PORTUGAL GOLDEN VISA - THE PORTUGEESE RESIDENCY BY INVESTMENT
The Portugal residence by investment program was first introduced in 2012. The Portugal Golden Residency program rapidly became a popular path towards European residence for wealthy foreigners. Approved applicants receive temporary residence totaling 5 years, after which the investor can apply for permanent residence. After 6 years of living in the country, they become eligible for Portugal citizenship. The Portuguese passport is one of the world’s best, with visa-free travel to the U.S. and freedom of movement across Europe. The Portugal tax regime is also very advantageous to non-domiciled individuals as they are not liable for their foreign income. Alternatively, investors may also consider the Greece golden visa program.
Location
Europe
Population
10.3 million
Capital
Lisbon
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Language
Portuguese
Investment Amounts
- Golden Visa – Capital transfer option
- Golden Visa – Real Estate option
- Golden Visa – Job creation option
- Golden Visa – Artistic option
- Golden Visa – Research option
| Investment amount | 1m EUR or 500,000 EUR if made in a specified way |
| Application fees | 517.40 EUR |
| Residence Permit fees | 5274.40 EUR for adults and 2637.20 EUR for minors; renewal 2637.20 EUR for adults and 1318.60 EUR for minors |
| Investment amount | 500,000 EUR or 400,000 if made in sparsely populated territories or 350,000 EUR if made in a specified way |
| Application fees | 517.40 EUR |
| Residence Permit fees | 5274.40 EUR for adults and 2637.20 EUR for minors; renewal 2637.20 EUR for adults and 1318.60 EUR for minors |
| Investment amount | Create 10 jobs |
| Application fees | 517.40 EUR |
| Residence Permit fees | 5274.40 EUR for adults and 2637.20 EUR for minors; renewal 2637.20 EUR for adults and 1318.60 EUR for minors |
| Investment amount | 250,000 EUR or 200,000 if made in sparsely populated territories |
| Application fees | 517.40 EUR |
| Residence Permit fees | 5274.40 EUR for adults and 2637.20 EUR for minors; renewal 2637.20 EUR for adults and 1318.60 EUR for minors |
| Investment amount | 350,000 EUR or 280,000 if made in sparsely populated territories |
| Application fees | 517.40 EUR |
| Residence Permit fees | 5274.40 EUR for adults and 2637.20 EUR for minors; renewal 2637.20 EUR for adults and 1318.60 EUR for minors |
Application Process
Stage 1 Month 1
Gather documents and make an investment. Submit application to the SEF along with application fees.
Stage 2 Month 2
The authority issues a confirmation that the application has been received and processed with due diligence.
Stage 3 Month 5
The SEF approves the application; the applicant is required to visit Portugal to have his biometrics taken. The residence permit is provided for a length of 1 year; this must be renewed for 2-year permits after that.
Benefits
- Physical presence in Portugal only for a period of 7 or more days in the first year, and 14 or more days in following years
- No tax on foreign income for non-domiciled
- Can apply for citizenship after 6 years
- Applicants can bring their parents and children who are students
- Right to travel within the Schengen area
Requirements
- Provide a police report and be of good character
- Possess health insurance
- Document proving a lack of debt to Portuguese authorities
- Investment must be held for 5 years for renewals
Does Portugal offer citizenship by investment?
Investors can apply for citizenship in Portugal after 5 years. Unlike other golden visas in Europe, there is no requirement of having lived in Portugal in order to apply for citizenship. However, investors must prove ties to Portugal and pass a language test. For this reason, citizenship investors may instead consider actual citizenship by investment programs, such as the Vanuatu citizenship in the South Pacific, St. Lucia citizenship in the Caribbean, or the Malta citizenship in the EU.