How To Buy a Property and Get a Second Residency.

A few years ago, buying a property in another country and walking away with a residency permit felt like something that happened to a very specific and very wealthy category of person. It doesn't anymore.

Golden Visa programmes have made property-linked residency accessible to a much broader range of buyers, and the process, while not simple, is more straightforward than most people expect.

Here's what it actually looks like.

Step 1: Choose the right country and programme

Not every country with a Golden Visa programme is the right fit for every buyer. The factors to weigh include: the minimum investment threshold, whether the property qualifies under the programme rules, residency requirements (some require you to spend a minimum number of days per year in the country; others don't), the quality of the passport and what it unlocks, and the pathway to permanent residency or citizenship.

Step 2: Find a qualifying property

The property needs to meet the programme's criteria, which typically includes a minimum purchase price in designated zones or market categories. House48's Marketplace surfaces qualifying properties in Golden Visa markets, and the Concierge can help you verify that a specific property qualifies before you proceed.

Step 3: Instruct a lawyer in the target country

Your lawyer handles the property purchase and coordinates the visa application in parallel. These two processes run simultaneously, and the right legal team manages both so nothing falls out of sequence.

Read: How House48 Connects Your Savings to Mortgage Banks When You're Ready

Step 4: Complete the purchase and submit the visa application

Once the property is purchased and registered, the visa application is submitted with the property documentation as evidence of qualifying investment. Processing times vary by country: some Golden Visa programmes are processed in a few months; others can take longer.

Step 5: Receive residency

Once approved, you receive your residency permit. In most programmes, this is renewable as long as the property investment is maintained.

The process takes planning and the right professional support. But the outcome, a second residency and an appreciating asset, is one of the most powerful combinations available to international property buyers.

Start your Golden Visa property search at thehouse48.com