Startup Visa by Country: Which Schemes Are Open in 2026

Last Updated on August 30, 2026

A startup visa is a residence permit issued on the strength of a business idea rather than a job offer, and in 2026 roughly twenty countries run one. Which countries those are has changed more in the last three years than in the decade before it. Three well-known schemes have shut, including the one every list used to single out, and one of the most-copied has been replaced by something considerably more expensive.

This guide sets out every scheme open as of August 2026, what each one asks for, what it costs, and which familiar names are no longer available. Where a country’s route has closed or been replaced, that is stated plainly rather than left in a list.

What a startup visa actually is

The term is used loosely. A startup visa, in the strict sense, is an immigration category in which the qualifying test is the business itself: its novelty, scalability, and plan. That is different from an investor visa, where the test is money, and different again from a talent visa, where the test is the applicant’s track record. The distinction matters because several countries marketed as founder destinations actually run one of the other two.

In practice, open schemes filter founders in one of three ways. Some require endorsement — an incubator, accelerator, expert panel, or designated agency has to vouch for the venture before immigration authorities review the file. Denmark, Estonia, Italy, France, Portugal and the United Kingdom all work this way. Some set a capital threshold, as Austria and Ireland do. A few, notably the Netherlands, do neither and rely on a vetted mentor instead.

Almost all of these schemes are temporary permits. Only Canada designed its scheme to grant permanent residence directly, and that scheme has now closed.

Which countries offer a startup visa in 2026

The table below covers every jurisdiction with a founder-specific route, as well as the significant economies where founders expect to find a startup visa but do not. Status is as of August 2026.

Table 1: Startup visa by country, status August 2026

Country	Scheme	Status (Aug 2026)	Core requirement	Leads to PR?
Estonia	Startup Visa	Open	Startup Committee approval; no capital minimum	Via general residence rules
Denmark	Startup Denmark	Open (capped at 75/year)	Expert panel approval of business plan	Via general residence rules
Netherlands	Start-up residence permit	Open	Contract with an IND-vetted facilitator	Through self-employed permit
France	French Tech Visa (Talent permit)	Open	Selection by a partner incubator or accelerator	Via general residence rules
Ireland	Start-up Entrepreneur Programme (STEP)	Open	EUR 50,000 funding available to the business	Via general residence rules
Italy	Italia Startup Visa	Open	ISV Committee nulla osta; outside quotas	Via general residence rules
Spain	Entrepreneur visa (Startups Law)	Open	Favourable ENISA innovation report	Via general residence rules
Portugal	StartUP Visa / D2	Open	Certified incubator contract (StartUP Visa)	Via general residence rules
Austria	Red-White-Red Card (Start-up Founders)	Open	50 of 85 points; EUR 30,000 company capital	Card plus after 24 months
Finland	Start-up entrepreneur permit	Open	Business Finland eligibility statement	Via general residence rules
Latvia	Startup Visa	Open	Startup programme endorsement	Via general residence rules
Lithuania	Startup Visa	Open	Expert committee assessment	Via general residence rules
United Kingdom	Innovator Founder	Open (replaced Start-up visa)	Endorsement by an approved endorsing body	Settlement after 3 years
Germany	None (section 21 self-employment)	No dedicated scheme	Economic interest or regional demand	Settlement permit after 3 years
Singapore	EntrePass	Open	30% shareholding plus one of five qualifying grounds	Separate PR application
Japan	Startup Visa to Business Manager	Open (terms tightened)	Municipal certification; JPY 30m capital from Oct 2025	Via general residence rules
South Korea	D-8-4 technology startup visa	Open	Registered IP plus a registered Korean corporation	Via general residence rules
Thailand	SMART S visa	Open	THB 600,000 deposit; targeted-industry certification	No direct PR pathway
Malaysia	Malaysia Tech Entrepreneur Programme	Open	MDEC endorsement for tech founders	No direct PR pathway
Hong Kong	Entry for investment as entrepreneurs	No dedicated scheme	No fixed minimum; economic contribution test	After 7 years’ ordinary residence
Canada	Start-Up Visa	Closed to new applicants	Final filing deadline of 30 Jun 2026 has passed	Was direct permanent residence
Chile	Start-Up Chile (accelerator)	Open, not a visa category	Acceptance into the Corfo programme	Via general residence rules
United States	None (International Entrepreneur Rule)	No startup visa	USD 311,071 qualified investment for IER parole	No; parole is not a PR route
Australia	None since BIIP closure	Closed 31 Jul 2024	National Innovation Visa is a talent route, not a startup visa	NIV grants PR directly
New Zealand	Business Investor Work Visa	Entrepreneur Work Visa closed 27 Aug 2025	NZD 1m or NZD 2m investment	Work-to-residence pathway
Status verified against official government sources, August 2026. Schemes marked “no dedicated scheme” have founder routes that are not startup visas in the strict sense.

Four smaller schemes — Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Malaysia — appear in the table but are not covered in detail below. All four are active and all four are endorsement-based rather than capital-based.

Startup visa routes in Europe

Europe holds more open schemes than the rest of the world combined, and they differ sharply in what they demand.

Estonia

The Estonian startup visa is assessed by a Startup Committee looking for an innovative, scalable and repeatable business model backed by a working product and early traction. There is no minimum capital requirement, which sets it apart from Estonia’s ordinary business residence permit and its EUR 65,000 threshold. The state fee is EUR 80 for a long-stay visa, valid up to 365 days and extendable by a further 183. Our Estonian startup visa guide covers the application steps.

Denmark

Startup Denmark runs on expert approval rather than money. A panel appointed by the Danish Business Authority must approve the business plan before SIRI will consider the residence application. Teams of up to three people may share one plan, the scheme is capped at 75 permits a year, and the processing fee is DKK 3,060. Applicants show DKK 153,240 in self-support funds for a single person. The first permit runs two years, extendable in three-year blocks. Our Startup Denmark guide has the details.

Netherlands

The Dutch start-up residence permit is built around a facilitator: an experienced mentor vetted by the IND who signs a contract with the founder. There is no fixed investment figure. The permit lasts up to 1 year, after which the founder is expected to transition to the self-employed person permit. It is one of the few routes where the means test can be satisfied by the facilitator financing the stay rather than by the founder’s own savings. Our Netherlands startup visa guide explains the facilitator relationship.

France

France folded its founder route into the Talent residence permit family. The French Tech Visa for Founders requires selection by a partner incubator or accelerator, which validates the project’s innovative character and notifies the Directorate General for Enterprise. Founders show annual means at least equal to the French minimum wage. The permit runs up to four years, is renewable, and spouses receive a Talent – Family permit with full work rights. The French Tech Ticket cash grant that older guides describe no longer exists. Our French startup visa guide predates this restructuring.

Ireland

Ireland’s Start-up Entrepreneur Programme sets the clearest money test in Europe: EUR 50,000 in funding available to the business, plus a EUR 350 non-refundable application fee. An evaluation committee considers proposals quarterly. The business must be innovative, high-potential and capable of creating employment. Ireland no longer accepts applications to the programme from Russian or Belarusian citizens.

Italy

The Italia Startup Visa is handled by a dedicated ISV Committee, which issues a nulla osta within 30 days of a complete application. Its main advantage is that it sits outside Italy’s ordinary immigration quotas. The first permit is a one-year self-employment visa for startup purposes, convertible into a two-year self-employment residence permit. Applicants document financial resources for the venture and for their own support. Our Italian startup visa guide walks through the committee stage.

Spain

Spain rebuilt its entrepreneur route under the 2022 Startups Law. The decisive step is a favourable report from ENISA confirming the business is genuinely innovative and of economic interest; the Large Companies and Strategic Collectives Unit then issues the permit. There is no headline minimum investment — the innovation assessment does the filtering instead. Any guide that describes Spain as having no assessment stage reflects the pre-2023 position. Our Spanish entrepreneur visa guide needs updating on this point.

Portugal

Portugal runs two adjacent routes. The StartUP Visa requires a contract with an incubator certified under the National Network of Incubators and asks the founder to show roughly EUR 5,147 in personal funds; the business must be capable of reaching EUR 325,000 in turnover or asset value within five years. The D2 visa is the broader entrepreneur route for founders who do not want incubation. Our Portugal D2 guide sets out the difference.

Austria

Austria’s Red-White-Red Card for Start-up Founders is a points scheme requiring 50 of a possible 85 points across qualifications, work experience, language and bonus criteria. It carries a hard money test: EUR 30,000 in company capital with an equity share of at least 50 per cent, with a further EUR 50,000 in committed investment worth 10 bonus points. The card runs up to 24 months, after which holders move to the Red-White-Red Card plus and unrestricted labour market access. Our Red-White-Red Card guide covers the points table.

United Kingdom

The UK closed its Start-up visa on 13 July 2023. Founders now use the Innovator Founder route, which requires endorsement from an approved endorsing body — GBP 1,000 for the endorsement, plus GBP 500 for each of the two mandatory check-in meetings. The visa costs GBP 1,357 from outside the UK, runs three years, sets no minimum investment figure, and can lead to settlement after three years. Our UK Innovator Founder guide is current.

Germany, the large economy without a startup visa

Germany has no dedicated startup visa. Founders use the self-employment residence permit under section 21 of the Residence Act, which asks for economic interest in or regional demand for the product, evidence the concept can be financed, and — for applicants over 45 — proof of pension provision. No minimum investment is specified. The permit is issued for up to three years and can lead to a settlement permit.

Startup visa routes in Asia and the Pacific

Asia’s schemes are more varied than Europe’s, and two of them changed materially in the last year.

Singapore

The EntrePass requires a private limited company registered with ACRA in which the holder owns at least 30 per cent, plus one of five qualifying grounds: SGD 100,000 raised in a single round from a recognised investor, support from a recognised incubator or accelerator, a prior venture-backed exit, registered intellectual property, or a research collaboration with a Singaporean institution. Food service, entertainment and personal services businesses are excluded. The application fee is SGD 105 with an issuance fee of SGD 225. The first pass and first renewal run one year each; later renewals up to two. Our EntrePass guide covers the qualifying criteria.

Japan

Japan’s startup visa lets designated municipalities and prefectures certify a founder for a preparatory period of residence before the Business Manager status is granted. What changed in October 2025 is the Business Manager test itself: the capital requirement rose from JPY 5 million to JPY 30 million, a sixfold increase, alongside tighter staffing and business-plan scrutiny. Any guide written before late 2025 understates the cost of this route by a wide margin — including our own Japan startup visa guide, which is scheduled for rewrite.

South Korea

Korea’s D-8-4 technology startup visa is built around intellectual property. Applicants need a registered patent, utility model, design, trademark or copyright — or a certificate of application from the Korean Intellectual Property Office with an examination request filed — plus a Korean corporation already registered. A degree from a Korean institution, or a bachelor’s degree from abroad, is the usual academic threshold. The OASIS programme awards points through entrepreneurship education and mentoring, and the D-10-2 preparation visa covers the period before incorporation. Grants run two years.

Thailand

The SMART S visa is Thailand’s startup category. It requires a deposit of at least THB 600,000 held for three months, THB 180,000 for each accompanying family member, health insurance for the full stay, and certification of the business as being in a targeted industry by an agency such as the National Innovation Agency or the Digital Economy Promotion Agency. Holders must own at least 25 per cent of registered capital or hold a directorship. No work permit is required, 90-day reporting is extended to a year, and spouses may work. Our Thailand Smart Visa guide is up to date.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong runs no scheme labelled a startup visa. Founders apply for entry for investment as entrepreneurs under the General Employment Policy, where no fixed minimum investment applies; the Immigration Department assesses whether the amount can support the business and what the venture contributes to the local economy. Applicants arriving through recognised programmes such as the Cyberport Incubation Programme or the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks incubators are viewed more favourably. Initial stay is up to 36 months, extended on a three-then-two-year pattern. Our Hong Kong startup visa guide covers the incubator route.

Startup visa routes in the Americas and Oceania

This is where the picture has deteriorated most. Four of the five entries below are closed, absent, or replaced by something other than a startup visa.

Canada

Canada’s Start-Up Visa was the scheme every list singled out, because it granted permanent residence directly rather than a temporary permit. It is now closed. Designated organisations had until 31 December 2025 to issue a commitment certificate; final applications had to be filed by 30 June 2026; both dates have passed. The work-permit-while-you-wait stream stopped accepting new applications on 19 December 2025. A replacement entrepreneur pilot has been signalled, but its terms have not been published. The direct-to-permanent-residence design was real, but it never delivered quickly — processing backlogs stretched the process across years. Our Canadian Start-Up Visa guide covers the closure and the alternatives.

Chile

Start-Up Chile is an accelerator run by the government development agency Corfo, not an immigration category. Selected founders receive equity-free funding and support, and use that acceptance to obtain a temporary residence permit. Describing Chile as offering a cash grant with a visa attached — as older guides do — inverts the relationship. The programme comes first; the immigration permission follows from it.

United States

The United States has never created a startup visa. The nearest equivalent is the International Entrepreneur Rule, a parole mechanism rather than a visa, which requires a qualified investment of at least USD 311,071 or a qualified government award of at least USD 124,429, with thresholds set on 1 October 2024. In practice, founders more often use the E-2 treaty investor visa, where nationality determines eligibility, or the O-1A for those with a strong record.

Australia

Australia closed its Business Innovation and Investment Program to new applications on 31 July 2024. The National Innovation Visa that followed is a permanent visa for exceptional talent, awarded by invitation after an expression of interest. It is not a startup visa in any meaningful sense: it rewards an established record rather than a business plan, and founders without that record have no dedicated federal route.

New Zealand

New Zealand closed the Entrepreneur Work Visa to new applications on 27 August 2025 and opened the Business Investor Work Visa on 24 November 2025 in its place. The replacement is an investor product rather than a startup visa: NZD 1 million for a three-year work-to-residence pathway or NZD 2 million for a twelve-month fast track, plus NZD 500,000 in settlement funds, an age limit of 55, and a business employing at least five full-time equivalent staff. The fee is NZD 12,380. This is a fundamental change of character, not a rebrand.

Startup visa schemes that closed or changed

Four of the schemes most often listed as founder options no longer work the way published guides describe. The table below records what changed and when, because the gap between the old descriptions and current practice is wide enough to waste an applicant’s year.

Table 2: Startup visa schemes closed, paused or materially changed

Country	What changed	Effective	What applies now
United Kingdom	Start-up visa closed to new applications	13 July 2023	Innovator Founder visa; endorsement required, no minimum investment
Australia	Business Innovation and Investment Program closed	31 July 2024	National Innovation Visa, an invitation-only talent route
New Zealand	Entrepreneur Work Visa closed to new applications	27 August 2025	Business Investor Work Visa from 24 November 2025; NZD 1m or NZD 2m
Japan	Business Manager capital requirement raised sixfold	October 2025	JPY 30 million capital, up from JPY 5 million, plus tighter staffing rules
Canada	Start-Up Visa closed to new applicants	Final deadline 30 June 2026	Closed to all applications; replacement entrepreneur pilot signalled, terms unpublished
France	French Tech Ticket cash grant discontinued	Scheme wound down	French Tech Visa under the Talent permit; no grant attached
Sources: gov.uk, immi.homeaffairs.gov.au, Immigration New Zealand, Japan Immigration Services Agency, IRCC, welcometofrance.com. Verified August 2026.

What a startup visa costs

Two numbers matter and they are often confused. The first is what you must show — funds in an account, capital in the company, or investment raised. The second is what you pay the government. A scheme with no capital threshold can still be expensive once endorsement and healthcare charges are counted, which is why the United Kingdom sits high on cost despite setting no investment figure at all.

Table 3: What each startup visa costs

Country	Money you must show	Government fee	Note
Estonia	No capital minimum	EUR 80 (long-stay visa)	Ordinary business permit needs EUR 65,000
Denmark	DKK 153,240 self-support (single)	DKK 3,060	Higher thresholds with spouse or children
Netherlands	No fixed figure	Not published on the IND permit page	Facilitator may finance the stay
France	Annual means at the French minimum wage	Standard permit fees apply	Figure moves with SMIC; verify at application
Ireland	EUR 50,000 available to the business	EUR 350 (non-refundable)	Quarterly evaluation rounds
Italy	Resources documented, no published minimum	Standard visa fees apply	Nulla osta within 30 days
Spain	No headline minimum	Standard permit fees apply	ENISA innovation report is the real test
Portugal	About EUR 5,147 personal funds	Standard visa fees apply	Business must reach EUR 325,000 in 5 years
Austria	EUR 30,000 company capital, 50% equity	Standard permit fees apply	Extra EUR 50,000 investment earns 10 points
Finland	EUR 1,210 net monthly income	EUR 650 electronic first permit	Income figure varies by region
United Kingdom	No minimum investment	GBP 1,357 outside the UK, plus GBP 1,000 endorsement	GBP 500 per check-in meeting, two required
Singapore	SGD 100,000 raised, or another qualifying ground	SGD 105 application, SGD 225 issuance	30% shareholding required
Japan	JPY 30,000,000 capital	Standard status fees apply	Raised from JPY 5,000,000 in October 2025
Thailand	THB 600,000 deposit held 3 months	Standard SMART visa fees apply	THB 180,000 per family member
New Zealand	NZD 1,000,000 or NZD 2,000,000	NZD 12,380 including levy	Plus NZD 500,000 settlement funds
United States	USD 311,071 qualified investment	Form I-941 filing fee applies	International Entrepreneur Rule parole, not a visa
Figures as published by official sources in August 2026 and subject to change. Currency conversions in the article link to xe.com. Fees exclude healthcare surcharges, legal costs and biometrics.

Does a startup visa lead to permanent residency?

Usually, but rarely quickly and almost never automatically. The standard shape is a temporary permit of one to three years, renewable if the business meets whatever benchmark the scheme set, converting to permanent residence after five years of lawful residence under the country’s general rules rather than under the scheme itself.

Canada was the exception that everyone cited, and it is the exception that has now closed. The United Kingdom is now the fastest realistic route among open schemes, with settlement possible after three years on the Innovator Founder visa. Austria’s move from the Red-White-Red Card to the Card plus after 24 months is the next quickest, though that is unrestricted labour market access rather than permanence.

The renewal test is the part founders underestimate. Most schemes ask at the first renewal what the business has actually done — jobs created, revenue booked, further investment raised. A startup visa granted on a plan is renewed on results.

How to choose a startup visa

Start by working out which of the three filters you can pass. If you have money but no endorsement, Austria and Ireland are reachable and Denmark and Italy are not. If you have a credible venture and a network but limited capital, the endorsement-based schemes in Estonia, Denmark, Italy, France and Portugal are the realistic set. If you hold registered intellectual property, Korea’s D-8-4 turns that into a direct qualification.

Then check the renewal test before the entry test. A one-year Dutch permit that expects you to graduate to self-employed status in twelve months is a different commitment from a two-year Danish permit extendable in three-year blocks.

Finally, be honest about whether a startup visa is what you need at all. Founders whose work is genuinely location-independent and who are not raising local capital are often better served by a digital nomad visa, which asks for income rather than a business plan and carries none of the endorsement machinery. Founders from India weighing several destinations may also find our survey of entrepreneur destinations a useful starting point.

Frequently asked questions