Across Europe, towns with dwindling populations have come up with a radical solution for enticing new residents by offering generous cash incentives.Many rural areas are facing ageing populations as young people move to cities or opt not to have children.To combat 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 places in Europe that will pay you to relocate there.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 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, plus 10,000 Swiss Francs (€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.The local council says they receive as many as 100 enquiries a day, so be prepared to be patient if you are thinking of making an application.
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 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.