Quick answer
Golden visa processing can take about two months for a decision on a complete Cyprus investor-permanent-residence file and approximately 18 to 24 months or longer from Portugal ARI submission to the first residence card. Malta no longer publishes a numeric processing target; one current practitioner guide estimates four to seven months to the permanent residence certificate. These figures do not measure the same thing. Some clocks cover only a nomination, pre-approval or decision stage; others do not include document collection, appointments, biometrics or card and passport production.
The table below separates each published government clock from a realistic planning figure. It was checked on 10 August 2026.
| Programme | Type | Published official clock | Practical planning figure | What the figure covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal ARI | Residence by investment | 90-day legal decision period after the in-person application (AIMA) | Approximately 18-24 months; some cases take longer (Fragomen; delay reporting) | Online submission to first residence card |
| Greece Golden Visa | Residence by investment | 2 months once the issuing authority has the complete file (law; MITOS) | One practitioner guide estimates 4-6 months for straightforward cases and 6-9 for complex cases; Attica has the largest backlog (estimate; backlog reporting) | Filing to permit in current practice |
| Malta MPRP | Permanent residence by investment | No current numeric SLA; the Agency commits to decisions within reasonable times consistent with due diligence (official brochure) | One 2026 practitioner guide estimates 4-7 months to the permanent residence certificate (estimate) | Complete-file processing and later programme-compliance steps |
| Italy Investor Visa | Investor visa leading to residence | 30 days for the Committee's Nulla Osta assessment (official process) | No reliable single end-to-end figure | Committee assessment only; consular and post-arrival stages follow |
| Cyprus investor permanent residence | Permanent residence by investment | About 2 months from a completed application (official policy) | About 2 months for examination, if the file is complete and no issue arises | Examination and decision, not preparation time |
| UAE Golden Residency | Long-term residence | 2 days for the federal nomination service (ICP) | No single federal end-to-end figure across routes and emirates | Pre-approval/nomination only, not final residence issuance |
| Grenada CBI | Citizenship by investment | Approval within 60 business days, subject to satisfactory due diligence and receipt of funds (IMA) | About 6-8 months to passport (practitioner estimate) | Application submission through an authorised Local Agent to passport |
How to read golden visa processing times
There is no standard definition of “processing time” across investment-migration programmes. Before comparing two numbers, check where each clock starts and stops.
- Preparation time covers source-of-funds records, police certificates, translations, legalisation, investment documents and family records. It is rarely included in a government target.
- Complete-file processing starts only after the authority accepts that all required documents are present. A request for more information can stop or restart the clock.
- Decision time ends with an approval or refusal. It may exclude a visa appointment, biometrics, completion of the investment and production of a residence card or passport.
- End-to-end time should state both endpoints, such as “online submission to first residence card” or “submission to passport”.
Use the country sections below for the assumptions behind each figure.
Portugal Golden Visa processing time
Plan on approximately 18 to 24 months or longer from an ARI application submission to the first residence card as of mid-2026. A well-prepared application can still take longer because appointment capacity and inherited backlogs sit outside the applicant's control. Applicants using Portugal's €500,000 investment-fund route should also allow time to assemble the subscription and eligibility evidence before filing.
AIMA's ARI guidance confirms the programme and its application steps but does not publish a current average for the whole journey. In its recovery-plan FAQ, AIMA tells applicants who have attended the in-person stage to wait for the legal decision period of 90 days. That statutory period is not a dependable end-to-end service time.
Fragomen reported an approximate 18-to-24-month process in April 2026. Other reporting documents cases beyond two years and continuing court action over delayed decisions. The defensible planning range is therefore approximately 18-24 months or longer, with a clear warning that it is volatile.
What commonly extends the Portugal timeline:
- the wait for an AIMA appointment;
- a request to refresh expired or incomplete documents;
- source-of-funds or criminal-record checks;
- family applications that are not processed together;
- the interval between approval, fee payment and card delivery.
Sources: AIMA ARI programme guidance, AIMA ARI recovery-plan FAQ, Fragomen's April 2026 overview, and Executive Digest reporting on AIMA delays and court cases.
For the procedural options when a case remains delayed, see our guide to Portugal Golden Visa delays and appeals.
Greece Golden Visa processing time
One April 2026 practitioner guide estimates about four to six months for an uncomplicated case and six to nine months for a complex case. Separate backlog reporting identifies Attica as the largest concentration of pending files and documents earlier waits of up to 18 months. That supports a warning that Attica can take longer, but it does not establish a precise current average of a year or more.
The legal rule is narrower. Article 100(10) of Law 5038/2023 says the investor residence permit is issued within two months after all elements of the file reach the issuing authority. Greece's MITOS public-service register gives an estimated 50 to 60 days for the initial-issuance procedure. Neither figure is a guarantee for the whole process from property selection to card receipt.
After electronic filing, the applicant receives a submission certificate that supports lawful stay in Greece until a decision. It is not a residence card and should not be presented as giving unrestricted Schengen travel rights.
Office location, biometric scheduling, the completeness of the property file and requests for supplementary documents explain much of the variation.
Sources: Greek Ministry Golden Visa page, MITOS initial-issuance procedure, Law 5038/2023 Article 100, Astons' April 2026 processing estimate, and IMI Daily's backlog report.
See the Greece Golden Visa guide for the programme rules and investment routes behind this timing comparison.
Aegalis also maintains a dated log of Greek Golden Visa regulatory updates.
Malta MPRP processing time
Residency Malta Agency does not publish a current numeric MPRP processing SLA. Its current brochure says processing starts with a complete and correct file and commits to final decisions within reasonable times consistent with the due-diligence work required.
A 2026 guide from ACC Malta Immigration estimates about four to seven months from filing to the permanent residence certificate. Treat that as a practitioner planning estimate, not a government promise. Complex wealth structures, requests for clarification and delayed supporting documents can make the process longer.
An approval in principle is followed by programme-compliance steps. Depending on the case, these include completing the qualifying investment and contribution, providing final documents, biometrics and residence-card production. Applicants should add preparation time before submission and completion time after approval.
A file can take longer when due-diligence teams need clarification about wealth, source of funds, business interests or family relationships. The responsible body is Residency Malta Agency, not Identity Malta.
Sources: Residency Malta's current MPRP brochure and ACC Malta Immigration's 2026 practitioner guide.
Our Malta Golden Visa guide explains how the MPRP stages fit together.
Italy Investor Visa processing time
Italy publishes a 30-day target for the Investor Visa for Italy Committee to assess the online application and issue its result. That result is the Nulla Osta, or certificate of no impediment. It is not the visa or the residence permit.
After receiving the Nulla Osta, the applicant has six months to request the investor visa at the relevant Italian diplomatic representation. Consular appointment and decision times vary. After entering Italy, the visa holder must complete the residence-permit process and make the approved investment or donation within the programme deadline.
It is therefore misleading to describe Italy as a “30-day golden visa”. The official clock covers one defined stage. It can also be suspended while the Committee waits for further evidence.
The qualifying routes listed by the official programme cover Italian government bonds, an Italian company, an Italian innovative startup, or a philanthropic donation. Direct real-estate purchase is not an Investor Visa for Italy route.
Sources: Investor Visa for Italy process and official policy guidance.
See the Italy Golden Visa guide for the eligible investment routes and post-arrival requirements.
Cyprus investor permanent residence processing time
Cyprus estimates about two months to examine a completed investor permanent-residence application. The estimate assumes that the policy criteria are met and that no criminal-record, public-order or security concern requires further work.
The two months start with a completed application. Time spent selecting and completing the investment, assembling certified translations, proving annual income and fixing missing documents sits outside that estimate.
Applicants should also distinguish this permanent-residence route from citizenship. Cyprus does not grant citizenship merely because this residence application is approved.
Source: Cyprus Migration Department investor-permit policy.
The Cyprus Golden Visa guide covers the investment and income conditions that must be met before this examination clock is useful.
UAE Golden Residency processing time
There is no reliable single federal end-to-end processing figure that applies to every UAE Golden Residency route and emirate. The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security lists two days for its Golden Residency nomination application, but describes that service as pre-approval.
Final residence issuance can involve route-specific evidence, medical fitness testing, status adjustment or entry-permit steps, Emirates ID biometrics and local processing. Applicants inside and outside the UAE can also follow different sequences.
Treat “two days” as the published duration for the federal nomination service only. It should not be converted into a promise that the residence permit and Emirates ID will be finished in two days.
Sources: ICP Golden Residency nomination service and ICP Golden Residency programme overview.
See the UAE Golden Visa guide for route-specific eligibility and later issuance stages.
Grenada citizenship-by-investment processing time
Grenada is included because people often compare it with golden visas, but it is a citizenship-by-investment programme, not residence by investment.
The Investment Migration Agency says approval will be issued within 60 business days after submission, subject to satisfactory due diligence and receipt of funds. A practitioner estimate puts the practical end-to-end period at about six to eight months from submission to passport.
Only a government-authorised Local Agent can submit the application. An international marketing agent can market or refer a case but cannot file it. Agent selection, document preparation, due diligence, the investment or contribution stage and passport production all affect the total.
Sources: Investment Migration Agency enquiries, official authorised-agent directory, and Harvey Law Group's end-to-end estimate.
Use the Grenada citizenship-by-investment lawyer directory to check firms serving this programme.
What usually causes delays
The delay is often at the boundary between stages rather than inside the advertised government clock.
- The file is not complete. A missing legalisation, inconsistent name, expired police certificate or weak source-of-funds trail can prevent the official clock from starting.
- The authority asks for more evidence. Due diligence can expose unexplained transactions, complex company ownership or a mismatch between declared income and accumulated wealth.
- Appointments are scarce. Biometrics, consular interviews and residence-agency appointments may be scheduled separately from the decision stage.
- Family records add dependencies. Birth, marriage, custody and consent documents often come from several jurisdictions and can require translation and certification.
- The investment is not ready to complete. A decision may be conditional on transferring funds, closing a property transaction or providing final bank evidence.
- Card or passport production is a separate queue. Approval is not always the final deliverable.
What a lawyer can and cannot change
A lawyer or authorised agent can reduce avoidable delay by setting the correct document list, checking certifications, presenting the source-of-funds record coherently, responding to requests and monitoring the file. They may also advise on a lawful remedy when an authority exceeds a statutory deadline.
They cannot guarantee approval, bypass due diligence, create appointment capacity or promise that a public authority will decide a case by a specific date. Claims of special government access or a guaranteed unofficial fast track should be treated with caution.
Frequently asked questions
Which golden visa is fastest in 2026?
Cyprus publishes an estimate of about two months for examination of a completed investor-permanent-residence application. Italy publishes 30 days for its Committee's Nulla Osta assessment, and the UAE publishes two days for nomination pre-approval, but both require later stages. Malta's current official material gives no numeric SLA; one 2026 practitioner guide estimates four to seven months to the permanent residence certificate. These clocks are not directly comparable.
How long does the Portugal Golden Visa take in 2026?
Plan on approximately 18 to 24 months or longer from ARI application submission to the first residence card as of mid-2026. Portugal has a 90-day legal decision period after the in-person application stage, but AIMA does not publish a dependable current end-to-end average and actual waits can exceed two years.
What is the difference between official and actual processing time?
An official time usually measures a defined administrative stage after a complete file is received. Actual or end-to-end time can include preparation, appointments, requests for evidence, biometrics, investment completion and production of the final card or passport.
Can I pay to expedite a golden visa?
Only rely on an expedited option if the responsible government authority publishes it for the route and stage in question. Professional fees can pay for faster preparation or response by your adviser; they do not buy a faster government decision unless an official priority service exists.
What can I do if my application exceeds the legal deadline?
Ask your lawyer for the file status, confirm that the application is legally complete, identify whether the authority has paused the case for evidence, and obtain advice on the remedies available in that jurisdiction. A statutory deadline does not automatically mean approval.
Methodology and sources
The Golden Visa Lawyers editorial team reviewed programme authorities, legislation and public-service records available on 10 August 2026 under our editorial methodology. Where an authority publishes only a stage-specific clock, the table labels that stage instead of presenting it as an end-to-end result. Practical ranges are planning estimates, not guarantees, and should be rechecked before an application is filed. The next scheduled review is 10 November 2026.
Spain's non-lucrative visa and ordinary residence permits in Turkey are not included because they are not golden visas. Programmes without a comparable current official clock were omitted rather than assigned a precise but unsupported number. Grenada is retained as a clearly labelled citizenship-by-investment comparator because it is commonly evaluated alongside residence-by-investment programmes.