Are you dreaming of a fresh start in a new country? Well, your dreams can become a reality in 2024 with a range of exciting opportunities awaiting you.
In this article, we will explore 21 countries that are offering financial incentives for individuals and families to make the move and start a new chapter in their lives. These countries are actively seeking new residents to foster growth and vitality in their communities.
Whether you’re a digital nomad, a young couple looking for adventure, or an entrepreneur eager to launch a startup, these countries provide the perfect destination.
Key Takeaways:
- Explore 21 countries offering financial incentives for relocation
- Opportunities to live, work, and thrive in diverse destinations
- A chance to contribute to the growth and vitality of new communities
- Choose from bustling cities, natural landscapes, and charming communities
- Make your dream of living in an exciting new location a reality
From the stunning beaches of Mauritius to the technological advancements of Japan, each country offers its own unique incentives and opportunities. Whether you’re drawn to the bustling cities of England and the USA, the natural beauty of Canada and Iceland, or the charm of smaller communities like the Island of Sark, Greece, or Denmark, there is a destination to suit every taste and lifestyle.
Let’s explore each of these 21 countries in detail to learn more about the financial incentives and benefits they offer to new residents.
1) Mauritius
Mauritius offers a Premium Visa, aimed at encouraging remote workers to live there. The visa is valid for one year and is renewable. Applicants must provide proof of long-term plans for income, health insurance, and confirm their stay will not exceed 180 days per year.
Key Incentives
- Occupational Permit (OP): This permit allows you to live and work as a foreigner in Mauritius. The government provides this to investors, professionals, and self-employed individuals.
- Permanent Resident Permit: Mauritius offers permanent residency for foreigners with OP who have lived in the country continuously for three years.
- Economic Development Board (EDB) Support: The Mauritius EDB provides hands-on support for businesses looking to operate in the country. This support includes access to funding, regulatory compliance and acquisition of permits.
- Real Estate Investment: The Integrated Report Scheme (IRS) and Property Development Scheme (PDS) programs in Mauritius allow foreigners to invest in properties while offering residency options.
- Education and Healthcare: MIgrants can access quality education and healthcare systems supported by the government.
2) Italy
Candela, in Italy’s Puglia region, offers up to €2,000 to attract new residents to reverse its declining population. Eligibility requires renting or buying a home, securing a job with a minimum €7,500 annual income, and committing to residency, aiming to rejuvenate the town known as “Little Naples.” This is part of a larger effort in Italy to revitalize small towns by offering financial incentives to new residents.
Key Incentives
- Startup Visa: Italy offers a streamlined visa process for entrepreneurs looking to establish innovative startups in the country.
- EU Blue Card: Provides highly skilled professionals residency and work rights in Italy and other EU countries.
- Social Security Benefits: Migrants can easily access Italy’s social security system and accompanying healthcare and pension benefits.
- Tax Benefits: Italy offers tax regimes for new residents and expatriates relocating for work purposes.
- Family Reunification: This program facilitates the process for family members of legal residents to join them in Italy.
3) Croatia
Croatia offers a Digital Nomad Visa, allowing remote workers to live in Croatia temporarily. Applicants must prove their employment status, have a monthly income above a certain threshold, and have health insurance.
Key Incentives
- Relocation Support: Croatia offers relocation support for highly skilled workers through various programs, including simplified visa and work permit processes.
- Tax Incentives: Migrants, especially skilled professionals in sectors like IT, healthcare, and engineering, enjoy tax breaks upon relocating to Croatia.
- Rural Development and Resettlement Programs: Croatia provides subsidized housing, grants, and tax benefits to encourage migrants willing to settle in rural or less developed areas.
4) Japan
The Japanese government has various incentives to encourage people to move to rural areas to counteract urban overcrowding. These include grants, subsidies for housing, and assistance in finding employment.
Key Incentives
- Special Zones for Foreign Investment: In special zones like Okinawa and Osaka, migrants and foreign investors enjoy incentives like tax breaks and relaxed regulations to encourage business establishment.
- Regional Revitalization Programs: Japan offers incentives to foreigners who are willing to relocate to less popular regions. The incentives range from subsidized housing to business grants.
- Technical Intern Training Program (TITP): This program targets migrants from developing countries, aimed at equipping them with technical skills useful in sectors with labor shortages in Japan.
5) Austria
Austria offers a Red-White-Red Card, aimed at highly qualified workers, skilled workers in shortage occupations, and other key groups. It provides a clear path to full residency and work rights within Austria.
Key Incentives
- Start-Up Visa: Austria uses this program to offer entrepreneurship visas to foreigners wishing to establish innovative businesses in the country. Such migrants will enjoy a simplified visa process, mentorship, and financial incentives.
- Regional Migration Incentives: Migrants willing to settle in less populated and economically weaker regions of Austria will enjoy tax incentives, housing subsidies, and other support for business establishment.
- Incentives for Seasonal and Short-term Workers: This country provides special visas for seasonal and temporary workers allowing them to enter Austria and work in peak demand seasons for agricultural, tourism, and construction sectors.
6) England
Various schemes exist, such as those targeting healthcare workers, offering visas and potentially pathways to residency for those in specific critical roles.
Key Incentives
- Global Talent Visa: This program is designed to attract exceptionally talented individuals in specific fields like Science, Medicine, Digital technology, and Arts. Individuals in this program enjoy permits to live and work in England and fast-tracking of their permanent residency.
- Youth Mobility Scheme: The program allows young people from specific countries like Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand to live and work in England for up to two years.
- Innovative Finance and Investor Incentives: England offers tax benefits and other incentives to migrants investing in certain sectors like renewable energy, technology, and infrastructure.
7) USA
The EB-5 Investor Visa program allows investors to become eligible for green cards if they invest a certain amount in a U.S. business and create or preserve 10 full-time jobs for American workers.
Key Incentives
- Employment-Based Green Cards: The U.S. offers several categories of permanent residency to skilled workers and professionals, depending on their level of qualification, through seamless processes.
- Treaty Investor Visa: Foreigners from a country with which the U.S. has a treaty of commerce will easily get the E-2 Visa, which can lead directly to a green card.
- Family-Based Immigration: Migrants with relatives who are legal residents of the U.S. can enjoy this program, which offers simple visa processes for applicants.
8) Canada
Canada offers several immigration incentives, including the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, which aims to attract workers to smaller communities.
Key Incentives
- Atlantic Immigration Program: This program offers a path to permanent residency for international graduates and skilled workers willing to live and work in any of Canada’s four Atlantic provinces.
- Self-Employed Persons Programs: It is a permanent residency fast-tracking program for individuals who are self-employed in cultural activities and athletics.
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC): This program is part of the Express Entry System and allows individuals with at least 12 months of skilled work experience to apply and obtain permanent residency.
9) Island of Sark
While not offering direct payments, Sark has promoted itself as a tax haven with no direct taxes, making it an attractive place for those looking to relocate for tax reasons.
Key Incentives
- Cultural Exchange Initiatives: Sark hosts cultural exchange programs and uses these to attract temporary residents to the Island to promote their heritage, art, and traditions.
- Family Unification: Immigrants with families already legally residing in Sark will enjoy a streamlined visa process and express residency approval.
- Retirement Residency: Retirees who demonstrate financial independence are welcome on the Island. The Sark welcomes them with a simple visa and permanent residency process.
10) Greece
Greece offers a Golden Visa program, providing a residency permit to non-EU investors who purchase or rent property above a certain value.
Key Incentives
- The Golden Visa Program: This program offers permanent residency to non-EU citizens seeking migration to Greece. The only requirement here is a €250,000 minimum investment in real estate in Greece. Afterward, the user can enjoy visa-free travel within the Schengen Area.
- Investment in Strategic Sectors: Depending on their level of investment and contribution, foreign investors may receive residency permits under this program for investing in strategic sectors such as technology, renewable energy, and tourism.
- Asylum and Refugee Protection: Greece will provide individuals fleeing from violence and persecution temporary residency while immediately processing permanent residency.
11) Ireland
The Start-up Entrepreneur Program allows non-EU nationals with an innovative business idea and minimum funding to establish their business in Ireland and reside there.
Key Incentives
- Start-up Entrepreneur Program (STEP): This program offers immediate residency to individuals who want to establish start-ups in Ireland with a good potential for success and growth.
- Volunteering Opportunities: Temporary foreign residents in Ireland can easily earn permanent residency by engaging continuously in volunteer work.
- Temporary Protection Directive: Ireland adopts this directive in response to humanitarian crises to adopt individuals fleeing from violence or conflicts as residents with access to Irish services.
12) Spain
Ponga, in Spain, offers £2,600 to each new resident, plus an additional amount for each child born there, to live there for at least five years, aiming to boost its population and economy. Located in the Cantabrian Mountains, it’s an ideal spot for nature lovers. This is part of a larger trend in Spain and Italy to revive small towns through incentives.
Key Incentives
- Work Permit Programs: Migrants with high-demand skills enjoy seamless visa application under this program, especially with a job offer from Spanish employees.
- Family Reunification Program: Spain will readily grant residency to family members of Spanish citizens, including spouses, children, and dependent relatives.
- Temporary Residency for Non-Lucrative Purposes: This program allows non-EU citizens to reside in Sapin without work or economic activities, provided they have insurance coverage and the financial means to support themselves.
13) Denmark
The Startup Denmark scheme invites talented entrepreneurs to apply and receive a residence permit to launch their businesses in Denmark.
Key Incentives
- Naturalization Program: Migrants who have resided in Denmark for about nine years can apply and obtain permanent residency through this program.
- Residency Permit for Highly Qualified Persons: Denmark offers residency to highly qualified individuals who posses specific educational and professional criteria to fill the labor gaps in the country.
- Self-Employment Visa: Migrants with a detailed business plan for setting up their own business in Denmark can easily receive a visa and residency in the country.
14) Switzerland
Albinen, a Swiss village, offers financial incentives to new residents to counteract its population decline. Adults, couples, and families with children moving there, willing to invest in property and commit to a ten-year stay, can receive up to CHF50,000.
Key Incentives
- EU/EFTA Considerations: Citizens of EU and EFTA countries can live and work in Switzerland. They can even obtain a visa without any job offer from the country.
- Swiss Citizenship: Foreigners residing in Switzerland for ten years or more can apply and obtain Swiss citizenship, provided they have integration and language proficiency.
- Research Visa: Researchers and academics can apply and obtain a Swiss visa with a job offer from a recognized Swiss university or research institution.
15) Portugal
The Golden Visa program provides residency to those who make significant investments, including real estate purchases or capital transfers.
Key Incentives
- Work Visa: Portugal grants visas to foreigners who have an employment offer from a Portuguese employer who could not find a suitable employee within the country.
- Student Visa: International students admitted into Portuguese educational institutions enjoy a student visa that allows them to reside in Portugal for the duration of their studies and can lead to obtaining a Post-Study Work Visa.
- The D& Visa Program: This program awards visas to retirees and individuals with sustainable passive income – asufficient financial means to support themselves while in Portugal without performing economic activities.
16) Estonia
Known for its e-Residency program, which allows global entrepreneurs to start and manage a business online in the EU. Additionally, it offers a Digital Nomad Visa.
Key Incentives
- Digital Nomad Visa: Remote workers wishing to live and work from Estonia can obtain this visa, which bestows them the same privileges and rights as Estonians.
- Startup Visa: Estonia readily offers this visa to entrepreneurs who wish to introduce innovative startups and businesses in Estonia. With a viable business plan and means of realization, these individuals will seamlessly obtain these visas.
- EU Blue Card: Estonia offers the EU Blue Card that provides residency and work rights in all EU member states to migrants with job offers in Estonia. However, they must be highly-skilled professionals.
17) Iceland
Iceland offers a Long-Term Visa for remote workers, allowing them to live in Iceland for up to six months, provided they meet certain income thresholds.
Key Incentives
- EU/EEA Considerations: EU and EEA citizens enjoy the right to live and work in Iceland with a visa or work permit.
- Startup Visa: Iceland offers visas to foreign entrepreneurs with good startup and business ideas and reliable means to implement them in the country.
- Family Reunification: Foreigners with family members legally residing in Iceland can apply and easily obtain residency in Iceland.
18) South Korea
The OASIS program targets highly skilled foreign professionals by offering points-based incentives towards permanent residency based on qualifications and professional experiences.
Key Incentives
- D-10 Visa Program: Migrants who recently graduated from a Korean university can apply and obtain residency through this program to live and work in South Korea.
- Permanent residency: Foreigners who have lived and worked in South Korea for five years or more can apply and obtain permanent residency to enjoy full privileges as citizens of South Korea.
- F-5 Visa Program: This program allows foreigners to obtain Korean residency by marrying a citizen of Korea.
19) Chile
Start-Up Chile is a unique program that attracts entrepreneurs globally by offering equity-free funding and support, aiming to transform Chile into a leading innovation and entrepreneurial hub. By providing financial incentives, mentorship, and a vibrant community, the program encourages people to bring their startups to Chile, fostering a dynamic ecosystem where innovative ideas can thrive and impact the global market.
Key Incentives
- Investor Visa Program: The program promotes the award of visa and residency to individuals willing to invest significant amounts in Chilean businesses or startups.
- Professional Visa: Chile offers visas to foreign professionals who desire to work in Chile, provided they meet certain professional and educational requirements.
20) Thailand
Thailand offers a SMART Visa, targeting technology experts, executives, entrepreneurs, and investors to live and work in Thailand under special privileges.
Key Incentives
- Education Visa Program: The ED visa is readily awarded to foreigners wishing to study in Thailand. It allows migrants to stay in Thailand for the purpose of study while giving them access to services.
- Elite Visa Program: This visa program allows multiple entry for wealthy individuals and families into the country. This program comes with multiple perks including airport services.
- Specialized Skills Visa: Thailand offers visas to individuals with specialized skills in high-demand sectors like technology and engineering.
21) New Zealand
New Zealand offers various visa options for entrepreneurs and investors who wish to invest in the country. The Investor Visa, for example, allows individuals to live, work, and study in New Zealand.
Key Incentives
- Skilled Migrant Category (SMC): This program offers residency to skilled migrants, offering a pathway towards permanent residency in New Zealand.
- Family Sponsorship: This is a family reunification program that allows foreigners to reside in New Zealand to reunite with their members who are legal residents of the country.
- Regional Skills Shortage List: This program awards foreigners with specific in-demand skills visas to reside and work in specific regions where their skills are on demand.
How Can You Make the Move to an Exciting Location?
Now that you have discovered the 21 countries that will pay you to move there, it’s time to understand how you can make the move to your desired location. Below, we will guide you through the relocation process, including the financial requirements, visa procedures, and application process. We will also explore the eligibility criteria for each country and provide tips and resources to help you navigate the process as smoothly as possible.
- Research the Financial Requirements: Before making the move, it’s important to understand the financial obligations. Some countries may require a minimum investment or proof of financial stability. Research the specific requirements for your chosen destination to ensure you meet the criteria.
- Understand the Visa Procedures: Each country has its own visa procedures and requirements. Determine the type of visa you’ll need for your relocation, such as a work visa, entrepreneur visa, or investment visa. Familiarize yourself with the documentation needed and any fees associated with the application process.
- Prepare the Application Process: Once you have a clear understanding of the financial requirements and visa procedures, it’s time to prepare your application. Gather all necessary documents and submit them according to the guidelines provided by the country’s immigration department. Ensure that you follow the instructions carefully and provide all required information.
- Check Eligibility Criteria: Each country has specific eligibility criteria for individuals who wish to move there. This may include age restrictions, educational qualifications, language proficiency, or relevant work experience. Review the eligibility criteria for your desired country to determine if you meet the necessary qualifications.
- Seek Professional Assistance: If you find the relocation process overwhelming or confusing, it may be helpful to seek professional assistance. Immigration consultants or relocation services can provide guidance and support throughout the process, ensuring that you meet all requirements and submit a strong application.
By following these steps and conducting thorough research, you can make the necessary preparations to move to an exciting new location. Keep in mind that each country’s requirements and procedures may vary, so it’s important to stay updated and informed throughout the process. Take advantage of the resources available to you and make your dream of living in an exciting new country a reality.
Conclusion
As we wrap up our exploration of the countries that offer financial incentives for relocation, it’s clear that there are numerous exciting opportunities awaiting you. Whether you’re seeking a fresh start, better career prospects, or simply a change of scenery, these countries provide an enticing new chapter in your life.
However, it’s important to acknowledge that making the move requires thorough research and careful planning. Understanding the financial requirements, visa procedures, and eligibility criteria is crucial to ensure a smooth and successful transition. Taking the time to gather the necessary information and seeking guidance from relevant authorities will set you on the right path.
So, are you ready to embark on this life-changing adventure? By leveraging the opportunities presented in this article, you can open doors to new experiences, broaden your horizons, and discover the myriad benefits of living in a different country.
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FAQ
What are the 21 countries that will pay you to move there in 2024?
The 21 countries that will pay you to move there in 2024 are Mauritius, Italy, Croatia, Japan, Austria, England, USA, Canada, Island of Sark, Greece, Ireland, Spain, Denmark, Switzerland, Portugal, Estonia, Iceland, Mauritius, South Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand.
What kind of incentives do these countries offer?
Each country offers its own unique incentives, which can include financial stipends, one-year visas, funding and support for entrepreneurs, opportunities for remote work, and the chance to start a business.
How do I make the move to an exciting location?
To make the move to an exciting location, you’ll need to research the specific requirements of each country, including financial requirements, visa procedures, and the application process. Eligibility criteria may vary, so it’s important to thoroughly understand the steps involved and seek any necessary guidance.
What should I consider before deciding to relocate to another country?
Before deciding to relocate to another country, you should consider factors such as the cost of living, job opportunities, cultural differences, language barriers, and the overall quality of life. Thorough research and planning are crucial to ensure a successful and fulfilling move.
What are the benefits of moving to one of these countries?
Moving to one of these countries offers a range of benefits, including financial incentives, opportunities for personal and professional growth, access to new cultures and experiences, and the chance to live in beautiful and diverse locations.
