The Europe atlas
The whole map, at a glance.
Every country I can back with sources, on one page: the cost of the ground, and which of the patterns that matter for an exit each one carries. A check means the pattern is present, not a verdict.
Price it in your money
Tell me where you live now and what you spend a month, and every cost here becomes your number: the same life, priced country by country, in your own currency.
A guide, not a quote. I move your monthly spend by each country’s official price level (Eurostat and the World Bank, whole-economy, EU-27 = 100). No exchange rates, so it stays in your own currency. But averages hide rent and the city you pick, and changing country is rarely a straight swap. Read these as the right ballpark, then price the real thing.
What pays for your life?
Showing the rule for personally held listed shares and fund units sold after residence begins.
| Country | Cost | Income treatment | No wealth tax | Holding relief | Exit tax | New-resident deal | Passive-income visa | Passport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iceland | 174 | A directly held listed-share or fund-unit gain carries 22% tax, settled at assessment. A shared ISK 300,000 allowance covers interest, listed dividends and listed-security gains. | 7 yrs | |||||
| Switzerland | 171 | A private investor's listed-share or fund-unit gain is exempt. The holding still enters cantonal wealth tax, and professional dealing follows different rules. | 10 yrs | |||||
| Denmark | 140 | Listed-share gains are share income taxed at 27% and 42%. Many funds instead use an annual value rule, with classification depending on the current positive list. | 9 yrs | |||||
| Ireland | 136 | A directly held listed-share gain carries 33% capital gains tax, with a €1,270 annual exemption and loss relief. Many Irish and equivalent EU, EEA or OECD funds instead use the 38% exit-tax regime and an eight-year deemed disposal. | 5 yrs | |||||
| Luxembourg | 132 | A minority listed-share or fund-unit gain is exempt after more than six months. A shorter holding enters the progressive bands, while a substantial holding has separate rules. | 5 yrs | |||||
| Norway | 129 | A listed-share or equity-fund gain is effectively taxed at 37.84% after a small shielding deduction. Moving to Norway does not reset what you paid for an ordinary sale. A separate value recorded on arrival matters only if Norway later calculates exit tax. | 8 yrs | |||||
| United Kingdom | 123 | A share or fund gain is taxed at 18% or 24% after the £3,000 yearly exemption. Holding the investment for longer does not lower the rate. A qualifying new resident can use FIG to exempt foreign gains for four years, but gives up two other personal allowances. | 6 yrs | |||||
| Sweden | 121 | A listed-share or fund-unit gain carries tax at 30% as capital income. Losses first offset gains, with 70% of a remaining loss normally deductible. | 8 yrs | |||||
| Finland | 121 | A directly held listed-share or fund-unit gain is capital income taxed at 30% up to €30,000 of annual capital income and 34% above. An annual small-sales exemption can apply when total proceeds stay within €1,000. | 8 yrs | |||||
| Belgium | 116 | From 1 January 2026, a private financial-asset gain generally carries 10% tax above a €10,000 annual exemption. Earlier growth is outside the new charge. | 5 yrs | |||||
| Netherlands | 116 | A private listed-share or fund holding sits in Box 3 rather than a sale-gain charge. The default uses a deemed return. Current relief substitutes a lower actual return. | 5 yrs | |||||
| Austria | 113 | A directly held listed-share or fund-unit gain carries tax at 27.5%. There is no holding-period relief, and leaving Austria can bring a separate departure charge. | 10 yrs | |||||
| France | 110 | A listed-share or fund-unit gain carries the 31.4% flat investment charge from 2026. Original purchase cost continues after a move to France. | 5 yrs | |||||
| Germany | 108 | A private listed-share gain is normally taxed at 26.375% before church tax. For a qualifying equity fund, only 70% of the gain is taxed. Moving to Germany does not reset what you paid, and holding shares or funds for longer does not lower the rate. | 5 yrs | |||||
| Estonia | 101 | A directly held listed-share or fund-unit gain carries tax at 22% when realised. The gain starts from documented historic cost, with no holding-period relief or separate capital-gains rate. | 8 yrs | |||||
| Italy | 97 | A listed-share or fund-unit gain normally carries 26% tax, with 12.5% for qualifying government bonds. Original purchase cost continues after an ordinary move. | 10 yrs | |||||
| Malta | 92 | A recognised-exchange share gain is exempt. A resident who is not domiciled in Malta also pays no Maltese tax on a foreign capital gain, even if remitted. | 5 yrs | |||||
| Spain | 92 | A listed-share or fund-unit gain enters the 19–30% savings-income bands. A rollover can defer gains between qualifying mutual funds, but not ETFs. | 10 yrs | |||||
| Czechia | 89 | A gain on listed shares or fund units can be exempt after the three-year holding period. It can also be exempt when total annual sale proceeds stay under CZK 100,000. Otherwise the income-tax bands apply. | 10 yrs | |||||
| Slovenia | 89 | A directly held listed-share or fund-unit gain starts at 25%, then falls to 20% after five years and 15% after ten. It becomes exempt after more than 15 years, using the actual acquisition date. | 10 yrs | |||||
| Cyprus | 89 | Cyprus does not tax an individual's gain on ordinary shares, bonds, funds or ETFs. Its 20% capital gains tax is mainly for Cyprus property and shares whose value comes substantially from Cyprus property. | 8 yrs | |||||
| Greece | 87 | A listed-share gain is exempt when the holding stays below 0.5% and carries 15% tax at or above that level. Qualifying EU or EEA fund gains are exempt. | 7 yrs | |||||
| Portugal | 87 | The year's net gain on listed shares and open-ended funds starts at 28%. After the three longer holding periods, 10%, 20% or 30% of the gain is left out of tax. A gain on an asset held under 365 days is added to other income if your total income reaches the top band. | 10 yrs | |||||
| Slovakia | 85 | A private regulated-market security gain is exempt after more than one year. A shorter holding or non-qualifying market instead uses the income-tax bands plus the health levy. | 8 yrs | |||||
| Latvia | 83 | A directly held listed-share or fund-unit gain carries tax at 25.5% when realised. Documented acquisition cost is deductible, and a registered investment account can defer tax until withdrawals exceed contributions. | 10 yrs | |||||
| Lithuania | 83 | From 2026, the answer depends on the asset and account. A declared investment account defers tax until withdrawals exceed contributions, while directly held assets use the ordinary gain rules. | 10 yrs | |||||
| Croatia | 78 | A gain on listed shares or fund units carries tax at 12% when the asset is sold within two years of acquisition. The gain is exempt after the two-year holding period. | 8 yrs | |||||
| Hungary | 78 | A listed-share or fund-unit gain normally carries 15% tax. A qualifying market transaction or long-term investment account can change the loss and holding result. | 8 yrs | |||||
| Poland | 73 | A directly held listed-share or fund-unit gain carries tax at a flat 19% and is reported annually. Documented acquisition costs are deductible, with no holding-period relief. | 8 yrs | |||||
| Romania | 65 | From 2026, a qualifying Romanian intermediary withholds 3% on a gain after at least 365 days and 6% on a shorter holding. Other disposals use the separate annual-assessment route. | 8 yrs | |||||
| Bulgaria | 63 | A gain on shares, fund units, subscription rights or government securities is exempt when the sale happens on a qualifying Bulgarian, EU or EEA regulated or growth market. An off-market gain carries 10% tax on the annual net gain after a 10% deemed-cost deduction. | 10 yrs |
The number is each country’s cost of living (EU-27 = 100 · 2025), priciest first. The three micro-states (Monaco, Andorra, Liechtenstein) sit off this grid: no Eurostat figure, and you can’t simply move in. Every check restates a verified row; “Passport” is the general naturalisation clock in years. Open a country for the detail, the hedges and the sources.
Every figure on this page was verified against official sources in July 2026. Open the full map
Bring me a challenge.
The Exit Audit, then ninety minutes: a straight verdict, real alternatives with their pros and cons, and your first move. If you want someone to nod along, I’m the wrong person to pay.
Ninety minutes, online, €600. The Exit Audit included.