A significant increase in interest among Americans in European countries’ Golden Visa Programs has recently been registered, particularly among finance professionals and tech entrepreneurs.
Political instability and the upcoming presidential elections in the United States are among the main reasons for Americans turning their eyes to Residency and Citizenship through Investment schemes offered in several European Union countries, Schengen.News reports.
The Residency and Citizenship Investment Programs run by several European countries give wealthy foreigners the opportunity to acquire residency and citizenship in exchange for financial investments and meeting some needed requirements.
Based on a survey from Arton Capital, a total of 53 per cent of wealthy US citizens say they are more likely to leave the US after the election, regardless of the election outcome.
The survey says the trend is noted more among millionaires between the ages of 18 and 29, with 64 per cent of them being very interested 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.
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.
