Which Golden Visa Programs Are Still Active in Europe in June 2026?

Knowing which golden visa programs are still active in Europe in June 2026 has become a genuinely moving target, because the map has been redrawn faster in the last three years than in the previous decade. 

Spain closed its program in April 2025, Portugal removed real estate in 2023, and the Court of Justice of the EU struck down Malta's citizenship-by-investment route, yet demand for the survivors keeps climbing. 

Applications for Italy's Investor Visa grew 63.3% year over year in 2025 (Source: Italian government statistics), a sign that displaced investors are concentrating into fewer, more stable routes. 

Bitizenship works with Bitcoin-aligned investors navigating exactly this landscape, structuring compliant residency pathways in Portugal and Italy. 

This guide maps every golden visa program still open across Europe, what each one actually offers, and where Bitcoin holders fit.

Key Takeaways

• Eight European countries still operate active golden visa programs in June 2026.
• Spain, Ireland, the UK, and the Netherlands have closed their investor routes.
• Italy's Investor Visa is surging while several neighboring programs contract.
• Portugal offers a pathway to citizenship without full-time relocation.
• Bitizenship helps Bitcoin investors compare active golden visa programs in Europe.

The State of Golden Visas in Europe in June 2026

The European golden visa map has been redrawn at remarkable speed. Over the past four years, more programs have closed than opened, and the survivors have tightened their terms under pressure from housing politics and EU scrutiny. 

Understanding the current picture of wealth migration in 2026 starts with knowing what has already disappeared.

• Spain abolished its Golden Visa in April 2025 under Organic Law 1/2025, citing housing pressures.
• Ireland closed its Immigrant Investor Programme in 2023, and the UK ended its Tier 1 Investor route in 2022.
• The Netherlands quietly discontinued its investor option, and Romania scrapped a proposed program in late 2025.
• Portugal removed real estate as a qualifying route in 2023, and the Court of Justice of the EU struck down Malta's citizenship-by-investment scheme in April 2025.

What remains is a smaller, more regulated field, and investor demand has concentrated into it rather than disappearing.

How to Read a Golden Visa Program in 2026

Before comparing programs, it helps to read each one through three questions that matter far more than the headline price. A golden visa is not a single product: outcomes range from temporary residency to permanent residency to eventual citizenship, and the citizenship pathways differ sharply between countries.

• Residency or citizenship: most programs grant residency by investment, and very few now offer a direct route to a passport.
• Physical presence: some programs require almost no time in-country to hold the permit, while citizenship almost always requires genuine, continuous residence.
• Recoverability: whether the capital is locked, donated outright, or potentially recoverable shapes the true cost of the program.

For Bitcoin-aligned investors, a fourth question matters too: whether the required investment forces a sale of Bitcoin, or can be structured to keep exposure to the asset.

Golden Visa Programs Still Active in Europe in June 2026

Eight European countries continue to run active investor-residence routes in mid-2026. The programs below are grouped as golden visas in the broad sense, though a few carry different official names and lead to very different outcomes.

1. Portugal Golden Visa

Portugal runs the most established residency-by-investment program still open in Europe, and since real estate was removed in 2023, qualifying investment now flows through regulated funds.

• Qualifying routes include €500,000 into a CMVM-regulated investment fund (the dominant path), plus cultural, scientific research, and job-creation options.
• Physical presence is light, at roughly 14 days every two years.
• Permanent residency is available after five years, with a subsequent pathway to citizenship.
• Portugal's 2026 nationality reform, now in force, extended the citizenship timeline to around ten years for most non-EU, non-CPLP nationals, and seven years for CPLP and EU nationals.

For Bitcoin-aligned investors, the Bitizenship Portugal Fund is a Golden Visa-eligible private equity fund that invests in a fully owned Portuguese company focused on the Bitcoin ecosystem, with the €500,000 transferred in euros rather than in Bitcoin.

2. Italy Investor Visa

Italy's Investor Visa, established in 2017 under Article 26-bis of Legislative Decree 286/1998 and informally grouped with golden visas, has stayed stable while neighbors tightened, and it offers the lowest official residency threshold in the EU.

• Four routes qualify, one per application: €250,000 in an innovative startup, €500,000 in an established company, €1 million as a philanthropic donation, or €2 million in government bonds.
• There is no minimum stay requirement to maintain the visa; the initial two-year permit renews for three-year periods indefinitely.
• Permanent residency is available after five years, and citizenship after ten years of continuous legal residence at 183+ days per year, with B1 Italian.
• Visa approval comes before any capital is transferred.

As Alessandro Palombo, Co-Founder of Bitizenship, puts it: 

"Italy's investor visa is the most underrated residency program in Europe. €250,000. Residency in 3–6 months. Indefinitely renewable. Zero stay requirement. Immediate Schengen access. The people ignoring it now will be the ones wishing they hadn't." 

For investors who want that route to keep them aligned with Bitcoin, the Bitcoin Dolce Visa structures the €250,000 as an equity stake in Bitizenship Italia S.r.l., a Milan-based Innovative Startup whose treasury is held in BTC as working capital for non-custodial Bitcoin Layer-2 validation.

3. Greece Golden Visa

Greece remains the strongest property-led golden visa in Europe, though a 2024 pricing overhaul pushed thresholds up sharply in the most sought-after areas.

• Real estate tiers now run at €800,000 in Athens, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, and larger islands, €400,000 elsewhere, and €250,000 for qualifying conversion or restoration projects.
• There is no minimum stay requirement to maintain residency.
• Short-term rentals such as Airbnb are now prohibited for golden visa properties.
• Citizenship requires around seven years of genuine residence and Greek language ability.

Greece also runs a separate €100,000 flat-tax regime for new residents, though accessing it requires a minimum €500,000 investment, so it suits a different profile than the entry-level property buyer.

4. Malta Permanent Residence Programme

Malta still offers residency through the Malta Permanent Residence Programme (MPRP), but its route to a passport changed fundamentally in 2025.

• The MPRP grants permanent residency directly, combining a government contribution with either property purchase or a qualifying long-term lease.
• Indicative property thresholds sit around €375,000 in the south or Gozo and €300,000 elsewhere, alongside non-refundable contributions and a donation.
• The Court of Justice of the EU struck down Malta's citizenship-by-investment scheme in April 2025.
• A new merit-based naturalisation framework replaced it, assessed case by case rather than by a fixed price.

Malta remains a viable permanent-residence option, but it is no longer a transactional shortcut to an EU passport.

5. Hungary Guest Investor Programme

Hungary's Guest Investor Residence Permit, launched in July 2024, quickly became one of Europe's most talked-about new options for long-validity residency.

• Two routes remain: €250,000 into a government-accredited real estate fund, or a €1 million donation to a higher-education institution.
• The former €500,000 direct real estate route was abolished in January 2025.
• The permit runs for ten years and is renewable for another ten, with zero physical presence required.
• Schengen travel rights activate immediately, though there is no flat-tax incentive and fund options are limited.

Hungary is strong for long-term residency and flexibility, but its citizenship pathway is far less direct than Portugal's.

6. Latvia Residence by Investment

Latvia runs one of Europe's oldest investment-residence programs, dating to 2010, and it offers the lowest headline entry cost of any active route.

• A business route starts from around €50,000 into a qualifying small company, plus government fees.
• A real estate route starts from €250,000 plus a 5% state fee, or a €280,000 five-year bank deposit with a €25,000 fee.
• The permit provides access to the Schengen Area and is renewable while the investment is maintained.
• It carries less prestige than Portugal or Italy, a longer citizenship timeline, and restrictions on dual nationality.

Latvia suits investors who simply need an inexpensive EU foothold rather than a fast citizenship strategy.

7. Bulgaria Investment Residence

Bulgaria offers one of the few European structures where qualifying investors can obtain permanent residency immediately rather than waiting five years.

• A qualifying investment of roughly €512,000 into regulated funds can grant permanent residency directly.
• Bulgaria joined the Schengen Area in 2025 and adopted the euro in 2026, strengthening its position.
• It maintains one of the lowest flat tax rates in the EU.
• Citizenship eligibility is possible after around five years of permanent residency, subject to language and other criteria.

For investors prioritising immediate permanent status and low taxes, Bulgaria has become a credible technical alternative.

8. Cyprus Permanent Residence by Investment

Cyprus continues to offer permanent residency by investment, though an important detail catches many applicants off guard.

• The Category F route requires a minimum €300,000 investment in new-build residential property from a licensed developer.
• It grants permanent residency, not citizenship, and Cyprus is not part of the Schengen Area as of 2026.
• A Cypriot residence permit therefore does not, by itself, provide Schengen travel rights.
• Citizenship requires around seven years of continuous residence plus Greek language ability.

Cyprus is a stable EU permanent-residence option, but investors seeking Schengen mobility should weigh that limitation carefully.

Which Golden Visa Program Fits a Bitcoin-Aligned Investor?

Not every active golden visa program suits an investor whose wealth is denominated in Bitcoin, and the shortlist narrows quickly once mobility, presence, and asset alignment are weighed together.

• Investors wanting citizenship optionality without relocating tend toward Portugal's fund route.
• Investors prioritising the lowest entry cost and fastest approval tend toward Italy's Investor Visa.
• Investors who want their residency capital to stay aligned with Bitcoin favor structures built around the asset itself.

This is where Bitizenship focuses. Rather than forcing a sale of Bitcoin into unrelated real estate or a conventional fund, Bitizenship structures both a Portugal fund route and an Italy startup route that provide indirect Bitcoin ecosystem exposure through the investment vehicle's activities, always euro-denominated and compliant. 

A closer Portugal vs Italy comparison helps investors match the pathway to their goals. If you are weighing these two routes, Bitizenship's team can map your options in an initial consultation. The right answer depends on whether speed, cost, or a citizenship horizon matters most to you.

What to Watch for the Rest of 2026

The list of active golden visa programs is stable today, but several moving parts could reshape it before year-end.

• ETIAS, the EU's travel authorisation system, is expected to launch in late 2026 and add screening layers.
• The EU continues to pressure member states over programs seen as selling access to Europe.
• Portugal's 2026 nationality reform is now in force, so citizenship timelines and clock-start rules are still settling in practice.
• Source-of-funds scrutiny keeps rising, and it remains the most demanding step for Bitcoin holders.

Whatever route an investor chooses, early source-of-funds documentation is the single biggest predictor of a smooth approval, especially for crypto-aligned applicants. Timing and preparation now matter as much as the headline investment figure.

Conclusion

The question of which golden visa programs are still active in Europe in June 2026 has a clear answer: eight countries remain open, led by Portugal and Italy, while Spain, Ireland, the UK, and the Netherlands have exited and Malta's passport route has closed. 

The market has consolidated toward fewer, more stable pathways, and demand has followed the survivors. 

For Bitcoin-aligned investors, the two routes that combine European access with alignment to the asset they believe in are Portugal's Golden Visa-eligible fund and Italy's Investor Visa, both structured by Bitizenship with founder-led oversight and a vetted network of legal and tax partners. 

Get in touch to explore which pathway fits your goals.

Read Next:

• Best Countries for Bitcoin Millionaires to Get Residency in 2026
• The New Wealth Playbook: Bitcoin, Residency, and Global Mobility
• Which Countries Offer Residency Without Buying Real Estate?

FAQs:

1. Which golden visa programs are still active in Europe in June 2026?

As of June 2026, eight European countries still operate active golden visa programs: Portugal, Italy, Greece, Malta, Hungary, Latvia, Bulgaria, and Cyprus. Spain, Ireland, the UK, and the Netherlands have closed their investor routes, and Malta's citizenship-by-investment scheme was struck down in 2025. Bitizenship focuses on the two routes most relevant to Bitcoin-aligned investors, Portugal and Italy.

2. Which active golden visa programs are best for Bitcoin holders?

For Bitcoin holders, the strongest active golden visa programs are Portugal's fund route and Italy's Investor Visa, because both can be structured to provide indirect Bitcoin ecosystem exposure through the investment vehicle. Bitizenship built its Portugal Fund and its Italy's Investor Visa pathway specifically for this profile, keeping the investment euro-denominated and compliant.

3. Are any European golden visa programs still a fast route to citizenship?

Among active golden visa programs, none is now an especially fast route to citizenship, since Portugal's 2026 reform extended its naturalisation timeline and Italy requires ten years of continuous residence. Portugal still stands out for allowing a permanent residency pathway with minimal physical presence. Bitizenship frames Portugal as five years to permanent residency, with citizenship as a later pathway subject to requirements.

4. Which golden visa programs have the lowest investment thresholds?

Among active golden visa programs, Latvia has the lowest headline entry at around €50,000 for a business route, while Italy offers the lowest threshold for official residency among the major programs at €250,000. Bitizenship structures its Italy Investor Visa route around a €250,000 equity investment in a Milan-based Innovative Startup.

5. Can I pay for a golden visa program with Bitcoin?

No. Active golden visa programs require euro-denominated transfers through compliant banking channels, so the qualifying investment cannot be made directly in Bitcoin. Bitizenship structures Bitcoin-aligned routes in Portugal and Italy where the capital is transferred in euros while the investment vehicle provides indirect exposure to the Bitcoin ecosystem.

‍

Disclaimer:
This article is published by Bitizenship for informational and educational purposes only. It reflects Bitizenship's perspective on the investment migration market and is not intended as legal, tax, immigration, investment, or financial advice, nor as an offer or solicitation to subscribe to any investment product. Comparisons with other firms are based on publicly available information and our own assessment of structural differences in business models. We have aimed for accuracy, but descriptions of programs, regulations, and competitor offerings are necessarily summaries and may not capture every legal nuance. Program terms, eligibility criteria, processing times, tax regimes, and regulatory frameworks change frequently and vary by individual circumstances. The Bitcoin Dolce Visa involves an equity investment in Bitizenship Italia S.r.l., an Italian private company. Any investment decision should be made only after reviewing the official documentation and consulting independent legal, tax, and financial advisors qualified in the relevant jurisdictions. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Capital is at risk. Residency and citizenship outcomes depend on meeting all legal, language, residency, and integration requirements set by the relevant authorities and are never guaranteed. Always refer to official government and regulatory sources, and engage qualified professionals before acting on any information in this article.