In this article
This guide compares five Latin American residence routes that are open today. Every value in the table is read from our programme records, so it changes when a record is updated.
How to read the table
The investment column shows the lowest published route in the programme's own currency, before government fees and transaction costs. Residence, tax residence and citizenship are different states: a residence permit does not by itself make you tax resident, and naturalisation is a separate application with its own conditions.
The routes
Open routes, in the order of the title. Select a programme to see its full decision summary, family costs and process.
| Programme | Lowest published investment | Capital returned? | Who can be included | Residence obligation | Validity and renewal | Path to citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paraguay Investor Permanent Residence | USD 70,000Productive investment (from) | Capital you invest and hold, such as property, a business or securities, at investment risk and subject to the holding rules | Spouse, children under 18 and eligible unmarried adult children. | Permanent residents must visit Paraguay at least once every three years. | Permanent residence; the residence card is renewed every ten years. | Naturalisation can be applied for after three years of permanent residence, counted from the permanent admission resolution, with proof of work or income. Paraguay accepts dual nationality only by treaty or constitutional reciprocity; its agreement is with Spain. |
| Uruguay Legal Residence | No investment. Proof of a regular monthly income sufficient to live on; no fixed amount is published. | Information pending verification | Information pending verification | No yearly day count for legal residence, but absences of more than six consecutive months restart the time counted for citizenship. | Information pending verification | Legal citizenship after three years of habitual residence with a family established in Uruguay, or five years without; an absence of more than six consecutive months restarts the count, and means of living must be shown. |
| Panama Qualified Investor Residency | USD 300,000New property (from) | Capital you invest and hold, such as property, a business or securities, at investment risk and subject to the holding rules | Children and a spouse can be included; children and a spouse married after approval can be added later. | No residence requirement; one visit every two years is advised. | Not applicable — permanent residence is granted directly, subject to the yearly check that the investment is still held. | Citizenship after five years (one to three years for some Latin American and Spanish nationals). |
| Brazil Residency through Real Estate Investment | BRL 700,000Urban real estate, North and Northeast (minimum) | Capital you invest and hold, such as property, a business or securities, at investment risk and subject to the holding rules | Information pending verification | At least 14 days in Brazil, continuously or in separate stays, in each two-year period from Federal Police registration. | The first authorisation lasts four years; it can then be changed to an indefinite term while the investment is held. | Ordinary naturalisation can be applied for after at least four years of residence in Brazil, with Portuguese and the other legal conditions. |
| Colombia Investor Visa | COP 612,816,750Real estate (minimum, 350 SMMLV) | Capital you invest and hold, such as property, a business or securities, at investment risk and subject to the holding rules | Spouse or permanent partner, and financially dependent children under 25. | The M visa lapses after more than 180 continuous days outside Colombia; the R visa after more than two years outside. | The M visa is valid for up to three years. After five years on an M visa, holders can apply for an R visa, which is transferred every five years. | The visa gives no right to Colombian nationality, which is decided under Colombia's ordinary naturalisation rules. |
Naturalisation clocks
Where a record gives a naturalisation period, it counts years of residence under that country's ordinary rules, usually with language, presence and good-character conditions. The period is a minimum, not a promise, and it starts from the date the law sets, which is not always the date the permit is issued.
Before you decide
Use the Family Investment Calculator for your family's known costs, and the Program Finder to see how each route fits your answers. A consultation can then confirm the points the records leave open.
Programmes in this article
General information only — not legal, tax or financial advice.
