> I assume the easiest method is to obtain a EU passport.

I am... not sure this is true, and I'm not sure why you would think it is? Usually its much easier to obtain a work visa than a passport.

Again, I think it depends where you're coming from - and what you want to do.

I work in the UK and have a number of Indian (national) colleagues (some previously subcontractors, some offshore brought onshore).

Getting people into the UK office to work seems relatively easy - if you've got a decently paying job waiting for you, you get a visa (and just have to deal with paperwork a bit of paperwork and renewals).

Transferring between jobs is a little trickier, but seems to work fine (just need to bridge the visa requirements across the two jobs).

Getting UK passport makes the job switching easier - but is a fair sized hurdle to pass. Years of residency required, tests to pass etc. People I know who took this, were those that settled with a family and intended to stay long-term.

One 'gotcha' with just the visa is that it makes travelling for work harder, depending on where you want to go. EU passport holders can pretty much go where they like globally for that important meeting next Monday (y'know, back when we could jump on a plane).

Yes it was true: https://www.euronews.com/2020/10/20/buying-eu-citizenship-wh...

In particular Malta and Cyprus, evidently had low barriers. But according to the article, 19 EU countries provide some kind of residency scheme.

Another site provides some interesting details: https://imperiallegal.com/european-passport/

€2M spare cash is not a low barrier. It's not the "easiest method" either. They're fun articles, but realistically very few people can afford this - and if they can, they know.

Yes but OP did not say "low barrier". Had they said that, then you would be correct.

Arguably having €2M also is not easy. Ignoring the criteria is not very productive for OPs question.

It's easy to get a UK passport if you've already been living here for 6 years on an eligible visa.

You said it's low barrier. That's the point I'm disagreeing with.

Getting a visa is definitely easier than getting a passport. My advise is to look for a good employer, and have a relocation agency take care of the rest. They know what to do and know the intimacies of - e.g. - tax benefits you might be eligible for.

(n.b. Not immigration specialists but married to expat tax advisor)

Huh?

If you have enough $$ to buy a passport then you are probably not using HN or a jr developer. This means a multi multi million dollar investment in a country and some amount of bribery.

Next also unrealistic option is to buy a “Golden visa”, which starts around €250k in real estate investment in Malta and takes 2 years.

The “easiest” shortcut is to marry an eu citizen.

Another route is to get a 1-year student visa by attending a full time language school, then finding a local company to sponsor you for a gig.

Or, they could just apply for jobs online.

> If you have enough $$ to buy a passport then you are probably not using HN or a jr developer

Facts not in evidence. OP in no way implied they were poor, or of limited means.