A Residency by Investment (RBI) program, or as it is alternatively called, “Golden Visa”-s are long-term residence permits granting the right to live, work, and study in a host country, typically with a pathway to permanent residency and eventual citizenship.

Golden visas normally starts with temporary residence, then may lead to longer-term status if the investment and renewal conditions continue to be met. A European golden visa is not a single legal status. In practice, it usually means a country-specific residence-by-investment route that gives a non-EU national a permit in one state, with Schengen travel generally limited to 90 days in any 180-day period for short stays outside the issuing country. This is the simplest way to frame a European golden visa explanation.