These Countries Offer Golden Visa To Indians Who Wish To Immigrate
A Golden Visa refers to the immigration program which allows deep-pocket individuals to get a residence permit or even citizenship in another country. Many countries offer Golden Visas to people who purchase a house and make large donations or investments in the country.
In recent years, Golden visas are becoming quite popular.?If you are eligible for applying for a Golden Visa, you and your family can become legal residents of a country, attend school and get access to medical infrastructure.?
What Is a Golden Visa?
Acquiring a golden visa is the best possible insurance policy against economic and political risk in a volatile world. Due to their ability to expand business and lifestyle opportunities and extend market reach, golden visas are the key to optimizing a high-net-worth portfolio.
Golden visa offers several benefits to investors and their families with access to new markets and a host of business, career, educational, healthcare, tax and lifestyle opportunities on a worldwide scale for both present and future generations.
Different countries have different investment options. Portugal Golden Residence Permit Program, which offers citizenship eligibility after five years. The Greece Golden Visa Program allows investors to apply for citizenship after seven years, and the Italy Residence by Investment Program after ten years.
List of countries that are offering golden visas to Indians
1. The United Arab Emirates
While the UAE offers permanent residency by investment, you can¡¯t seek citizenship by investment. The middle eastern country has 5-year and 10-year residency programs under the Dubai Golden Visa plan. UAE Golden Visa plan offers a 5-year residency program and a 10-year residency program.
To qualify for the 5-year residency program, one will be required to invest a minimum amount of AED 5 million in a property in the UAE. Whereas to qualify for the 10-year residency program, one will be required to invest at least AED 10 million in public investments or possess exceptional skills.
2. The United Kingdom
The UK offers a Tier-1 Investor visa for those with the required funds to invest in the country. The minimum investment is at least ?2,000,000, and it must be held in a regulated financial institution. After a few years, you can apply for British citizenship if you meet the rest of the eligibility criteria.
The United Kingdom's Golden Visa, popularly known as Tier 1 (Investor) Visa, was launched in 2008 as a means to get high net-worth individuals to make substantial investments in the country. It is often seen as a fast-track route for wealthy investors to migrate to the UK. The UK¡¯s Golden Visa requires the applicants to have valid entry clearance, for which they should be at least 18 years of age, and have complete control or ownership over the assets and investments that they are claiming. The applicants are at least required to invest ?2000,000 (Rs 16 crores) in order to apply for a Golden Visa.
3. Singapore
To get a Golden Visa in Singapore, you must be willing to invest at least SGD 2.5 million in your new or existing business, in an approved fund or in a single-family office in the nation.
In addition, you must have previous business experience and provide your company¡¯s audited financial accounts. With this program, you can gain permanent resident status, and after two years of being a permanent resident in Singapore, you can apply for citizenship. But, you cannot be a dual citizen in Singapore.
4. Switzerland
The Golden Visa program in Switzerland slightly differs from other countries. Here, you are not required to buy funds, real estate, or government bonds. Anyone can qualify for the said program if they are able to provide proof that they pay annual taxes between CHF 150,000 and CHF 1 million. If you want Swiss citizenship too, you will have to live there for a minimum of 10 years.
5. Canada
For golden visas, Canada offers several investment programs, but the most popular is the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program (QIIP). For this program, you must make a bond contribution of at least CAD 1.2 million, and after three years, you can apply for citizenship.
However, do note that for most of Canada¡¯s investment programs, one must have to live in the country for at least 183 days during three years.
6. Spain
Spain launched its golden visa program in 2013. An investment of €500,000 in real estate will gain family residency. The Spanish investor visa can be renewed every two years. After five years it is possible to gain permanent residency and after ten years citizenship. It is not necessary to live in Spain in order to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
In Spain, there is a program called the residency-by-investment program, which allows one to invest and become a permanent resident after five years and if they continue to live in the country, they can acquire citizenship after ten years. But do note that one will have to renew their permit every two years until they become a permanent resident. To apply for Spain¡¯s Golden Visa, one will have to invest €500K (Rs 4.3 Cr) in real estate.?
7. Portugal
The Portugal Golden Visa program has proven to be the most popular scheme in Europe with investors attracted to its flexibility and benefits. Launched in 2012 the investor visa program has been actively promoted internationally attracting over one thousand main applicants each year.?
You can become a resident in Portugal after investing at least €500,000 in real estate- the amount is lowered to €400,000 if the investment is in low-density areas. After five years, you have to apply for either permanent residency or citizenship- most investors apply for citizenship to receive a second passport with access to the EU and Schengen Area.?
8. Greece
The Greece Golden Visa, a permanent residence through investment plan, is attracting several high-net-worth Indians over the past few years.
In 2022, the minimum investment amount for the Greece Golden Visa is €250,000 (around Rs 2.2 crore) in real estate.
The processing time for a residency visa for Greece, after all the documents are submitted, is around 3-5 months for Indians.
9. Malta
Malta has a residency-by-investment program and citizenship-by-investment program under its Golden Visa scheme. Depending on your financial situation and interest, you can choose one of the following options to apply for the Maltese Golden Visa:?
- To get a Golden Visa for Malta, you will have to be at least 18 years old.
- Applicant income is around €100K (Rs 87 Lakh) per annum or Capital €500K (Rs 4.3 Cr).
- In Malta's residency-by-investment program you will have to buy a property for €320K (Rs 2.7 Cr) or Rent €12,000 (Rs 10 Lakh) per annum.
- You will have to submit an admin fee to the Malta government of EUR 30K (Rs 26 Lakh).
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