7 Countries with the Fastest Golden Visa Programs

Golden visa programs are popular among high-net-worth expats for a reason. They provide benefits such as a “Plan B” residency, path to second citizenship, enhanced financial and business opportunities, and life quality upgrade.

Processing times differ for each country, and can take anywhere from a few months to a year. Take a look at seven Golden Visa guides that explain how to get a visa fast.

1. UAE Golden Visa

Obtainment time: 2—3 months.

The United Arab Emirates has one of the fastest golden visa programs in the world. It is especially popular among international entrepreneurs, since the government is very pro-business.

Requirements for the 10-year UAE Golden Visa:

investing at least AED 2+ million in real estate in a Freehold Zone; a mortgage with a 20% down payment is possible;
paying AED 160,000+ as a processing fee;
paying AED 3,860+ in state fees;
undergoing a medical checkup;
getting $400+ health insurance.

Investors must be over 18, with legal income and no criminal record, or serious communicable diseases including STDs and tuberculosis. Family members can join the investor — this includes their spouse, unmarried sons under 25, and unmarried daughters of any age.

Benefits of the UAE Golden Visa include:

renewability, with citizenship eligibility in 30 years;
no obligatory stay in the country;
residency of a politically stable, economically developed nation;
tax benefits, such as no capital gains, income, gift, inheritance, or property taxes;
access to multi-currency international banking;
free ESAAD Privilege Card with generous offers, bonuses and discounts on the leading global brands

2. Spain Golden Visa

Obtainment time: 5+ months.

Spain offers one of the most attractive golden visa programs in Europe, ideal for those seeking residency in the EU. It is particularly favored by real estate investors.

Requirements for the Spain Golden Visa:

investing at least €500,000 in real estate;
additional costs such as legal fees and property taxes apply, typically adding up to 10-15% of the property’s value;
health insurance coverage in Spain;
proof of legal income and a clean criminal record.

Investors must be over 18, with legal income and no criminal record. Family members can join the investor, including their spouse, children under 18, and dependent parents.

Benefits of the Spain Golden Visa include:

renewability, with eligibility for permanent residency after 5 years and citizenship after 10 years;
no requirement to reside in Spain;
free movement within the Schengen Area;
access to high-quality education and healthcare;
right to work and conduct business in Spain.

3. Cyprus Golden Visa

Obtainment time: 9+ months.

Cyprus’ Golden Visa program is designed for investors looking to establish a foothold in Europe through real estate or business investment.

Requirements for the Cyprus Golden Visa:

investing at least €300,000 in real estate;
proof of annual income of at least €50,000, increased by €15,000 for a spouse and dependent and €10,000 for each dependent child.

Applicants must be over 18, with a clean criminal record, and provide health insurance for themselves and their family members.

Benefits of the Cyprus Golden Visa include:

permanent residency status for life;
free movement within the Schengen Area (pending Cyprus’ Schengen membership);
no requirement to reside in Cyprus;
access to education and healthcare;
possibility of applying for citizenship after 7 years of residency.

4. Greece Golden Visa

Obtainment time: 4+ months.

Greece offers a popular golden visa program, particularly appealing due to its low investment threshold and strategic location.

Requirements for the Greece Golden Visa:

investing at least €250,000 in real estate;
comprehensive health insurance for the investor and their family;
proof of funds and a clean criminal record.

Investors must be over 18, with a legal source of income. Family members, including the spouse, children under 21, and parents of both the investor and spouse, can also apply.

Benefits of the Greece Golden Visa include:

renewability every 5 years, with the possibility of applying for permanent residency and citizenship after 7 years;
no requirement to reside in Greece;
free movement within the Schengen Area;
access to the European education system;
attractive tax benefits.

5. Italy Golden Visa

Obtainment time: 4+ months.

The Italy Golden Visa program is tailored for high-net-worth individuals looking to invest in the country’s economy

Requirements for the Italy Golden Visa:

investing at least €500,000 in an Italian company or €250,000 in an innovative startup;
alternatively, a donation of €1,000,000 to a public-interest project in Italy or the purchase of €2,000,000 in government bonds;
health insurance and proof of sufficient income to support themselves.

Applicants must be over 18, with a clean criminal record. Family members can join the investor, including the spouse and minor children.

Benefits of the Italy Golden Visa include:

renewability, eligibility for permanent residency after 5 years and citizenship after 10 years;
no requirement to reside in Italy;
free movement within the Schengen Area;
access to Italy’s high-quality healthcare and education systems;
tax incentives, including no wealth tax and favorable income tax rates.

6. Hungary Golden Visa

Obtainment time: 3—6 months.

Hungary’s Golden Visa program, known as the Residency Bond Program, offers a straightforward route to European residency.

Requirements for the Hungary Golden Visa:

investing €250,000+;
health insurance coverage in Hungary.

Investors must be over 18, with a clean criminal record and proof of legal income. Family members, including the spouse and minor children, can also apply.

Benefits of the Hungary Golden Visa include:

permanent residency after 3 years;
no requirement to reside in Hungary;
free movement within the Schengen Area;
access to Hungary’s healthcare and education systems;
favorable tax regime, including no wealth tax and low personal income tax rates.

7. Portugal Golden Visa

Obtainment time: 12+ months.

Portugal is one of the most sought-after Golden Visa countries. It has updated its Golden Visa program in 2023, eliminating real estate investment options and focusing on other types of investments.

Requirements for the Portugal Golden Visa:

investing at least €500,000 in an investment fund;
creating at least 10 jobs in Portugal;
supporting artistic production or the maintenance of cultural heritage with a minimum investment of €250,000.

Investors must be over 18, with a clean criminal record and proof of legal income. Family members, including the spouse, children under 26, and dependent parents, can also apply.

Benefits of the Portugal Golden Visa include:

renewable every 2 years, with eligibility for permanent residency and citizenship after 5 years;
no requirement to reside in Portugal;
free movement within the Schengen Area;
access to Portugal’s high-quality education and healthcare systems;
attractive tax regime with benefits for new residents, including a 10-year tax exemption on foreign-sourced income.

In a Nutshell

Golden visa programs are popular among high-net-worth expats for a reason. They provide benefits such as a Plan B residency, path to second citizenship, enhanced financial and business opportunities, and a life quality upgrade.

Processing times differ for each country, starting at 2—3 months.

Technology

Legacy to Cloud in 100 Sprints: A Tactical Guide for CTOs in Regulated Industries

By Sam Allcock06/01/2026

Cloud migration has become essential for regulated industries where security, compliance, and nonstop availability are crucial. From finance to healthcare and insurance, legacy systems once built for stability are now being stretched thin by the swift demands of digital transformation. Organizations face a daunting challenge: how to modernize without risking operational downtime or regulatory penalties? At the heart of this transformation is a practical story of steady progress, the journey of Balraj Adhana, a technology leader who pioneered an agile and risk-conscious approach known as “Legacy to Cloud in 100 Sprints.” With over 20 years of experience, Balraj has led the modernization of vital platforms across capital markets, insurance, and healthcare domains. His approach was not about big leaps but about breaking down the complex multi-year cloud migration into 100 manageable sprints. Sprinting added functional upgrades and provided complete business continuity, even to the most sensitive compliance systems. This method enabled teams to turn single-monolith legacy software into agile microservices, which operate in the cloud and reduce the six-hour critical batch processing windows to fifteen minutes. It has also reduced the costs of cloud infrastructure by up to 45%, signifying financial discipline and technical excellence. His leadership extended beyond technical delivery. He reshaped organizational collaboration by bridging gaps between technology, compliance, and audit teams, creating cross-functional cloud squads that improved onboarding speed by over 60% and sprint velocity by 65%. This cultural shift increased confidence across stakeholders and accelerated delivery without compromising regulatory requirements. The innovator also developed comprehensive internal playbooks, which became standardized guides for modernization projects across multiple industries. His leadership in establishing a Cloud Center of Excellence streamlined governance and tool use, reinforcing consistency in cloud adoption company-wide. One of the expert’s most notable achievements was achieving zero downtime during the phased migration of critical regulatory systems. His team implemented a dual-run strategy, running legacy and cloud systems in parallel for months while an automated engine reconciled all data events in real time. This approach eliminated risk during the transition and safeguarded thousands of compliance analysts working in global markets around the clock. His team also introduced event-driven architecture, turning overnight batch jobs into real-time event streams, boosting efficiency by 96%. These advancements accelerated compliance reporting from a three-day delay to same-day insight, increasing responsiveness to market changes. Cost savings were equally significant. By right-sizing workloads, adopting container orchestration, and eliminating redundant data centers, Balraj’s initiatives achieved $2 million in annual operational savings. Automated deployment pipelines and self-healing workflows reduced manual overhead by 40%, freeing teams to focus on innovation. Compliance adherence also improved dramatically, with full alignment to leading standards maintained throughout migration, a major trust builder with regulators and customers alike. The professional’s work provides useful insights for leaders facing modernization challenges today. He stresses that speed must align with safety, coining the phrase: “True transformation is a steady sprint, not a risky leap.” Instead of viewing compliance as a constraint, he sees it as an engineering discipline embedded from the start. He added,” Legacy systems are repositories of institutional knowledge that should be carefully refactored rather than discarded, preserving business logic while unlocking agility.” Looking ahead, he foresees hybrid and multi-cloud architectures dominating regulated sectors due to data residency and audit requirements. The next wave of modernization revolves around treating data pipelines as control planes, focusing on real-time observability and lineage tracking. Furthermore, AI-driven governance holds great promise, helping detect compliance risks preemptively and automating audit trails. Ultimately, cloud modernization is as much about people and culture as it is about technology, a balance Balraj has mastered with his pioneering 100-sprint approach. This story of transformation shows how complex regulatory IT environments can be modernized sustainably, enabling faster innovation, stronger compliance, and smarter cost management. Balraj Adhana’s model creates a roadmap for enterprises striving to keep pace with digital disruption while safeguarding trust and continuity. For regulated industries, the future belongs to those who blend engineering discipline with regulatory empathy to deliver cloud migration that’s faster, safer, and ready for the challenges ahead.