IMI Podcasts · Christian Henrik Nesheim

How to Get Residency in the Balkans Through Investment

March 19, 2026·15 min·1 clip

While Spain and Portugal close their golden visas, three Balkan countries offer European residency at prices lower than Western application fees.

The episode opens by contrasting the closure of Western European golden visa programs with emerging opportunities in Albania, Montenegro, and Serbia. It explains that these three EU candidate countries offer investor residency pathways at significantly lower price points than traditional European programs. Albania's program allows foreign nationals to obtain long-term residency through business formation, property purchase, or government securities, with potentially no minimum investment requirement according to IMI Daily's program page. The Albanian permit requires active involvement in the investment, not passive capital transfer, and has specific tax compliance and documentation requirements. Albania grants permanent residency after five continuous years and citizenship after seven years, with the advantage of permitting dual citizenship. Montenegro formalized a property-linked residence pathway in January 2026 with a €150,000 threshold for property taxable value. This residence permit does not permit employment or business activity in Montenegro and requires proof of property use and tax compliance. Montenegro has one of Europe's longest naturalization timelines at 10 years and does not recognize dual nationality. The country is the most advanced EU candidate in the Western Balkans, with a government target of EU membership by 2028. Serbia offers the cheapest structured investor visa among the three countries, starting at €50,000 investment in a Serbian company. Serbia also provides residency through real estate purchase with no government-mandated minimum threshold. The country requires 183 days of annual presence for tax residency and offers a path to citizenship in approximately six years. Serbia's dual citizenship rules are nuanced, generally requiring renunciation except for specific exceptions. The Serbian passport provides visa-free access to 135 destinations, including the unusual combination of Schengen countries, China, and Russia. All three programs are positioned as affordable, underexplored alternatives to traditional European golden visas, with the episode noting that entry prices are unlikely to remain this low indefinitely.

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