Residency by investment for Russians in 2026

From $19,300 in Thailand to $7.9 million in Singapore: where residence is granted for investment, what the whole route costs and which programmes are closed to Russian citizens.

In detail

A residence permit through investment in 2026 costs anywhere from $19,300 for a long-term visa in Thailand to $7.9 million for permanent residence in Singapore. Between these poles lie about twenty programmes, and the advertised price almost never matches the final bill: transaction taxes, government fees for each family member, checks and years of holding the asset are added to the investment.

This article covers the whole world, not only property and not only Europe. It brings together programmes granting residence for money in any form: funds, business, bonds, contributions and housing. For each: the minimum sum, the total for the whole route, timelines and whether the programme is open to Russian citizens. Buying property is covered in more detail in the article residence through property, and European programmes in the overview European golden visas.

How much residence by investment costs in 2026

Minimum amounts under active programmes, from cheapest to most expensive. Amounts in dollars at official rates, the euro at about $1.12 on 5 October 2026.

A separate class is countries where you pay tax rather than invest: in Switzerland the lump-sum tax is calculated on a base of 435,000 Swiss francs a year, and in Jersey the minimum tax is about $330,500 a year. These are solutions for very wealthy families, not an entry ticket. All programmes on one page are in the residence by investment section.

The total for the whole route: what is added to the investment

The minimum sum is only the entry. On top come purchase taxes, notary and registration, government fees for a card for each family member, translations and source-of-funds checks. An example for one applicant:

For a family the investment is usually single, while fees and checks are paid for each member. There are exceptions: Cyprus requires income from €50,000 a year plus supplements for a spouse and children, and in Malta adult dependants add €7,500 each. Our consultant in the chat will calculate the total for your family.

What you can invest in: property, funds, business and bonds

Non-refundable contributions are cheaper to enter but are an expense, not an investment. Housing and funds cost more, but after 5 years the money can come back if the market has not let you down.

Where permanent residence by investment is granted at once

Most programmes give temporary residence, renewed as long as the investment is kept. Few grant permanent status straight away: Paraguay for investments from $70,000, Cyprus for €300,000, Mauritius when buying a home, Panama for $350,000 in forestry and the USA, where the green card is first issued for 2 years and then becomes permanent. Paraguay details are on the page Paraguay residence.

Which programmes are open to Russian citizens

Sanctions have split the world in two. For Russian citizens without a second passport the following work: the UAE, Hungary, Cyprus, Paraguay, Panama, Costa Rica, Thailand, Mauritius, Namibia, the USA, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Singapore, with more detailed source-of-funds checks than usual.

• Closed: Italy's investor visa since 14 July 2023, Malta's permanent residence, Latvia's investor grounds.
• Only with a second citizenship: Greece accepts applications from Russian citizens only with another country's passport.
• Formally open, with caveats: Portugal, where EU rules bar selling units of certain funds to Russian citizens and restrict large deposits.
• Closed to everyone: Spain's golden visa since 3 April 2025.

Which family members can be included

Almost everywhere a spouse and minor children get status with the investor without a separate investment, but beyond that the rules differ. Greece includes the parents of both spouses and children up to 21. Portugal includes dependent parents. In the UAE the visa holder sponsors a spouse and children as family members. Cyprus requires additional income for each family member, and adult children must be students and dependent.

If your family includes adult children or elderly parents, this can change the choice of country more than the investment amount: in one programme they are included for free, in another they need their own ground.

Can you get your investment back

Money put into a fund, housing or a business can usually be returned, but only after the holding period and with the loss of status unless a new ground appears. In Hungary fund units are held for 5 years, in Portugal the investment is kept while the golden visa is valid, and in the UAE, Greece and Cyprus residence lasts as long as you own the property. For the US investment green card the money must stay in the project at risk until the conditions on the temporary card are removed.

Contributions and donations are never returned. They are a fee for status and are more honestly compared not with investments but with the cost of long-term renting of life in the country.

How long you must live in the country to keep status

For many investors residence is a back-up plan, so the presence requirement matters more than the amount. This is where programmes differ most.

• Greece - no need to live in the country to renew.
• UAE - a 10-year visa holder can stay abroad for long periods without losing status.
• Portugal - 7 days in the first year and 14 days in each following 2-year period.
• Cyprus - a visit once every 2 years.
• New Zealand - 21 days over 3 years in the growth category.
• Paraguay - permanent residence is lost only after more than 3 years abroad in a row, but for citizenship the court assesses a real link to the country.
• USA - a green card assumes living in the country, and long absences can lead to its loss.

If you do not plan to live in the country, choose programmes with minimal presence, but remember that the path to citizenship almost everywhere requires genuine residence.

How long to wait: processing times by country

Add time for the purchase, the money transfer and documents to the authority's timeline: in practice the route from decision to card takes 2 to 18 months depending on the country.

Taxes for investors: where residence helps and where it does not

A residence permit alone does not change taxes: they depend on where you live for more than half the year and where your centre of interests is. But several programmes bring a real tax advantage to those who actually move. The UAE has no income tax, property tax or capital gains tax. In Cyprus people without Cypriot domicile pay no special levy on dividends, interest and capital gains for 17 years. Paraguay and Panama tax only local income, and Hungary's income tax is 15%.

If residence is kept as a back-up while you continue to live in your previous country, taxes are paid there. Rates by country are compared in the taxes by country section.

What changed in 2024-2026

How the process works

1. Choosing a programme for the whole family's citizenships, goal and budget, taking into account countries closed to Russian citizens.
2. Checking the asset: the property, fund or project before the deposit, including whether it meets the programme threshold.
3. Source-of-funds documents: income, property sales, inheritance, with translations and apostilles.
4. Investment and confirmation: the transfer, registration of title or units, a certificate for the migration service.
5. Application and biometrics - at a consulate, online or in the country, depending on the programme.
6. Card and renewals: tracking deadlines, visits and keeping the investment.

How to choose a programme for your goal

• You need Schengen and the EU: Hungary from €250,000 in a fund, Portugal from €250,000, Greece with a second passport.
• You need a fast path to citizenship: Paraguay, where you apply for citizenship after 3 years with permanent residence; more on the page Paraguayan citizenship.
• Taxes and doing business matter: the UAE, Cyprus, Panama, Paraguay.
• A budget under $100,000: Thailand for a long stay and Paraguay for permanent residence.
• You need residence without moving: Greece, Portugal, Hungary and the UAE do not require living in the country permanently.

If the goal is a second passport rather than residence, it is fairer to compare citizenship programmes: their cost for the whole route is collected in the second passports section.

Common investor mistakes

• Counting only the minimum sum. Transaction taxes, family fees and checks add anything from a few percent to tens of thousands of dollars.
• Choosing a programme closed to Russian citizens. You can invest the money and still not get residence.
• Not preparing source-of-funds documents. This is the main cause of delays for Russian citizens in every country.
• Selling the asset early. Residence rests on the investment, and an early sale means no renewal.
• Confusing residence with tax residence. A card does not exempt you from taxes where you actually live.

How we help

An investor most often loses not on the investment itself but on the choice of programme and the paperwork: a country closed to their citizenship, a property below the threshold, money without proven origin. Murblz specialists compare programmes for your goal and budget, check the asset before the deposit, prepare documents and handle the application until the card is issued.

FAQ