Headline minimums hide the real question: how much of your money comes back? A €500,000 fund subscription and a $250,000 donation are not comparable numbers — one is capital at work (at risk, but yours), the other is gone the day you pay it. This golden visa cost calculator compares every major 2026 program on total estimated outlay, split into recoverable capital versus sunk cost. Filter by what you’re actually optimising for.
All figures are estimates in USD equivalents (converted at approximate mid-2026 rates) for a single applicant; “extras” bands cover typical government, due-diligence, processing and professional fees and vary with family size and provider. Verified against our program research of 24-25 July 2026 — always confirm current figures before committing funds. Nothing here is advice; outcomes are never guaranteed.
How to use these numbers
Treat the green portion as an investment decision (it can gain, lose, or be locked up longer than you’d like) and the orange portion as the true price of the visa. On that honest measure, the cheapest paths diverge sharply from the headline minimums: Portugal’s €250k donation route has a higher real cost than several larger investments, and a Caribbean passport — the smallest headline number here — is among the most expensive on money-you-never-see-again.
What this calculator deliberately doesn’t do
- Per-dependant precision. Family pricing differs per program (Caribbean donations include families up to 4; EB-5 charges per petition; Cyprus adds income requirements per dependant). The extras bands absorb typical small-family costs; get an exact quote for your family via a consultation.
- Tax modelling. The biggest hidden cost of some routes is becoming tax-resident — see D7 vs D8 vs Golden Visa for why the “cheap” option can be the expensive one.
- Fund performance. Capital at work is at risk — our fund evaluation guide covers what to check.
Current program facts behind these numbers: the status tracker and the full 2026 comparison.