New Study Reveals Best European “Golden Visa” Real Estate Investment Programs

Henley and Partners, together with Deep Knowledge Analytics, have introduced an analytic tool called the Best Investment Migration Real Estate Index in order to assess investment migration programs that offer real estate investments as an effective way to residence rights and citizenship acquisition, AtoZSerwisPlus.pt reports.

Spain has been ranked second in the index introduced by Henley and Partners. The southwestern European country is very famous for the opportunities that it brings to international investors, offering various locations from urban areas to islands.

Another European country, Montenegro, has also been placed among the top five European destinations for real estate investment. The Balkan country has been placed in the third position in this index, offering investors the possibility to choose from coastal resorts to new establishments, while it is also known for its popular mountain and ski areas in the north.

In the fourth position has been ranked Turkey, which is known for its high scores for its low investment amount and residence requirements.

At the same time, Portugal shares the fifth spot with Thailand. The European country is also famous for its real estate market.

Greece has been ranked in the sixth position, while the country is very popular for its Golden Visa Program, which attracts a large number of internationals.

Another European country, Cyprus, has been included in the list of countries that offer excellent opportunities to international investors.

Cyprus has been placed in the eighth position on the index, while this country is also known for its high scores for its low investment amount.

As for countries outside Europe, the Emirate of Dubai has been placed in the first place as the world’s best territory for offering rental income potential, while the price of property per square metre is lower compared to the most significant number of international centres.

Thailand, Grenada, Dominica, and St. Lucia also belong to the top ten destinations for investors interested in real investments for residence.

A total of 80 per cent increase in enquiries has been noted by the international residence and citizenship firm during last year.

In this regard, Henley and Partners Group Head of Private Clients, Dominic Volek, said preventive measures imposed to stop the virus’ further spread, such as lockdowns, entry bans, travel restrictions, and remote work, have convinced investors of the benefits of alternative residence and citizenship.

“International real estate has always been a reliable asset class for global investors due to its long-term staying power. Real estate–linked investment migration programs have the additional advantages of enhancing your global mobility through multiple passports and expanding your personal access rights as a citizen or resident of additional jurisdictions, creating optionality in terms of where you and your family can live, work, study, retire, and invest,” Volek pointed out.

He stressed that the potential gains “over the lifetime of the investment include the core value of the asset, rental yields, and global access as an ultimate hedge against both regional and global volatility.”

European countries such as Spain, Greece, Portugal, Bulgaria are famous for their Golden Visa schemes, which offer great opportunities for internationals. However, such schemes have often been criticised for being involved in illicit affairs. The Commission of the European Union has continuously called on the authorities of countries that run such schemes to abolish them as soon as possible.