There is no single answer to "what is the actual minimum investment requirement" because the number depends entirely on which program you mean. Investment migration and investor-visa programs each set their own floor, and some have no fixed minimum at all. Below are the real, current figures for the programs people usually mean when they ask this question.
United States: EB-5 and E-2
The US EB-5 immigrant investor program has a clear statutory floor: $1,050,000 for a standard project, or $800,000 if the project sits in a Targeted Employment Area (a rural or high-unemployment zone). There is no lower tier below the TEA amount, no matter what a project sponsor tells you.
The E-2 treaty investor visa is different. It has no fixed statutory minimum. The rule instead is a "substantial investment" test — the amount has to be enough, relative to the size of the business, to make the enterprise viable. In practice most successful E-2 cases involve roughly $100,000 or more, but that is a practical norm, not a legal floor.
Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, and Malta
European residency-by-investment programs vary widely, and the rules have changed in recent years, so old blog posts are often wrong.
Portugal's golden visa no longer accepts real estate at all. The qualifying routes now are investment funds, business creation, or research/donation, each set at EUR 500,000.
Greece's golden visa still allows real estate, but the amount depends on location: EUR 800,000 in prime areas like central Athens, or EUR 400,000 in most other regions. Greece also has cheaper non-property routes: a funds route at EUR 350,000 and a startup route at EUR 250,000.
Cyprus permanent residence through real estate sits at EUR 300,000.
Malta's permanent residence program (MPRP) combines several fixed costs rather than one number: a EUR 375,000 property purchase (or roughly EUR 14,000 a year in rent instead), plus a EUR 37,000 government contribution, plus a EUR 60,000 administrative fee.
- US EB-5: $1,050,000 standard, or $800,000 in a Targeted Employment Area
- US E-2: no fixed minimum, substantial-investment test (commonly $100,000+ in practice)
- Portugal golden visa: EUR 500,000 (fund, business, or research route only)
- Greece golden visa: EUR 800,000 prime areas / EUR 400,000 regional real estate, EUR 350,000 funds, EUR 250,000 startup
- Cyprus permanent residence: EUR 300,000 real estate
- Malta MPRP: EUR 375,000 property + EUR 37,000 contribution + EUR 60,000 fee (or ~EUR 14,000/yr rent + same fee)
Why the number you were quoted might be wrong
A lot of confusion comes from agents or developers quoting a figure that was true a few years ago, or true for a different route within the same program. Portugal is the clearest example: real estate used to qualify at a lower threshold, and some marketing material still implies it does. It does not anymore.
One applicant believed the amount a broker quoted was the full legal minimum for the program, and structured their whole plan around it. Later they found the figure applied to a route that had been closed or changed, and the real minimum for their situation was different.
This is the pattern to watch for: the number itself is usually correct somewhere, but it may not be correct for the route, country, or year you are actually applying under. A minimum that was accurate in 2021 is not automatically accurate now.
How to check your own numbers before you commit
Before you wire funds or sign a purchase agreement, confirm three things: which specific route or visa category you are applying under, what the current official minimum is for that exact route, and whether any of the amount can come from a loan, gift, or joint source — some programs restrict this and others do not.
- Identify the exact program and route (not just the country name)
- Get the current minimum in writing from the government source, not a sales page
- Check whether your funds source qualifies under that route's rules
- Confirm any additional required fees or contributions on top of the headline number
If you already have a contract, an investment offer, or a visa application draft in hand, the fastest way to see whether the numbers and structure hold up is to have someone look at the actual document rather than a summary of it. Immimaps offers a free, anonymous document check — you can run the free document check to see if your paperwork matches what the program actually requires.
News and our thoughts — not legal advice or consultation.
