Which are the most popular investment immigration programs in Europe?

A recent survey intended to find out which investment immigration programs are the most popular among investors and agencies. The two most prominent programs, however, both offer fewer advantages than the Hungarian Golden Visa Program.

Surveying the investment immigration landscape

The objective of the Investment Migration Executive Survey was to identify trends in the investment immigration business. The authors collected data from the 40 most prominent multinational investment immigration firms to see which programs have been gaining or losing popularity throughout 2025, and what the expectations are for 2026.

While the analysis considers investment immigration schemes all around the world, the results prominently featured two European programs: of Portugal, and of Italy. The Hungarian program is faster, cheaper, and more convenient than either of these, however.

Hungary, the insider secret

Hungary is a lesser known country in the center of Europe, which possibly contributes to why the Hungarian golden visa program called Guest Investor Program is less recognized. Nevertheless, it offers better or equivalent options as both Italy and Portugal in all aspects:

1. Investment:

• EUR 250,000 investment in specific real estate funds

While this portfolio is admittedly less varied than the others, it offers a perfectly safe investment in government approved funds. You incur much lower risks than in either the Portuguese or the Italian program, while less of your assets will be bound.

Portugal has various options between EUR 250,000 and EUR 500,000, but some of them are in fact non-refundable (donations to support art or research), while others involve higher risks (job creation, investment in local venture capital or spent on business).

Italy offers low investment only at higher risk; the lower the risk you want to take, the higher the sum you have to pay – and here you will also find non-refundable options (EUR 250,000 investment in an innovative startup, EUR 500,000 investment in local business, EUR 1 million donation to projects of public interest, EUR 2 million investment in government bonds).

2. Residency for the whole family

All three programs offer residency for the spouse and underage children of the investor. You can obtain residency for elderly parents or siblings only if they are dependent on you.

3. Long-term plans and path to citizenship

The Hungarian program offers 10+10 years of residency. The first 10 years are awarded without regard to when the passports of applicants expire (which is normally relevant in residency programs). The guest investor residence permit is then renewable for an additional 10 years upon expiry. There is no minimum stay requirement; the only condition is that the original or an equivalent investment is maintained when the renewal is requested. Citizenship is not mentioned in this scheme, but the convenience of the 10+10 year residency is supposed to compensate for that.

The Portuguese golden visa program already requires presence, although just 35 days over the first 5-year period. It also offers a clear path to citizenship, which becomes available after just 5 years (in two phases: first you need to apply for permanent residency, but as soon as it is granted, you can apply for citizenship). At the same time, we must note that this path will be getting longer soon, as the Parliament has just accepted a new ruling that would make citizenship available to third-country nationals only after 10 years of residency (the waiting period will be extended to EU nationals too, to 7 years).

In Italy, there is no minimum stay requirement for maintaining the resident permit, but if you are interested in citizenship, you will need to spend most of your time in Italy (270 days / year). Citizenship will become available after 10 years of continuous physical residency.

4. Application process

Hungary also offers the best application process. Residency will be granted in 2 phases: first the investor gets a visa so they can come to Hungary and realize the investment. Once that is done, the entire family can apply for the guest investor residence permit together. Depending on how quickly the applicant collects the relevant documents and realizes the investment, the whole thing can be completed in under 6 months, and then you do not have to think about it for 10 years.

For Portugal, the official processing time is said to be 8-12 months, but in practice, most applicants have to wait for their residency quite a lot: in some cases the wait has been as long as 40 months. The program has accumulated a significant backlog over the years due to its popularity, as a result of which you will need to be patient if you want to obtain Portuguese residency through investment.

In Italy, the initial processing time is quite short: you can obtain your first visa in just a few months. After this, you will receive a residence permit, but it will be valid for only 3 years (and you will need to renew it every 3 years).

Summary

As you can see based on the above aspects, Hungary is your best bet if you are shopping for investment immigration programs in Europe.

• Hungary offers the lowest and safest investment option: in Portugal, that amount is basically a donation, while the same investment in an Italian startup incurs higher risk
• Residency is available for the entire family, just like in Portugal and Italy
• Short processing time, mostly depending on how soon you can get an appointment at the consulate to submit your application, and then how soon you can realize the investment
• Long validity, as you get your residency for 10 years, regardless the expiry date of your travel document

Got you interested? Then get in touch with one of our experts today.

Helpers Hungary offers investment, immigration, and business services to international clients since 2005. We have a team of 20+ professionals who would be happy to help you realize your dreams and obtain EU residency.