit does not change UK or US visa rules. If your passport needs a UK or US visa today, it still will.
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Best, Cheapest and Fastest at a Glance
- Best for most UAE families
- Greece: property you own, no stay rule, parents included
- Least money upfront
- Malta if you rent: about $110,700 in government payments plus rent, not refundable, and you need about $559,000 in assets
- Lowest entry for business owners
- Latvia: about $67,100 into your own Latvian company and the state, if the company pays at least about $44,700 a year in Latvian taxes
- Truly permanent
- Malta only
- Longest permit
- Hungary, up to 10 years, renewable once
Residency Routes We Cover
All six give a residence permit in a Schengen country. Compare cost, speed and risk, then open the full guide.
Greece
- Schengen
- Travel without a visa, 90 days in any 180
- Investment
- Property you own
- Permit
- 5 years, renewable
- Stay rule
- None
- Family
- Spouse, children under 21, parents
- Decision
- 6 to 9 months in practice
- Work
- Not allowed
Our verdict: Best fit for most families who want property they own, no stay rule and their parents included. Watch the planned 2027 tax rise for non EU buyers.
Hungary
- Schengen
- Travel without a visa, 90 days in any 180
- Investment
- Real estate fund units, 5 years
- Permit
- Up to 10 years, renewable once
- Stay rule
- None
- Family
- Spouse, minor children, dependent parents
- Decision
- 21 days once invested
- Work
- Allowed
Our verdict: Longest permit and fastest decision for the price, but only two funds qualify and the new government may review the programme.
Italy
- Schengen
- Travel without a visa, 90 days in any 180
- Investment
- Startup, company, donation or bonds
- Permit
- 2 years, then 3 year renewals
- Stay rule
- None
- Family
- Spouse, dependent children and parents
- Decision
- 30 day clearance
- Excluded
- Russian and Belarusian nationals
Our verdict: Fastest approval for business minded investors. Not for anyone who wants property.
Portugal
- Schengen
- Travel without a visa, 90 days in any 180
- Investment
- Regulated funds, 5 years
- Permit
- 2 year cards, renewable
- Stay rule
- 7 days in year one, then 14 days every 2 years
- Family
- Spouse, children, dependent parents
- Decision
- Often years
- Citizenship
- 10 years from the first card
Our verdict: Well known with a low stay rule, but the most expensive and the slowest. Choose it only if you can wait.
Malta
- Schengen
- Travel without a visa, 90 days in any 180
- Status
- Permanent, card renewed every 5 years
- Home
- Rent from $15,700 a year or buy from $419,200
- Stay rule
- None
- Family
- Up to four generations
- Decision
- 3 to 12 months
- Assets
- At least about $559,000
Our verdict: Best if you want true permanent residence and can show the assets. The money paid is not refundable and some nationalities are excluded.
Latvia
- Schengen
- Travel without a visa, 90 days in any 180
- Investment
- Your own Latvian company
- Permit
- Up to 2 years, renewable
- Stay rule
- None
- Family
- Spouse and minor children
- Decision
- 30 days, at most 4 months
- Yearly test
- Company pays about $44,700 in taxes
Our verdict: The lowest entry by far, but only for investors who will run a real business in Latvia. Permits are short and basic Latvian becomes compulsory from the end of 2027.
Side by Side Comparison
- Minimum
- $279,500
- What you keep
- Property you own
- Stay rule
- None
- Permit
- 5 years, renewable
- Permanent residence
- Real residence needed for EU long term status
- Minimum
- $279,500
- What you keep
- Fund units
- Stay rule
- None
- Permit
- Up to 10 years, renewable once
- Permanent residence
- National card after 3 years of living there
- Minimum
- $279,500
- What you keep
- Shares or bonds
- Stay rule
- None
- Permit
- 2 years, then 3 years
- Permanent residence
- EU long term status after 5 years of residence
- Minimum
- $559,000
- What you keep
- Fund units
- Stay rule
- 7 to 14 days
- Permit
- 2 year cards
- Permanent residence
- After 5 years, with A2 Portuguese
- Minimum
- $110,700 plus a home
- What you keep
- No, fees are spent
- Stay rule
- None
- Permit
- Permanent
- Permanent residence
- Permanent from the start
- Minimum
- $67,100
- What you keep
- Company shares
- Stay rule
- None
- Permit
- Up to 2 years
- Permanent residence
- After 5 years of living there, with A2 Latvian
Amounts are set in euros by law. USD figures use the European Central Bank rate of 3 November 2026 (1 EUR = 1.1179 USD) and are rounded, so the dollar amount you pay will move with the exchange rate.
Routes We Do Not Recommend Right Now
- Spain: the golden visa closed to new applications on 3 April 2025.
- Latvia property and deposit routes: closed to new applicants on 15 September 2026. Only the company route is open, for investors who will run a real business.
- Cyprus: permanent residence from about $335,400 (EUR 300,000) in new property, but no Schengen travel rights until Cyprus joins the Schengen Area.
- Bulgaria: permanent residence from about $571,600 in a licensed fund, with a draft law proposing a 183 day yearly stay rule.
- Montenegro: not in the Schengen Area.
How to Choose a European Residency from Dubai
- Want property you own: Greece is the only one of the six with a property route.
- Want true permanent residence: Malta, if your nationality is accepted and you can show the assets.
- Want the longest permit and the right to work: Hungary, if you accept the political and fund risk.
- Want speed and run a business: Italy.
- Run a business and want the lowest entry: Latvia, if your company will pay at least EUR 40,000 a year in Latvian taxes.
- Want a passport later: every route needs years of real residence. If a passport is the goal, read our second passport guide.
- Only need to travel: if you just need short Schengen trips, a Schengen visa may be enough. We handle those from Dubai every day.
How Visa Doctor Will Help
Visa Doctor FZC is a UAE registered immigration services company (trade licence 4417571.01, Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone). We are not a government authorised agent for any programme, and we do not sell property or fund units or take investment money.
Tell us your nationality, budget and family. We explain which route fits and what it really costs, check your eligibility and documents, and, if you decide to proceed, help you reach an independent lawyer or, where required, a licensed agent who files the application. We also handle the Schengen and national visas you may need along the way. We give our fee in writing before you pay anything.
Permanent Residency and Golden Visas: Frequently Asked Questions
Which European residency by investment is the cheapest?
Greece, Hungary and Italy all start at about $279,500 (EUR 250,000) in an asset you keep: property in Greece, fund units in Hungary and startup shares in Italy. Malta spends the least money upfront if you rent, about $110,700 in government payments plus rent from about $15,700 a year, but that money is not refundable and you must show assets of at least about $559,000. Latvia is cheaper still, about $67,100 through your own Latvian company, but the company must pay at least about $44,700 in Latvian taxes every year.
Which is the fastest?
Italy’s committee gives its clearance within 30 days, and Hungary decides the residence permit in 21 days once the investment is proven. Greece takes about 6 to 9 months in practice, Malta 3 to 12 months and Portugal often several years because of its backlog.
Can I get permanent residency in Europe without living there?
Malta’s Permanent Residence Programme is permanent from the start and has no minimum stay. Greece, Hungary, Italy and Portugal give long renewable permits with little or no stay rule, but turning them into permanent residence or citizenship needs real residence in that country.
Which residency is most popular with UAE residents?
Portugal and Greece are the two European residence routes in Henley and Partners’ top 10 programmes for UAE based clients in 2025. Greece now has far more new approvals because Portugal’s agency has a large backlog.
Does a European residence permit let me travel in the Schengen Area?
Yes. A valid residence permit from any Schengen country lets you visit the other Schengen countries without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180 day period. It does not let you live or work in the other countries.
Do I still need a visa for the UK or the USA?
Usually yes. A European residence permit does not change UK or US visa rules for your nationality.
Is Cyprus permanent residence good for Schengen travel?
No. Cyprus has not joined the Schengen Area, so a Cyprus permanent residence card does not give Schengen travel rights. Cyprus is aiming to join, but no date has been set.
Is Visa Doctor a licensed agent for these programmes?
Visa Doctor FZC is a UAE registered immigration services company (trade licence 4417571.01, Sharjah Publishing City Free Zone) and is not a government authorised agent for any programme. Where a programme requires a licensed agent, such as Malta, the application is filed through one. We give our fee in writing before you pay anything.
Sources and Last Check
Last checked 4 November 2026. Each guide lists its official sources, including the Greek government procedures portal, the Hungarian immigration authority, the Investor Visa for Italy platform, Portugal’s AIMA and Ministry of Justice and Residency Malta. Market data comes from Henley and Partners as reported in August 2025 and from Greek Ministry of Migration statistics. Spain, Latvia and Cyprus status checked against official and legal sources in November 2026. This page is general information, not legal, tax or investment advice.
Related: Greece Golden Visa, Hungary Guest Investor residence permit, Italy Investor Visa, Portugal Golden Visa, Malta Permanent Residence Programme, second passport and citizenship by investment
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