The New Formula for Getting Residency Abroad

Have you long been harbouring a dream of moving overseas with a golden visa tucked away in your back pocket… Or maybe a vision of reclining on a tropical beach on the back of your tourist visa… Well then you need to hear this.

Something is afoot in the world of visas and residency.

Starting in mid-2023, European nations that were offering golden visas—five-year residency permits in exchange for an investment, without the obligation to become a tax resident—began to dial back these programs. They were either cancelled entirely (Ireland, Spain), raised their prices considerably (Greece), or shifted to business investment as the qualifier (Portugal).

In retrospect, it’s clear that those countries had reaped all the rewards they could out of residential property investments. With property prices soaring and voter rebellion brewing, it was time to move on to something else.

That “something else” turned out to be income-based visas, including passive income/pension permits, and digital nomad visas. With those, governments are guaranteed to bring in foreign money over time. And since golden visas typically come with tax benefits but passive and digital nomad visas don’t, governments bring in more revenue.

At the same time, the golden visa strategy found new adoptees in other parts of the world… particularly Southeast Asia. Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Thailand all adopted some form of investment-based residency… often in conjunction with residential property investment.

You could say that residency by buying property has migrated from West to East.

But Asian countries, having learned from their predecessors, are now tweaking their other visa policies.

Thailand is a good case in point.

First, the Land of Smiles has modified its long-term residency visa (LTR), gearing it more towards the wealthy, high-value digital nomads, and skilled professionals. Instead of requiring a specific annual income, the key criterion is now net worth, with a minimum of $1 million required for the top tier. In addition, the government is proposing to grant long term residency and property ownership rights to foreigners who deposit $1,000,000 in a Thai bank.

Second, Thailand is cracking down on traditional visa categories. Foreigners on tourist visas can now only extend them twice, once for 30 days, and the second time for a mere seven days. Whereas before one could remain in the country for up to 120 days on a tourist permit, the maximum stay is now just 97 days.

At the same time, the government took aim at visa runs, meaning the practice of leaving and re-entering the country within a few days to reset one’s visa. Same day departures and re-entries are prohibited. Anyone caught attempting a visa run more than twice will be denied re-entry. So far this year, Thai officials have refused entry to around 3,000 people accused of visa runs.

These developments prove that visa and residency policies are undergoing a global shift… and that countries are learning from each other.

In Europe, countries have realized that the most profitable and least disruptive way to benefit from foreign presence is to emphasize business investment or regular streams of foreign exchange.

Asian countries that long allowed “backpacker” types to roam freely within their borders are weeding them out in favour of the well-heeled.

In both cases, countries are watching each other’s policy experiences and incorporating those lessons into their own immigration frameworks. It’s not unlike the way successful companies learn from each other to maximise their profitability. The presence of a rapidly developing global migration industry, which advises countries on best practice is part of this trend.

I can imagine a government immigration official at her desk with a big dial in front of her. If she turns the dial left, the country gets more immigrants with a lower “lifetime value” to the country. If she turns it to the right, the policies favour fewer immigrants with a higher lifetime value.

In late 2025, she is clearly twisting the dial to the right. Anyone planning a move abroad should take heed, as the shift is clear… Governments want ongoing income streams, not just one-time real estate purchase injections. And they’re no longer shy about tightening the screws on visa abuse or perceived low lifetime value migration.