Israelis defined as high-net-worth who used the services of the consulting firm Henley & Co. to obtain foreign residency and citizenship for themselves and their families have, in recent years, focused primarily on Greece, Portugal, and Spain, according to the company’s data, published today as part of a review of the most popular foreign residency and citizenship destinations among global clients.
The Greek program permits residency in exchange for purchasing real estate for at least €250,000, subject to location and type of property. The Portuguese program allows for residency in exchange for an investment of €500,000 euros but not in real estate, while the Spanish program allows for residency in exchange for purchasing real estate worth hundreds of thousands of euros, but has since been canceled.
“Among Israelis,” the company said, “Greece’s Golden Visa programs and Portugal’s Residency for Investment program were the most sought-after between 2023-2025.” Spain was another popular destination in 2024 but has since decided to close the program.
Henley & Partners offers consulting services to those interested in formulating migration options but also advises governments around the world on how to change immigration laws to attract multi-millionaires. In recent years, the trend in Europe has been to dramatically reduce these programs. In Portugal, Italy and other countries, the required investment threshold has been significantly raised, and real estate has been removed from the menu of options due to the anger of local residents, over the rapid increase in prices in the main cities.
Thus, Spain and Ireland have decided to cancel their programs altogether. Malta, one of the pioneers in the field that even offered citizenship for investment (and not just residency that could become citizenship after years of residence), suffered a legal reversal last year and was forced to cancel its “golden passport” program, which was awarded for an investment of about €1 million.
Accordingly, the consulting firm’s data shows that new destinations are trying to attract those willing to invest a lot of money (and who do not have the option of a passport due to family ties) in residency or citizenship programs. “The UAE records the most impressive jump this year,” finds the report, which ranks the programs according to their attractiveness in the eyes of the company, “as it rises from fifth place to joint second place in the residency index and enters the top three for the first time. Positive momentum is also evident in the Asia-Pacific and Central America region. Costa Rica, New Zealand, Panama and Singapore climbed the rankings, alongside consistent progress by Malaysia, Mauritius and Thailand.”
“Israeli citizens have become the 12th largest market in the world”
Henley & Partners reports that in 2023 there was a 166% jump in the number of applications submitted by Israeli citizens.
The company does not disclose the number of applications and processes completed each year but told “Globes,” “It is important to note that residency and citizenship by investment programs involve significant capital commitments and rigorous due diligence processes. As such, these solutions are relevant to a relatively small segment of the population – typically high-net-worth individuals and internationally active families – and not to the general public.”
Henley & Partners added, “We can confirm that demand from Israeli residents has been significant and ongoing.”
The company opened a representative office in Israel in 2023, which may explain the surge in applications, but according to the company, this is part of a global trend. “Since 2023, demand levels for alternative residency and citizenship options have remained consistently high. In 2025, Israeli citizens became the 12th largest market in the world in terms of the volume of applications submitted through Henley & Partners.”
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on February 24, 2026.
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