The Cheapest Golden Visas in 2026, Ranked
Key findings
- The cheapest residency-by-investment pathways are concentrated in Latin America, with several pathways at or below roughly $100,000.
- Latvia is the low-floor EU outlier, but its cheapest pathway is company-capital based rather than a passive property purchase.
- Several low-cost programs are residency-only and do not directly lead to a passport, so price should be weighed against the long-term goal.
The lowest-cost pathways to residency by investment are usually outside Western Europe: several Latin American programs start under $100,000, and Latvia has a low statutory company-investment pathway inside the EU. This report ranks the cheapest golden (residency-by-investment) visas in Citizeo's dataset, from lowest minimum investment up.
Compare every program: see the full golden visa & investment residency guide.
The cheapest golden visas, ranked
| Rank | Country | Pathway | Pathway to citizenship | Minimum investment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brazil | Brazil Investor Visa — Business | 4 years | BRL 150k–500k |
| 2 | Colombia | Colombia Investor Visa (M-6) | 5 years | ~$33k company / ~$115k real estate |
| 3 | Ecuador | Ecuador Investor Visa | 3 years | $48,200 |
| 4 | Latvia | Latvia Investor Residence | 10+ years | €50,000 + €10,000 state payment |
| 5 | Paraguay | Paraguay Investor Pass | 3 years | $70,000 |
| 6 | Philippines | Philippines SIRV | Not a pathway | $75,000 |
| 7 | Vanuatu | Vanuatu Investor Residence | Not a pathway | ~$89,000 (VUV 10M) |
| 8 | United States | U.S. E-2 Investor | Not directly | ~$100k+ (substantial) |
| 8 | Panama | Panama Reforestation Visa | 5 years | $100,000 (reforestation) |
| 8 | South Korea | Korea D-8 Investor/Startup | 5 years | $100,000 (KRW 100M) |
| 11 | Malaysia | Malaysia My Second Home | Not a pathway | Fixed deposit (tiered RM500k+) |
| 12 | Fiji | Fiji Investor Permit | — | FJD 250,000 (~$110k) |
| 13 | Brazil | Brazil Investor Visa — Real Estate | 4 years | BRL 700k–1M |
| 14 | Costa Rica | Costa Rica Investor Residency | 7 years | $150,000 ($100k forestry) |
| 14 | Georgia | Georgia Property Residence Permit | 10 years | $150,000 |
| 16 | Dominican Republic | Dominican Republic Investor Residency | PR + fast citizenship | $200,000 |
Source notes
- Latvia's official Immigration Law lists investor temporary residence categories including the €50,000 company-capital pathway plus a €10,000 state budget payment.
Methodology
Figures come from Citizeo's structured dataset of citizenship and residency programs, reflecting publicly available rules as of June 2026. Where pathways are ranked by cost, mixed currencies are compared using approximate USD equivalents and amounts shown are the lowest qualifying option per program. Ranked tables use competition ranking: pathways with the same ranked value share a rank, and the next rank is skipped.