Golden visa
is residence granted for investment — real estate, funds, business or deposits. The landscape has tightened: several EU programmes closed or narrowed (Spain ended its property route in 2025; Portugal removed real estate earlier), while the UAE’s long-term residence visas expanded. Work rights vary by programme.
What remains relevant for employers
Where programmes persist (Greece, UAE 10-year visas, others), golden-visa holders arrive with residence secured — but employment may still need authorisation or registration depending on the category, and payroll, tax residency and social security follow the ordinary rules. A golden visa answers immigration status, not employment compliance.
For mobility planning, investment routes matter mainly for founders and senior hires who self-solve residence: the employer still owes right-to-work verification, correct payroll and — for EU tax purposes — attention to where the person actually lives and works.
FAQ
Do golden visas include the right to work?
Programme-specific: UAE long-term residence permits employment with normal labour formalities; Greek investment residence historically limited employment while allowing business ownership. Never infer work rights from the ‘residence’ label — check the category’s employment terms.
Why did EU golden visa programmes close?
Pressure over money-laundering, housing markets and security screening led Portugal, Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain to end or gut their schemes; remaining programmes tightened diligence. The direction of travel argues against building mobility plans on investment routes’ continued availability.