Countries with the easiest residency routes
About this page
Ranked on ease of access, the number of visa routes and the path to permanent residency.
This ranking measures how hard it is to get in and stay in. It combines the country record for ease of access, the number of visa types it offers, whether there is a clear path to permanent residency and, separately, to citizenship, and the lowest income threshold across its retirement and nomad routes.
Countries are not rewarded for a single generous programme if the rest of the system is closed. Where a path is described as complex or difficult, that is reflected rather than flattened.
Ease is not the same as suitability: a low barrier may come with weak long-term rights. Read the residency and citizenship conditions for the specific route you would use, and check them against the official source.
Countries at travel advisory level 3 or 4 are not ranked here.
Read the full methodEasiest residency ranking
Portugal
Ease 8/10 · 4 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- Nomad visa
- Retirement visa
Panama
Ease 8/10 · 5 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- Nomad visa
- Retirement visa
Ecuador
Ease 8/10 · 3 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- Nomad visa
- Retirement visa
Paraguay
Ease 7/10 · 3 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- Nomad visa
- Retirement visa
Argentina
Ease 7/10 · 3 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- Nomad visa
- Retirement visa
Costa Rica
Ease 7/10 · 3 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- Nomad visa
- Retirement visa
Bulgaria
Ease 7/10 · 2 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- Nomad visa
Montenegro
Ease 7/10 · 2 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- Nomad visa
Dominican Republic
Ease 7/10 · 2 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- Nomad visa
- Retirement visa
Belize
Ease 7/10 · 2 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- Nomad visa
- Retirement visa
Spain
Ease 7/10 · 3 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- Nomad visa
- Retirement visa
Mexico
Ease 7/10 · 2 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- Nomad visa
- Retirement visa
Grenada
Ease 7/10 · 2 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- Nomad visa
- English widely spoken
Romania
Ease 7/10 · 2 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- Nomad visa
Mauritius
Ease 6/10 · 4 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- Nomad visa
- Retirement visa
Antigua and Barbuda
Ease 7/10 · 2 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- Nomad visa
- English widely spoken
Uruguay
Ease 7/10 · 1 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- Retirement visa
Malta
Ease 7/10 · 2 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- Nomad visa
- English widely spoken
Vanuatu
Ease 7/10 · 1 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- English widely spoken
Saint Lucia
Ease 7/10 · 1 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- English widely spoken
Turkey
Ease 6/10 · 4 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- Nomad visa
- Retirement visa
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Ease 7/10 · 1 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- English widely spoken
Hungary
Ease 6/10 · 3 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- Nomad visa
Georgia
Ease 7/10 · 2 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- Nomad visa
Serbia
Ease 6/10 · 2 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
Peru
Ease 6/10 · 2 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- Nomad visa
- Retirement visa
Albania
Ease 6/10 · 2 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- Nomad visa
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Ease 7/10 · 0 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- English widely spoken
Lithuania
Ease 6/10 · 2 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- Nomad visa
- English widely spoken
Croatia
Ease 6/10 · 2 visa routes · Residency path: clear
Permanent residency path: clear.
- Path to residency
- Nomad visa
- English widely spoken
Next step