5 charming places in Europe that will pay you to move there
- These European towns want you to move there — and they're offering incentives to help you do it.
- Several small cities across the continent have generous grant programs for would-be residents.
- Business Insider rounded up the European locales that are paying people to move there.
If the high cost of living or toxic political climate in the United States has become too much, there are a handful of European countries that are more than happy to welcome new residents — so much so that they'll pay people who want to move there.
From a mountain region in Italy to a small town in Switzerland, some places in Europe are offering a variety of incentives, up to $32,000 in one case, to entice people to give their town a go.
More often than not, transplants won't be living in the more popular — or populous — parts of a country as these programs are usually intended to boost underpopulated communities. But movers can still end up in a picturesque part of the world with a brand new way of life.
Tuscany, for example, created a $3 million fund to motivate people to move to the countryside and help fix up some of the neglected homes there.
"The purpose of the intervention is to favor and encourage the repopulation and socio-economic revitalization of mountain areas, acting in contrast to the marginalization of these areas," the program's website reads.
Not everyone can get money for moving to these places. Most of the programs have certain requirements to receive the incentives, like being under a certain age or staying in the new place for a certain length of time.
For foreigners, there's the added hurdle of securing a proper visa, which can be both expensive and difficult. It doesn't help that the golden age of many so-called golden visas is pretty much over.
Some US cities have implemented similar programs to help bolster and diversify local economies with some success.
Business Insider found five European programs offering cash and other incentives to movers.
In an effort to replenish its aging population, the small Swiss village of Albinen is offering nonresidents 25,000 francs, or about $27,900, per adult and 10,000 francs per child to move to the remote Alpine locale.
Albinen implemented its relocation program in 2017 after many young people and families left the small village, which saw its population drop to fewer than 300 people. The Swiss village, located in the Leuk district in the canton of Valais, is quintessential quiet living. There is no school, bank, or post office, and only one remaining pub.
Those who dream of leaving the bustle of city life behind in favor of remote relaxation must meet some requirements. Applicants have to be under 45, able to buy a house in the village worth more than 200,000 francs, and willing to live in Albinen for at least 10 years and become Swiss citizens.
Those who don't stay 10 years will be required to reimburse the town's housing grant fully.
Albinen's relocation program briefly went viral last year, garnering about 100 inquiries a day, Mayor Beat Jost told a Swiss outlet in 2023.
The program is still up and running as of July, according to the town's website.
The Aegean island of Antikythera is seeking families and willing to pay for them. This Greek paradise boasts crystal blue waters, rugged cliffs, and plenty of historical charm.
Local officials started a program in 2019 that provides families with three or more kids with a monthly stipend of 500 euros, or about $542, free accommodations, and free food if they permanently relocate to the island.
The population of the island, nestled between Crete and the Greek mainland, had fallen to just 24 as younger residents fled for better economic opportunities, Yahoo Finance reported in 2019. Local officials told Greek media that fishermen, bakers, builders, and farmers would be especially welcome on the remote island.
Later that year, Lonely Planet reported that the island had ended the program after selecting five Greek families to make the move to Antikythera.
But last year, the island restarted its relocation program, this time with financial backing from the Greek Orthodox Church, a Greek news website reported.
Once again, families with three or more kids can receive a monthly allowance of 500 euros for up to three years, totaling 18,000 euros.
The program is primarily aimed at Greek families, but non-Greeks will be considered, Express reported last year.
Ponga, a quaint town in Spain's northern mountains, is offering 2,000 euros to every person who picks up and plants roots in the village, which is home to fewer than 600 people.
The program aims to kick-start the local economy. Families with children who move to the town could score up to 3,000 euros, and those who have a baby while living in the village could receive an additional 3,500 euros, Time Out reported last year.
Those who make the journey must commit to staying at least five years in Ponga. But they'll have plenty to do, with hiking trails, beaches, and cities nearby.
An Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea is willing to pay 15,000 euros for people who want a rural lifestyle.
Sardinia's government set aside 45 million euros for 3,000 people to each receive a grant. The island of Sardinia has a population of over 1.6 million, but the government expects transplants to live in a less populated area.
The government is implementing the plan to combat the island's dwindling population and isolation, according to the Sassari Chamber of Commerce.
Applicants must move to a town in Sardinia with fewer than 3,000 residents, live there full-time, and make Sardinia their permanent residence within 18 months. The 15,000 euros must go toward renovating a home, CNBC reported.
Last month, Tuscan officials launched a residency program that will pay people to live in the rural Italian countryside.
The $3 million incentive program, part of Italy's effort to stabilize its decreasing population, offers people financial support to fix up old homes in the mountainous region.
The grants will cover 50% of renovation costs for a home in one of 76 Tuscan cities, all of which have fewer than 5,000 residents.
Applicants could receive up to $32,000 in renovation funds, according to the program's website. Italians, other European Union residents, and non-EU citizens who have established long-term residency lasting no less than 10 years can choose among several locales, including on the island of Capraia Isola or the spa town of San Casciano dei Bagni.
But act fast. Applications for the program close on July 27, 2024.
Update: July 10, 2024 — This story no longer includes information on a relocation program in Legrad, Croatia, because Business Insider was unable to verify whether the program is still offering cash to approved applicants.