Portugal Golden Visa Approvals: What the AIMA Report Shows

Portugal granted 2,685 Golden Visa residence permits to main applicants in 2025, an increase of 29.0% from the previous year. Including family members, the programme accounted for 6,652 residence permits, up 33.3%. These are among the most relevant findings for investors in AIMA’s latest Migration and Asylum Report.

Released on 22 September 2026, the report covers the 2025 calendar year. It records a foreign resident population approaching 1.6 million, a substantial increase in residence permits granted, and the continuing importance of working-age residents to Portugal’s international community. Building on our analysis of AIMA’s 2024 report, we look at what has changed and what it means for your plans.

Portugal Immigration Statistics: What Changed in 2025?

Nearly 1.6 Million Foreign Residents, with Slower Population Growth

At the end of 2025, Portugal recorded 1,585,854 foreign residents, an increase of 42,157 over the previous year. Annual growth slowed to 2.7%, following 18.3% in 2024. AIMA describes this as a period of stabilisation and consolidation.

Portugal Golden Visa Statistics: More Approvals for Investors and Families

The Portugal Golden Visa, officially known as the residence permit for investment activity (ARI), recorded 604 more main-applicant approvals in 2025 than in 2024. Family figures were equally significant: AIMA granted 3,967 related family reunification permits, an increase of 1,058, bringing the combined total to 6,652.

The United States Leads; the United Kingdom Moves into Third Place

American applicants accounted for approximately 19.9% of all main-applicant approvals. China remained second, while approvals for British applicants increased by 71.4%, moving the United Kingdom from fourth to third place.

Family Planning Remains Central

The number of family permits exceeded the number of main-applicant permits in both years, underlining the family dimension of the Golden Visa. In 2025, family approvals grew even faster than main-applicant approvals: 36.4% compared with 29.0%. For clients, the planning conversation naturally extends to the whole household: who will be included, how residency fits with children’s education, and when family members would like to spend time in Portugal.

AIMA Processing: A Substantial Increase in Permits Granted

Across residence categories, AIMA granted 337,880 new permits in 2025, up from 218,332 in 2024, and reported 189,331 renewals. The agency attributes much of the rise to the completion of accumulated cases, including applications initiated under the former manifestação de interesse system.

The scale of the administrative effort is visible in the figures: 671,273 appointments were scheduled, and 605,890 appointments were completed across AIMA offices and the task force handling pending cases. Keeping documents up to date and preparing for appointments helps ensure an application is ready when it reaches the next stage.

A Predominantly Working-Age International Community

AIMA reports that 84.6% of foreign residents were aged 18–64 in 2025. The largest age group was 18–34, with 668,958 residents. Children aged 0–17 represented 9.1%, while people aged 65 or above accounted for 6.3%.

Brazil remained the largest nationality, with 493,622 residents, followed by Angola with 99,050 and India with 91,405. The prominence of Portuguese-speaking communities sits alongside substantial migration from South Asia, Europe and other regions.

Where Foreign Residents Live: Four Districts Account for 70.3%

Lisbon, Setúbal, Porto and Faro together accounted for 1,114,402 foreign residents, or 70.3% of the national total.

At municipal level, Lisbon had 200,073 foreign residents, followed by Sintra with 98,652, Porto with 60,351, Cascais with 56,383 and Amadora with 55,457. For families choosing where to live, these concentrations provide a useful starting point — Lisbon and its surrounding municipalities, the Porto area and the Algarve all have substantial international communities.

Beyond the Golden Visa: Independent Professionals

The report records 37,656 new permits under independent professional activity in 2025, compared with 5,259 in 2024, and 64,375 residents in that category. For prospective residents, the practical starting point is how you intend to support your life in Portugal.

• The D2 entrepreneur visa — for a business or independent professional activity
• The D7 passive-income visa — for pension or passive income
• The D8 digital nomad visa — for remote workers

What This Means for Your Portugal Residency Plans

The 2025 figures offer three useful starting points:

1. For investors: Golden Visa approvals increased for both main applicants and family members. With stay requirements of only 14 days per 2 years, many families and executives are choosing this route for EU residency and citizenship plans without an immediate change to their current lives. Consider how the programme fits your Plan B and the future you want to build for your family.
2. For people relocating to Portugal: Portugal has a substantial international community, with working-age adults and families making up most foreign residents. Use the regional picture to start exploring where you would like to live.
3. For existing clients: AIMA completed substantially more residence applications in 2025. Applicants who had biometrics in January 2026 are starting to receive their first resident cards. Stay in touch with us about the next step in your case so that documents, appointments and family preparations are coordinated.