The golden visa: How and where to get it?

Other than offering people a backup plan should geopolitical and economic issues arise, gaining citizenship or residency in a foreign country provides plenty of opportunities. The most pronounced is an upgrade to your mobility. Let’s be honest, the Philippine passport isn’t the most powerful one—only offering visa-free access to 69 out of 227 travel destinations as of June 2024. Getting citizenship and receiving a European passport, for example, more than doubles that and allows you more freedom of movement.

“These passports would allow you to work or settle anywhere in the European Union. They also give visa-free access to destinations such as the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan so the global mobility is second to none,” says Moore.

Another key benefit is the ability to pass your citizenship to your children and their children after—opening the door for generational security, resiliency, and opportunity. “Particularly for the European options, this status can be passed down to future generations without limit. This will be passed to your unborn grandchildren and great-grandchildren in the future,” explains Moore. 

Also see: Got travel plans? 9 alternative Southeast Asian destinations 2024

If you have a barrel of money to spend, Malta and Austria are the best places to apply for citizenship. For an enormous contribution of €600,000 and €3.5 million respectively, one can get access to a significantly higher standard of living, mobility to over 190 countries, and economic security. “Malta is what I would recommend if you could afford it. There’s no language requirement and it’s the fastest route to a European citizenship. It’s also a succession investment that can be passed down to future generations,” says Moore.

If citizenship is too steep for you, Malta and Austria also offer RBI programmes for a lower price. While the former is straightforward, asking for a minimum of €175,000 in mixed capital requirements, the latter sees a massive price cut at the cost of more prerequisites—a minimum of €40,000 in liquid funds, German language skills, permanent accommodation, and private healthcare insurance.

Portugal is also an attractive option to those looking to gain citizenship but don’t want to leave their home country behind for years. While the minimum contribution is €250,000, applicants only need to stay in the country for seven days a year for five years and pass a basic language exam to qualify for citizenship.

Read also: What to expect at the Philippines’ Frankfurt Book Fair 2025 Guest of Honour programme?

While much more expensive and difficult to acquire, the Spanish golden visa is a great option for Filipinos. Due to the Philippines being a former colony of Spain, Filipinos looking to apply for citizenship only have to live in the country for two years continuously compared to the standard 10. Priced at €500,000 and requiring a simple language exam, it might be a challenge—but a worthwhile one at that.

In Asia, the easiest and relatively cheapest are Thailand and Malaysia. While not citizenship programmes, investing in these economies allows individuals to receive long-term residence permits allowing them to live and conduct business in both countries. Thailand currently has four programme options, ranging from ฿900,000 to ฿2.5 million for five-, ten-, and fifteen-year privilege entry visas with VIP treatment and great tax benefits and exemptions. Malaysia, on the other hand, is priced at RM1 million for a 20-year residence visa which is renewable for another 20 years and the ability to include your immediate family.

For those looking to obtain permanent residence in the pinnacle economy of Southeast Asia, Moore swears by Singapore. While steeply priced at a minimum investment of SGD10 million, its high standard of living, favourable tax laws and swift processes make it a great choice. Those who do decide to make Singapore their home can apply for citizenship after just two years of permanent residence—however, the country does not allow dual citizenship.

If you’re looking for somewhere tropical and in North America, the Caribbean programmes such as those offered by Antigua & Barbuda or Grenada are among the fastest to process according to Moore. With minimum donations amounting to a relatively low US$230,000 and US$235,000 respectively, the two countries are attractive options for those looking to get dual citizenship. Both passports allow individuals visa-free access to over 150 destinations such as China, Singapore, the UK and Europe’s Schengen Area.

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