Following the announcement last year that Portugal’s highly successful residency by investment programme was removing Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve as property investment options, with the aim of increasing investment in low-density areas, the Portuguese authorities have further announced this will become effective on July 1, 2021.
With the support of its world-leading Citizenship by Investment programme, the Caribbean island of Dominica is working on becoming the world's first climate-resilient nation.
As countries continue to roll out long-stay visas for foreigners in an attempt to replace lost tourism dollars and to attract remote workers, Singapore announces the launch in 2021 of a Tech.Pass visa programme offering tech entrepreneurs from across the world the chance to set up and operate companies in the southeast Asia trading hub.
In a bid to combat the economic impact of the pandemic, Slovenia announces it is considering a proposal to launch a citizenship or residence by investment programme for 2021, making it the latest Balkan country to do so.
Adding to the globe's growing list of digital nomad visas introduced in 2020 is Work in Iceland, a programme that allows foreign national remote workers the chance to reside in, and work remotely from, the stunning country of Iceland with their family for up to six months.
In a bid to lure foreigners to invest in property in Thailand, and until December 2022 only, Thai-based property developers are giving investors who acquire a condo worth US$333,000 or more a Thai Elite visa, allowing them residency in Thailand for five years.
Following the unveiling of a raft of remote working visas in the last six months, Greece and Croatia are the latest nations to roll out the red carpet for global remote workers, with programmes designed to lure digital expats to their shores in a bid to replace the lost tourism dollars due to the pandemic.
With the aim of strengthening the Russian economy and creating new jobs, Russia’s Economic Development Ministry has put forward a draft bill for a residency by investment programme, which would allow foreigners to invest in the country via various routes in exchange for permanent residency.
The Caribbean island of Antigua & Barbuda, which runs a successful citizenship by investment programme that includes the option of investment in eco-friendly resorts, has been named 2021’s Emerging Sustainable Destination of the Year in global travel authority Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel Awards 2021.
Following eight months of uncertainty thanks to Covid, the British Virgin Islands (BVI) is the latest nation to announce investor visa programmes aimed at replacing lost tourism dollars. Both the proposed Invest-and-Stay and In-Stay programmes will provide foreigners with residency/remote working visas in exchange for investment.