Hungary
Hungarian guest investor programme
Hungary's guest investor programme grants a 10-year residence permit for investments starting at EUR 250,000, renewable for another 10 years.
Onboard Golden Visa
A second home that does not tie you down
Onboard Golden Visa programmes grant long-term residence on the basis of an investment – 10 years in Hungary or the UAE, 3 + 5 years in Malta – with no minimum stay requirement or with a business of your own. Your family can be included in every programme.
The situation it answers: You would not move tomorrow, but you would like a second home you can go to at any time, where your children can study and which widens your family's options. Investment-based programmes offer exactly this: a long permit with few obligations.
What the programmes have in common: each ties residence to a specific investment, and each includes the family. They differ in the type of investment (fund, company, property or deposit), the amount, the presence expected and whether they lead to settlement or citizenship.
How to choose: for a European home with no minimum stay requirement, the Hungarian guest investor programme is the clearest route. For those who would actually live and run a business in Malta, the Startup Residence Programme. For a base in the Middle East, in a tax-free environment, the UAE Golden Visa.
Programmes
Onboard Golden Visa
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- Malta
Malta Startup Residence Programme
The Malta Startup Residence Programme is for people who found an innovative company in Malta or move one there, investing at least EUR 25,000.
- United Arab Emirates
UAE Golden Visa
The Golden Visa gives 10 years of renewable residence in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – with no employer or sponsor, with your family, and with no personal income tax.
Guide
The three programmes side by side
| Hungarian guest investor programme | Malta Startup Residence | UAE Golden Visa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investment | EUR 250,000 in a real estate fund or a EUR 1,000,000 donation | EUR 25,000 in your own company | AED 2,000,000 in investment or property; for professionals, based on salary |
| Permit | 10 years + 10 years | 3 years + 5 years | 10 years, renewable |
| Minimum stay requirement | None | Genuine presence expected | None |
| Family | Spouse, child under 18 – with unrestricted access to work | Spouse, child under 18 | Spouse, children of any age; parents on conditions that differ by emirate |
| Settlement / citizenship | If you move to Hungary: settlement after 3 years, naturalisation after 8 years; if not, a 10 + 10-year permit without settlement | Long-term residence after 5 years, naturalisation at discretion | No route to citizenship |
| Tax | Under Hungarian rules | Maltese tax residence | No personal income tax |
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy property to qualify?
Not in Hungary any more: the residential property option was abolished at the end of 2024; in the UAE, yes, for at least AED 2,000,000. In Malta, the Startup Residence rests on capital invested in your own company.
Can I get my investment back?
Hungarian real estate fund shares can be sold after 5 years; the Maltese capital belongs to your own company; the UAE deposit cannot be withdrawn for 10 years. Returns are not guaranteed in any programme.
Which programmes lead to citizenship?
The Hungarian programme after 8 years in Hungary (a national residence card after 3 years; if you do not move to Hungary, the permit runs for 10 + 10 years, without settlement or citizenship); the Maltese one after 5 years at the earliest, at discretion. The UAE Golden Visa does not lead to citizenship. If citizenship is your goal from the start, we recommend the Onboard Citizenship programmes.