Of the routes of residency, those involving acquisition of property are by far and away the most popular.
Under the Golden Visa an investment of minimum of € 500,000 is required as explained previously. This can be a shared investment e.g. Friends or family combine to pool their € 500,000 investment into property or properties and, of course, there is no upper limit to this acquisition.
Additionally, finance on any value in excess of € 500,000 is permitted provided that the value of the investment is maintained during the residency period.
Independent advice is invaluable when investing in property in foreign territory. Agents, even the more reputable, are naturally biased towards the vendors and achieving a sale is their prime objective which may lead to their being less than generous or forthcoming with the facts relating to a property.