Tax Havens : Low and Zero Tax Countries

Top 10 Countries to Reduce Tax with Golden Visas

Several Golden Visa options are available in countries offering low or zero taxation.

Residency is key to taking advantage of this option and must be studied carefully against any other country where time is being spent.

Our list includes countries that levy no tax, or sharply reduced tax, on foreign income, inheritance and capital gains

Many countries or territories are also favourable to companies, offering low or zero corporation tax on profits from overseas.

While some, like Portugal and Italy, may not be generally be considered as low-tax havens, specific rules and offerings are in place to welcome investors prepared to invest in their economies and spend time there.

Several of these regimes changed in 2026.

Italy raised its lump sum charge, Portugal replaced its Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) regime, and Malta legislated a new consolidated framework that takes effect on 1 January 2027.

The figures below reflect the position as at August 2026.

Residency, Citizenship and Tax Residency Are Not the Same Thing

This is the point our clients ask about most often, and it is worth setting out before the list. A golden visa gives you the right to live in a country.

A second passport gives you citizenship. Neither one automatically makes you tax resident there, and neither one automatically ends your tax obligations at home.

Tax residency is decided by facts. Most countries look at days spent in the country, where your home and family are, and where your economic interests sit.

Many of the benefits below only apply once you have genuinely moved your tax residency, and some require a separate application under a specific tax program.

Exit taxes, controlled foreign company rules and citizenship-based taxation in the United States can all continue to apply after you relocate.

We always recommend taking cross-border tax advice before you commit to a program on tax grounds.

1. Malta

Malta is one of a few European countries with low-taxation for international residents and offers significant tax advantages for residents who hold special tax status, which include:

• No tax on worldwide foreign income not remitted to Malta.
• A flat rate of 15% tax on remitted foreign income.
• No inheritance or wealth taxes on worldwide assets.
• No Maltese tax on foreign capital gains, even where the proceeds are received in Malta.

The 15% rate comes from Malta’s special tax status programs rather than from the Malta Permanent Residence Program itself, and a separate application is required.

Under the current Global Residence Program and Residence Program, the minimum annual tax is €15,000.

From 1 January 2027, the Individual Tax Program Rules, 2026 will consolidate the existing schemes into a single framework with four categories.

The 15% rate on remitted foreign income is retained, and the minimum annual tax rises to €35,000 for global residents and EU, EEA and Swiss residents, €20,000 for UN pensioners and €15,000 for retired pensioners.

Applicants must hold a qualifying property purchased for at least €700,000 or rented at €14,000 a year or more, and status is granted for renewable five-year periods.

Anyone who is granted status, or who applies, on or before 31 December 2026 keeps the current rules. Maltese-source income remains taxable at 35%.

For more details, visit our Malta Golden Visa page.

2. Portugal

Portugal’s Golden Visa remains one of the most popular routes into the EU, though the tax picture has changed.

The Non-Habitual Resident regime closed to new applicants, with the last transitional applications processed in 2025. Existing NHR holders keep their benefits for the remainder of their ten-year term.

The replacement is the Tax Incentive for Scientific Research and Innovation, known as IFICI or NHR 2.0. It offers:

• A flat income tax rate of 20% on qualifying Portuguese employment and self-employment income.
• Exemption from tax on most categories of foreign-source income for up to ten years, subject to treaty conditions.
• No wealth tax and favourable treatment for gifts and inheritance between spouses, descendants and ascendants.
• No tax on crypto gains on holdings of more than 365 days for individuals who are not trading professionally. Gains on shorter holdings are generally taxed at 28%.

IFICI is narrower than the regime it replaced. Eligibility depends on carrying out a qualifying activity in science, technology, innovation, higher education, healthcare, or working for an approved company, and foreign pensions are not given the special treatment they received under NHR.

A Golden Visa does not grant IFICI status on its own, so investors who want both need to plan for them separately.

Explore more on our Portugal Golden Visa page.

3. St Kitts and Nevis

St Kitts and Nevis is one of the most tax-friendly countries for expats and its citizens benefit from:

• No personal income tax.
• No gift, inheritance, or wealth taxes.
• No capital gains tax in most circumstances.
• Corporate tax incentives for businesses. The standard corporate rate is 33%.
• Citizenship on its own does not create tax residency in St Kitts and Nevis.

Further information can be found on our St Kitts and Nevis page.

4. Dominica

Dominica provides several tax advantages for economic citizens, such as:

• No wealth, gift, inheritance, foreign income, or capital gains tax.
• Competitive corporate tax rates and generous tax holidays.

Dominica operates a territorial system. Residents pay progressive income tax of roughly 15% to 35% on locally sourced income only, and foreign income sits outside the net.

Details are available on our Dominica page.

5. Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua’s Citizenship by Investment program offers:

• No tax on worldwide income. Personal income tax was abolished in 2016.
• No capital gains or estate taxes.
• Exemptions from import duties in certain cases.

Corporate tax of around 25% applies to local businesses.

Visit our Antigua and Barbuda page for more information.

6. Grenada

Grenada’s citizenship program includes tax benefits like:

• No foreign income, wealth, gift, inheritance, or capital gains tax.
• Potential access to the US E-2 Treaty Investor visa.

Grenada also runs a territorial system. Residents pay 10% on the first EC$24,000 of local income and 28% above that, while foreign-source income is not taxed.

More details are on our Grenada page.

7. Italy

Italy is another EU country that offers a favourable tax regime for new residents under its residency by investment scheme, which includes:

• A substitute tax regime of €300,000 per year on foreign income for new residents, applicable for up to 15 years. The charge for each qualifying family member is €50,000.
• No inheritance or gift tax on assets outside Italy.
• Reduced tax rates on real estate and financial assets held abroad.

The €300,000 figure applies to anyone transferring tax residency to Italy from 1 January 2026 under the 2026 Budget Law.

Earlier entrants are grandfathered at the rate in force when they relocated, which was €100,000 before 2024 and €200,000 from 2024 to 2025.

Applicants must not have been tax resident in Italy for at least nine of the previous ten years, and Italian-source income continues to be taxed at normal rates.

For more details, visit our Italy Golden Visa page.

8. Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands has long been considered a tax haven and provides tax-free advantages, making it an attractive jurisdiction for investors:

• No direct taxes such as income, capital gains, or corporation tax.
• No property taxes or ongoing estate taxes.
• A stable economic environment with confidentiality for investors.

Stamp duty applies on property transfers. The standard rate is 7.5%, and from 1 January 2026 a rate of 10% applies to property valued at CI$2 million or more.

Further information can be found on our Cayman Islands page.

9. UAE

The UAE is effectively a tax-free country for expats and is now one of the most popular tax haven countries worldwide. It offers a unique residency by investment opportunity with the following tax benefits:

• No personal income tax.
• No capital gains or dividend taxes on personal holdings.
• No taxes on personal crypto gains.
• A ten-year renewable Golden Visa with no employer sponsorship.

Corporate tax now applies more broadly than it once did.

Businesses pay 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above that threshold, with a 0% rate available to qualifying free zone persons on qualifying income.

Multinational groups with global revenue of €750 million or more have faced a 15% Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax since 1 January 2025.

None of this affects salaries or personal investment income, which remain outside the tax base.

Explore more on our UAE Golden Visa page.

10. Anguilla

Anguilla, a British Overseas Territory, offers attractive tax conditions, which include:

• No direct taxation including income, capital gains, estate, profit or other forms of direct taxation on individuals or corporations.
• No inheritance or gift taxes.
• Attractive offshore investment opportunities.

Indirect charges do apply. A goods and services tax of 13% is in force, property transfers carry duties, and a 3% Universal Social Levy applies to employment income above EC$2,000 a month, matched by the employer.

Investors who want certainty over their worldwide position can use the High Value Resident route, which fixes the annual tax liability at a set payment and requires property in Anguilla above a set value.

Details are available on our Anguilla page.

How We Assess These Jurisdictions

La Vida has advised international investors on residency and citizenship programs since 2012, and we work with government-approved agents and local counsel in every jurisdiction listed above.

This page is built on the current legislation in each country, reviewed against official government and tax authority publications, and updated when rules change.

The last review was completed in August 2026 following the Italian 2026 Budget Law and the publication of Malta’s Individual Tax Program Rules.

We do not provide tax advice. What we do is help investors understand which residency or citizenship program fits their circumstances, then work alongside the tax advisers who model the outcome.

For more detailed information on international tax relating to golden visa countries,  please contact us directly.

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered tax, legal, or financial advice. Tax laws vary by country and are subject to change. Always consult a qualified tax professional or legal advisor for personalized guidance regarding your specific situation.