In the first month of the year, the investment resulting from the Residence Permit for the Investment Activity (ARI) system, also known as the Gold Visa scheme, totalled €99,169,840.74, down 29.9% compared ot January 2017 (€141,250,454.23).

Compared to December 2017, when ARI investment totalled €30,403,224.2, the figure for January more than tripled (226%).

Of the total amount raised last month, the majority is related to investment in property (€90,038,633.75), while capital transfer reached €9,131,206.99.

In January, 164 gold visas were granted, of which 154 were in return for real estate investments.

Nine gold visas were granted in return for capital transfer and one visas was granted for the creation of at least 10 jobs.

In accumulated terms - since the gold visas scheme was launched on 8 October, 2012, until January - the total investment raised by the ARI reached €3,510,435,683.13 .

China leads the list of granted residence visas (3,645 by January), followed by Brazil (493), South Africa (228), Russia (200) and Turkey, which was listed for the first timein January, with 131 visas.