Latest Mediterranean residency and visas news and analysis. 99 MedRealty stories.
Three years ago, the Portuguese government rewrote residency by investment rules. The main change: direct purchase of real estate no longer gives a residence permit. The foreign pr…
Read →Portuguese banks willingly finance the purchase of real estate for foreigners, but the terms depend on status. If you are a tax resident of Portugal with a NIF, the process is simi…
Read →The Portuguese portal idealista analyzed the prices of real estate in all municipalities of the country. The result is unexpected: while in Lisbon and on the coast, prices bite, in…
Read →It's not just a piece of land in the middle of a lagoon. A whole functioning business is put up for auction: salt ponds, oyster farms, fishing areas, residential buildings, a pier …
Read →The regional government is preparing a new law that will allow municipalities to prohibit the purchase of apartments not for personal residence. The idea sounds noble: fighting spe…
Read →We are talking about agevolazioni prima casa, a tax deduction for the first home. On real estate worth 100,000 euros, the tax falls from 9% to 2%. At expensive facilities, the savi…
Read →It all depends on who's selling. If an individual pays registration tax (from 2% to 9% depending on status). If the developer - VAT from 4% to 22%. But here’s the main thing: taxes…
Read →The European Commission requires Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, France, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Fi…
Read →Cyprus's capital remains one of Europe's most affordable property markets. A one-bedroom apartment averages €145,000, a two-bedroom €205,000, and a three-bedroom €280,000. By compa…
Read →Parliament is debating two bills that would allow the state to revoke citizenship from naturalised Italians convicted of serious crimes—murder, human trafficking, sexual violence. …
Read →Portugal's new-build market is pricing in a steep premium for additional space. According to data from Imovirtual, upgrading from a three-bedroom apartment to a four-bedroom proper…
Read →The region, two hours from Lisbon, has transformed from quiet rural backwater into a magnet for international investors. Unspoilt coastline around Comporta and Melides, historic to…
Read →Portugal's residential property market delivered mixed signals in 2025. Transaction volumes rose by 10.5%, a respectable performance that placed the country in the EU's top ten for…
Read →Nearly half of Americans purchasing Portugal's golden visa describe themselves as investors diversifying their risk exposure. There is no panic or capital flight—simply a mature ap…
Read →Greece's largest developer, Lamda Development, reported a loss of €17.7 million in the first quarter of 2026, driven by substantial capital deployment in the Hellinikon project, th…
Read →In Quinta do Lago and Vale do Lobo, foreign buyers—accounting for 80% of purchasers—pay in excess of €13,000 per square metre and typically settle in cash, eschewing mortgages. Vil…
Read →Cyprus has issued significantly more building permits in the first quarter of 2026, with 2,276 projects approved compared to 1,580 in the same period last year—a 44% increase. The …
Read →After declining by 1.1 per cent in 2024, the Cypriot real-estate market has resumed expansion, with residential sales rising 3.8 per cent in 2025. The recovery appears modest compa…
Read →Cyprus's property market stands at a crossroads. On one hand, the picture looks encouraging: transactions are flowing, construction continues unabated, and investors keep arriving.…
Read →The country has begun its first wave of inspections, checking 1,500 properties against new safety standards. The drive targets primarily owners renting residential units to tourist…
Read →Builders have long paid 6% VAT on works in urban rehabilitation zones. However, the tax authority recently began demanding additional approval (ORU), threatening to impose 23% VAT …
Read →From 1 July, Portugal's immigration agency AIMA has opened a new online service for applications for permanent residence. European citizens and their family members can now complet…
Read →Analysis by Idealista reveals that the market for homes priced above €3 million is dominated by five locations: the Golden Triangle of Costa del Sol (Marbella, Estepona, Benahavís)…
Read →Parliament is preparing to reject a proposal from the Chega party to ratify a decree imposing loss of citizenship as an additional punishment for crime. The measure has already bee…
Read →Rental rates on Cyprus are rising month on month, with the price index climbing from 101.08 in December 2025 to 103.95 in May 2026. According to Eurostat data, this represents stea…
Read →Portugal has nearly completed processing one million migrant regularisation cases, but the final stretch is proving protracted. The specialist agency AIMA, established in mid-2024,…
Read →Despite amendments to citizenship legislation, Portugal's golden visa continues to attract foreign investors. Between January and May 2026, golden visa funds received €283 million—…
Read →If you believed that Portugal's golden visa or Turkey's coastline represented the only serious options for property investors, it may be time to reconsider your strategy. Cyprus ha…
Read →Vale Paraiso Eco-Resort, a 53-hectare development on the Castelo do Bode reservoir, has stalled after attracting millions of euros from foreign investors. Conceived in 2004 but dev…
Read →Portugal's immigration agency, AIMA, has opened a dedicated online system for renewing residence permits. The portal is currently available only to those whose permits expire betwe…
Read →The investment fund Invel has closed fundraising at €400 million—nearly a third above its original target. Including leverage, the fund's total firepower will exceed €1 billion. Th…
Read →If you work for a foreign company but live in Portugal, this applies to you. The Portuguese tax office requires all residents of the country to declare income not only within Portu…
Read →In Kato Polemidia, on the site of a former military base, developers have launched Zoia, a project comprising 147 apartments across four five-storey buildings. This is more than a …
Read →The majority are holders of golden visas (ARI), who contend that the new rules breach their rights and the expectations they held when obtaining residency status. The complaint has…
Read →Neighbourhoods in Portugal with a historical LGBTI+ community have become expensive property markets. The median apartment price in Lisbon's Arroios has jumped to €595,000, whilst …
Read →According to Eurostat data, the price index for residential building construction has risen to 118 points — 18% above 2021 levels. For context, the index stood at 90.2 in 2015, mea…
Read →Spanish media outlets have renewed accusations that foreign investors are displacing local residents from coastal and island properties. On the Costa del Sol, in Alicante and acros…
Read →Kato Polemidia was long regarded as a peripheral district, marked by industrial zones and military barracks. Yet over the past several years, the neighbourhood has transformed into…
Read →Greece's tax authority (AADE) has issued new regulations for those planning to relocate to Greece or return to the country. The key provision allows relocating residents to import …
Read →From 1 July, Greece is introducing strict restrictions on short-term rentals, prompting apartment owners in Athens and Thessaloniki to expedite permit applications and close deals …
Read →A paradox that has persisted for several years: whilst Portuguese residents criticise their country, international investors, technology companies and funds are pouring hundreds of…
Read →Spain's Constitutional Court has agreed to hear a complaint from more than 50 opposition deputies against Catalonia's housing and planning law of 11/2025. The legislation extends p…
Read →Greece's government has presented a 10-year housing strategy for 2026–2035 that includes rent caps, tax incentives for affordable mortgages, and reduced VAT on social housing const…
Read →In Moraira, residents are locked in legal proceedings with local authorities over plans to build a waste-sorting facility in a residential area. Residents fear noise, lorry traffic…
Read →The Vox party has proposed extending the residency requirement from five to ten years for foreign nationals seeking long-term residence permits. Under current EU rules, five years …
Read →Thousands of Cypriot residents are living in apartment blocks plagued by serious maintenance issues and poor management, warns Savvas Georgiades, vice-chairman of the Developers' A…
Read →Redevelopment has begun on a historic tobacco factory building in Piraeus, with plans to create 408 apartments across nearly 30,000 square metres. The project extends beyond reside…
Read →In Italy, the IMU (Unified Municipal Tax) applies to all property owners except those with a primary residence—though there are important caveats. Introduced in 2012, the IMU cover…
Read →Owners of second homes in Italy should note that 16 June marks the deadline for the first instalment of municipal property tax (IMU). A second payment falls due in December. The ta…
Read →The figures are striking. Over January and February 2026, Cypriot authorities approved 1,500 building permits worth €825 million. By comparison, the same period in 2025 saw just 1,…
Read →Greece's tax authority AADE has initiated a sweeping review of residential property buyers. The impetus is straightforward: property transfer tax revenues rose 14 per cent in the f…
Read →Data from REMAX Hellas reveals a paradox in the Greek market: demand exists, yet the supply of modern housing has virtually disappeared. Of all residential sales, only 12.3 per cen…
Read →The first official data for 2026 reveals a cooling Spanish market, with demand from overseas buyers declining at the sharpest pace. In the first quarter, foreigners purchased 26,97…
Read →Portugal is undergoing a subtle but significant shift in economic geography—and the implications for investors are substantial. For decades, the narrative centred on Lisbon and Por…
Read →After a decade of stagnation, Italy is finally moving. In 2025, residential sales rose across the country: Palermo led the way with +26%, Turin +9%, Rome +8%, Naples and Bologna +7…
Read →Portugal's immigration authority AIMA is drowning in thousands of cases—and if you're planning a move, this directly affects you. As of May 2026, the agency has accumulated so many…
Read →The ultra-high-net-worth have fundamentally reframed their approach to luxury real estate. What was once purely a matter of status and lifestyle has become a vehicle for capital pr…
Read →Nearly 30 per cent of all foreign property enquiries in Belluno province are directed towards Tambre, a diminutive mountain village that has eclipsed even the celebrated Cortina d'…
Read →Argentina's diaspora is home to 903,000 Italians, Germany to 813,000, and Switzerland to 648,000. Yet these figures represent only those officially registered as Italian citizens. …
Read →The region has launched the 'Residenzialità in Montagna 2024' programme, which subsidises the purchase and renovation of homes in sparsely populated communes. Authorities have allo…
Read →France imposes additional taxes on second homes of up to 60 per cent, British county councils have doubled property taxes, and Wales could raise them by as much as 300 per cent. Sp…
Read →Venice's population has fallen below 48,000, while Florence residents no longer recognise their city. Italy faces a mounting crisis as tourist lettings have displaced locals from t…
Read →Florence has nearly tripled its restricted zone for short-term tourist lettings. Whereas restrictions previously applied only to the UNESCO city centre, from 20 June they will exte…
Read →For those who relocated to Italy before Brexit: the carta di soggiorno is no longer merely advisable—it has become a practical necessity. The British Embassy in Rome has confirmed …
Read →Relocating to Italy requires strategy rather than romance. The Local surveyed foreign residents to gather their advice. Debora from Oregon began by studying seismic activity maps a…
Read →The Ankara government has submitted a package of proposals to parliament that could fundamentally reshape the country's appeal to foreign investors. At the centre are a new amnesty…
Read →After years of chaos in its immigration system, the Portuguese government has announced tangible progress. The AIMA agency and a dedicated task force have processed more than 763,0…
Read →Two people died in a building collapse in Limassol—a wake-up call that cannot be ignored. According to the head of the Cyprus Developers Association, the current system for managin…
Read →German purchasers acquired 1,510 properties in Spain during the first quarter of 2026, representing a 7.2 per cent decline compared with Q1 2025. By contrast, the overall foreign i…
Read →According to data from the Bank of Portugal, foreigners accounted for 28 per cent of all residential property purchases in the country last year. This represents a stable trend: si…
Read →Portugal is losing immigrants due to bureaucratic obstacles. Since 2024, the outflow has accelerated sharply, particularly among Brazilians—historically the country's largest immig…
Read →Sales and construction have commenced on Six Senses Comporta in the Alentejo region, marking the celebrated hospitality group's first venture into the Portuguese market. The projec…
Read →The government has launched a new regulated migration protocol, with results exceeding expectations. Applications are growing by 20–30 per cent monthly. In total, 8,435 application…
Read →Banks valued residential properties at an average of €2,174 per square metre in April 2026, marking a new all-time high. The previous month saw prices at €2,151/m², representing a …
Read →Until May 2025, tourist apartments were banned only within the UNESCO heritage zone, affecting 35,600 properties. The prohibition now extends to nine residential districts beyond t…
Read →British investment group Arrow Global, which manages over €100bn in assets, has invested €700m in Palmares in Lagos. This is far more than another luxury complex on the Algarve. It…
Read →Thousands of Spaniards took to the streets of Madrid in May. Young people, teachers, professors—all unable to afford a flat. Despite economic growth, wages have failed to keep pace…
Read →It may sound counterintuitive, but non-residents can acquire a primary residence in Italy whilst remaining abroad and still qualify for first-time buyer tax relief. Provided you ar…
Read →Italy's property auction market is expanding for good reason—genuine savings are available. State-owned company Invimit, which operates under the Italian Ministry of Finance, is di…
Read →Americans are relocating to Portugal in large numbers, despite the administrative ordeal. The country welcomes 30 million tourists annually, with North Americans representing one o…
Read →Remote work is becoming an increasingly viable pathway to Europe, with more countries launching digital nomad visas—a trend that has moved from niche offering to mainstream in 2026…
Read →Spain is growing faster than other eurozone countries—GDP is forecast at +2.1% in 2026. Yet this masks a deeper problem: property prices are rising while supply is falling. The cau…
Read →British purchases of Spanish real estate have fallen to their lowest point in years, trading nearly 40% below 2016 levels. In the first quarter of 2026, British buyers acquired jus…
Read →Cyprus issued 789 construction permits in January, representing a 77 per cent increase compared with the same month last year. The permits were valued at €445 million, covering a t…
Read →From 2025, a state resettlement programme is in effect for the Evros region in the country's north-east. The scheme covers the municipalities of Sofli, Orestiada and Didymoteicho, …
Read →Small hotels with 10–30 rooms are being offered for sale in Arachova, Kalavryta, Karpenissi and Arcadia. Owners are exiting the business owing to rising costs and seasonal volatili…
Read →Greece's real-estate market is attracting the attention of global hospitality giants, who are investing in luxury residential complexes under their own brands. These are not ordina…
Read →Greek authorities have opted against hastening liberalisation. The ban applies to central districts of the capital and is designed to address the housing crisis. Tourism has displa…
Read →In April, the residential property price index rose 26.6% in nominal terms—an impressive-sounding figure. However, Turkey's Central Bank clarifies that in real terms, adjusted for …
Read →An Israeli company has secured planning permission to transform the abandoned village of Trozen, near Limassol, into a resort development. The scheme is substantial: 60 homes, a wi…
Read →House prices in Cyprus are rising faster than the European average, at 6 per cent annually compared with 5.5 per cent across the EU. A paradox emerges: Cypriots continue to spend l…
Read →Cyprus's Technical Chamber has demanded a halt to certificate revocations until a comprehensive audit is completed. The underlying issue: certain local authorities failed to conduc…
Read →A championship 18-hole golf course will open in June 2026, just 20 minutes from Dalaman airport, marking a watershed moment for the region. The first championship course in the Dal…
Read →$400,000 and a Turkish passport in your pocket. It sounds too good to be true, but this is a genuine scheme that has been operating successfully for years. Turkey offers one of the…
Read →Portugal is paying 35 per cent more than fair value for property, according to the European Commission. Prices in Portugal have surged 73 per cent over five years. Spain has also s…
Read →Fethiye has transformed over recent decades from a fishing village into one of Turkey's most sought-after resort destinations. Located just 35 minutes from Dalaman Airport, the tow…
Read →Foreign purchasers completed 24,800 transactions in the first quarter of 2026, representing a 3 per cent decline compared with Q1 2025. This marks the third consecutive quarter of …
Read →Property purchases by non-EU foreign buyers fell 17% in 2025, despite the absence of any formal legislation. The decline stems entirely from high-profile rhetoric from Prime Minist…
Read →Upon entering Neocleous Tower in Cyprus, one immediately grasps that this is no ordinary project. Every detail has been meticulously considered. The architects made no compromises …
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