Comparing EU residency programs: which one fits your family

There is no “best” EU residency program. The right option depends entirely on who you are, where you are positioned today, and what you are building toward. For globally mobile families, the decision is never about passports alone. It is about family composition, timing, capital allocation, tax exposure, and personal jurisdictional alignment. The rest is simply paperwork.

To illustrate how these decisions take shape in real life, here are four examples of how very different families approached the same question, each through a different lens.

Italy: when lifestyle comes first

Mr. P from Nantucket has long envisioned Italy as the next chapter for his family. He and his wife plan to spend four to five months each year in Rome. While they initially looked at Portugal as a possible route to EU citizenship, their goal was never driven by passports or tax optimization. They already speak some Italian, identified a property they love, and want to immerse themselves in Italian life as soon as possible.

For them, Italy’s elective residence visa provided exactly what they needed. With an investment into an Italian company structure starting at €500,000, they secured residency quickly. There was no prolonged processing timeline. No bureaucracy standing in their way. They will be in Rome by year-end.

Italian citizenship may remain an option later, but it would require full-time residence for 10 years, B1-level Italian, and full integration. For Mr. P, that is not the priority. This decision was about immediate access to Italy itself.

Portugal: building intergenerational access

Mr. D from Boston faced a very different situation. A retired financial executive in his early seventies, he has two adult sons, one of whom recently started a family of his own. Mr. D was not focused on himself. His priority was securing long-term European access for his children and grandchildren.

After consulting with his U.S. tax and estate advisors, Mr. D chose to gift capital to his children under U.S. gift tax allowances. That capital allowed both sons to apply for Portugal’s Golden Visa through a qualifying private equity fund. Mr. D and his wife were then added as dependents to one application under family reunification rules.

Portugal’s Golden Visa structure allowed the entire family to consolidate their European positioning with 2 applications. The program requires no relocation, minimal physical presence, and allows for a citizenship application after five years. 

Greece: residency flexibility without relocation

Mr. B from Johannesburg had no interest in complex tax planning or long-term citizenship goals. Recently retired, he plans to spend the next decade sailing the Mediterranean. What he needed was access and flexibility.

Greece’s Golden Visa allowed him to purchase property in Crete while the €250,000 threshold was still available. Greece remains the only EU country still offering property-only investment at this level, making it highly efficient for those who want residency without added complexity.

For Mr. B, Greece’s program offers unrestricted Schengen access with no relocation requirement. But it is not ideal for families with adult children, as dependents typically age out at 21 (or 24 if enrolled in full-time study in Greece). Citizenship is possible but requires high-level language skills and extensive integration. Work permits are not available under this visa.

Malta MPRP: clean access for adult children

Mrs. A in New York City approached the decision through the lens of her daughters. Both are already working professionals. Running three Golden Visa applications across Portugal would have used too much of her capital.

Instead, she turned to Malta’s permanent residency program (MPRP). The program requires a combination of a government contribution, property lease or purchase, and administrative fees. Critically, it allows partially dependent children up to age 29 to be included.

For Mrs. A, the decision was not about citizenship. It was about giving both daughters clean EU residency and future work opportunities in an English-speaking jurisdiction, at a significantly lower cost and administrative burden than alternative options. If citizenship becomes a future goal, full relocation and permanent residence would be required.

What these families understood

None of these decisions were about which program was “best.” Each family made choices based on personal factors: their structure, their timeline, their exposure, and their priorities. The same law that is perfect for one client may be entirely wrong for another.

This is why EU residency planning is never transactional. It is alignment work. The law is the easy part. The structuring behind it is what determines the outcome.

At Ilana Insider, this is where our work starts. Quiet, private, detail-driven preparation that reflects who you are and where you are positioned globally.

If you are considering an EU residency program, this is the moment to position correctly, before legislative windows close.

Book a private consultation to explore your options with full transparency and foresight.