4 countries where a bank deposit of up to $100,000 can lead to long-term residency

Residence by Investment (RBI) programs usually involve buying property, funding a business, or placing money in government bonds. But there’s a simpler format: place funds in a bank deposit, obtain a residence permit based on it, and keep the deposit for the entire required period.

Below are four options where the qualifying bank deposit threshold is $100,000 or less. However, it’s important to note: the lower the amount, the “better” the final status is not always true—requirements and outcomes vary significantly from country to country.

This material does not include independent means visas, where you must prove financial capacity rather than placing a deposit in a bank. It also excludes hybrid schemes where the deposit is combined with a property purchase (for example, structures similar to MM2H where the total required contribution exceeds the stated limit).

Ecuador Investor Visa: $48,200 deposit

Ecuador’s Investor Visa allows you to obtain status by placing an amount equal to 100 times the country’s monthly minimum wage in a licensed financial institution.

With Ecuador’s minimum wage in 2026 set at $482, the threshold becomes $48,200—the lowest entry point among the programs covered here.

First, you receive temporary residency for 2 years. Then you can apply for permanent residence. After an additional 3 years as a permanent resident, you may apply for naturalization. So the formal minimum from application to citizenship is 5 years, but in practice timelines can be longer due to processing queues and the fact that naturalization is discretionary.

Civil status exams include Spanish and knowledge of Ecuador’s civic governance.

While the investor visa is valid, there are no restrictions on time spent abroad. But to convert the status into permanent residency or to naturalize, you must be in Ecuador for at least 185 days per year during the relevant period. The deposit must be maintained throughout the required stay.

A key advantage is the use of the US dollar as the official currency, which reduces currency risk specifically for the deposit. In addition, Ecuador allows dual citizenship, so the outcome can be a real “second passport” rather than swapping one citizenship for another.

If your goal is a cost-effective entry into long-term residency in Latin America without currency-conversion complications, Ecuador is often the most affordable option on this list.

Egypt RBI residency program: $50,000 deposit

Egypt offers the cheapest option at the $50,000 level among countries where the deposit is linked to the duration of the permit. The mechanism is Residence by Investment, where the basis is placing funds in a state-owned Egyptian bank.

A $50,000 deposit provides residency for 1 year, with the possibility of renewal. A $100,000 deposit gives a 3-year permit under the same renewal conditions. You can renew an unlimited number of times as long as the deposit is maintained.

The deposit can be held in any recognized foreign currency, and there are no requirements for physical presence in the country.

Important: the Egyptian deposit route does not lead to permanent residence or citizenship. The permit remains valid only if the deposit is kept throughout the entire period.

Egypt also has a separate citizenship by investment program that goes beyond this article’s limit: it involves a deposit returned after 3 years in Egyptian pounds (with currency revaluation risk), plus a government fee. Therefore, when looking for an “affordable deposit,” the Egyptian RBI option is typically treated as a long-term status-holding strategy, not a passport route.

If you need a renewable residency permit in a major Mediterranean economy without presence requirements, the $50,000 threshold is indeed competitive. But for those seeking a path to permanent status, the program offers limited options.

Azerbaijan investor residency: deposit around $58,800

Azerbaijan has an Investor Residence Program requiring a fixed-term deposit of at least AZN 100,000 (about $58,800 at current exchange rates).

Funds must be placed under a fixed-term deposit agreement, meaning the money is “locked” for the agreed period. During that time, early withdrawal may affect your status.

The program provides temporary residency. For permanent status, the threshold is higher: AZN 200,000 via property, deposits, or securities, and you must also have at least two years of continuous residence.

Citizenship can be pursued after five years of continuous residence if you meet language and civics requirements.

For IMI audiences, a key nuance: dual citizenship in Azerbaijan is not allowed. Naturalization requires renouncing other citizenships. So if you’re building a “portfolio” scenario of second residencies and citizenships, Azerbaijan at the end of the chain will effectively close the door to a “working” second passport.

The legal basis is set by the Migration Code (2013, Chapter 3) and Immigration Law No. 1075-IQ (Article 15). Applications are reviewed by the State Migration Service.

The Azerbaijani manat is pegged to the US dollar with a relatively stable exchange rate of about 1.7 AZN per $1, which helps reduce deposit currency volatility during the holding period.

In short: for geographic diversification across the Caucasus, Azerbaijan can serve as a renewable foothold with amounts up to about $60,000. But as a passport route—it’s not the best choice.

Philippines: investor residency programs from $75,000

In the Philippines, there are two investor residency programs with a threshold of $75,000. Both lead to permanent residency, but they differ in real processing speed.

FAB Investor Visa (FIV) is the newer program launched in 2024 under the Freeport Area of Bataan. The investment involves a fixed $75,000 deposit through FAB-approved partners. While the program claims expedited processing, in practice timelines can be one year or more, and the average wait may reach roughly three years from application to issuance of residency.

Special Investor’s Resident Visa (SIRV) is the more “established” scheme. With the same $75,000 threshold, processing can be noticeably faster: there are cases where residency was obtained within a few weeks, and in some instances—literally within several business days.

Because both programs grant permanent status, the main difference comes down to which one actually issues residency faster.

Both schemes allow you to include your spouse and dependent children in the application without additional investment. You may also live, work, and study across the Philippine archipelago. There is no minimum physical presence requirement to maintain status.

Naturalization is possible after meeting the 10 years of residence requirement under Commonwealth Act No. 473. Under Section 12, you must take an oath with renunciation of prior allegiance, meaning the law effectively expects renunciation of your original citizenship.

Some practitioners claim that, in practice, the requirement may be applied less strictly. Still, the wording of the law is unambiguous. So the Philippines naturalization route should be viewed more as a risk-based scenario, not as a guaranteed path to “dual citizenship.”

The Philippines do not participate in Common Reporting Standard (CRS) information exchange, so deposit accounts are not subject to automatic OECD reporting. Also, foreign residents are not taxed on income sourced from abroad.

If choosing between the two programs, based on the practical criterion of speed, people more often favor SIRV: if you need residency within a year, this option is typically easier to plan around. Marketing claims for FIV do not always match current expectations.

Conclusion: the deposit-based residency niche is shrinking

The “residency via bank deposit” category is gradually narrowing. For example, in Paraguay the deposit route $5,000 was canceled in November 2025. In Latvia, the bank-deposit threshold for the banking option is €280,000, in Greece it is €500,000 (fixed-term deposit), and in Sri Lanka the “Golden Paradise Visa” starts at $200,000 for a stated 10-year format.

So in 2026, the four programs discussed here are what remains in the lower segment of the RBI market, where a qualifying deposit is available up to $100,000.

If you’re exploring residency by investment and looking for options where the entry threshold may be lower, it’s crucial to check the fine print: the bank requirements, the obligation to keep funds for the required period, and the route to permanent residence/naturalization. The article compares countries where qualifying deposits can start at $100,000 or less—and at Digital Nomad we help you assess your case and choose the most feasible RBI pathway.

Our Telegram channel about various types of Greek residence permits, digital nomad programs, and the Greek Golden Visa: @digitalnomadgr