Greece vs UAE: Golden Visa Programmes Compared
The lowest qualifying amount is €250,000 in Greece and AED 2,000,000 in United Arab Emirates. Here is how the two programmes differ on time in the country, the path to citizenship and processing, side by side.
At a glance
| Greece | UAE | |
|---|---|---|
| Programme | Residence Permit for Investors | Golden Visa (long-term residence) |
| Status | Thresholds raised and tiered by location from September 2024 | Open, and broadened to new categories repeatedly since 2019 |
| Lowest qualifying amount | €250,000 | AED 2,000,000 |
| Time you must spend there | None | None; exempt from the 180-day absence rule |
| Route to citizenship | 7 years of genuine residence, plus exam | No direct path |
| Typical processing | Several months for complete new files; a backlog of about 29,000 files was reported in July 2026, down from over 52,000 in early 2025 | Typically weeks once documents are complete |
| Main routes |
|
|
Which is cheaper, Greece or UAE?
The lowest qualifying amount is €250,000 in Greece and AED 2,000,000 in United Arab Emirates. The cheapest route is not always the practical one: some low-entry routes are donations or contributions you never get back, while others are investments that can lose value independently of the permit. Add government fees, legal costs and, where relevant, family members before comparing totals.
How much time do you have to spend in each?
Greece: None. United Arab Emirates: None; exempt from the 180-day absence rule. A permit that asks for little time in the country is convenient, but a path to citizenship usually depends on genuinely living there.
Which leads to citizenship?
Greece: 7 years of genuine residence, plus exam. United Arab Emirates: No direct path. Naturalisation rules are set separately from the investment programme and can change while you are part of the way through.
The biggest caveat for each
Greece: The permit requires no presence at all, but citizenship does — so an investor who never relocates gains residence rights and nothing more, however long the permit is held.
UAE: Rules on mortgaged and off-plan property are administrative practice rather than statute, and can be tightened without notice.
More programme comparisons
Information reflects our own independent research as understood in September 2026. These rules change often and differ by nationality. Plain Investor does not sell or advise on any programme. This is general information, not legal, immigration or tax advice; check the official government source and a licensed immigration lawyer before committing money.