
Australia is an extremely popular destination for highly skilled young people wishing to start a new life in another country. The country’s economy is strong and Australia is actively encouraging the immigration of skilled migrants.
Far-seeing people invest in European citizenship for different reasons. It is often for the freedom to travel the world without visas and bureaucratic hurdles. Others want to expand their business beyond existing areas of presence, optimise taxes and deal with European banks without any issues. Another common reason for applying for European residence or citizenship is to move there. In this article, we will talk about choosing the right place in Europe for relocation.
Apart from such advantages of European countries as tax benefits, pro-business environment and visa-free travel to many countries, there are more down-to-earth pluses that attract foreigners to Europe.
Always remember that your choice will determine where your family will spend a big part of their lives. Therefore, start by choosing a country based on everyone’s interests and needs and then narrow it down to a certain town or city. There are many European cities that are convenient for life, business, work, education and leisure.
The following documents give rights to live, study and work in a European country:
Western Europe is a popular destination among foreign nationals, especially from developing countries. Therefore, governments have been tightening screws and making it harder to immigrate to Europe.
Before we give you a list of European countries that welcome foreign investors, we will disperse a common misconception. A long-term visa or a residence permit granted to you in return for your investment allow visa-free access to all EU states and Schengen zone. However, neither a residence permit nor a golden visa give right to live in another country. The maximum number of days you can spend outside the country of your residence is 90 days in each 6 months; this is not bad, but not enough to find a job or start a business.
And now here is a list of European countries where you can get residence and benefit from all the advantages they offer to foreign investors.
European country | Benefits of residence | Minimum required investment |
Portugal |
Beneficial tax regime for new tax residents for the first 10 years Affordable real estate Visa-free travel in EU and Schengen zone |
from €250,000 |
Malta |
Tax benefits Visa-free travel in EU and Schengen zone |
from €330,000 |
Latvia |
One of the most affordable investment programs Low cost of living Visa-free travel in EU and Schengen zone |
from €250,000 |
Spain |
Favourable business environment Renowned universities Visa-free travel in EU and Schengen zone |
from €500,000 |
Belgium |
Developed economy and infrastructure Government support of business Visa-free travel in EU and Schengen zone |
No minimum requirement In average €200,000 |
Switzerland |
High living standards Visa-free travel to over 155 countries |
No minimum requirement |
United Kingdom |
Right to live, work or do business in the UK World-class education Recoverable investment |
from £2,000,000 |
While the first investor visa is easier to get, with little requirements to foreign applicants, naturalisation requires permanent residents to speak the language fluently and prove their knowledge of local customs and history of the country. But permanent residence or EU passport give you right to live, work, do business or study full-time in a university anywhere in the European Union.
Good news is that you can get a European passport without the initial applications for a residence permit and permanent residence. This route might be very handy for those who:
Fortunately, there are two jurisdictions in Europe where the authorities are prepared to:
You can get a Malta passport in 1 year. Minimum amount of money that you must have available is €1,150,000 where €650,000 is a non-refundable contribution to a state fund and the remaining amount goes to buy a property in Malta and government securities.
It will take 6 months to obtain a Cyprus passport by investing at least €2,150,000 into the country by one of the four available ways. Non-refundable amounts are €150,000 donations and €500,000 purchase of a property that will have to remain your home for life.
Montenegro citizenship by investment. If the investment in Malta or Cyprus seems too much to you, we can offer you to invest in a small Balkan country. A Montenegrin passport gives access to 117 countries including almost all European states. Though they are not yet part of the European Union, their accession is in the pipeline for the next couple of years. Once they join the EU, the investment amount will increase significantly. At the moment, it takes six months to become citizen of Montenegro and €350,000 including non-recoverable €100,000 donation to a public fund. The remaining money can be returned in a few years and potentially with a gain due to growing housing market.
We will finish with an overview of European cities and opportunities they offer to migrants after relocation.
City/ country | Aimed for | Main benefits |
London/ UK |
Wealthy people Talented entrepreneurs |
One of the world financial hubs Excellent environment for running a business High living standards World renowned higher education |
Brussels/ Belgium | Experienced businessmen seeking a comfortable and laid-back place to live |
Political capital of the EU Comfort and security Convenient location and developed infrastructure |
Zurich/ Switzerland |
Affluent people Specialists with rare qualifications |
Banking and financial centre of Europe High living standards Good ecological conditions and clean air |
Sliema/ Malta |
International entrepreneurs Students of tourism and medicine Wealthy retired people |
Centre of international business All-year-round resort with mild climate European standards of living |
Barcelona/ Spain |
Entrepreneurs People looking for a comfortable place to live |
Business and investment opportunities Great city with friendly people Accessible healthcare Cultural and architectural heritage |
Riga/ Latvia | People looking for a quite and steady pace of living |
Good food Low cost of living Mild climate and beautiful nature |
Podgorica/ Montenegro |
Optimists Investors in real estate |
Candidate to accession to the EU Growing property market European standards Breath-taking nature |
As you can see all 7 cities have their own advantages and opportunities. No matter what you want to achieve and what you are looking for, there will be a place for everyone, a place to suit your needs and budget.
Even if you dream of moving to a country with more stringent immigration laws, our experts in Imperial & Legal will offer you a customised solution. Qualified specialists will help you make a choice, prepare all required documents for obtaining a residence permit or European citizenship. If needed, they can also organise your relocation, open and support your business in Europe and offer tax solutions.
Australia is an extremely popular destination for highly skilled young people wishing to start a new life in another country. The country’s economy is strong and Australia is actively encouraging the immigration of skilled migrants.
The UK is a very popular destination for people wanting to live and work in a new country.
Live in New Zealand – Get a career and a life , New Zealand has a world-class recipe for better living.