Spain ends Golden Visa Program – but Hungary’s is still open
On April 3, 2025, Spain officially ended its Golden Visa Program, which had allowed investors to gain EU residency through safe investment options. While this popular route is no longer available in Spain, Hungary’s Golden Visa Program is still up and running, and it offers some unique advantages.
What was Spain’s Golden Visa?
Spain’s program ran from 2012 to 2025, granting residency to around 15,000 investors—mostly from China, Russia, the UK, the U.S., Ukraine, Iran, Venezuela, and Mexico.
Investors could choose to set up a company, make a bank deposit, or buy real estate worth at least EUR 500,000. Most people chose real estate as the safest option.
Why consider Hungary instead?
Hungary now offers an attractive alternative, and its Golden Visa Program is just gaining popularity. Instead of buying property directly, investors put money into a government-approved real estate fund, which has some key benefits:
- Supports local housing development
- Doesn’t reduce housing supply for locals
- Keeps the market balanced
- Simple, transparent, and secure
How the Hungarian program works
- Investment: EUR 250,000 into a real estate fund
- Residency: 10+10 years for you and your immediate family
- Stay requirement: None – you don’t need to live in Hungary
- Travel: Visa-free access to the EU and Schengen zone (90 days per country, per 180 days)
- Exit: You can pull out your investment after 5 years
- Renewal: To extend your residency after 10 years, just reinvest the same amount
- Processing time: Just a few months
Can you still get residency by buying property in Hungary?
Not directly. However, there is a workaround: if you start a company in Hungary that buys and manages property for rent, you can get residency as a business owner. However:
- Costs are similar (around EUR 240,000)
- Residency is short-term
- Family members are not always eligible
So, the Golden Visa is the better deal: longer residency, lower risk, and family-friendly.
Why the Hungarian Golden Visa is a better deal
Hungary’s Golden Visa gives you long-term EU residency in exchange for a lower investment than Spain’s former program, without a negative impact on the local housing market, this way offering more advantages than residency via direct property purchase.
Work with experts you can trust
Helpers Hungary has been a leader in immigration and business services since 2005. We’ve helped clients through the Hungarian Golden Visa process from the very beginning—so we know exactly how to make your application smooth and successful.
Interested? Reach out and talk to one of our experts about your options.
