5 Countries That Will Actually Pay You to Move There
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Moving out of the United States may sound appealing for cultural, political, or personal reasons, but the process can be challenging. Securing the right visa for you and your family is often a difficult task, especially without easy entry options like schooling or family ties. Still, if your desire to leave the U.S. is strong, several countries are actively seeking new residents and are offering financial incentives to attract them, albeit with specific requirements.
It's important to note that these incentives aren't get-rich-quick schemes nor do they guarantee citizenship. Though some countries offer payments to entice new residents, you'll need to invest considerable time, effort, and resources to secure and maintain your residency.
Think of these opportunities as a starting point for relocating abroad, especially if you've already been considering the move. Some U.S. cities offer similar incentives, although moving within the country is generally less complex than an international relocation. Read on to see which five countries are offering financial incentives for relocation, along with their associated conditions.
Countries That Will Pay You to Move There
Ireland
This is great news for people who love Guinness, Hozier, and Sinéad O'Connor because Ireland is indeed one of the countries that will pay you to move there. However, if you've got Dublin on your mind, we hate to burst your bubble; You'll have to be okay with living on a remote island if this is your plan of action. Ireland is trying to increase the population of 30 coastal islands off the mainland, and that's why they started their Our Living Islands program.
It's through this program that you can apply for a Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant where you can get up to €70,000 to refurbish a once-vacant home on one of these islands. The structure has to have been built before or during 2007, and it must've been vacant for at least two years to qualify. However, one large drawback is this program won't offer you residency, so you'll still have to find a way to get a visa.
Switzerland
The small village of Albinen, Switzerland is another that's facing depopulation, so they're paying 25,000 Swiss francs per adult under the age of 45 and 10,000 Swiss francs per child to incentivize people to move there. Switzerland is considered one of the best places to live and work, and though Albinen is small, with a population of only about 250 people, it boasts beautiful scenery. It'd be best to have a remote job if this is an incentive you're able to take.
Unfortunately, there are quite a few catches to this program. According to Secret NYC, to get the money, you must purchase a home worth a minimum value of 200,000 Swiss francs, and you must live in it for at least 10 years. And to qualify for this program, you also must be either a citizen of Switzerland or already have permanent residency.
Italy
The region of Sardinia, Italy is a wonderful place to move if you want a rural lifestyle and already have a visa to reside in the country. To combat a shrinking population, the government is setting aside €45 million that would go toward 3,000 grants of up to €15,000 each, according to CNBC.
To qualify for this grant, you must move to a Sardinian town made up of fewer than 3,000 people, use the grant money toward renovating your home, live there full-time, and register Sardinia as your permanent residence within 18 months. You can find more information on the region's official website—it is unclear whether or not the 3,000 spaces have been filled yet, so you might still have a chance.
Countries That Offer Incentives to Americans
Japan
The Regional Revitalization Corps (RRC) is an incentive program that started in 2008, according to The Japan Times, to combat the depopulation of Japan's more rural villages and areas. It's a program that pays people around ¥3 million, or about $20,000, with bonuses for living expenses, per year for up to three years to move from the city to the countryside. Their goal is to reach 10,000 members by 2026, so they're looking to foreign-born residents to expand their goal and increase tourism in these areas. In 2024, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications started actively recruiting foreigners with work visas to volunteer for this program.
Chile
If you have a tech startup company, whether it's in the early or later stages, you might want to consider moving it over to Chile. Back in 2010, Start-Up Chile, an accelerator program, was born as a way to turn the country, specifically the capital of Santiago, into a tech hub. Depending on how advanced your company is and if you have female leadership, you could earn an equity-free grant ranging anywhere from 15 million Chilean pesos (or about $15,000) to 75 million Chilean pesos (or about $100,000), along with a one-year work visa, according to AFAR.
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As enticing as moving out of the United States may sound, whether it's for cultural, political, or personal reasons, once you actually start the process of uprooting your whole life to live somewhere abroad, that dream can quickly die. Finding the proper visa that works for you and your family, as well as maintaining that status, is fairly difficult to do, especially if you don't have an "easy in" to the country to begin with, like through school or ancestral connections. However, as much as you're wanting to leave the U.S., other countries are wanting you to come live there—like, really badly. So badly, in fact, that a handful of highly desired countries are offering to pay people to come live there as an incentive, with a few required guidelines, of course.
Now, we're not saying this is a get-rich-fast scheme or even a quick road to citizenship or residency. While some of these countries will pay you to move there, finding a way to live and stay there is still something you'll still have to deal with. Most of these countries require you to put a lot of time, effort, and probably some of your own money in to qualify for these incentives.
However, it's better to think of this as a your starting point to moving abroad, especially if you were trying to figure out how to do so to begin with. There are even a few U.S. cities that offer this same deal, though moving across state borders is much more simple than moving across oceans. Below, find TK countries that are willing to pay you to move and live there—and find out what caveats come with them.
For more real estate stories:
22 Countries That Will Give You Citizenship If You Buy Property
8 Countries Where It's Ridiculously Easy for Americans to Buy Real Estate
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