The era of buying a European flat and collecting a residence card is over in the mainstream markets. Spain ended its golden visa in 2025; Portugal removed the property route back in 2023; Greece raised thresholds and narrowed zones.
Why they died
Housing politics. Voters blamed foreign investment for price rises in Lisbon, Barcelona and Athens, and property-linked visas were the easiest lever to pull.
What still works in 2026
Work-based: digital nomad visas in Spain, Portugal and Turkey: you qualify with income, not assets.
Income-based: Spain’s non-lucrative visa and Portugal’s D7 for people living on savings, pensions or passive income.
Property-based, outside the EU: alive and well in the UAE (from AED 750k), Turkey (from $200k) and Qatar (from about $200k).
The takeaway
If residency is the goal and property is the means, look east of Europe. If Europe is the goal, qualify with income and buy the home separately. The two decisions are cleaner apart than welded together.