European Cities Will Pay You Hundreds of Million to Become Resident

VIVA – Some cities in Europe offer hundreds of million for people who want to move, live and become residents here because these cities have decreasing populations. 

Many rural areas are facing aging populations as young people move to cities or opt not to have children. To handle this, some local governments are encouraging foreigners to take up residence with relocation grants and cash payouts.

From Spain to Italy, here are all the European cities that will pay you to relocate there.

Albinen, Switzerland 

Albinen in the Swiss Alps is home to fewer than 250 residents. To top up its population, the small municipality is offering to pay families over €50,000 or IDR 816 million to move there. Perched on a mountainside in the canton of Valais, the picturesque village is just over an hour’s drive from celeb ski resort Verbier.

Adults under 45 years old will receive 25,000 Swiss Francs (€25,300) to move there, also €10,120 per child. The scheme is only open to Swiss citizens or eligible foreigners who have lived in Switzerland long enough to gain a permit C residence.

Applicants are also required to live in a home worth at least 200,000 Swiss Francs (€202,310) and must commit to living in Albinen for 10 years.

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Desa Albinen di Swiss

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Ponga, a 600-person town and municipality in northwest Spain, will pay Brits £2,600 (€2,971) each to relocate there. A further £2,600 or IDR 48 million will be given for each baby born there.

With a UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve in the heart of the Cantabrian Mountains on its doorstep, the town is a haven for hikers. It is also just an hour’s drive from the coast. To take advantage of the offer, Brits have to commit to living in Ponga for at least five years.

The Spanish village of Rubia in Galicia will pay ex-pats up to €150 or IDR 2,5 million a month to live there. The scheme is targeted at families with the hope of increasing student numbers at local schools. Rubia is located in northwest Spain, 2.5 hours drive east of Santiago de Compostela.

In Calabria, Italy’s southwestern region, relocating to a village with 2,000 residents or fewer will earn you up to €28,000 or IDR 450 million. The initiative hopes to combat depopulation. Those interested in applying must be 40 years old or under and move to the region within 90 days of their application being accepted. They must also launch a business or find employment.

Presicce-Acquarica in the southern Italian region of Puglia will pay new residents up to €30,000 or IDR 490 million to relocate there.

The municipality is made up of two towns - Presicce and Acquarica del Capo – surrounded by countryside and olive groves. To be eligible to apply, individuals or families must move their official residency to a southern Italian town.

The money must be used to purchase and renovate an uninhabited property in the area - of which there are many. An additional €1,000 will be granted for every baby born there.

The Italian island of Sardinia is offering people €15,000 or IDR 245 million to relocate there. Known for its sandy beaches, blue skies, and turquoise waters, the Mediterranean idyll faces dwindling rural population numbers, as young locals move abroad for work.

To address this exodus, the government has set aside €45 million for the relocation grant, enough to cover 3,000 grants. To be eligible for the grant, you will have to move to a Sardinian municipality with a population of fewer than 3,000 people.

The money must also be used to buy or renovate a home. The grant cannot exceed half of the total cost of the house or renovation – meaning, in some cases, the €15,000 sum will be reduced. Recipients must live there full-time, and must register for permanent residency in Sardinia within 18 months of arrival.

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Ponga, Spain