The right to live somewhere is separate from the right to own a home there. You can buy a flat in Lisbon or Marbella without ever being allowed to stay more than 90 days in 180. Sort out residence first, then the home.
Two very different starting points
If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen moving within that area, you do not need a visa. You can live and work in another member country, and you register as a resident after three months, usually with the town hall or the police. You need to show you work, study, or have enough income and health insurance. Switzerland issues permits (L or B) to EU/EFTA citizens on the same principle.
Everyone else (including UK citizens since Brexit) needs a visa or permit before moving, for a specific purpose: work, study, family, passive income, remote work or investment. You usually apply at the consulate in your country of residence, then collect a residence card after arrival.
The main routes for non-EU citizens
- Work. An employer sponsors a permit. Switzerland caps non-EU permits with annual quotas.
- Passive income. For people who will not work locally: Spain's non-lucrative visa, Portugal's D7, Italy's elective residence visa, France's long-stay visitor visa. Each asks for proof of stable income and health insurance.
- Remote work (digital nomad). Spain, Portugal (D8), Italy, Greece and Croatia all have routes for people working remotely for employers or clients abroad, with minimum incomes.
- Investment. A shrinking list, and in most of Europe no longer through property.
- Family. Joining a spouse or partner who is a citizen or legal resident.
The income thresholds change every year, often tied to the local minimum wage. Check the current figure with the consulate before you apply.
Does buying property give you residence?
Mostly not any more.
- Spain closed its property golden visa on 3 April 2025.
- Portugal stopped counting real estate for its golden visa in October 2023.
- Greece still offers a residence permit for buying a home: since September 2024, at least €800,000 in the most sought-after areas and €400,000 elsewhere, for a single home of at least 120 m² that cannot be let short-term.
- UAE (Dubai): a home worth AED 2 million or more lets you apply for a 10-year golden visa.
- Turkey: property of at least US$400,000 held for three years can lead to citizenship; lower values can support a short-term residence permit.
- Cyprus: permanent residence for non-EU buyers who invest at least €300,000 plus VAT, with conditions.
- Monaco: you need a residence card based on suitable housing, proof of means and a clean record. Buying or renting the home is part of the application, not a shortcut.
Country by country
Spain
- Foreign buyers
- No restrictions on foreigners buying; you need an NIE tax number. A proposed tax of up to 100% for non-EU non-resident buyers (2025) has not become law. The golden visa for property investors closed on 3 April 2025.
- Residency
- EU, EEA and Swiss citizens staying more than three months register for a registration certificate. Others need a visa first, such as the non-lucrative visa (about €2,400 a month for one person in 2026), the digital nomad route (about €2,450 a month) or a work permit, then a TIE card.
- Tax residency
- You are tax resident if you spend more than 183 days a year in Spain or your main economic interests are here; residents pay income tax on worldwide income.
Portugal
- Foreign buyers
- There are no restrictions on foreigners buying property. Since May 2026 non-residents buying a home pay a flat 7.5% IMT unless they become resident within two years or let the home long term at a moderate rent, and buying property no longer leads to a golden visa.
- Residency
- EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can live here freely and register with the town hall after three months. Other nationals need a national visa (for example for work, study, passive income or remote work) and then a residence permit from AIMA, the immigration agency, which has had long backlogs.
- Tax residency
- You are tax resident if you spend more than 183 days in Portugal in any 12-month period, or have a home here that you intend to keep as your habitual residence. Residents are taxed on worldwide income at progressive rates of 12.5–48%.
France
- Foreign buyers
- There are no restrictions on foreigners buying property in France. Every sale is completed by a notary, who also collects the taxes.
- Residency
- EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can live in France without a residence card if they work or have enough income and health insurance. Others need a long-stay visa, such as the visitor visa for people who will not work (at least €1,477.93 a month net for one person in 2026), or a talent or employee permit; owning a home gives no right to stay.
- Tax residency
- You are French tax resident if your home or main place of stay is in France, your main work is there, or your centre of economic interests is there. Tax treaties decide cases where two countries claim you.
Italy
- Foreign buyers
- EU citizens and foreigners legally resident in Italy can buy freely. Other non-EU nationals can buy if their country lets Italians buy there (reciprocity), which the US, UK, Canada and Australia meet. You need an Italian tax code (codice fiscale) to buy.
- Residency
- EU citizens can live in Italy freely and register as residents at the town hall. Non-EU buyers need a visa, such as the elective residence visa for people with stable passive income who will not work (consulates often look for about €31,000 a year for one person), or a work, investor or digital nomad route; owning a home gives no right to stay.
- Tax residency
- You are Italian tax resident if, for more than 183 days of the year, you are registered with the anagrafe, have your home or domicile (main personal and family ties) in Italy, or are physically present there.
Switzerland
- Foreign buyers
- Under Lex Koller, people living abroad, and non-EU/EFTA residents without a C permit except for their own main home, need cantonal authorisation. Holiday homes are possible only in designated tourist areas under cantonal quotas, which exist in Bern, Vaud and Ticino but not in Zürich, Geneva, Zug or Basel-Stadt. EU/EFTA cross-border commuters may buy a second home near their place of work.
- Residency
- EU/EFTA citizens register within 14 days and receive an L permit (contracts under 12 months) or a five-year B permit; others need an employer-sponsored permit under annual quotas (2026: 4,500 B and 4,000 L, plus a separate UK quota). Basic health insurance is compulsory within three months of arrival.
- Tax residency
- You are taxed as a resident once you settle in Switzerland. Foreign employees without a C permit are taxed at source and must file a full return if they earn CHF 120,000 or more gross a year.
Monaco
- Foreign buyers
- No specific restrictions: foreigners and non-residents can buy in their own name or through a company. Buying does not by itself give you the right to live in Monaco.
- Residency
- Anyone over 16 staying more than three months a year needs a residence card from the Sûreté Publique, based on a home suited to the household, proof of means and a clean criminal record. EU and EEA citizens need no visa; most others, including UK citizens, need a French long-stay establishment visa first.
- Tax residency
- Monaco has no personal income tax for people established there, but French nationals are taxed by France under the 1963 convention and US citizens by the US. A Monaco tax residence certificate needs a residence card plus more than 183 days a year in Monaco or your main centre of activities there.
Croatia
- Foreign buyers
- Citizens and companies of EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway buy on the same terms as Croatians; Swiss citizens need no consent but must show registered temporary residence. Everyone else needs consent from the Ministry of Justice, Administration and Digital Transformation, given only where reciprocity exists: yes for the UK and most US states, but not for Canadian buyers of homes until 31 December 2026 or Australian buyers of existing homes until 31 March 2027. Non-EU buyers cannot acquire agricultural land.
- Residency
- EU/EEA and Swiss citizens can stay three months, then register temporary stay with the police within eight days; permanent stay follows after five years. Others need a temporary stay permit for a set purpose, such as work, family, study or remote work as a digital nomad, granted for up to a year at a time; owning property is not a ground. Non-EU nationals must report their address to the police within three days of arrival.
- Tax residency
- You are tax resident if you own or have a home available in Croatia for at least 183 days in one or two calendar years, even if you do not stay in it, or if you stay at least 183 days. Residents are taxed on worldwide income, non-residents only on Croatian income.
Greece
- Foreign buyers
- EU citizens can buy anywhere in Greece. Non-EU buyers can also buy, but property in designated border areas, including some islands, needs prior approval. You need a Greek tax number (AFM) to buy.
- Residency
- EU citizens can live in Greece freely and register as residents. Non-EU buyers can get a renewable residence permit (golden visa) by buying a single home of at least 120 m², which cannot be let short-term: since September 2024 the minimum is €800,000 in the most sought-after areas such as Attica and Thessaloniki and €400,000 elsewhere; there are also permits for financially independent people.
- Tax residency
- You are Greek tax resident if your permanent or main home, habitual abode or centre of vital interests is in Greece, or if you spend more than 183 days there in any 12-month period (stays purely for tourism or medical treatment are excluded).
Cyprus
- Foreign buyers
- EU citizens can buy freely. Non-EU buyers need permission from the Council of Ministers, which has usually taken about a month; check the current rules for third-country nationals with a Cyprus lawyer before you commit.
- Residency
- EU citizens can live in Cyprus freely and register with the immigration authorities. Non-EU buyers who invest at least €300,000 plus VAT can apply for permanent residence, subject to conditions such as proof of income from abroad; others need a temporary permit, for example as a visitor or employee.
- Tax residency
- You are Cyprus tax resident if you spend more than 183 days a year there, or at least 60 days if you also work or run a business in Cyprus, keep a home there and spend no more than 183 days in any other single country.
United Kingdom
- Foreign buyers
- There are no restrictions on foreign individuals buying homes in England. An overseas company that owns or buys UK property must register its beneficial owners on the Register of Overseas Entities at Companies House.
- Residency
- Owning a home in the UK gives no right to live there: you need a visa such as Skilled Worker or Global Talent, and the investor visa closed to new applicants in 2022. Visitors can usually stay up to six months at a time, and many nationalities now need an Electronic Travel Authorisation before travelling.
- Tax residency
- Residence is decided for each tax year (6 April to 5 April) under the Statutory Residence Test: 183 days in the UK makes you resident, and fewer days can count if you have a UK home, work or family ties. Residents are taxed on worldwide income.
United Arab Emirates
- Foreign buyers
- Foreigners can buy freehold property in Dubai's designated freehold areas. Outside those areas ownership is reserved for UAE and GCC nationals and their companies.
- Residency
- Buying property worth AED 2 million or more at purchase (a mortgaged home counts if the bank confirms what has been paid) lets you apply for a 10-year renewable golden visa through Dubai Land Department. Owners of cheaper homes can apply for a two-year investor residence permit, but the value rules have changed, so check with Dubai Land Department.
- Tax residency
- There is no personal income tax, so UAE tax residence matters mainly when you need a tax residency certificate to show your home country. Whether you stop owing tax at home depends on that country's rules, so ask a tax adviser before you move.
United States
- Foreign buyers
- There is no general federal restriction, but Florida's 2023 law (SB 264) bars people domiciled in China who are not US citizens or green-card holders from buying, apart from one home of up to 2 acres at least 5 miles from a military base for holders of a non-tourist visa or asylum. People and companies linked to China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela's government or Syria also cannot buy within 10 miles of military bases or critical infrastructure. A federal appeals court declined to block the law in November 2025, so take legal advice if it could apply to you.
- Residency
- Owning a home in the US gives no visa or right to stay. Investor routes such as the E-2 treaty investor visa or an EB-5 green card require investment in a business, not a home.
- Tax residency
- Non-citizens become US tax residents with a green card or under the substantial presence test: at least 31 days this year and 183 days over three years, counting all of this year's days, a third of last year's and a sixth of the year before. US residents and citizens are taxed on worldwide income.
Turkey
- Foreign buyers
- The government decides which nationalities may buy and can attach conditions; foreigners cannot buy in military zones and need the governor's permission in special security zones. Each person can own up to 30 hectares, foreign ownership may not exceed 10% of a district's area, and the title office needs an expert valuation report, proof of payment through a bank and compulsory earthquake insurance.
- Residency
- Owning a home lets you apply for a short-term residence permit (usually up to two years at a time) if the property meets the current value threshold, reported as US$200,000 in metropolitan provinces and US$100,000 elsewhere, and the neighbourhood is open to new foreign residents. Buying property worth at least US$400,000 and declaring that you will not sell it for three years can qualify you for Turkish citizenship.
- Tax residency
- You are a Turkish tax resident if your legal domicile is in Turkey or you stay more than six continuous months in a calendar year (short trips abroad do not break the stay). Residents are taxed on worldwide income.
After you arrive: the paperwork
Register your address
Town hall (Spain's padrón, Portugal's junta de freguesia certificate, Italy's anagrafe), the residents' office in Swiss cities within 14 days, or the police in Croatia.
Collect your residence card
Non-EU citizens usually give fingerprints and receive a card weeks later. Keep the appointment receipt: it often proves your legal stay meanwhile.
Get your tax and social security numbers
NIE/NIF, NISS, codice fiscale, AHV number and so on.
Join the health system
Public registration or compulsory private insurance, depending on the country and your status.
Exchange your driving licence
within the deadline that applies to your country of origin.
Questions people ask
Can I work remotely for my old employer while on a passive income visa?
Usually not. Passive income visas exclude work, and remote work needs its own route. Ask the consulate, in writing if possible.
How long does a non-EU permit take?
From a few weeks to many months. Portugal's immigration agency has had long backlogs. Apply as early as the rules allow.
Does residence make me tax resident?
Not automatically, but often in practice. Tax residence has its own tests. See tax when you move abroad.
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change; check the details with a local professional before you sign or pay anything.