Cyprus, Greece or Mauritius — which residence programme fits your family?
Three of the most considered residence-by-investment routes, set side by side on the things that actually decide the choice: what you invest, what you receive, how fast, and how it is taxed. Every figure here is verified to the governing law and dated — not a brochure number.
Three routes, three different reasons.
Each programme answers a different brief. The question is rarely “which is best” — it is which one matches your objective, your timeline and where you want your family to be.
Cyprus
Cyprus Permanent ResidenceAn English-speaking, English-law EU island at the meeting point of Europe, the Middle East and Africa — sun, sea and one of the continent’s most favourable tax frameworks. A short flight from the Gulf and the Levant, with a deep advisory tradition on the ground.
Greece
Greece Golden VisaThe cradle of Europe and a full Schengen member — thousands of islands, a reawakened property market and a fixed-cost non-dom tax regime. Visa-free movement across the zone from day one, with no obligation to relocate.
Mauritius
Mauritius Residence by PropertyA stable, bilingual, common-law island in the same time zone as Johannesburg — no capital-gains, inheritance or wealth tax, and residency that comes with the home you buy. A natural rand- and euro-hedge with a turquoise-lagoon lifestyle.
The decision, in one table.
Verified 2026 figures, drawn directly from each programme’s governing law and administering authority.
From €300,000 + VAT
From €250,000 (tiered to €400k–€800k)
From USD 375,000
Cyprus Permanent Residence
Greece Golden Visa
Mauritius Residence by Property
EU member · working toward Schengen
Full Schengen from day one
Indian Ocean · no European mobility
Fast-track approval typically ~2–3 months once the file is complete; ~4–7 months end to end to card in hand.
Approximately 4–9 months end to end; biometrics within 6 months of filing.
Approximately 3–6 months for EDB approval after purchase.
Visit once every two years to maintain status — no minimum stay.
No minimum stay to obtain or renew the five-year permit.
No minimum stay — residence is held for as long as you own the qualifying property.
Spouse and dependent unmarried children under 25 (students included). Parents and parents-in-law are not eligible under Reg. 6(2).
Spouse/partner, children under 21 (to 24 if dependent students), and the parents of both spouses — no dependency test on parents.
Spouse/partner, dependent children to 24, and dependent parents under a single qualifying investment.
No inheritance, estate or wealth tax; 17-year non-dom regime on dividends, interest and rents; tax residency via the 60-day rule. PR is a practical enabler of Cyprus non-dom status.
Optional non-dom regime (separate from the visa): a flat €100,000/yr on worldwide non-Greek income for up to 15 years (+€20,000 per family member). It requires a ≥€500,000 Greek investment — distinct from the €250,000 visa minimum — and prior non-residence. The Golden Visa itself triggers no tax residency.
No capital-gains, inheritance, estate or wealth tax; foreign income taxed only on remittance; personal income tax to a 20% top rate. Residence by property is a strong tax-residency base for those who meet the day-count tests.
From €300,000 + VAT
Cyprus Permanent Residence
EU member · working toward Schengen
Fast-track approval typically ~2–3 months once the file is complete; ~4–7 months end to end to card in hand.
Visit once every two years to maintain status — no minimum stay.
Spouse and dependent unmarried children under 25 (students included). Parents and parents-in-law are not eligible under Reg. 6(2).
No inheritance, estate or wealth tax; 17-year non-dom regime on dividends, interest and rents; tax residency via the 60-day rule. PR is a practical enabler of Cyprus non-dom status.
From €250,000 (tiered to €400k–€800k)
Greece Golden Visa
Full Schengen from day one
Approximately 4–9 months end to end; biometrics within 6 months of filing.
No minimum stay to obtain or renew the five-year permit.
Spouse/partner, children under 21 (to 24 if dependent students), and the parents of both spouses — no dependency test on parents.
Optional non-dom regime (separate from the visa): a flat €100,000/yr on worldwide non-Greek income for up to 15 years (+€20,000 per family member). It requires a ≥€500,000 Greek investment — distinct from the €250,000 visa minimum — and prior non-residence. The Golden Visa itself triggers no tax residency.
From USD 375,000
Mauritius Residence by Property
Indian Ocean · no European mobility
Approximately 3–6 months for EDB approval after purchase.
No minimum stay — residence is held for as long as you own the qualifying property.
Spouse/partner, dependent children to 24, and dependent parents under a single qualifying investment.
No capital-gains, inheritance, estate or wealth tax; foreign income taxed only on remittance; personal income tax to a 20% top rate. Residence by property is a strong tax-residency base for those who meet the day-count tests.
Figures are indicative and verified to 2026 against official primary sources — Cyprus Civil Registry & Migration Department (gov.cy), Regulation 6(2) under Aliens & Immigration Law Cap. 105; 2 May 2023 revision raised secured income to €50,000. Verified 2026-06. Hellenic Ministry of Migration & Asylum (migration.gov.gr); Law 5038/2023 Arts. 99-103 as amended by Law 5100/2024 Art. 64; non-dom under Law 4172/2013 Art. 5A (AADE). Tiering verified 2026-06. Economic Development Board Mauritius (edbmauritius.org) IRS/RES/PDS guidelines; EDB Act 2017 + PDS Regulations 2015; Finance Act 2025 duty change (Laws of Mauritius). Verified 2026-06. Government fees, taxes and the qualifying investment are separate and confirmed in writing. 8T20 Capital is an advisory firm, not a law firm; regulated work is delivered by admitted local counsel.
Match the route to the objective.
Choose Cyprus when the priority is a permanent EU base secured quickly against a single property, with no obligation to relocate and a favourable non-dom framework on the other side. It is the fastest permanent EU residency in this set.
Choose Greece when Schengen mobility matters most — visa-free short-stay travel across the zone from day one — and you want one of Europe’s most efficient property entry points, with the option of the €100,000 non-dom regime for those who do relocate.
Choose Mauritius when lifestyle and tax efficiency lead the brief: no capital-gains, inheritance or wealth tax, residence that comes with the home you buy, and a natural rand- and euro-hedge in the same time zone as Johannesburg. European mobility is not part of the offer.
See the law for yourself
Every figure above traces to a primary instrument. The same source documents are mirrored, dated and linked to the government source in our document library.
Answered plainly.
Which is better for EU residence — Cyprus or Greece?
Both are EU member states. Cyprus grants permanent residence fast — typically around fast-track approval typically ~2–3 months once the file is complete; ~4–7 months end to end to card in hand. — but Cyprus is not yet in the Schengen Area, so the permit is valid for Cyprus while accession is in progress. Greece's Golden Visa is a five-year renewable residence in a full Schengen member, giving visa-free short-stay travel across the zone from day one. If the priority is a permanent EU base secured quickly against a single property, Cyprus is usually the answer; if Schengen mobility matters most, Greece is.
What is the lowest entry cost across Cyprus, Greece and Mauritius?
On headline figures, Greece's €250,000 tier is the lowest — but it applies only to commercial-to-residential conversions and listed-building restorations; standard property is €400,000 (most regions) or €800,000 (Attica, Thessaloniki and larger islands). Cyprus permanent residence starts from €300,000 plus VAT in a new-build unit, with secured foreign income required. Mauritius residence by property starts from USD 375,000 in an EDB-approved scheme. The right comparison is total cost to your objective, not the headline number alone.
Do any of these programmes require me to live there?
No. None of the three imposes a minimum-stay requirement. Cyprus asks only for a visit once every two years to maintain status; Greece has no minimum stay to obtain or renew the permit; Mauritius residence is held for as long as you own the qualifying property. This is what makes all three suitable as a "plan B" or a tax-residency base without relocation.
Which programme is most tax-efficient?
It depends on where you are tax-resident. Mauritius has no capital-gains, inheritance, estate or wealth tax and taxes foreign income only on remittance. Cyprus has no inheritance, estate or wealth tax and a 17-year non-dom regime on dividends, interest and rents. Greece offers an optional non-dom regime — a flat €100,000 a year on worldwide non-Greek income for up to 15 years — but it is separate from the visa and requires actual Greek tax residency and a ≥€500,000 Greek investment. We model the position with admitted local counsel before any figure is relied on.
Can my family be included on one application?
Yes, in all three, though the scope differs. Spouse and dependent unmarried children under 25 (students included). Parents and parents-in-law are not eligible under Reg. 6(2). Spouse/partner, children under 21 (to 24 if dependent students), and the parents of both spouses — no dependency test on parents. Spouse/partner, dependent children to 24, and dependent parents under a single qualifying investment. The exact dependant rules are confirmed against the governing law for each file.
Let the assessment narrow it down.
A short, confidential assessment weighs your capacity, objectives, timeline and nationality and matches you to the programme that fits — Cyprus, Greece, Mauritius or beyond — with the reasoning shown, not hidden.