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Portugal golden visa

Overview

The Portugal Golden Visa is a residence-by-investment program that lets non-EU investors live, work, and study in Portugal. You qualify with one of two investments: EUR 500,000 into qualifying Portuguese investment funds, held for at least 5 years with a minimum 60% placed in commercial companies headquartered in Portugal, or a EUR 200,000 donation in low-density areas for national cultural heritage. The first residence permit lasts 2 years and renews in 2-year periods. Physical presence runs to an average of 7 days a year, or 14 days every two years, with at least 7 days in the first year. There is no language, education, or work experience requirement. You can include a spouse or common law partner, dependent children, dependent parents, and in some cases minor siblings and parents-in-law. The visa gives visa-free travel in the Schengen Area, with pathways to permanent residency after 5 years and citizenship after 7 to 10 years under separate law. The processing timeline is 12 to 24 months.

Benefits

  1. Dependents include: (1) spouse or common law partner; (2) dependent children (dependency must be evidenced if over 18, established on first application and on each renewal); (3) dependent parents (dependency must be evidenced if under 65, established on first application and on each renewal); (4) dependent minor siblings in certain circumstances; and (5) dependent parents-in-law
  2. Member of the Schengen Area and the EU
  3. Right to live, work, and study in Portugal
  4. Pathways to obtaining Permanent Residency in Portugal after 5 years and Portuguese Citizenship after 7 to 10 years under separate law (both subject to conditions, including a language test)
  5. High standard of education and healthcare system
  6. Visa-free travel within the Schengen Area
  7. No language, education, or work experience requirements
  8. Short physical residency requirement of an average of seven days a year (or 14 days every 2 years), with at least 7 days in the first year

Requirements

  1. Be over 18 years of age and a Non-EU/EEA citizen
  2. Make a qualifying investment in Portugal using funds from abroad
  3. Hold the investment for a minimum of 5 years after issue of the residence permit
  4. Have no debt to Portuguese authorities
  5. Have a clean criminal record
  6. Not have entered or stayed illegally in Portugal or the EU
  7. Obtain a tax identification number and open a bank account in Portugal

Investment options

  1. Option 1: EUR 500,000 investment into qualifying Portuguese Investment Funds
  2. Must be held for at least 5 years after receiving the residence permit
  3. Minimum 60% of the investments realized in commercial companies headquartered in Portugal
  4. Option 2: EUR 200,000 donation in low-density areas by way of capital transfer, applied in investment or support to artistic production, recovery, or maintenance of the national cultural heritage, through qualified public entities or private foundations with public utility status
  5. Investment to be maintained until receiving Permanent Residency or Citizenship

The application process

Process (12 to 24 months)

  • Obtain a tax identification number in Portugal
  • Open a bank account in Portugal
  • Complete the qualifying investment
  • Meet all application documentation requirements
  • Submit the application to the Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum (AIMA)
  • Upon approval, the applicant and dependents visit Portugal for biometric submission before the residence permits are issued
  • The residence permit is valid for 2 years, renewable every 2 years subject to: (1) maintaining the investment, (2) complying with physical residence requirements, and (3) maintaining all initial requirements

Frequently asked questions

Does the applicant's family also benefit from the Portugal Golden Visa?

Yes. The application can include a spouse, including a de facto partner; minor or incapable children in the care of one of the spouses, including legally adopted children; children aged 18 and over who are financially dependent on one of the spouses, provided they are unmarried and studying at a recognized teaching establishment; parents of the main applicant or spouse aged 65 and above, or under 65 if financially dependent on one of the spouses; and minor siblings under the custody of the main applicant or spouse. All dependents must keep meeting the initial application requirements, including dependency, to renew their residence permits.

How long is the Portugal Golden Visa valid for?

A successful applicant receives a temporary residence permit for an initial two years, which renews for further two-year periods as long as the minimum residency stay is observed and the investment and other initial requirements are maintained.

Is there a language requirement to apply for the Portugal Golden Visa?

No. A language requirement applies only at the Permanent Residency and Citizenship stage.

Are there any residency requirements for the Portugal Golden Visa?

Yes. The applicant must stay in Portugal a minimum average of seven days per year, or 14 days for each two-year period, and this physical residency requirement applies to each dependent individually. At least 7 days are required in the first year.

What are the investment requirements for the Portugal Golden Visa?

There are two options. Option 1 is a minimum EUR 500,000 investment in Portuguese investment or venture capital funds, with a fund maturity of at least five years and at least 60% of investments allocated to companies headquartered in Portugal. Option 2 is a minimum EUR 200,000 contribution in low-density areas by way of capital transfer, applied to investment in or support of artistic production or the recovery or maintenance of national cultural heritage, made through qualified public entities or private foundations with public utility status.

What are the requirements to renew the Portugal Golden Visa?

To renew, the investor and dependents must keep meeting the conditions in place when the visa was issued, which includes maintaining the qualifying investment, complying with the physical residency requirement, and maintaining all initial requirements. New requirements or changes may apply under the new law, with regulations pending.

Can Portugal Golden Visa holders work in Portugal?

Yes, Holder of Portugal Golden Visa are allowed to work in Portugal

With the Portugal Golden Visa, which countries can the client visit without a visa?

The visa holder can travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

Do applicants need to visit Portugal for the Portugal Golden Visa?

Yes. All applicants must visit Portugal on pre-approval to provide biometrics, and they must also visit a minimum average of seven days per year, or 14 days for each two-year period.

How long does the investor need to keep the investment in Portugal under the Portugal Golden Visa?

The investment must be held for a minimum of 5 years after the residency permit is obtained, or for as long as the investor wants to keep the residence permit, or until they obtain Portuguese Permanent Residency or Citizenship.

Can the investor make other investments in Portugal in addition to the qualifying investment under the Portugal Golden Visa?

Yes. The investor is free to make additional investments or other acquisitions.

Can Portugal Golden Visa holders apply for permanent residence?

Yes. Applications go to Portugal's border agency, now the Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum (AIMA). Under the Foreigners' Law, permanent residency is granted to someone who has held a temporary residence permit, including a Golden Visa, for at least 5 years while meeting the minimum residency requirements; has not been convicted in the last five years of a crime carrying a prison sentence of more than one year; has sufficient means to support themselves and their dependents; has a place of abode in Portugal; and can show knowledge of basic Portuguese.

Can Portugal Golden Visa holders apply for citizenship?

Yes. Portuguese citizenship can be acquired through naturalization by someone who has been a legal resident for at least five years while meeting the minimum stay of an average of seven days per year, or 14 days for each two-year period; has sufficient knowledge of the Portuguese language; and has not been convicted of a crime carrying a prison sentence of more than three years under Portuguese law.

Does Portugal allow dual citizenship?

Yes, Portugal allow dual Citizenship.

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