What changed on the map.
Tax law moves. This is the map changing — every entry checked against official sources, newest first. When one of these shifts your plan, it is worth a fresh reading with a local adviser before you act.
The last full country sweep was run in July 2026. Every country, priced
Every country page gains 'Getting in' and 'Health'
The other half of the exit, verified: the residence route for the financially independent, golden-visa status, the clocks to permanent residency and a passport, when you become tax-resident — and how healthcare works before the public system takes you.
Austria tightens its exit-tax deferral
From 1 July 2026, larger deferred exit-tax gains need an annual proof filing to keep the deferral alive.
AustriaSweden's citizenship jumps to eight years
In force since 6 June 2026: eight years, self-support rules and Swedish-and-society requirements — with no protection for applications already in the queue.
SwedenPortugal doubles its citizenship clock
The new nationality law raises naturalisation from five years to ten (seven for EU and CPLP citizens), counted from the first residence card. Applications filed before 19 May 2026 keep the old five.
PortugalSlovenia opens a tax-sheltered account
A new investment account (the INR) lets gains, dividends and rebalancing go untaxed inside it — 0% after fifteen untouched years — though its eligible-instrument rules shut out the standard global ETFs.
SloveniaAndorra triples the price of passive residence
The passive-residence investment rises to €1,000,000 (€400,000 via the housing fund) plus a €50,000 non-refundable fee — and new permits are capped at 163 a year.
AndorraBelgium's first capital gains tax arrives
A 10% tax on investment gains begins — counting only growth from 2026, with the first €10,000 per person each year exempt. The old haven, gently closed.
BelgiumCyprus rewrites its tax code
The dividend defence contribution falls from 17% to 5% on post-2026 profits, the 60-day residency rule loosens, and the non-dom window gains a paid extension.
CyprusFrance's flat tax ticks up
The flat tax on investment gains rises from 30% to about 31%, as the social charges inside it increase.
FranceSweden doubles the ISK free floor
The tax-free floor on the ISK wrapper rises from SEK 150,000 to SEK 300,000.
SwedenCzechia uncaps its three-year exemption
The 2025 cap on the tax-free-after-three-years rule is gone; the exemption is uncapped once more (crypto keeps a cap).
CzechiaIreland cuts its fund tax rate
The fund exit-tax rate falls from 41% to 38%; the eight-year deemed disposal stays.
IrelandSlovakia raises its top brackets
Top income-tax brackets rise to 35%, but the one-year holding exemption for listed ETFs is left untouched.
SlovakiaItaly re-prices its newcomer deal
The 2026 budget doubled the financial-transaction tax and raised the lump-sum flat tax for new residents to €300,000 for 2026 arrivals.
ItalyRomania lifts its investing taxes
A 2026 fiscal package raised the tax on dividends and on foreign-broker share gains to 16% (from 10%), and doubled the light local-broker rates to 3% and 6%.
RomaniaLithuania makes quick gains progressive
A 2026 reform pulls short-term securities gains into a new progressive scale (up to 32%), while shares held over five years — or gains taken inside the investment account — stay at a flat 15%.
LithuaniaEstonia cancels a rate rise
The legislated increase to 24% is scrapped; the flat rate stays at 22%.
EstoniaThe EU's court kills Malta's golden passport
Citizenship-by-investment ruled contrary to EU law; Malta repealed the framework. The residence-by-investment programme continues on 2025 terms.
MaltaSpain closes its golden visa
The investor residence route — the €500,000 property door included — ends by organic law. Permits already granted keep running.
SpainGermany extends its exit tax to funds
The exit tax reaches ordinary funds and ETFs, not just company stakes — it can bite when a single fund position cost €500,000 or more.
GermanyHungary taxes early exits from the five-year account
A 13% social charge now hits money pulled early from a TBSZ account opened since 2025 — but the deal that drops to 0% after five full years survives, social charge and all.
HungaryLatvia raises the tax on capital
The 2025 reform lifted the rate on capital income and capital gains from 20% to 25.5% — the investment account still defers it until withdrawals overtake contributions.
LatviaPortugal closes the NHR deal
The non-habitual-resident regime shuts to new applicants; a much narrower successor replaces it.
PortugalCroatia drops its city surtax
The municipal surtax on the 12% capital-gains rate is abolished.
CroatiaThe state of FIRE in Europe — the 2026 report
None of this is tax or investment advice — it's education, kept deliberately at the level that survives fact-checking. Rules shift with every budget round; the specifics of your situation belong with a licensed adviser in your country. I'm happily not one.
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