“Owning a property abroad”—this was once the privilege of the wealthy, but it is now gradually becoming accessible to ordinary families. People purchase these overseas properties for one of two reasons: investment or immigration.
For these “overseas property buyers,” choosing a country has become a major challenge. Some countries are traditional immigration destinations, but the benefits of immigration and investment are limited; some countries have excessively high taxes; while others have introduced newer immigration policies, which can be described as having the highest cost-performance ratio.
Spain: The Country Fully Encourages Property Investment Immigration with Multiple Preferential Policies
Among the many European countries that grant residency upon property purchase, Spain is one of the most well-known. Since Spain introduced this policy, several Spanish officials have visited China to promote it.
Spanish regulations state that after purchasing a property worth over 500,000 Euros, one can obtain temporary residency, and as long as the property is held, the residency can be continuously renewed. For Chinese investors, buying property in Spain can be described as “achieving both investment and immigration goals.” The Spanish economy has begun to emerge from its recession this year and is gradually recovering. More and more investors want to seize the opportunity during this recovery to purchase high-quality properties in Spain.
At the same time, after obtaining Spanish residency, one can enjoy benefits such as free public primary and secondary education, a healthcare system, permanent property rights, and no double taxation. Spanish officials have stated that Spain is very welcoming to immigrants and that the immigration environment is very tolerant.
Portugal: Unique Benefits for Property Investment Immigration
Portugal and Spain are located on the same landmass, neighboring each other with easy access, similar to two provinces in China. Although Spain's land area is much larger than Portugal's, Portugal's numerous preferential immigration policies for immigrants are truly unique. It is precisely these unique preferential policies that make Portugal the “best country” for purchasing property at present.
The basic policy for property investment immigration in Portugal is the same as in Spain: property worth over 500,000 Euros grants temporary residency. However, other benefits are generally not implemented by other countries:
1. Permanent residency in five years. After purchasing the property, you only need to stay for seven days each year (in practice, you just need to ensure your entry and exit records match, and you can travel to other countries in between). After five years, you will obtain permanent residency.
2. Citizenship in six years. After living there for six years and passing the A2 Portuguese language test, you can obtain the country's citizenship.
3. Property can be sold. After obtaining permanent residency, buyers can sell the property at will. This is a unique benefit of Portugal.
4. Residents can work. During their stay in Portugal, immigrants can work freely.
5. Parents can immigrate. In other immigration countries, after purchasing property, buyers can only bring their spouse and children, but in Portugal, you can bring both sets of parents to immigrate together.
Cyprus: Obtain Permanent Residency Through Property Investment
If it weren't for the property investment immigration policy, many people might never have heard of this small European country in the Mediterranean.
But now, the name of Cyprus can be seen everywhere on domestic real estate websites, at property exhibitions, and in immigration agencies. Although it is relatively unknown and not a Schengen country, the biggest advantage of buying property here is something that many other major economic and cultural powers cannot match: purchase a property worth 300,000 Euros and directly obtain permanent residency in the country.
If the goal is immigration, children's education, welfare, etc., then no country is more convenient than Cyprus. The official language of Cyprus is English, and education received in Cyprus can be directly aligned with the UK and the US; Cyprus grants a green card in one step, and the procedures only take about 2 months; at the same time, immigrants can enjoy local medical benefits and other treatments.
Greece: The Lowest Threshold for Property Investment Immigration and a Great Choice for Vacation
For immigrants, Greece is the lowest threshold for entering Europe and obtaining a Schengen visa. According to the property investment immigration policy launched by Greece, as long as you purchase a property worth over 250,000 Euros, you can obtain temporary residency in Greece. At the same time, Greece's immigration supervision is not strict, and the requirements for residence time are relatively loose, so when the buyer has lived there for 5 years, they can obtain permanent residency.
In addition to having a lower entry threshold, Greece is also a Schengen country, and after obtaining residency, you can travel freely through the 26 Schengen countries in Europe. At the same time, Greece is also a famous tourist destination, and its places like Athens and Santorini are world-renowned in the tourism industry. The “holy land” where Carina Lau and Tony Leung had an affair in the movie “Beijing Love Story” is Santorini.
