A favorite among the wealthy from all corners of the globe, the UK’s Investor Visa has attracted in excess of GBP 10 billion since opening in 2008.
Investor migrants favor the UK for its central role in global commerce as well as its world-leading educational institutions, and favorable tax terms for non-domiciled HNWIs.
This program page is sponsored by Latitude
| Program Type | Golden Visa Program |
| Time to citizenship | 6 years (or as little as 5 years if investing GBP 5m or more) |
| Time to permanent residency | 5 years (or as little as 2 years if investing GBP 10m) |
| Minimum investment | GBP 2 million |
| Physical presence requirement | 185 days a year for permanent status |
| Application processing time | 2-4 weeks |
| Citizenship grants visa-free travel to | 185 destinations, including Schengen countries and the United States |
| Contribution types available | Equities and debentures of UK companies |
General program requirements
Applicants to the UK Investor Visa must invest £2 million for five years in the share capital or loan capital of active and trading UK-registered companies.
The investment must be made through an account with an FCA-regulated financial institution.
It is possible to fast-track your path to Indefinite Leave to Remain (permanent residency) by increasing the size of the qualifying investment. You can become eligible for ILR in
2 years if you invest £10 million;
3 years if you invest £5 million;
5 years if you invest £2 million.
Program benefits
Requirements to qualify for citizenship
The initial visa is held for a maximum of 3 years and 4 months. The applicant may renew the visa for an additional 2 years. After the 5th year is completed, the applicant can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).
The applicant will need to remain in the UK for a minimum of 180 days per annum to receive ILR. After receiving ILR, the applicant can apply for citizenship after 12 months.
The applicant will need to complete a Life in the United Kingdom test and have resided physically in the UK (no more than 90 days of absence from the UK in each of the preceding years) for at least one year since receiving ILR before receiving citizenship.
Legislation upon which this program is based:
Immigration Rules 2021, Sec 245E to 245EF
See more statistics on this program, and dozens of others, in the IMI Data Center.
As the hub for investment migration professionals, IMI is regularly in touch with program specialists in every corner of the globe.
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Programs that offer citizenship within months in exchange for investments or donations, with minor/no physical presence requirements.
Programs that offer citizenship in exchange for investments following a 1-2 year period, with minor/no physical presence requirements.
Bulgaria Investor Program (discontinued)
Malta MEIN
Programs that offer residence permits within months in exchange for passive investments, with limited physical presence requirements.
Andorra Residence Without Lucrative Activity
Anguilla Permanent Residency Program
Australia BIIP Investor Streams
Bahamas Economic Permanent Residence
Barbados SERP Program
Bermuda Economic Investment Certificate (EIC) Program
Brazil Investor Visa (VIPER)
Cambodia My 2nd Home
Cayman Islands Investor Visa
Colombia Investor Visas M and R
Costa Rica Investor Visa
Curaçao Investor Permit Program
Cyprus Golden Visa
Georgia Investor Visas
Greece Golden Visa
Guernsey Investor & Entrepreneur Residency
Ireland Immigrant Investor Program (discontinued)
Italy Investor Visa
Latvia Investor Visa
Luxembourg Investor Visa
Malaysia M2H Visa
Malta Permanent Residence Program
Mauritius Permanent Residency Program
Monaco Carte de Séjour
Netherlands Investor Visa
New Zealand Investor Visa
Nicaragua Investor Permanent Residency Program
Panama Qualified Investor Visa
Paraguay Investor Permanent Residency Program (SUACE)
Philippines Special Investor Residence Permit
Portugal Golden Visa
Russia Investor Visa
South Korea Investor Visa
Spain Golden Visa
Taiwan Golden Visa (APRC Plum Blossom Card)
Thailand Elite Residence Program
UAE Golden Visa
UK Investor Visa (discontinued)
United States EB-5
Uruguay Investor Visa
Programs that offer residence permits within months to those who can demonstrate income or personal wealth above a certain level, usually requiring that the holder not take up employment locally.
Argentina Rentista and Pensionado Residency
Austria Independent Means Visa
Barbados Welcome Stamp
Brazil Retirement Visa
Chile Independent Means Visas
Colombia Independent Means Visas
Costa Rica Independent Means Visas
Gibraltar Category 2 HNWI Residence
Greece FIP Visa
Indonesia Retirement Visa (KITAS)
Ireland Independent Means (Stamp 0)
Italy Elective Residency Visa
Jersey High Value Residency
Mexico Legal Residency Visa
Nicaragua Pensionado and Rentista Visas
Panama Rentista Retirado Visa
Paraguay Independent Means Visa
Peru Independent Means Visa (Rentista)
Portugal D7 Visa
Spain Non-Lucrative Visa
Uruguay Independent Means Visa
Programs that offer residence permits within months to those who physically relocate to start and/or run a business. Startup and entrepreneur visas fall under this category.
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