A spouse and two children pay between US$0 and about US$7.8 million in capital and government fees, depending on the programme. Ten of the 17 programmes sit between US$280,000 and US$553,000 in total, and the cheapest routes ask for proof of income or a small deposit instead of an investment.
These totals come from the AIA residence cost calculator, which applies each programme’s published fee schedule, with European Central Bank (ECB) reference exchange rates of 22 October 2026 (EUR 1 = US$1.1205). They are estimates, not quotes.
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- Capital is not the whole bill. Malta’s capital line is small, yet its fees bring the family total to about US$129,000.
- Family size moves some totals a lot and others almost nothing. Portugal’s Golden Visa fees rise from about US$10,400 for one person to about US$41,500 for four, while Cyprus rises by about US$235.
- Some routes cost no capital at all. Spain and the Portugal passive income visa ask you to show yearly income instead.
- Not every total is money you lose. Property, bonds and deposits are capital you put in, while permit fees are spent.
- Check the programme page before you plan. Fees and thresholds change, and a total here is a starting point.
What each programme costs a family of four
For a family of four, the lowest qualifying route costs from US$0 (Portugal passive income visa) to about US$7.84 million (Singapore Global Investor Programme), current to October 2026.
Capital, fees and the total below are the lowest qualifying route for a spouse and two children, in US dollars. Where a programme asks for income instead, that figure is shown in the last column and is not part of the total.
| Programme | Capital | Fees | Family total | Income to show |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal passive income visa | US$0 | Not listed | US$0 | EUR 23,184 a year |
| Spain non-lucrative visa | US$0 | US$3,208 | US$3,208 | EUR 50,400 a year |
| UK Innovator Founder visa | US$2,769 | US$23,100 | US$24,800 | None |
| Philippines SRRV | US$30,000 | US$2,860 | US$32,860 | Pension of US$1,000 a month |
| Indonesia Second Home Visa | US$110,645 | US$1,162 | US$111,807 | None |
| Malta Permanent Residence Programme | US$15,687 | US$113,171 | US$128,858 | None |
| Italy investor visa | US$280,125 | Not listed | US$280,125 | None |
| Hungary guest investor permit | US$280,125 | US$784 | US$280,909 | None |
| Greece Golden Visa | US$280,125 | US$2,481 | US$282,606 | None |
| Malaysia MM2H | US$296,932 | US$3,306 | US$300,238 | None |
| Panama Qualified Investor | US$300,000 | US$16,000 | US$316,000 | None |
| Portugal Golden Visa | US$280,125 | US$41,514 | US$321,639 | None |
| Cyprus investor permit | US$336,150 | US$874 | US$337,024 | EUR 85,000 a year |
| Indonesia Golden Visa | US$350,000 | Not listed | US$350,000 | None |
| Thailand Long-Term Resident visa | US$500,000 | US$5,927 | US$505,927 | None |
| UAE Golden Residence | US$544,588 | US$7,496 | US$552,084 | None |
| Singapore Global Investor Programme | US$7,827,454 | US$15,968 | US$7,843,422 | None |
Portugal’s US$280,125 is the EUR 250,000 arts and heritage route, which is money given to cultural bodies, not an asset you keep. The fund route most families use needs EUR 500,000.
Source: AIA residence cost calculator, exchange rates of 22 October 2026. Fee lines come from each programme’s official fee page, and the programme page shows the source and date for every line. “Not listed” means no fee was read on an official page, so none is counted.
Panama changed its Qualified Investor rules in September 2026 under Executive Decree 17. The US$300,000 figure is the new, first-sale property route. Resale property and securities need US$500,000, and a fixed deposit needs US$500,000 at a state bank or US$750,000 at a private bank.
The Panama fee line counts the payments in Article 11 of Executive Decree 17 (Official Gazette No. 30613, 16 September 2026): a US$5,000 application fee to the National Treasury and a US$5,000 repatriation deposit to the National Migration Service for the main applicant, plus US$1,000 of each for every dependant, or US$2,000 per dependant.
Malta’s fee line uses the current Residency Malta schedule: a EUR 60,000 administration fee, a EUR 37,000 government contribution, a EUR 2,000 donation to a registered Maltese NGO and residence cards at EUR 500 per person.
The EUR 7,500 dependant fee applies only to adult dependants, so a spouse and minor children add no dependant fee. That is EUR 101,000 in fees for a family of four. The capital line is one year of rent at the EUR 14,000 minimum. Source: Residency Malta Agency.
The UK capital line is the money the family must hold for 28 days: GBP 1,270 for you, GBP 285 for a partner, GBP 315 for the first child and GBP 200 for each other child.
The fee line counts the GBP 1,357 application fee for each of the four, the GBP 1,000 endorsement fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge for the three-year visa: GBP 3,105 for each adult and GBP 2,328 for each child. That is GBP 17,294 in fees. Endorsing bodies also charge GBP 500 for each check-in meeting, and you need at least two. Source: GOV.UK.
Malaysia’s figure uses the MM2H Silver tier: a US$150,000 fixed deposit plus a home worth at least RM600,000.
The Special Economic Zone and Special Financial Zone tier asks for a smaller deposit (US$65,000, or US$32,000 from age 50), but the home must be in Forest City, Johor, at a price set by state policy. Source: Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
Three price bands
The 17 programmes fall into three groups: 4 cost under US$50,000, 10 cost US$100,000 to US$350,000, and 3 cost more than US$500,000. The group tells you more than the exact total. Pick the group that matches your budget first, then compare programmes inside it.
Which programmes cost a family under US$50,000?
Four programmes cost a family of four less than US$50,000 in capital and fees: the Portugal passive income visa, the Spain non-lucrative visa, the UK Innovator Founder visa and the Philippines SRRV. The first two ask you to show yearly income, and the SRRV asks for a deposit that grows with each dependant beyond two.
The UK route needs an endorsed business plan instead of an investment.
Spain’s income test is EUR 28,800 plus EUR 7,200 for each family member, which is EUR 50,400 for four. Spain does not allow work, so this suits people who live on savings or pension income.
The US$3,208 fee line is the US$789 visa fee plus the US$13 residence permit fee for each of four people, as listed by the Consulate General of Spain in Washington. US citizens pay US$140 per visa, so their line is US$612.
Which programmes sit between US$100,000 and US$350,000?
Ten programmes fall in this middle band: Indonesia’s Second Home Visa, Malta, Italy, Hungary, Greece, Malaysia, Panama, Portugal’s Golden Visa, Cyprus and the Indonesia Golden Visa. Most ask for a single qualifying investment of about US$280,000 to US$350,000. Malta is the outlier, because its cost sits in government fees and contributions instead of the investment.
Inside this band, fees separate the programmes more than the headline amount does. Greece, Italy and Hungary look alike on capital, yet Portugal’s Golden Visa adds about US$41,500 in family permit fees.
Which programmes cost more than US$500,000?
Three programmes pass US$500,000: the Thailand Long-Term Resident visa, the UAE Golden Residence and the Singapore Global Investor Programme. Thailand also lists total assets of at least US$1 million, and Singapore lists S$10 million as its lowest option. These routes suit large estates, and a family adds little to the fee line.
How much a family adds to the bill
Adding a spouse and two children raises the total by about US$31,135 in Portugal but only about US$235 in Cyprus. Programmes that charge a full permit fee per person grow fast, and programmes that charge once per file barely move. The table below compares seven programmes.
| Programme | One person | Spouse and two children | Added by the family |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malta Permanent Residence Programme | US$127,177 | US$128,858 | US$1,681 |
| Portugal Golden Visa | US$290,503 | US$321,639 | US$31,135 |
| Philippines SRRV | US$16,860 | US$32,860 | US$16,000 |
| UK Innovator Founder visa | US$9,000 | US$24,800 | US$15,800 |
| UAE Golden Residence | US$547,280 | US$552,084 | US$4,804 |
| Thailand Long-Term Resident visa | US$501,482 | US$505,927 | US$4,445 |
| Cyprus investor permit | US$336,789 | US$337,024 | US$235 |
Portugal’s fee schedule from the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) lists a separate permit fee for each family member. The figures in this article use the standard rate. A 25% reduction applies to requests filed through the digital channel, so check which channel your file uses.
The SRRV is different again. The deposit is US$15,000 for a pensioner aged 50 or over, and each dependant beyond the first two adds a further US$15,000, so a family of four pays US$30,000 in deposits, according to the Philippine Retirement Authority.
What the totals leave out
The totals count capital and government fees only. They leave out professional fees, government charges on a property purchase, legal costs, translations and the cost of living in the country.
Some programmes also carry a requirement that is not a cost but still needs money in the right place. Malta lists capital assets of EUR 500,000 or EUR 650,000 on top of its fees, and Thailand lists total assets of at least US$1 million.
Cyprus lists a yearly income of EUR 50,000, plus EUR 15,000 for a spouse and EUR 10,000 for each minor child.
Property routes add a second cost, because buying a home carries purchase costs set by local rules. This article gives no investment advice and quotes no returns. Ask a lawyer in the country for the exact figures on your purchase.
How to price your own family
Enter your family in the AIA calculator, then check each shortlisted programme against its official fee page before you move money.
- Step 1: Open the residence cost calculator and enter the number of adults and children.
- Step 2: Read the capital and fee lines for each programme, and note which lines are one-off and which repeat.
- Step 3: Check the income and assets lines, because they decide whether a route is open to you at all.
- Step 4: Open the programme page of your shortlist and compare the fee lines with the official source shown there.
- Step 5: Take the shortlist to a lawyer or adviser in the country before you move any money.
If you want one page to start from, the programme list puts all 17 side by side. For the difference between a residence permit and a passport, read our guide to citizenship versus residence by investment. The residence by investment hub compares the four regions side by side.
For the European routes in particular, our European golden visas guide explains which programmes remain open.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest residence by investment programme for a family of four?
The Portugal passive income visa is the cheapest. It needs no capital, and its visa and permit fees are small and not counted in the calculator, but you must show EUR 23,184 of yearly income and live in Portugal. The Spain non-lucrative visa costs about US$3,208 in fees and asks for EUR 50,400 of yearly income. Both are income routes, not investments.
How much does residence by investment cost for a family of four?
Between US$0 and about US$7.8 million, depending on the programme. Ten of the 17 programmes total between US$280,000 and US$553,000 for a spouse and two children, based on the AIA calculator with exchange rates of 22 October 2026.
Is the investment money spent or kept?
Some is kept and some is spent. It depends on the route. Property, bonds, fund shares and deposits are capital you put in and may hold under the programme rules, while permit, administration and contribution fees are spent. The programme page shows which lines are which.
Does adding children raise the cost of every programme?
No. Portugal’s Golden Visa adds about US$31,135 and Malta adds about US$1,681 for a spouse and two children, while Cyprus adds about US$235. The calculator shows the change for each programme.
Do these totals include lawyer fees and property purchase costs?
No. The totals count capital and government fees only. Professional fees, government charges on a property purchase and legal costs come on top, so ask a lawyer in the country for those figures.
How often do programme costs change?
Often, and without much notice. Malta raised its fees for applications from 1 January 2025, and again under Legal Notice 146 of 2025, and Panama replaced its investor rules in September 2026. Fee schedules and thresholds are set by each government and can change. Check the programme page and its source date before you commit any funds.
To see the cost for your own spouse, children and budget, use our calculator: Work out the cost for your family.
Want a second opinion on your shortlist? Book a Strategy Consultation
Written by Amir Ismail & Associates, which helps families compare residence by investment programmes and brings in a local partner in each country once a case is qualified. This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. A residence permit is not a passport.
