Interest among Americans in European Golden Visa Programs has surged, particularly among finance professionals and tech entrepreneurs. Growing political instability and the upcoming U.S. presidential election are key drivers behind Americans looking to EU Residency and Citizenship by Investment options.

Several EU countries offer Residency and Citizenship Investment Programs that allow wealthy foreigners to obtain residency or citizenship in return for financial investments and fulfilling specific criteria.

According to a survey by Arton Capital, 53% of wealthy Americans indicate they’re more inclined to leave the U.S. post-election, regardless of the outcome. This trend is especially notable among millionaires aged 18-29, with 64% expressing strong interest in Golden Visa and Golden Passport programs.

These Are Most Sought-After EU Golden Visa Programs by Americans

According to a report from News Week, the most sought-after European Golden Visa Programs for US nationals remain in Portugal, Greece, Malta and Spain, in spite of several changes applied to these programs.

While Portugal and Spain abolished the real estate investment option from their Golden Visa Programs, Greece decided to increase the minimum amount required for investments made through the real estate option of its Golden Visa Program.

However, real estate experts in Portugal and Spain say the abolishment of real estate investment options has not affected the Golden Visa Programs of these countries.

In contrast, according to a specialist in international mobility in Spain, Juan Carlos Lois, the abolishment of the real estate investment route led to a surge in demand from internationals, in particular Americans, for Spain’s Golden Visa Program.

Lios said that in August alone, Spain registered a surge in requests, almost triple the number of those registered in the corresponding period in 2023.

At the same time, Gustavo Caiuby, managing partner of Heed Capital, told Correio Brasiliense that in spite of the abolishment of the real estate investment option, interest in Portugal’s Golden Visa Program remains high among Brazilians and North Americans.

Many people want to understand what really happened with golden visas and how it is possible to still use them in Portugal.
--Gustavo Caiuby, managing partner of Heed Capital

According to Caiuby, since the beginning of 2024, the interest in Portugal’s Golden Visa Program has been four times higher compared to the same period last year.