The Golden Visa Is Back

    Basically your choice of EUR250,000 in a Hungarian real estate fund, EUR500,000 in Hungarian residential property or EUR1,000,000 donated to a Hungarian school.
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Traditionally these programs attract Asian investors, but this program might also attract Americans unhappy with the country's direction.
   

    -@zif

They announced it in November and somewhere in the Forum, you will see a post of mine.

    Basically your choice of EUR250,000 in a Hungarian real estate fund, EUR500,000 in Hungarian residential property or EUR1,000,000 donated to a Hungarian school.
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Traditionally these programs attract Asian investors, but this program might also attract Americans unhappy with the country's direction.
   

    -@zif

Life is easier for the wealthy for sure.

If I had a property worth 500,000 EUR or more, it would defo not be located in Hungary!

Traditionally these programs attract Asian investors, but this program might also attract Americans unhappy with the country's direction.
   

    -@zif

Or Brits

    Traditionally these programs attract Asian investors, but this program might also attract Americans unhappy with the country's direction.        -@zif

Or Brits
   

    -@SimCityAT

I cannot see Hungary is on the radar of anyone at all.  Unless they think it'll be an Orbanatopia in the shadow/control of Putin.  But even that's a passing thing.  Won't last forever. It could just as easily swing the other way.  Rot is already set in.  Just a matter of time.

If I had 500K EUR, I probably wouldn't live here.   Be nicer in Spain (apart from the mass tourism protests).  Maybe Portugal. Or Southern France. Maybe Canary Islands.

My UK relatives are sitting on urban property which has risen to astronomical levels of "value".   Most of them could sell up and retire somewhere nice, perhaps out in the countryside or south coast where the weather is better.   But most of them don't seem to be interested in moving out and cashing in at all.  Most are not even downsizing and the kids are long gone. 

Previously, investors could get temporary residency by purchasing real estate for at least €155,000. Until 2017, there was also a permanent residency by investment program.

The Golden Visa residence permit is granted for 10 years. It may be extended once for the same period.

    The Golden Visa residence permit is granted for 10 years. It may be extended once for the same period.
   

    -@SimCityAT

Meh, not sure anyone would be keen to take that up. 

Maybe some Russians or others from war zones.  The Russians can go to other places like Cyprus and Malta. Or Turkey.  Lots of places with far better weather.  Obviously Cyprus and Malta are EU so that's more of a thumbs up.

To some extent, isn't this just a poke in the eye of the EU, which has been pressuring other member countries to shut down similar programs?

    To some extent, isn't this just a poke in the eye of the EU, which has been pressuring other member countries to shut down similar programs?
   

    -@zif

Wasn't that more about buying passports/citizenship?

The HU government must be angry over the refugee quota.  They didn't say directly they'd ignore it but they did say they were going to look at it closely.   At the end of the day, they have to join in or pay the fine.  It's what Hungary signed up for.

The only other option is to leave the EU which would be a hard pill for even the Orbanites to swallow.

Getting residency which could ultimately be turned into citizenship. That's possible after eight years under the new Hungarian program.

I can become an Austrian if I invest €8 million.

What are ‘golden visas’ and which EU countries still hand them out?

        Traditionally these programs attract Asian investors, but this program might also attract Americans unhappy with the country's direction.        -@zifOr Brits         -@SimCityAT


I cannot see Hungary is on the radar of anyone at all.  Unless they think it'll be an Orbanatopia in the shadow/control of Putin.  But even that's a passing thing.  Won't last forever. It could just as easily swing the other way.  Rot is already set in.  Just a matter of time.

If I had 500K EUR, I probably wouldn't live here.   Be nicer in Spain (apart from the mass tourism protests).  Maybe Portugal. Or Southern France. Maybe Canary Islands.

My UK relatives are sitting on urban property which has risen to astronomical levels of "value".   Most of them could sell up and retire somewhere nice, perhaps out in the countryside or south coast where the weather is better.   But most of them don't seem to be interested in moving out and cashing in at all.  Most are not even downsizing and the kids are long gone. 
   

    -@fluffy2560

Exactly. 500,000 Euros could still get ya a nice resort type condo in the heart of Honolulu.

Or a few acres of land with a home on another Island.

My husband is tired of Hungary even though he is a Hungarian.

He is sick of looking at angry clerks in shops and unhappy long faces on the st.

I no longer seem to notice these things, got used to it.   

We can n ot see our son taking over our flat once we kick it.

Plus his wife is Japanese and we know she would not be happy here.

Thinking it might be time to Ramble On and not waste more time.

Time is limited for everyone so living in a place that gives you peace is more important then anything.

May it ever be so humble, no place like a peaceful home.

Exactly. 500,000 Euros could still get ya a nice resort type condo in the heart of Honolulu.Or a few acres of land with a home on another Island.My husband is tired of Hungary even though he is a Hungarian.He is sick of looking at angry clerks in shops and unhappy long faces on the st.I no longer seem to notice these things, got used to it.    We can n ot see our son taking over our flat once we kick it.Plus his wife is Japanese and we know she would not be happy here.Thinking it might be time to Ramble On and not waste more time.Time is limited for everyone so living in a place that gives you peace is more important then anything.May it ever be so humble, no place like a peaceful home.        -@Marilyn Tassy

Yup,  I can see HU is not a place to end your days.  Much more comfy at "home" be it Hawaii or Hungary.   I wouldn't really want to fizzle out here but year by year, it's becoming more of a tenuous link to the UK.   

Mrs F has property here so it's not just our house which is well maintained, it's others that Mrs F part owns or will inherit but that are in terrible condition.  No-one has capital to fix them up.

Mrs F and I were discussing my MIL's house (again).  It's really run down. We could fix it up and rent it out but the payback would have to be no more than 10 years otherwise no benefit to us.  I cannot see that happening.  We might not last last 10 years to reap the rewards. 

I was suggesting we turn it into offices or maybe an office downstairs and an apartment upstairs.  We're not sure anyone would rent it though.   Plenty of parking space as it has a very large garden.

I think you aren't quite as involved as your hubby.  I don't hear people's stupid conversations.  Mrs F tells me I'm lucky to be able to be so distant from the silly nonsense.

    I can become an Austrian if I invest €8 million.
What are ‘golden visas’ and which EU countries still hand them out?-@SimCityAT

If only we all had that down the back of the sofa.

Such visa/ residency programs are the most attractive for (by numbers):

• Vietnamise
• Arabic (mainly Saudi pensiula)
• Israelis

    Such visa/ residency programs are the most attractive for (by numbers):
Vietnamese
Arabic (mainly Saudi peninsula)
Israelis
   
    -@sjbabilon5

Hmm...surprising.  I thought it'd be Russians at the top.

   
Exactly. 500,000 Euros could still get ya a nice resort type condo in the heart of Honolulu.Or a few acres of land with a home on another Island.My husband is tired of Hungary even though he is a Hungarian.He is sick of looking at angry clerks in shops and unhappy long faces on the st.I no longer seem to notice these things, got used to it.    We can n ot see our son taking over our flat once we kick it.Plus his wife is Japanese and we know she would not be happy here.Thinking it might be time to Ramble On and not waste more time.Time is limited for everyone so living in a place that gives you peace is more important then anything.May it ever be so humble, no place like a peaceful home.        -@Marilyn Tassy

Yup,  I can see HU is not a place to end your days.  Much more comfy at "home" be it Hawaii or Hungary.   I wouldn't really want to fizzle out here but year by year, it's becoming more of a tenuous link to the UK.   

Mrs F has property here so it's not just our house which is well maintained, it's others that Mrs F part owns or will inherit but that are in terrible condition.  No-one has capital to fix them up.

Mrs F and I were discussing my MIL's house (again).  It's really run down. We could fix it up and rent it out but the payback would have to be no more than 10 years otherwise no benefit to us.  I cannot see that happening.  We might not last last 10 years to reap the rewards. 

I was suggesting we turn it into offices or maybe an office downstairs and an apartment upstairs.  We're not sure anyone would rent it though.   Plenty of parking space as it has a very large garden.

I think you aren't quite as involved as your hubby.  I don't hear people's stupid conversations.  Mrs F tells me I'm lucky to be able to be so distant from the silly nonsense.
   

    -@fluffy2560

My husband says the same thing, I am lucky I do not know what most people are talking about.

I can walk around in  my own private Idaho.

What shocks him is the stupid conversations he is forced to overhear on public transport.

He also says the young women these days are really trash talkers, no innocence in them at all.

Swearing and chatting like an old sailor.

I was really into looking at a weekend or country house here but not so much any longer.

Too hard to deal with more then one place at a time.

Hawaii, for some reason a old real estate co. I subbed to is sending me many lists of apts. on Ohau.

Sort of getting under my skin, almost ready to pack my bags and buy a ticket, one way this time.

I am trying to get my older sister into it as well.

Why should she spend her days in cold MInn when she can be walking in the sand and getting some rays?

I am sure if we went first, she would follow.

Only 6 hours from Japan too.

IDK, talk is cheap, have to make some moves.

My husband says the same thing, I am lucky I do not know what most people are talking about.
I can walk around in  my own private Idaho.

What shocks him is the stupid conversations he is forced to overhear on public transport.
He also says the young women these days are really trash talkers, no innocence in them at all.
Swearing and chatting like an old sailor.
I was really into looking at a weekend or country house here but not so much any longer.
Too hard to deal with more then one place at a time.
Hawaii, for some reason a old real estate co. I subbed to is sending me many lists of apts. on Ohau.
Sort of getting under my skin, almost ready to pack my bags and buy a ticket, one way this time.
I am trying to get my older sister into it as well.
Why should she spend her days in cold MInn when she can be walking in the sand and getting some rays?
I am sure if we went first, she would follow.
Only 6 hours from Japan too.
IDK, talk is cheap, have to make some moves.
   
    -@Marilyn Tassy

Yes, always seems to be public transport where crazy conversations take place.  I see people with their earphones in.  Maybe they are blocking out the nonsense.

When we moved out of our Austrian house, we did so quite quickly.   We just happened to see an apartment in this village and we got in contact and after viewing, we said. right, let's go there.  We ended up living there for ages but in the end, we couldn't stay in the apartment because it was too small for 2 adults and 2 children.  Meanwhile we just closed down our Austrian house and went there maybe only once every 3 months.   It took some years to sell it.  In the end, we found a fixer upper house near our rented apartment  (400m away) and we then had it completely rebuilt.   I doubt we'll ever move from here now.  I can see in maybe 6 or 7 years when our baby birds have completely flown the nest, this house will be far too big.  I'm of the opinion we can convert it into 2 flats without a huge amount of effort.  We'd take the ground floor and rent the upper floor.   Or we could just move to Spain and rent the whole house out. Or just do Spain for 1/2 the year to avoid the winter here. 

There must be a plane leaving Hawaii for Japan every hour.  You could always meet up in Guam. I've been there and it's a right dump - like an immobile aircraft carrier.  The military base dominates the entire place.  But it's almost midway between Japan and HI and easy to reach without going all the way to Japan itself.

Sometimes it seems we are dragging our feet but from past experience I know that when things happen with us, they happen really fast.

Sold our S.Ca. house ourselves in just 2 weeks.

I was not emotionally ready to go that fast.

Have to let things go.

When I was 20 and 6 months pregnant, I just gave notice a work, sold my car, packed up a few boxes and hopped on a plane to Maui.

Now collecting so many items over the years seems more like they own us rather then we owning them.

Can not take them with you to the other side so collecting things is just a way to hold yourself back.

My sister said she can not even dream of Hawaii, too expensive for her.

I do not see it that way, it is a bit more then somewhere else in the US but the benefits out way the costs.

Dream big or do not bother at all.

Have to research more but my friend told me Hawaii even has their own state funded health care system outside of the mainstream gov. system of other states.

We lived there twice already and know it is not that hard to do, 3rd time is the charm.

My friend is always telling us to come to Hilo again and stay in her home.

Sweet but I give Hilo a big no.

Way too country, too rainy and too many lost Hippies over there.

Oahu has it all, country, city, malls, tourists places and the best beaches outside of Maui.

I would move back to Maui but since those fires I think the locals need the space for now more then we do.

There are also allot of part time jobs if one needs one over there. Most adds just require a body to show up. No one goes to work there if they do not have to.

I once saw that in an add for a job in Hawaii, they just wanted a body to come in.

IDK but the edit is not working on here very well...

I suppose that is the greatest benefit of being an American, they can not keep you out of Hawaii because of visa issues.

They are always building new senior apts.   there too. We are not the only silly old folks wanting to life a beach comer lifestyle.

@Marilyn Tassy

Even after all this time I do miss living on the South  coast of the uk. I have kept a family home in the Uk but it is in a deteriorating Midlands city.

I think as we get older we get more nostalgic about the past.

For the more beautiful coastal places I find the three month visas are long enough to skip the Hungarian winter without getting too bored.