Residency bonds are special types of bond or stocks issued and guaranteed by Governments to foreign investors in exchange for permanent residency (golden visa).
When you buy a Government bond, you lend money to the Government that has issued that bond. In return for that money, the Government provides you with a bond and promises to repay the value of the bond when it matures.  Government bonds are often referred to as a ‘low risk’ investment.
In Europe, the residency bonds are issued in Euros.
The minimum starts from EUR 250,000 and the investment must be held for five years in exchange for permanent residency. After five years the entire investment is paid pack to investor without interest.
The following countries offer residency bonds to foreigners.
- Malta – €250,000
- Latvia – €250,000
- Spain – €1m
- Italy – €1m
- United Kingdom £2m
- Ireland – €1m
- Bulgaria – €1m
- Hungary – €250,000 (closed but may reopen)
- Cyprus – €2m*
- Turkey – $500,000*
- Australia PIV ($15m)
- Canada ($1.2m)
- New Zealand ($3m)
- Saint Lucia $500,000*
* Citizenship possible
Cyprus offers full citizenship for purchase of government bonds, while in other countries only offer permanent residency. Saint Lucia is another country in the Caribbean that offers citizenship $500,000 purchase of Government bonds.
