Best investor visas under USD 500,000 — accessible investment residence routes
Investor and entrepreneur visas with capital thresholds under USD 500k — the most accessible residence-by-investment options.
Featured routes
Kingdom of the Netherlands — Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) entrepreneur
lowest capital
Treaty-based self-employment residence for US nationals starting a business in the Netherlands.
United Arab Emirates — UAE Golden Visa
tax efficient
10-year renewable residence visa for investors, entrepreneurs, and outstanding talent across professional categories.
Canada — Start-Up Visa (Canada)
pr direct
Permanent residence for entrepreneurs with endorsement from a designated Canadian venture capital fund, angel investor group, or business incubator.
Portuguese Republic — Portugal Golden Visa (residence by investment)
eu residence
Residence-by-investment route; real-estate and capital-transfer pathways were closed in October 2023, but fund-investment and other options remain.
Analysis
DAFT (Dutch-American Friendship Treaty) is the lowest-capital business residence anywhere — €4,500 held in a Dutch business bank account. It is US-national only (plus Japanese under a parallel treaty) and requires operating an actual Dutch business.
UAE Golden Visa for investors requires AED 2 million (~USD 545k) in real estate or qualifying fund investment, but property routes starting at AED 750k-2m qualify depending on subcategory. Processing is fast; tax treatment is the global leader.
Canada's Start-Up Visa is not a capital-test route — it requires endorsement from a designated incubator, angel investor, or VC group. Cost is in fees and the business build, not a minimum capital lock-up. Processing times exceed 36 months as of 2025.
Portugal Golden Visa now accepts investment-fund applications from EUR 500k — just at the top of this ranking. Real-estate investment was closed October 2023 after the More Housing Act.
Frequently asked questions
What is the lowest-cost investor visa in 2026?+
DAFT (Netherlands, US nationals only) at €4,500 is the lowest-capital route by a wide margin. Outside nationality-gated routes, Ireland's Start-Up Entrepreneur Programme (€75k) and Portugal's D2 (no fixed threshold, depends on plan) are the lowest pure-capital routes.
Are Golden Visas still available in the EU?+
Partially. Portugal closed real-estate Golden Visa (2023) but fund investment remains. Spain Golden Visa closed April 2025. Ireland IIP closed February 2023. Greece, Malta, and Cyprus routes continue (not covered here). Always verify current rules before applying.
Which investor visa leads to EU citizenship fastest?+
Portugal's Golden Visa uniquely counts minimal-stay years toward naturalisation (citizenship possible after 5 years of legal residence, ~7 days/year physical presence). No other major EU programme offers comparable terms.