Portugal Golden Visa Program

Portugal Residency

Portugal is a country in southwestern Europe, bordered by Spain and the Atlantic Ocean. The 92.212 Km2 country has approximately 10.3 Million people and is an EU member state since 1st January 1986. Portugal with fantastic cultural heritage, food and climate is one of the most popular destinations for tourism.

Capital

Lisbon

Location

Located in the continent of Europe, Portugal shares land borders with only one country, Spain.

Language

Portuguese

Government

Unitary semi-presidential republic

Population

10,309,573

Currency

Euro(€) (EUR)

Area

92,212[1] km2

Time Zone

WET/GMT (UTC) AZOT (UTC−1), Summer (DST) WEST (UTC+1) AZOST (UTC) Note:
Mainland Portugal and Madeira use WET/WEST, the Azores use AZOT/AZOST

Program Benefits

Portugal Golden Visa program is one of the very famous golden visa programs in Europe, it was launched in 2012.

  • You and your family can reside, work, and study in Portugal
  • Visa-free access to the 27 Schengen countries
  • Minimal stay requirement: only 7 days in the first year and 14 days in each two-year period thereafter
  • No maximum age, no education or business experience required
  • No interview or exploratory visit (only biometric appointment)
  • No requirement to live full-time in Portugal
  • After 5 years, eligible to apply for Portuguese citizenship and an EU passport

Recently the government waives the requirement to hold permanent residency before applying for citizenship after completing the 5th year.

There are several ways to obtain a residence permit in Portugal (the investment has to be maintained at least 5 years):

  • The investor has to buy a real property worth 500,000 Euro or more, or buy a real property more than 30 years old in refurbishing area, worth 350,000 Euro or more
  • The investor has to make a capital investment worth 350,000 Euro in research activity or make a capital investment worth 250,000 Euro in reconstruction or refurbishment of national heritage projects or investor make an investment worth 500,000 Euro in Investment fund or venture capital.
  • Create minimum of1 0 jobs.

According to the Portuguese law, any person who has a temporary residence permit (for example Golden visa) for at least 5 years is entitled to obtain permanent residency in Portugal. In addition, the Portuguese law also says that any person, who validly resided in Portugal for 5 years, is entitled to apply for Portuguese citizenship. One of the most attractive issues concerning the golden visa program is that the investor does not need to reside in Portugal. As a result, investor obtains the residence permit and Portuguese citizenship without residing in the country. The holder of Golden Visa does not have to pay taxes in Portugal unless he/she stays in Portugal for more than 183 consecutive days. The services of foreigners and borders (SEF) is a competent authority for issuing Golden Visa.

Normally the application needs several months to be processed (up to 6 months).

Why choose Portugal ?

  • Opportunity to live, study and work in EU member state
  • Amazing culture and history
  • Eligibility to include dependent children and parents
  • Business friendly atmosphere
  • Full family residency
  • Visa free travel in EU and Schengen Area
  • Opportunity to apply for permanent residence permit after 5 years
  • Full access to healthcare and education
  • No mandatory requirement to reside in the country
  • Very low minimum stays requirements (7 days for the first year and 14 days for the next following two years)
  • Can ask for the non-habitual resident status, in order to enjoy low taxes for 10 years

Visa Free

As of 10 July 2018, Portuguese citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 186 Countries.

Updated Rules & Key Changes

In 2023, Portugal introduced the “Mais Habitação” law, which removed real estate investment and direct capital transfer options from the Golden Visa qualifying routes. New applications now must use fund investments, research, cultural sponsorships, or business/entrepreneurship options instead.

Existing investors who qualified under the old real estate rules (before October 2023) can continue renewing their Golden Visas under the grandfathering provisions.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

  • Be a non-EU / non-EEA national
  • Be at least 18 years old
  • Maintain clean criminal records in home country and Portugal
  • Prove the legal origin of their investment funds
  • Commit to the qualifying investment route for the required duration
  • Comply with the minimal physical presence requirement

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