Essential Due Diligence Check Lists

Depending on where in the world you want to live, narrowing down a European country for relocation typically needs to start with finding the best visa and residency programs. Some countries make it more difficult if you live outside the EU or even Europe. Then, you need to do as much due diligence as you can, before you dig into the lifestyle options. As we did our research, the most accessible programs that also welcome NON-EU citizens are Portugal (including Madeira), Italy, Spain, Malta and Greece.

We've created this checklist that can be used for any country. In this case we're doing the due diligence for our top Four residency programs and have noted the results in the checklist below.

Visa and Residency

There are many variations and options that we have not listed. Below is a quick summary noting the most popular paths to residency for non-EU citizens.

COUNTRY	VISA TYPES	NOTES
Portugal	D7, D2, Startup Visa	Portugal has the lowest income requirement to begin a path to residency. It is based on the country’s minimum wage, which is €903 per month, or about $12,000, to be opened in a PT bank account as of 2025. Additionally, the NHR program, to reduce taxes for 10 years, is still in effect. The Golden Visa program has ended in Portugal.
Spain	Golden Visa Non-Lucrative Visa	Most American retirees use the Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV) to stay in Spain long-term. Often called a passive-income visa, all you need to do to qualify for the NLV is prove an income of €2,400 / month (plus extra for each dependent) The Golden Visa in Spain requires a €500,000+ investment (real estate, government bonds, bank deposits, etc).
Italy	Golden Visa, Digital Nomad, Elective Residency	For citizens of non-EU countries requirements are a bit more stringent. However, there are various visa programs to choose from.
Greece	D-visa, Digital Nomad, Golden Visa, FIP	Greece has the FIP Visa (Financially Independent Person), which requires a monthly income of at least €3,500 / month from passive income (rentals, investments, etc).

Safety and Security

The GPI releases a composite index measuring the peacefulness of countries made up of 23 indicators each weighted on a scale of 1-5. The lower the score the more peaceful the country. The prisoner count is just a quick look at the differences in imprisonment.

COUNTRY	GPI INDEX ON PEACE & SAFETY top ranking is #1
Portugal/Madeira	Ranked 7th
Spain	Ranked 23rd
Italy	Ranked 33rd
Greece	Ranked 40th
USA	Ranked 132

Schools and Education

Madeira's education options will be looked at more in-depth.

Presented is data published by the OECD in the form of the PISA index scores (higher is better). Evidence is shows that higher PISA scores, the stronger the educational systems. But this is highly dependent on the higher GPA countries and tourism rates.

COUNTRY	PISA SCORE	LITERACY	EDUCATION RANK WT20	WT20 Graduation Rate
Portugal/Madeira	1433	103rd	24th	92%
Spain	1432	123rd	20th	88%
Greece	1309	128th	33rd	83%
Italy	1430	155th	36th	87%
USA	1468	133rd	31st	85%

Cost of Living (One Person / Month)

Cost of living is a tough one to pin down. If you look outside the city hubs, you'll find rents much lower and more availability (but possibly fewer conveniences or English speakers). The following are approximations based on one person in or near a metro area.

COUNTRY	UTILITIES (1 Small Home)	GROCERIES	1 br/ 1 ba RENTAL (City Center)
Portugal	€100–140	€180–250	Over €1,000, hard to find
Madeira	€80-120	€150-300	€900-1200, hard to find
Spain	€100–150	€200–250	€1,000–1,300, hard to find
Italy	€100–180	€200–250	€1,000–1,300, much lower in villages
Greece	€100–180	€200–250	€500–700 (clear winner). More expensive on islands.
USA (Metro areas)	€115–185 ($120–200)	€235–325 $250–400	$2,000 and up up up in metro areas. Much lower in rural and smaller cities.

Insurance & Healthcare

COUNTRY	PUBLIC HEALTHCARE	PRIVATE INSURANCE (healthy mid adult)	NOTES
Portugal	SNS system: Free	€50-80+	Some plans restrict entry or even cancellation at 70-75 yrs. Requires careful due-diligence.
Madeira	SNS system: Free	€40-80+	Some plans restrict entry or even cancellation at 70-75 yrs. Requires careful due-diligence.
Spain	Strong free public system	€40–60+	€60-100, with exclusions & limitations
Italy	Public healthcare (SSN), low direct costs for residents.	€50–100+	Older applicants may face higher rates.
Greece	Free for residents. Reported variable quality/wait times.	€40–80+	Some plans restrict entry after 65–70
USA	Bit of a mess. Regional differences. Mostly private, employer-sponsered.	Vast differences. Many uninsured. Blue and red state "Obama Care" system. Large deductibles.	Medicare for 65+, most pay for co-insurance of $300+. Lots of exclusions, challenging to navigate.

Climate

COUNTRY	NOTES	SUMMER	WINTER
Portugal	Regional: north is cooler and wetter; central and southern areas are warmer and drier. Lisbon gets hot!	77–95 °F (25–35 °C)	~50 °F (10 °C)
Madeira (Funchal area)	Mild subtropical. Gorgeous, even during occasional storms. Depends on location because there are 5 microclimates!	75–80 °F (24–27 °C)	60–68 °F (16–20 °C)
Spain	Southern and eastern coasts have temperate Mediterranean weather.	Central - hot: 85–95 °F (29–35 °C) North: ~75 °F (24 °C)	Central: 32–50 °F (0–10/11 °C) North: 50–75 °F (10–24 °C)
Italy	Regional differences.	North: Hot, humid summers (up to ~90 °F (32 °C) Central/South: Very warm summers (~85–95 °F (29–35 °C)	North: Cold winters: ~32 °F (0 °C) Central/South: milder winters: ~45–55 °F (7–13 °C)
Greece	Mediterranean. Mountainous north colder with winter snow.	~50–60 °F (10–15 °C)	Hot, dry summers: 80–95 °F (27–35 °C)
USA (Midwest)	VAST regional differences.	>100°F / >38 °C	~0–20 °F (-18– -7 °C).

Taxes

Some countries offer expats and high earners tax breaks but the rules are too complex for a quick overview. Use the figures below as an estimation.

COUNTRY (Metro Areas)	INCOME TAXES	PROPERTY TAXES	BASE VAT
Portugal	Progressive income tax peaks near 48%. NHR tax regime for expats may reduce taxes on some foreign-sourced income for up to 10 years. The program is still in effect as of late 2024.	Annual municipal property taxes (IMI) ~0.3–0.5%	23%
Madeira	Progressive income tax peaks near 48%. (See note about NHR above).	Annual municipal property taxes (IMI) ~0.3–0.45%	22%
Spain	Progressive national income tax ~19–47% with regional surcharges.	Property ownership taxes differ by region; capital gains tax also applies on sales.	21%
Italy	Progressive income tax up to ~43%. Regions often add small surcharges. Some southern areas offer tax breaks to foreign retirees.	IMU property tax regime,often for second homes. ~0.4% up to around 0.76% of a “cadastral” (assessed) value. Primary residences are exempt or pay reduced rates (except for luxury homes).	22%
Greece	Progressive income tax up to ~44%. Some reduced tax regimes (.7% flat tax) exist for retirees or high earners.	ENFIA property tax regime varies greatly by location and property size/type. There is also a municipal tax (often tied to electricity bills), which further depends on the property’s zone and local rates.	24%
USA	Federal progressive income tax: 10–37%. Many states add their own income tax up to 13%.	Vary greatly by region, zoning, value. Some states (e.g., Florida, Texas) forgo income tax but typically have higher property or sales taxes.	Varies by state, county and metro area. Typically 5-10% on top of sales price (unlike VAT).