The 12 easiest and cheapest countries for gaining European Union residency

Most countries in the world offer a deal offering fast-tracked residency permits and, ultimately, citizenship in return for investments in local businesses and property.

With the UK voting to leave the European Union, it is becoming more attractive for wealthy Brits to look elsewhere for access to the European single market and the freedom of movement to travel and work across the 28-nation trading bloc.

A study by citizenship consultancy firm Henley and Partners analysed the programmes offered by different governments across the world, ranking them by value, quality and reputation among other metrics.

Here are the EU countries that performed the best for cheap and easy access to residency.