If you have enough money, dozens of countries will basically let you buy your way in. Some want $75,000. Others want a million dollars or more. And surprisingly, the most expensive option isn’t necessarily the best one.
Here are seven programs Canadians can actually use to live abroad — and the catches behind each one.
The Real Cost of Greece’s Golden Visa
Imagine owning a place in Greece, bringing your family and travelling through much of Europe without watching the 90-day tourist limit. That is the appeal of Greece’s Golden Visa.
A qualifying property can provide a renewable five-year residence permit with no minimum stay requirement. But the €250,000 tier now applies mainly to special properties, including commercial buildings converted into homes and protected buildings requiring restoration.
For ordinary residential property, the minimum is €400,000 across most of Greece. In Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and certain larger islands, it rises to €800,000. The €400,000 and €800,000 tiers generally require a single property of at least 120 square metres.
That creates three very different deals: a €250,000 former office needing conversion, a €400,000 regional home, or an €800,000 apartment in a premium location. Add taxes, legal fees and renovation costs, and the cheapest qualifying property may look nothing like the Mediterranean dream in the advertisement.
Asia’s Official Golden Visa
Indonesia offers a long-term Southeast Asian base spanning Bali, Lombok and major business centres such as Jakarta. It also officially calls its investor program a Golden Visa.
An individual investor who does not establish an Indonesian company may qualify by placing at least US$350,000 into approved assets for a five-year visa, or US$700,000 for ten years. Eligible assets can include government bonds, publicly traded shares, mutual funds or bank deposits.
The visa can provide multiple-entry access, priority immigration processing and, in some categories, family inclusion without a traditional local sponsor. Separate routes exist for founders, corporate investors and selected global talent.
The appeal is flexibility: you may secure a long-term base without buying a particular property or actively operating a company. The catch is that it remains a residence permit, not automatic permanent residency or citizenship.
Before we continue, if you are seriously thinking about moving abroad but are not sure whether leaving Canada actually makes sense for you, Module 1 of the Blueprint Abroad course is now open and free to join.
It walks you through the financial, lifestyle and practical questions to consider before choosing a country or spending money on a visa. Access Module 1 here.
The Million-Dollar Green Card
America is now very much for sale.
Wealthy foreigners have two routes to pay their way toward a green card. Donald Trump first floated the idea of a Gold Card in 2025 with a US$5 million price tag. The version that eventually emerged came in lower: a US$1 million unrestricted contribution, plus a US$15,000 application fee. Unlike an investment, the contribution is non-refundable, and each family member generally needs a separate payment.
Applicants must still prove the money came from lawful sources, pass screening and receive immigration approval. It is direct, but it is not a guaranteed green card sold over the counter.
The established alternative is EB-5. Invest US$800,000 in a qualifying rural, high-unemployment or infrastructure project, or US$1.05 million elsewhere. The business must create at least ten full-time American jobs.
EB-5 capital may eventually be returned, but it must remain genuinely at risk. So the choice is unusual: give the government US$1 million you will never recover, or invest less through EB-5 and accept project risk. Both can potentially lead to permanent US residency.
The $300,000 Deadline
Most programs begin with a temporary permit. Panama can give qualified investors permanent residency immediately.
The main route requires at least US$300,000 in lien-free Panamanian real estate. Applicants can include a spouse, dependent children and dependent parents, and approval may come in as little as 30 days.
Alternatives include US$500,000 in securities through a licensed Panamanian brokerage or a US$750,000 fixed-term bank deposit. The investment must remain in place for at least five years.
The urgent part is the real-estate threshold: the US$300,000 minimum is scheduled to expire on October 15, 2026, then rise to US$500,000.
Panama uses the US dollar and has a territorial tax system, but that does not automatically end Canadian tax residency. You also need to genuinely want the asset, because the property comes with carrying costs and a five-year commitment.
Permanent Residency for US$75,000
The Philippines has one of the lowest headline investments in the video.
Through the Special Investor’s Resident Visa, a foreigner who invests at least US$75,000 may live in the Philippines indefinitely with multiple-entry privileges, provided the qualifying investment remains in place. A spouse and dependent children may also be included.
But this is not a simple bank deposit. The money must go into an eligible Philippine investment, generally shares in qualifying companies or businesses operating in approved activities.
Applicants first receive a probationary visa while the funds are transferred and invested. It can become indefinite once the government confirms the full investment.
The attraction is obvious: US$75,000 is far below the million-dollar programs elsewhere, and the capital remains invested rather than donated. The trade-off is investment risk. To keep the visa, you may need to hold an asset you would not otherwise choose.
The Famous One
Say ‘golden visa’ and many people still picture Portugal: a €500,000 Lisbon apartment and an EU passport five years later. That pitch is now wrong.
Portugal ended the real-estate route in October 2023. Buying an apartment no longer qualifies, and funds holding property indirectly are also excluded.
The main surviving route is a minimum €500,000 subscription to a regulated Portuguese investment fund, often private equity or venture capital backing local companies. A €250,000 donation route also exists for approved cultural and heritage projects.
The core attraction remains: roughly seven days a year of physical presence, family inclusion and potential eligibility for permanent residency after five years. But under the nationality law in force since May 2026, the citizenship timeline for Canadians is ten years.
Portugal is still a strong low-presence European option. You are simply buying an illiquid investment fund, not a beach apartment, and returns are not guaranteed.
The Three-Tier Visa
Malaysia’s MM2H program offers a renewable long-term base with widely spoken English, strong private healthcare and lower living costs than Canada.
Silver requires a US$150,000 fixed deposit and a home worth at least RM600,000 for a renewable five-year pass. Gold raises the deposit to US$500,000 and the property minimum to RM1 million for 15 years. Platinum requires US$1 million plus a RM2 million home for 20 years and broader work or business permissions.
Applicants must generally be at least 25. Those aged 25 to 49 must meet a combined 90-day annual stay requirement, which may be shared with qualifying family members. Applicants 50 and older currently have no minimum annual stay.
Up to half the deposit may be withdrawn after approval for permitted expenses, but the home purchase is compulsory. MM2H is therefore more expensive than the deposit headline suggests, and it remains a renewable social visit pass rather than permanent residency or a guaranteed citizenship path.
A Visa Doesn’t End Canadian Tax
Every program on this list can give you legal residency abroad. None of them automatically makes you a non-resident of Canada for tax purposes.
The CRA looks at your overall residential ties, including whether you still have a home available in Canada, where your spouse and dependants live, how often you return, and whether your move abroad appears permanent.
Imagine Susan buys a qualifying property in Greece and receives a five-year residence permit. But she spends only six weeks there each year, keeps her Toronto home available and continues operating her business from Canada.
She has Greek residency. But based on those facts, she may still be considered a Canadian tax resident.
A tax treaty can sometimes make someone a deemed non-resident, but only when the relevant treaty applies and its tie-breaker rules place them in the other country.
And once you genuinely become a non-resident, that does not necessarily end all Canadian tax. You may face departure tax on certain assets, while some Canadian-source income may remain taxable after you leave.
A golden visa can give you permission to live somewhere else. Ending Canadian tax residency requires a separate analysis.
And this is where personalized planning becomes important. A golden visa may solve your immigration question, but it doesn’t tell you how to leave Canada properly, manage potential departure tax, structure your investments, or determine your tax residency.
At Blueprint Financial, we help Canadians navigate the financial and tax side of moving abroad—from residency and departure tax to investment and retirement planning.
If you’re considering a move overseas, explore our financial planning services to see how we can help you leave Canada with a plan.
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