Other ways to EU residency (no property): all 27 countries
Updated
Not an EU citizen and not buying property? Every one of the 27 EU countries has at least one other way to a residence permit: all 27 have an entrepreneur or self-employed route, 16 admit people living on their own income, 14 have a digital nomad permit or visa, and 13 still accept a non-property investment (Luxembourg's is being abolished) — from €250,000 for a passive investment (Portugal, Italy, Greece, Hungary); business routes start lower (Latvia €50,000 plus a €10,000 state payment, Bulgaria €127,822.97 with 5 jobs). The lowest income test is €920 a month (Portugal D7). Spain closed every investor route on 3 April 2025.
Not a valid document. Estimate for information only — not legal, tax or immigration advice. Rules change often and errors are possible. Confirm every figure with a licensed lawyer in the country before you pay anything.
Before you compare: what these permits are and are not
- No EU country sells citizenship any more. Malta's scheme was ruled contrary to EU law on 29 April 2025 and abolished; Cyprus closed its scheme in 2020 and Bulgaria in 2022 (EU Court of Justice). What remains are residence permits.
- A residence permit lets you live in that one country. From a Schengen country it also lets you travel in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180 — not live or work elsewhere in the EU. Cyprus and Ireland are not in Schengen.
- Permanent residence usually comes after 5 years of actually living there (EU long-term resident status). A few routes give it at once (Cyprus investors, Bulgaria's fund and 10-job company routes, Malta's MPRP); some give no path at all (Malta's and Hungary's nomad permits).
- Tax residence is a separate question. Each country has its own test — mostly more than 183 days a year or your main home there. Of the 27, only Hungary was found to make long-term residence status by itself a test of tax residence. Facts only, not tax advice.
All 27 EU countries
“Lowest published minimum” is the smallest amount or income a route names on an official page; many entrepreneur routes judge a business plan instead. Figures marked verify rest on a law firm or a copy of the law. Ireland and Denmark do not apply EU long-term resident status.
| Country | Routes without buying property | Lowest published minimum | Stay required | Permanent residence | Schengen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | Own income (quota, no work); start-up founder; self-employed key worker | €2,616.78 a month income (single) | Not stated | 5 years, German B1 | Yes |
| Belgium | Professional card for the self-employed | No set sum — business plan | Not stated | 5 years (EU long-term) | Yes |
| Bulgaria | Fund units; company with jobs; digital nomad; pensioner | €127,822.97 company in a less-developed region (5 jobs); €511,291.88 funds | None stated for the fund route verify | Fund route and €255,645.94 company route (10 jobs): permanent at once; €127,822.97 regional route: permanent after 5 years | Yes |
| Croatia | Digital nomad; company owner (3 local staff); 'other purposes' stay (up to 1 year) | €3,622.50 a month (nomad) | Not stated | 5 years + Croatian exam | Yes |
| Cyprus | €300,000 company or fund (permanent); visitor; digital nomad; start-up | €2,000 a month (visitor) | Not stated | Investor route: permanent at once | No |
| Czechia | Business stay; investment CZK 75m + 20 jobs; digital nomad (listed nationalities) | about €3,027 a month (nomad) | Not stated | 5 years, Czech A2 | Yes |
| Denmark | Start-up Denmark only | DKK 153,240 (about €20,501) for the first year | No more than 6 months in a row abroad | 8 years (4 with extra criteria) | Yes |
| Estonia | Business (from €16,000); large investor €1m; start-up; digital nomad visa | €16,000 plus €1,320 a month | You must settle there | 5 years, Estonian B1 | Yes |
| Finland | Entrepreneur; start-up | About €15,000 net a year (guideline) | Not stated | 6 years (since 8 Jan 2026) | Yes |
| France | Visitor; investor €300,000; business creator; innovative project | €1,477.93 net a month (visitor) | Not stated | 5 years, French B1 | Yes |
| Germany | Self-employment; freelance; discretionary permit for own means (§7) | No set sum | Not stated | 3 years for successful founders, else 5 | Yes |
| Greece | Bonds, deposit or shares €500,000; funds €350,000; start-up €250,000; own income; digital nomad | €3,500 a month (own income, nomad) | None for investor permits verify | 5 years (EU long-term) | Yes |
| Hungary | Guest investor (€250,000 fund or €1m donation); White Card (nomad); self-employment | €3,000 net a month (White Card) | White Card: 90 days in 180 to extend | National card after 3 years (not White Card) | Yes |
| Ireland | Stamp 0 (own means); start-up programme | €50,000 a year per person | Not stated | No EU long-term status; Stamp 0 time may not count toward citizenship | No |
| Italy | Investor visa (€250,000 start-up to €2m bonds); elective residence; digital nomad | €25,500 a year (nomad) | Investors exempt from stay rules for 5 years | 5 years (EU long-term) | Yes |
| Latvia | Company capital €50,000 + €10,000; start-up; retiree; remote-work visa | €4,213 a month (remote work) | Not stated | 5 years, Latvian A2 | Yes |
| Lithuania | Company owner (€14,000 in a €28,000 company); €260,000 + 5 jobs; start-up visa | €14,000 | Not stated | 5 years + language exam | Yes |
| Luxembourg | Investor €500,000 / €3m / €20m (being abolished); self-employed | €500,000 verify | Self-employed: present for day-to-day running | 5 years | Yes |
| Malta | Permanent residence by renting (MPRP); nomad permit; start-up | €42,000 a year (nomad); €25,000 start-up capital | Nomad renewal: 5 months in the last 12 | MPRP is permanent; the nomad permit gives no path | Yes |
| Netherlands | Self-employed (points test); start-up (1 year) | No set sum — points test | Not stated | 5 years | Yes |
| Poland | Business (company income or 2 staff); 'other circumstances' permit | Company test, no fixed sum | Not stated | 5 years, Polish B1 | Yes |
| Portugal | Funds, company or culture (from €250,000); D7 own income; D8 remote work; start-up | €920 a month (D7) | Investors: 7 days in year 1, then 14 per 2 years verify | 5 years | Yes |
| Romania | Business (company capital or 10 jobs); digital nomad visa | €70,000 company capital verify | Not stated | 5 years | Yes |
| Slovakia | Business (company executive, yearly quota) | €11,808.80 business account (innovative plan) verify | Not stated | 5 years, Slovak A2 | Yes |
| Slovenia | Digital nomad (since Nov 2025); self-employed; 'other justified reasons' | €3,390.68 a month (nomad) | Not stated | 5 years, Slovene A2 | Yes |
| Spain | Non-lucrative (own income); teleworker; entrepreneur — no investor route since 3 Apr 2025 | €2,400 a month (non-lucrative) | Non-lucrative: more than 183 days a year to renew | 5 years | Yes |
| Sweden | Self-employment only | SEK 200,000 (about €17,863) of your own funds | Not stated | 2 years for the self-employed | Yes |
Investor routes that closed
- Spain — every investor route (property, bonds, shares, deposits, business projects) ended on 3 April 2025 (Organic Law 1/2025).
- Netherlands — the €1.25 million investor scheme ended on 17 April 2024 verify; Ireland — the Immigrant Investor Programme closed on 15 February 2023.
- Luxembourg — being abolished. The Chamber of Deputies voted bill 8586 on 14 October 2026 (52 for, none against); the investor permit ends when the law is published. Only nine were ever issued. Permits issued before the law takes effect stay valid until they expire (Chamber of Deputies report).
- Latvia — the law in force since 15 September 2026 dropped property and bank-capital routes, cut company-investor permits to 2 years and added a €150,000 state-fund route that cannot be used yet (PMLP).
Buying a home instead? Four EU countries still give residence for a property purchase — residency by buying property. Malta also accepts renting a home for at least €14,000 a year with the same programme fees — see Malta.
Official sources
Before you rely on this: what to confirm
These points rest on a law firm, a commercial source or a single source, or the official page could not be read. Ask a licensed lawyer to confirm them against the official tariff or law before you pay anything.
- Every figure marked “verify”, against the country's migration authority.
- Income thresholds tied to a minimum or average wage — they change every year (Portugal, Spain, France, Austria, Croatia, Slovenia, Latvia, Czechia, Romania, Bulgaria).
- Whether time on your permit counts toward permanent residence and citizenship — some permits are excluded.
- Malta's tax programmes change on 1 January 2027; Cyprus's Schengen entry (expected 2027).
Questions people ask
What is the minimum investment or income for EU residency without buying property?
Investment: for a passive investment, €250,000 in Portugal (arts or heritage), Italy (innovative start-up), Greece (registered start-up) and Hungary (real-estate fund units); business routes start lower — Latvia €50,000 plus a €10,000 state payment, Bulgaria €127,822.97 (5 jobs, less-developed region); €300,000 in Cyprus (company or fund, permanent residence); €350,000–€500,000 for Greek funds, bonds or deposits; €500,000 in Portugal (funds or company); €511,291.88 in Bulgarian funds; €1,000,000 in Estonia; €2,000,000 in Italian government bonds. Own income: from €920 a month (Portugal D7), €1,477.93 (France), €2,400 (Spain), €2,616.78 (Austria), €3,500 (Greece). Digital nomad: from about €2,125 a month (Italy) to €4,500 (Estonia) on official pages; Romania's wage-based rule gives about €5,566 (verify).
Is there still a golden passport in the EU?
No — no EU country sells citizenship (a 'golden passport') any more: the EU Court of Justice ruled Malta's scheme contrary to EU law on 29 April 2025 and Malta abolished it, Cyprus closed its scheme in 2020 and Bulgaria in 2022. Investment routes now give a residence permit only — a 'golden visa', not a passport.
How much does a golden passport cost?
In the EU, nothing — none is for sale any more. What remains is a golden visa: a residence permit for an investment, from €250,000 in Portugal (arts or heritage; less in a low-density territory) without property, or about €306,775 of real estate in Bulgaria. Citizenship then comes only by naturalisation after years of residence — 10 in Portugal for most non-EU citizens.
Which EU country has the lowest income requirement for a residence permit?
Portugal's D7: 100% of the minimum wage, €920 a month in 2026, plus 50% for a spouse and 30% per child. France's visitor permit needs €1,477.93 net a month.
Does a residence permit let me live anywhere in the EU?
No — an EU residence permit lets you live in the country that issued it and, if that country is in Schengen, travel for up to 90 days in any 180 elsewhere. Cyprus and Ireland are not in Schengen.
Is the Spain golden visa still available?
No — Spain's Organic Law 1/2025 removed every investor residence route (property, bonds, shares, deposits, business projects) from 3 Apr 2025.