Italy vs Hungary: Golden Visa Programmes Compared
The lowest qualifying amount is €250,000 in Italy and €250,000 in Hungary. Here is how the two programmes differ on time in the country, the path to citizenship and processing, side by side.
At a glance
| Italy | Hungary | |
|---|---|---|
| Programme | Investor Visa for Italy (visto per investitori) | Guest Investor Residence Programme |
| Status | Structurally unchanged since 2017; suspended for Russian and Belarusian nationals | Property purchase route abolished by decree in December 2024, before it ever opened |
| Lowest qualifying amount | €250,000 | €250,000 |
| Time you must spend there | No minimum stay set | No minimum stay |
| Route to citizenship | 10 years of actual legal residence | Generally 8 years of actual residence, plus exams |
| Typical processing | Nulla osta often weeks; visa and permit add months | 21-day statutory decision deadline on a complete file |
| Main routes |
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Which is cheaper, Italy or Hungary?
The lowest qualifying amount is €250,000 in Italy and €250,000 in Hungary. 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?
Italy: No minimum stay set. Hungary: No minimum stay. 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?
Italy: 10 years of actual legal residence. Hungary: Generally 8 years of actual residence, plus exams. 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
Italy: The permit is easy to hold from abroad, but only real registered residence in Italy counts toward the ten-year naturalisation requirement.
Hungary: One of the three announced routes was cancelled by decree days before it opened, so the remaining two could be changed or withdrawn with equally little warning.
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.