MM2H vs Other Countries
MM2H or Portugal D7 Visa: Which One Actually Fits You
A buyer-fit summary weighing MM2H against Portugal D7 Visa across cost, tax, duration and family — for people who want the conclusion before the full comparison.
Quick summary
Quick answer
A practical summary before reading the full article.
Best for
Risk level
Lewis verdict
I don't sell immigration advice — I sell Malaysian property.
But because MM2H ties directly into a property purchase, I end up walking a lot of prospective applicants through exactly this kind of comparison before they commit to either program.
Buyer action
| Best for | People weighing MM2H against another country's residency-by-investment program and trying to work out which actually fits their budget and goals. |
|---|---|
| Risk level | Medium |
| Lewis verdict | I don't sell immigration advice — I sell Malaysian property. But because MM2H ties directly into a property purchase, I end up walking a lot of prospective applicants through exactly this kind of comparison before they commit to either program. |
| Buyer action | MM2H's property purchase requirement means qualifying is also a real estate decision — ask Lewis which current Penang projects clear your tier's minimum value and make sense as a long-term hold. |
The Short Version
Portugal's D7 suits someone chasing an actual EU passport who can document steady passive income and doesn't mind Portugal's tax rates — MM2H suits someone who wants a simpler, deposit-based qualification and lower ongoing tax exposure but has made peace with never getting citizenship.
How the Four Dimensions Stack Up
On cost: Portugal's D7 visa needs passive income of about EUR 920/month (EUR 11,040/year) plus a matching bank buffer and roughly EUR 260 in government fees — a far smaller upfront commitment than MM2H's six-figure fixed deposit, but it's an ongoing income test rather than a one-time deposit. On tax: Portugal's D7 no longer benefits from the old NHR flat-tax regime for general applicants — foreign income is taxed at standard progressive Portuguese rates up to 48% (53% with surcharges) once tax residency is triggered, considerably heavier than MM2H's conditional foreign-income exemption.
The Rest of the Picture
On duration and citizenship: Portugal's D7 starts at 2 years, renews for 3, and leads to permanent residency after 5 years and citizenship after 5-10 years — a genuine EU citizenship pathway that MM2H simply does not offer at any tier. On family: Portugal's D7 covers spouse, children and dependent parents but requires proving extra passive income for each one (50% more for a spouse, 30% per child) — MM2H's fixed deposit already covers a wide family list without scaling the deposit amount per dependent.
Buyer checklist
Portugal's D7 suits someone chasing an actual EU passport who can document steady passive income and doesn't mind Portugal's tax rates — MM2H suits someone who wants a simpler, deposit-based qualification and lower ongoing tax exposure but has made peace with never getting citizenship.
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| 1 | Clarify your actual goal: long-stay lifestyle vs a second passport |
|---|---|
| 2 | Compare your realistic budget against each program's real cost |
| 3 | Check which family members you need covered and how |
| 4 | Decide how important a citizenship path is to you |
| 5 | Get current figures confirmed by a licensed advisor for each program |
Common questions
So which is actually better, MM2H or Portugal D7 Visa?
Neither is universally better — it depends on your budget, whether citizenship matters to you, your family composition, and which region you actually want to live in. Use the comparison above to match the program to your specific goals.
Can I qualify for both and decide later?
In principle yes, since they're independent programs in different countries — but each has its own capital commitment, so most people choose based on where they actually intend to spend most of their time.
Related reading
Use one buyer framework across different news.
MM2H vs Thailand Elite Visa: Cost Comparison
How MM2H's fixed deposit and property requirement stack up against Thailand Elite Visa's cost structure.
Lewis verdict
Sticker price alone doesn't tell the full story — I always weigh the headline cost against what you actually get for it: visa length, family coverage, tax treatment and whether there's a citizenship path at the end.
MM2H vs Thailand Elite Visa: Tax Treatment Compared
How Malaysia's tax rules for MM2H holders compare to Thailand Elite Visa's tax treatment of foreign income.
Lewis verdict
I'm not a tax advisor and this isn't tax advice — but understanding how conditional an exemption is (or isn't) changes how much weight you should put on the 'tax-free' headline of any of these programs.
MM2H vs Thailand Elite Visa: Duration & Citizenship Path
Comparing how long each visa lasts and whether it leads anywhere beyond long-stay residency.
Lewis verdict
If a second passport is the actual goal, the visa duration number matters far less than whether the program has a citizenship path at all — that's the question I'd answer first before comparing years.
Decision check
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Clarify your actual goal: long-stay lifestyle vs a second passport
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Compare your realistic budget against each program's real cost
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Check which family members you need covered and how
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Decide how important a citizenship path is to you