Move to Europe

Move to Europe

PLAYFAIR® has connections throughout Europe to assist you with your migration dreams.

The Schengen zone

PLAYFAIR’s Athens office is strategically situated in the Schengen zone and our team has connections throughout Europe to assist you with your migration dreams.

Once you hold a visa for a country within the Schengen zone, you will have visa-free access to all other countries within the zone.

We provide trusted, customised advice and assistance with visas for:

  • marriage and family reunion
  • skilled employment (with employer sponsorship)
  • study, voluntary work, research and vocational training
  • humanitarian and exceptional reasons (e.g. victims of human smuggling and trafficking), and
  • investment (see Golden Visas below).

We can also help to determine your optimal pathway to citizenship of a European country.

Please contact us to discuss your circumstances and needs.

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Golden Visas

The opportunity to fast-track residency or citizenship through investment – usually property purchase – is offered by several European countries, including:

Greece

With an average processing time of only 40 days from application, Greece’s Golden Visa offers entry to Europe with five years’ residency for a comparatively low investment in one of the following areas:

  • real estate* €250,000 (or €500,000 minimum depending on Regional Unit** where the property is located) + taxes/fees
  • tourism €300,000 minimum
  • energy €300,000 minimum
  • food and beverage €300,000 minimum.

* The current low price of real estate in Greece makes this an attractive opportunity. For jointly owned property, residency is granted only if the owners are spouses with indivisible shares in the property. All investment may be liquidated after five years.

** The minimum value of real estate by the time of its acquisition is set at €500,000 for the following Regions:

  • Region of Attica: North, Central and South Sectors of Athens & the Municipality of Vari, Voula & Vouliagmeni
  • Region of Central Macedonia: Municipality of Thessaloniki
  • Region of the South Aegean: Regional Units of Mykonos and Santorini

Golden Visa holders are offered Greek residency (excluding work rights; renewable after five years provided investment is maintained) for all family members (children up to 21 and parents) with no requirement to reside.

Residency provides free access to all levels of education (subject to entrance exams) and medical services as well as free movement within the Schengen Zone. This is a pathway to Greek citizenship after seven years, which provides a European Union (EU) passport and free movement with full work rights in the Schengen Zone.

Cyprus

Cyprus has a favourable tax regime, a high standard of healthcare and education and one of the lowest crime rates in Europe.

It offers two Golden Visa programs:

  1. Permanent Residency – Investment of €300,000 (plus VAT) in real estate provides permanent residency that can include dependent family (spouse, grandparents, parents and children up to 25 years) and enables free movement within EU countries. Applications are typically processed within two months. Permanent residency holders are only required to visit Cyprus once every two years.

  2. Citizenship – Alternatively, with investment of €2.15million in property purchase, construction or residential/commercial projects, Cypriot citizenship is granted – typically within six months. Investment can be reduced to €500,000 after three years and entirely liquidated after five years. This is one of the simplest and quickest routes to free movement with full work rights within EU countries.

Portugal

Portugal’s Golden Visa requires €500,000 investment to gain residency for a family including dependent children, enabling free movement within the Schengen Zone. It can be renewed every two years providing the applicant spends two weeks in the country every two years.

It is also possible to obtain the visa through investment of €350,000 into real estate requiring renovation, but it is critical to seek advice regarding the eligibility of any property before investment.

Malta

Individual investors must make a minimum contribution of €650,000 to the national development fund, invest €150,000 in government-approved financial instruments and commit to a Maltese residence for at least five years, either rented (minimum €16,000 pa) or purchased (minimum €350,000). Each family member must also contribute €25,000 to the development fund.

After one years’ residency, Malta grants citizenship enabling free movement with full work rights within EU countries.