If you’re a UK resident looking at Europe in 2026, the “best” Golden Visa is rarely about the headline investment figure. It’s about what you actually want it to do for you: a lifestyle base you’ll use, a practical way around the Schengen 90/180 limit, a long-term EU plan for your family, or simply a Plan B that’s legally solid and easy to maintain.

And here’s the big headline difference:

• Greece is still the most “property-led” route (with tiered minimums). 
• Portugal is now an “alternatives-led” route (funds / donations etc., with real estate no longer qualifying for Golden Visa). 

Below is a simple way to decide—based on goals first, budget second.

Start with your non-negotiable goal

1) “I want a holiday home I can actually use”

If you want a place to land—something you’ll genuinely use for family time, longer stays, or even future relocation—Greece usually fits more naturally, because the route is typically built around real estate. The key is understanding the tiered thresholds: premium zones can be higher, while other areas can be lower, and the rules can include conditions (like minimum size in certain tiers). 

A UK angle that matters: as a standard UK visitor, you’re generally limited to 90 days in any 180 days across the Schengen area. If you’re constantly bumping into that cap (especially with school holidays and work travel), residency becomes less of a “nice to have” and more of a practical tool. 

If Greece is where you actually want to spend time, start here: Greece Golden Visa.

2) “I want an EU residency plan, but I don’t want to buy property”

If you don’t want the hassle of buying, managing, and eventually selling property—Portugal often wins on structure, because the mainstream Golden Visa routes are now typically investment funds or qualifying donations, rather than real estate. 

For many UK families, that feels cleaner:

• you’re not dealing with property due diligence and renovation surprises
• you’re not trying to hit a specific micro-location threshold
• you’re investing via a route that can be documented and evidenced clearly

You can explore the fund route here: Portugal investment funds and the donation route here: Portugal donation option.

3) “I care most about citizenship as the end game”

This is where 2026 gets a bit more nuanced.

Portugal has historically been seen as one of the more straightforward “residency-to-citizenship” pathways—but the political and legal landscape has been shifting, including proposals and moves to tighten naturalisation rules and extend timelines. Multiple reports in 2025–2026 describe a shift toward a longer residence period (commonly discussed as 7–10 years depending on nationality group) and stricter criteria, with details influenced by legislation and constitutional review. 

What this means in plain English: if your plan depends on a specific passport timeline, you need to treat “citizenship in X years” as a moving target and build your plan around what is verifiable today, plus a realistic buffer.

If your priority is to compare routes with that long-term lens, this background helps: Comparing residency & citizenship programmes.

Then sanity-check the budget (in £, with reality-based bands)

Even if the investment is usually made in euros, most UK clients think in £ first. Here are practical budget bands that map to how people typically decide.

Budget band A: ~£250k–£450k

This is the band where people want a lower entry point, but you need to be careful about assuming every location qualifies at the lowest level.

• Greece may still be possible in certain cases/areas and under specific qualifying rules, but the key risk is picking the wrong property or wrong tier and accidentally falling outside the requirement. 
• Portugal may be possible via certain donation-style routes depending on the qualifying category, but you must treat the full cost as more than the headline figure once you include government fees, legalisation, and professional support.

A useful planning read before you anchor on the “minimum”: Portugal Golden Visa cost.

Budget band B: ~£450k–£750k

This is the “most common” band where the decision becomes less about can you qualify and more about what fits your life:

• If you want a place you’ll use (and you’re happy owning property): Greece tends to feel more tangible. 
• If you want a more hands-off structure (and you’re comfortable with fund due diligence): Portugal often becomes the cleaner option. 

If you’re UK-based and trying to pick an EU route that fits lifestyle + compliance, this is worth scanning: Best Golden Visa in Europe for UK residents.

Budget band C: ~£750k+

At this level, you’re usually optimising for:

• location quality (prime neighbourhoods, liquidity, resale)
• family planning (schools, access, healthcare)
• “how easy is it to prove and maintain compliance?”

This is also where Greece’s higher tiers may still be completely acceptable if you’re choosing premium areas—but you must go into it with eyes open about the threshold that applies to the specific location. 

“Maintenance effort” in real life

Here’s a simple truth: the best programme is the one you can maintain without stress.

• If you’re likely to visit often and want a base, Greece can be very natural.
• If you want minimal lifestyle disruption, Portugal’s model has historically appealed because the physical presence requirement is often described as low (set rules still apply, and admin timelines can matter).

And on admin timelines: Portugal’s processing environment has been shaped by institutional change (SEF to AIMA) and widely reported backlogs, so expectations should be realistic. 

A practical “pick this if…” summary

Choose Greece if:

• you want a property base you’ll genuinely use
• you like the idea of a tangible asset (and you’re ready for proper property due diligence)
• you’re happy matching your purchase to the correct investment tier

Choose Portugal if:

• you don’t want to buy property for Golden Visa purposes
• you prefer a structured fund/donation route with cleaner evidencing
• you want flexibility on where you live day-to-day while keeping an EU foothold

The part most people skip: getting the process “legally boring”

The fastest way to derail either route is trying to rush the investment before your legal eligibility and documentation pack are watertight.

If you want a step-by-step view of how a proper file is built (and why it matters), start here: Residency by investment solicitor and browse: Residency by investment programmes.

Next steps

If you tell Coates Global your goal (holiday base, Schengen flexibility, long-term EU plan, citizenship ambition) and your £ budget band, the team can map Greece vs Portugal into a clear, defensible shortlist—then pressure-test it for timelines, compliance risk, and total cost.

To get that comparison done properly, start here: How we operate and book a consultation via Contact Coates Global.

Ready to take the next step towards EU residency or citizenship? Speak to Coates Global today for clear, compliant guidance tailored to your goals. Whether you need a portugal golden visa solicitor, a hungary golden visa solicitor, an italy investor visa consultant, or a malta citizenship by investment solicitor, we’ll help you understand eligibility, costs, timeframes, and documentation—so you can move forward with confidence. Book a consultation and get a clear plan from day 1.