The cheapest residency-by-investment option visible on the official sources we checked on 2026-07-11 is Latvia's share-capital route. The PMLP share-capital investor page says the investment can start at EUR 50,000 in a qualifying Latvian company, but the same page also requires a EUR 10,000 payment into the state budget. Cheap on paper, yes. Automatically simple, no.
If you only want real estate, the lowest in-force threshold we verified is Greece's EUR 250,000 exception under Law 5100/2024 for specific conversion or industrial-building cases. Latvia's property route also starts at EUR 250,000, yet the PMLP real-estate page adds a 5% state-budget payment. If you want the route-by-route background, keep our Latvia guide, Greece guide, and permanent-residency versus citizenship explainer open while you compare.
What is the cheapest official residency-by-investment route right now?
Right now, on the official pages we could verify directly, Latvia's small-company equity route has the lowest headline threshold. According to the Invest in Latvia residence-permit overview, Latvia does not run a standalone Golden Visa programme. Residence comes through specific Immigration Law grounds, and the cheapest published ground starts with the PMLP company-investment route.
The practical number is not just EUR 50,000. The PMLP page ties that threshold to a company with no more than 50 employees and annual turnover or balance sheet not exceeding EUR 10 million, and it also requires the applicant to pay EUR 10,000 into the state budget. Once the company is larger, the headline investment rises to EUR 100,000. So the cheap route exists, but it is narrow.
Why is Latvia's 50,000 euro route not automatically the easiest?
Because a low entry number and an easy file are two different things. The Latvia company route is the cheapest threshold we verified, yet it is also the route most dependent on the profile of the business itself. If the company size, turnover, or ownership facts do not line up cleanly, the headline number stops being the whole story.
That is why founders often misprice the option. They compare only the initial investment and ignore the state-budget payment, the corporate-risk layer, and the operational burden of keeping the company credible after the permit is issued. A route can be cheaper than property and still be the wrong route for a passive investor who mainly wants a clean residency file.
What is the cheapest property-based option we verified?
The cheapest property-based threshold we verified is EUR 250,000, but it does not mean every EUR 250,000 property qualifies everywhere. In Greece, Law 5100/2024 keeps a EUR 250,000 exception for specific cases where the main spaces are converted into residence, and for certain industrial-building cases, with the investment limited to one property. In Latvia, the PMLP real-estate route also starts at EUR 250,000.
The catch is where the cheapness sits. Latvia adds a 5% payment into the state budget and requires non-cash settlement. Greece's standard route is no longer broadly EUR 250,000. The same law sets EUR 400,000 for the rest of the country and EUR 800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, and islands above 3,100 inhabitants, with a one-property structure and a 120 square metre minimum for built property or permitted construction cases. So a buyer has to read the property category first and the marketing brochure second.
Which routes start looking expensive once the side payments are counted?
Latvia's low-end routes are the clearest example. The headline number can look attractive, then the compulsory state-budget payment changes the real budget quickly. That does not make Latvia unattractive. It does mean the cheapest published investment is rarely the full cash picture.
| Route | Official qualifying amount | Extra official payment | Practical catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latvia share capital, small company | EUR 50,000 | EUR 10,000 to the state budget | Company-size and turnover limits apply |
| Latvia real estate | EUR 250,000 | 5% of purchase value to the state budget | Non-cash settlement and property restrictions apply |
| Latvia subordinated liabilities | EUR 280,000 | EUR 25,000 to the state budget | Five-year term with a Latvian credit institution |
| Greece special conversion route | EUR 250,000 | Acquisition and filing costs are separate | Applies only to specific conversion or industrial-building cases |
| Greece standard property route | EUR 400,000 or EUR 800,000 | Acquisition and filing costs are separate | Location rules and one-property logic matter |
For Latvia's bank-liability route, the PMLP investments page requires at least EUR 280,000 in subordinated liabilities toward a Latvian credit institution for a term of at least five years, plus EUR 25,000 into the state budget upon receipt of the first permit. That route is still cheaper than many European property files. It is not the cheapest once you add everything together.
When does residency make more sense than citizenship?
Residency makes more sense when the investor's goal is access, relocation flexibility, or a second operating base, not an immediate second passport. This article is about residence rights, not citizenship programmes. If the end goal is nationality, the comparison logic changes and the timeline usually becomes longer.
That is why investors should separate the question cleanly. First ask whether residence already solves the problem. If the answer is yes, the file can stay smaller and cheaper. If the answer is no, then the analysis shifts toward citizenship planning, exit options, and longer commitment. Corpenza's residence-permit team can help scope that difference before money moves.
What should you verify before you transfer any money?
Verify the legal route, the real all-in cash cost, the holding logic, and the document path in that order. Investors often reverse the sequence. They fall in love with the asset or the headline threshold first, then discover that the route they wanted was limited to a different property class or a tighter corporate profile.
And look at the route in plain numbers. Ask what the official qualifying amount is, which extra state-budget or filing payments are mandatory, whether the investment must sit in one property or one company, and whether the file is residence only or a longer citizenship story. That is the point where cheap routes stop being brochure slogans and start becoming real decisions.
FAQ
What is the cheapest official route we verified on 2026-07-11?
Latvia's share-capital route, starting at EUR 50,000 in a qualifying company, plus a EUR 10,000 state-budget payment.
What is the cheapest property-based threshold we verified?
EUR 250,000. In Greece that figure survives only in specific conversion or industrial-building cases. In Latvia it applies to the property route with an added 5% state-budget payment.
Does Latvia have a standalone Golden Visa programme?
No. Invest in Latvia says residence is handled through Immigration Law grounds rather than a separate Golden Visa product.
Is Greece broadly a 250,000 euro route in 2026?
No. The broad standard thresholds are now EUR 400,000 or EUR 800,000 depending on the location. The EUR 250,000 figure is a narrower exception.
Why do low headline thresholds still mislead investors?
Because state-budget payments, property restrictions, company-profile rules, and holding conditions can change the real budget and the real difficulty of the file.
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Key route thresholds and conditions were checked on 2026-07-11 against primary official sources from Latvia and Greece.
