Europe’s Booming Residency-by-Investment Trend

Even before the World Health Organization announced the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic, applications for almost all of Europe's real estate linked Residence- and Citizenship-by-Investment programs were already on the rise.

In Portugal, the first quarter of 2020 saw a 25% increase in interest in it's Golden Residence Permit Program (GRP), with actual applications up by almost 50% compared to the same period in last year. According to the latest Portuguese government data, 95% of GRP applicants have invested their funds in real estate as opposed to capital transfers or business, injecting approximately EUR 5 billion into the country’s economy over the past eight years.

It is clear now that acquiring alternative residence or citizenship enables wealthy individuals to diversify their portfolios via a resilient investment solution, while at the same time contributing significantly to the economic well-being of the countries that offer such programs, making it a win-win solution for both. In Asia, investors have long preferred real estate as a viable form of investment with healthy returns. At present, HNWI's are favoring European real estate-linked programs as a hybrid investment opportunity that includes multiple yields from real estate, as well as an alternative residence and/or citizenship providing them the…