Golden Visa Cost in INR: What Indian Investors Actually Pay Across Every Major Program

Portugal's remaining qualifying routes after the 2023 real estate exclusion require either a EUR 500,000 fund investment or a EUR 250,000 cultural donation. At roughly 90 INR per euro, that puts the fund route at approximately INR 4.5 crore and the cultural route at INR 2.25 crore. Add government processing fees of around EUR 8,000 per adult applicant (roughly INR 7.2 lakh), plus legal fees of EUR 5,000 to EUR 15,000 depending on the firm, and the realistic all-in cost sits between INR 2.5 crore and INR 5.5 crore depending on which route you take. Processing currently runs 18 to 24 months.

The UAE Golden Visa requires either a AED 2 million (roughly INR 4.5 crore) real property investment or proof of a business or investment meeting certain thresholds. There is no mandatory fund lock-up, and the visa itself can be processed in four to eight weeks once documents are in order. Government fees run AED 2,800 to AED 4,000 per person (roughly INR 63,000 to INR 90,000), and the UAE imposes zero personal income tax, which makes this the most tax-efficient option for Indian high earners willing to establish genuine UAE residency. Indian residents moving capital out must comply with RBI's Liberalised Remittance Scheme limits, currently USD 250,000 per year per individual.

Greece retains one of the lowest real estate entry points among EU programs, though threshold maps have changed. Most of Athens and Thessaloniki now require EUR 800,000 (roughly INR 7.2 crore), but select peripheral regions still accept EUR 400,000 (roughly INR 3.6 crore). Outside the restricted zones, the old EUR 250,000 threshold (roughly INR 2.25 crore) applies only to certain converted commercial properties. Government and administrative fees add roughly EUR 2,000 to EUR 3,500 per adult (approximately INR 1.8 lakh to INR 3.2 lakh). Greece does not require minimum stay, making it workable for Indians who want EU access without relocating.

Spain announced plans to close its real estate golden visa route, but as of mid-2025 the program is still accepting applications and the closure timeline has not been legislatively finalized. The current real estate minimum is EUR 500,000 (roughly INR 4.5 crore) unencumbered, meaning no mortgage. Government fees sit around EUR 1,500 to EUR 3,000 (INR 1.35 lakh to INR 2.7 lakh). If you want Spain specifically for long-term EU residency, move fast since the closure, once enacted, will not grandfather applications in progress unless submitted before the cutoff date.

Malta's residency program (MPRP) requires a property purchase of at least EUR 375,000 in Malta or EUR 220,000 in Gozo, plus a government contribution of EUR 30,000 and a charity donation of EUR 2,000. Total investment in INR terms runs roughly INR 2 crore to INR 4 crore depending on property location. Malta's separate citizenship program (by naturalisation after residency) adds EUR 600,000 or EUR 750,000 in additional contributions and a five-year or three-year hold respectively, pushing total cost above INR 8 crore for the faster track. Indian investors considering EU mobility across multiple programs should also compare what lower-cost visa routes charge if the goal is access rather than permanent status.

India's Liberalised Remittance Scheme allows each resident individual to send up to USD 250,000 (roughly INR 2.1 crore at current rates) abroad per financial year. Most golden visa investments exceed this in a single transaction, which means Indian investors must either remit over multiple years, use an NRI account structure, or route the investment through a company or trust holding foreign assets, each of which has its own regulatory and tax implications. Timing the remittances across two financial years to clear a EUR 500,000 threshold is common but must be documented carefully to satisfy both RBI and the destination country's source-of-funds requirements. Get a tax advisor who understands both FEMA and the destination country's AML requirements before wiring anything.