Hungary vs Greece, Portugal and Cyprus: Which Golden Visa Fits You in 2026

When a family has EUR 250,000 to EUR 500,000 and wants Europe, I usually put four countries on one sheet. Here is that sheet, checked on 26 October 2026 against OIF for Hungary and BRIDGES for the others.

The comparison

	Hungary	Greece	Portugal	Cyprus
Minimum	EUR 250,000 fund	EUR 250,000 to 800,000 property, by area	EUR 500,000 fund	EUR 300,000 property
Permit	up to 10 years, plus 10	5 years, renewable	renewable, citizenship application after 5 years	permanent residence
Stay requirement	none	none	about 7 days a year	a visit every 2 years
Work	yes	no	yes	limited
Own property as the investment	no	yes	no	yes

Greece: BRIDGES gives EUR 800,000 for Athens, Thessaloniki and the popular islands, EUR 400,000 for most other regions and EUR 250,000 for certain conversions. Portugal: the BRIDGES comparison article gives EUR 500,000 for funds and no property route since 2023, while the BRIDGES Hungary programme page shows Portugal from EUR 200,000. I show both figures because they differ, and I would check the Portuguese rule before relying on either. The work column for Greece and Cyprus is the BRIDGES summary, check it for your case.

Where Hungary is strong

• the longest single permit of the four;
• no stay requirement at all, confirmed by OIF;
• unrestricted right to work in Hungary;
• one amount for the whole family, according to BRIDGES.

Where Hungary is weak

• you cannot hold the property yourself, only fund units;
• the money is locked for at least five years, and the return depends on the fund;
• the programme is young (since 2024) and the choice of funds is limited, BRIDGES notes;
• the permit does not lead to citizenship unless you actually live in Hungary.

For a closer look at Cyprus see the BRIDGES Hungary vs Cyprus comparison.

For Russian citizens the table looks different

BRIDGES writes that EU sanctions close fund-based routes, in Hungary and in Portugal, to Russian citizens without EU, EEA or Swiss citizenship or residence. In its view Cyprus and Greece remain workable for some Russian applicants. I cover the Hungarian side in the complete guide.

Two Hungarian alternatives that are not investments

Permit	Who it is for, according to BRIDGES	Key terms
White Card	remote workers for a foreign employer or own foreign business	at least EUR 3,000 net a month over the last 6 months; 1 year plus one extension; no family reunification
Self-employment permit	people running their own business in Hungary	no investment threshold; 1 to 2 years; family through reunification; permanent residence possible after 3 years

These suit people who actually move. The guest investor permit suits people who want status without moving.

How I choose with clients

If you want a flat of your own in the sun, Greece or Cyprus. If you want the longest status with no stays and accept a fund, Hungary. If Portugal’s citizenship timeline matters more than cost, Portugal. And if you hold a Russian passport, start with the sanctions question before comparing anything else.