Portugal

If you've got steady money coming in from pensions, dividends, or rentals, the D7 is hands-down the most realistic Portuguese residency visa. Five years in, you can apply for EU permanent residency or citizenship.

If you're earning at least €3,480/month from remote work, Portugal's D8 is the fastest residency-to-EU-passport route in Western Europe. Five years in, you can apply for citizenship.

The real estate route is gone, but funds, research, and business creation still get you in for €500,000 — and you only need to spend 7 days a year in Portugal to qualify for EU citizenship after five.