Which countries still link property to a residence permit, which routes closed (Spain, Portugal, Latvia), what a permit gives and does not give, and why citizenship is a different matter.
The myth
The claim sounds simple: pay a certain amount for an apartment abroad and a residence permit, or even a second passport, follows. Listings, agents and social media repeat it, and for a few years it was partly true. Spain, Portugal and Latvia all ran programmes that tied a property purchase to a permit, and Turkey still does for citizenship. People remember the headline and not the conditions. Many residents of the EU who have a national permit, not an EU passport, look at this question with real interest, so it deserves a careful answer. This article is general information, thresholds are as reported in October 2026, and rules change often.
What is actually true
A property purchase never gives status by itself. At best it gives you grounds to apply, and the authorities decide. Three things are worth separating.
- Residence permit: the right to live in one country, usually for a fixed term, renewable while you meet the conditions (often: keep the property).
- Permanent residence: a longer or open-ended status in the same country, which often needs years of stay or a specific scheme.
- Citizenship: a passport and the rights of a national. It is granted under separate nationality law, and for most countries property plays no role.
Most routes that remain give a permit, not a passport. Our overview residence through property: which countries still offer it compares them, and golden visas 2026: what changed explains how to read a programme. If you hold an EU passport, you already have the right to live in any EU country, so a property-based permit adds little; the question matters mainly for non-EU citizens.
Where the myth comes from or is partly right
The kernel of truth is real. Greece, Cyprus, Montenegro, Georgia, Turkey and the UAE do link property to a permit under conditions, and Turkey links a higher purchase to citizenship. The problem is that the conditions are narrower than the marketing: a minimum value, a certain type of property, no short-term letting, a ban on selling for some years, income tests. Programmes also close with little warning. An agent who earns a commission on the sale has an interest in telling you the short version.
What a permit does not give is also often skipped. It does not make you a tax resident automatically (see tax residency and the 183-day rule), it does not give you a right to live in other EU countries, and it does not mean a passport later. A permit issued by a Schengen state generally lets you make short visits to other Schengen states (the usual limit is 90 days in any 180), but that is a short-stay right, not a right to settle. Countries outside Schengen, such as Turkey and Georgia, do not offer even that.
Country examples
Greece. As reported in our guide, the threshold depends on the address: EUR 800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands above 3,100 inhabitants, EUR 400,000 elsewhere, and EUR 250,000 only for converting a non-residential building or restoring a listed one. It must be a single property of at least 120 m2, short-term letting is not allowed, and the permit lasts five years and is renewable while you keep the investment. It does not lead to a Greek passport by itself. See Greece golden visa.
Cyprus. Permanent residence (not citizenship, which closed in 2020) is reported to need a new property from a developer of at least EUR 300,000 plus VAT, secured annual income from abroad of at least EUR 50,000 and a EUR 30,000 pledged deposit, with annual monitoring since 2023. See Cyprus golden visa.
Turkey. Two separate routes: a residence permit reported from USD 200,000 stated in the title deed, and citizenship from USD 400,000 with a three-year no-sale annotation. Citizenship is granted by presidential decree, and a Turkish passport does not give visa-free entry to Schengen, as our guide notes. See Turkey golden visa.
Montenegro and Georgia. Montenegro reportedly requires a tax-assessed value of at least EUR 150,000 for a one-year property-based permit since the amendments of 17 January 2026, and the citizenship programme closed in 2022. Georgia is reported at USD 150,000 for a one-year and USD 300,000 for a five-year permit, judged on an independent appraisal and not on the contract price. Confirm both with a local lawyer. See Montenegro residence through property and Georgia residence permit.
Closed routes: Spain, Portugal, Latvia. Spain removed its investor visa by Organic Law 1/2025, effective 3 April 2025, with transitional rules for people already in the system (Spain golden visa). In Portugal, residential property has not qualified since October 2023, and the remaining investment categories do not involve buying a home (Portugal golden visa). In Latvia, the new Immigration Law is reported to apply from 15 September 2026 and no longer treats real-estate purchase as a basis for a new first residence application; we read this in adviser and legal-firm summaries and did not open the statute, so check the official text. If someone still sells you one of these routes as open, treat it as a red flag.
How to act safely
- Ask which law, article and authority create the right, and ask for it in writing. A brochure is not a legal basis.
- Check the date of the rule. Look for the official migration authority page, for example migration.gov.gr for Greece, and confirm the threshold on the day you buy.
- Confirm in writing what counts: value measured how (contract, assessed or appraised), new or resale, mortgage allowed or not, short-term letting allowed or not.
- Ask what happens if you sell, if the rules change, or if the permit is refused. Is the purchase still yours? What fees are lost?
- Do not buy only for the permit. Test the property on its own merits: price, rent, resale, running costs. See the myths and facts hub.
- Check the tax effect separately. A permit is an immigration status and tax residency is another test; see the tax myth.
- Use an independent immigration lawyer licensed in that country, not only the seller's adviser. Never pay a separate fee for a promised approval.
FAQ
Does buying a flat give me a residence permit? Almost never automatically. In some countries a purchase above a threshold gives grounds to apply, and the authority decides. Can I get a passport by buying property? Among the countries we cover, only Turkey is reported to offer citizenship for property, at a higher threshold and with a three-year sale restriction. Does a permit let me live anywhere in the EU? No. It covers the issuing country; other Schengen states are generally short stays only. If I already have an EU passport, do I need this? Usually not, because EU citizens can live in any EU country under free-movement rules. Can the rules change after I buy? Yes, Latvia, Spain and Portugal are examples, and existing holders are often treated under transitional rules that you should check. Does the permit make me a tax resident? No, tax residence is decided separately.
How we help
We are a trilingual platform that finds properties and coordinates independent local lawyers and tax advisers. We help you test a property on its own merits and put the residence question to an immigration lawyer in the country concerned before you pay. This text is informational and is not legal, tax or investment advice. Rules change often, so verify the current position with the official authority.