Europe prohibits “golden passports” but the rich north -north have other options

In a Milestone ruleThe European Union this week banned so-called golden passport programs, which allow rich foreigners pay for accelerated citizenship and have been popular with rich Americans who sought a start-out strategy of their increasingly. politically loaded Country of origin. But investment migration experts say there are Options outside of Europe For people who are worth a large number of people Looking for a plan B.

Like many countries of Europe closes its doorsNew Zealand opens its own, eager to capital investments of rich foreigners that the government hopes to help relieve recent financial pain.

Early this year the island country announced that it would Relax the restrictions to their asset Investor Plus visa program to try attract more investors. Changes include the elimination of an English requirement, the extension of qualified investments, and the reduction in the duration of investors must remain in the country.

The changes, which were live on April 1, are already promoting a significant interest, according to Greener Pastures New Zealand, which provides immigration and naturalization services. Due to its remote location, natural beauty and tax benefits -the country has no capital gains, estate or wealth taxes, New Zealand has long appealed to the North -Americans, Especially those of Silicon Valley.

Individuals generally have to invest somewhere between 2.5 and $ 5 million and are held in New Zealand for a given number of days. They must also keep their investments for a certain number of years to obtain the qualification. Dominic Jones, CEO of Greener Pastures New Zealand.

“This visa is very valuable for New Zealand. We are a small country. This means that we are often capital short, both financial capital and human capital,” Jones said Fortune Earlier this year. “Attracting very successful and very rich people to a place like New Zealand has a really positive flow of effects.”

European countries rethink golden residence programs

This week’s EU’s high court’s decision to ban golden passport programs come from a single Member State, Malta, which offers an accelerated road to the citizenry through investment (Bulgaria and Cyprus previously offered a similar way, but independently ended with their programs). But many countries, such as Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spanish They have offered investment residence, which often rich foreigners could achieve the purchase of residential properties.

Although the residence does not come with all the advantages of the citizenry, it allows rich foreign nationals to be easier to travel to the country where they bought their property in and all the EU, has been popular with elites who enjoy travel without barriers, as well as retirees seeking greener pastures outside the United States.

But the citizens for sale have also attracted criminal elements, anti -corruption organizations have found, and the leaders of the European government say that rich investors who buy properties in large cities helped that the costs of housing increasing the sky with a price of premises.

As such, many countries are completed or significantly reduced their programs. Spain finished its gilded visa program on April 3, while Ireland and TThe Netherlands I have done it earlier and Greece Plans to tighten restrictions. By 2023, Portugal eliminated real estate as a qualified investment for the residence.

In the meantime, Hungary restarted his gilding visa program last year. By the beginning of 2025, he also abolished the property investment option.

Citizens of investment programs are rarer than residence and Malta was considered the “gold standard”, according to Henley & Partners, a global firm of immigration investment investment advice. Out of Europe, LoneAntigua and Barbuda and Dominica are popular destinations for the second citizenship.

This story originally presented to Fortune.com