Portugal Golden Visa
Portuguese Golden Visa program is Europe’s most successful investment immigration programme targeted at non-EU citizens to obtain EU residency or citizenship.
One of the advantages of the program is the short stay requirement – applicants are not mandated to live in Portugal. The minimum stay requirement is 14 days, consecutive or nonconsecutive, for each 2-year period.
The Benefits of Portugal Golden Visa
Minimal Stay Requirement
14 days, consecutive or nonconsecutive, for each 2-year period.
Family Reunification
Able to include your spouse, children, parents under the same application.
EU Member
Able to live and work in all 27 countries of the EU with Portugal citizenship.
Favorable Tax Scheme
Global income not taxable for non-tax resident. Most global income are not taxable under the NHR scheme for 10 years for tax resident.
5 Years to Citizenship
Able to apply to citizenship or permanent residence after 5 years.
Visa Free Travel
Can travel to more than 180 countries without a travel visa.
Low investment thresholds
The lowest threshold is 280,000€ for property and and 500,000€ for funds.
Resident benefits
Access to free public services such as healthcare and education.
What is Portugal Golden Visa and its requirements?
- Make an eligible investment in Portugal under the Portugal Golden Visa program, with funds from outside of Portugal
- Stay in Portugal for a minimum of 14 days, consecutive or nonconsecutive, for each 2-year period.
- No age requirement
- No eduction requirement
- No work skills requirement
- No income requirement
Who are eligible to apply under the same application (main investor)?
- Spouse
- Children under the age of 18
- Children over 18 that are dependent, enrolled as student and unmarried
- Dependent parents of the applicant or spouse
- Siblings under the age of 18 in the custody of the applicant or spouse
Portuguese Golden Visa – A Snapshot from 2012 – 2023
Over 12037 main applications approved with over 19000 family members.
Investment Options
Over 90% of the applications chose the Property investment route, of those, ~85% chose the 500K option, while ~15% chose the 350K option.
For an in-depth look at the trend of the investment and Golden Visa over the years, please take a look at our recent post here: A Look into 2022 Portugal Golden Visa Total Approvals.
The Golden Visa Portugal is ideal for you if you:
May not be able to live in Portugal in the near future but would like to kick start the process of getting a EU residency or citizenship as soon as possible, or
Want to have the peace of mind that your immigration process wouldn’t be interrupted if any unforeseeable events may hinder your ability to stay in Portugal
Investments qualified for Portugal Golden Visa 2023
The two most popular investment routes of Portugal Golden Visa are property investment and fund investment. Please note that some Golden Visa Portugal regulation changes were announced in early 2021. The new rules of Golden Visa Portugal have came into effect on January 1st, 2022. The major changes are already reflected in the summary below.
Real Estate
500,000+ euros (reduced to 400,000 euros for ‘low density area*).
Documents and general requirements from SEF for 500k real estate investment
OR
350,000 euros including refurbishing fee (reduced to 280,000 euros for ‘low density area*) for building dating back more than 30 years or located in urban regeneration areas that are in needs of refurbishment.
Documents and general requirements from SEF for 350k real estate investment
Portugal Golden Visa – High Density and Low Density areas
Dark green zone – identified as high density areas, mainly coastal areas in the north including Madeira and Azores islands.
Light green zone – identified as low density areas, having less than 100 inhabitants per square km or a per capita GDP of less than 75% of the national average.
Qualifying Areas for Residential Properties from January 1st, 2022 Onwards:
Lisbon, Porto, and most coastal areas will no longer be eligible (the red zone*)
Other continental areas, as well as Azores and Madeira will continue to be eligible (with investment threshold amount unchanged)
- Red zone – residential properties no longer eligible for Portugal Golden Visa
- Yellow zone – residential properties no longer eligible for Portugal Golden Visa with exceptions in some parishes
- Green zone – residential properties are still eligible for Portugal Golden Visa
*Please contact us for more details of the eligibility of areas
Investment Funds
Capital transfer of 500,000 euros or higher to invest in venture capital fund , dedicated to the capitalisation of companies, whose maturity, at the moment of the investment, is at least, of five years and, at least, 60% of the investment is realized in commercial companies with head office in national territory.
For more info on fund investment, please check out the 7 advantages of fund investment for Portugal Golden Visa and the cost comparison of fund and property investment for Golden Visa Portugal and The Biggest Advantage of Investing in Fund for Your Golden Visa
Documents and general requirements from SEF for fund investment
Capital Transfer
Capital transfer with a value equal to or above 1,500,000 euros.
Documents and general requirements from SEF for capital transfer
Job Creation
The creation of, at least, 10 job positions.
Documents and general requirements from SEF for job creation
Invest in Companies
Capital transfer of the amount of 500,000 euros, or higher, for constitution of a commercial society with head office in the national territory, combined with the creation of five permanent working jobs, or for the reinforcement of the share capital of a commercial society with head office in national territory, already existing, with the creation or keeping of working jobs, with a minimum of five permanent jobs, and for a minimum period of three years.
Documents and general requirements from SEF for investing in company.
Invest in Research Activities
Capital transfer with a value equal to or above 500,000 euros for investing in research activities conducted by public or private scientific research institutions involved in the national scientific or technologic system.
Documents and general requirements from SEF for investing in research activities
Invest in Arts and Heritage
Capital transfer with a value equal to or above 250,000 euros for investing in artistic output or supporting the arts, for reconstruction or refurbishment of the national heritage, through the local and central authorities, public institutions, public corporate sector, public foundations, private foundations of public interest, networked local authorities, local corporate sector organisations, local associations and public cultural associations, pursuing activities of artistic output, and reconstruction or maintenance of the national heritage.
Documents and general requirements from SEF for investing in arts and heritages
Portugal’s Golden Visa Application Procedures
After you have decided that Portugal’s Golden Visa is your ideal choice, you might want to get more information on the investment options, and to start preparing for the application. Below is an outline of the procedures for applying for the Golden Visa, step-by-step, to give you an idea of the process. We understand there are major decisions to be made here, and dealing in Portuguese may make things more complicated, trust us that The Golden Portugal team is here to help you along the way.
All steps and processes (except step 7) can be carried out remotely and you do not need to come to Portugal.
- Initial consultation
Get an initial consultation of your specific case and the investment options that suit your needs - Investment options
We will source and recommend the appropriate investment options based on your requirements - NIF & bank account
We will apply a taxpayer ID number (NIF) for you and your family, and introduce you to a bank manager for account opening. - Make the investment
You will transfer the fund to your Portuguese bank account and make the investment. The investment procedures will differ depending on the investment options you choose. - Personal documents. You will need to gather all necessary documents for the SEF submission. We will guide you on along the way and work with the appropriate parties to get the necessary documents (eg. bank manger, fund manager, etc)
- Online application submission. The lawyer will submit your application with the documents online to Foreigners and Borders Service (Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras “SEF”). You will need to pay the visa processing fee at this moment.
- Biometrics. After initial approval from the SEF, an appointment will be arranged with SEF to collect your biometrics info (finger prints, photo). You will need to submit the original documents of the application.
- Approval and residence cards. Once the application is approved, you will need to pay the issuance fee for Golden Visa to the government. We will collect your residence cards on your behalf and send them to you. Your 5 years of Golden Visa residency counts from the date shown on your initial card.
Portugal’s Golden Visa Application Timeline
How long does it take to apply for the Golden Visa?
The preparation for the submission of the first application typically takes around 3 months from step 1 to 6 (online application submission), and varies depending on investment types and the time to gather all the necessary personal documents.
When will I get my first residence card?
- You will get your pre-approval around 3 months after your online application （as of May 2022, it is taking around 6 months for pre-approval, for those who have submitted in November 2021).
- SEF will notify for making biometric appointments
- SEF will give the final approval
- You will receive your residence card in several months
Renewal needs to be done 30 – 90 days before the expiry of the current residence card.
Documents Requirements for Portugal Golden Visa
Documents to be obtained in your country of origin
- Valid passport
- Criminal record certificate for each applicant who is over 16 years old, issued by the country in which the applicant has most recently resided for a minimum of a year.
- Proof of residence, such as a copy of the driving licence, a recent utility bill or of a recent bank statement for the main applicant.
- Documentary evidence of the eligibility of family member applicants, e.g. a marriage certificate for the spouse, birth certificates for the children (plus marital status certificate and proof of enrolment as students if over 18 years old) and birth certificates for the applicants having dependent parents (plus certificates of no income for the latter if under 65).
*Most documents need to be apostilled or legalized in the nearest Portuguese consulate
*Documents not in Portuguese need to be translated and certified by a Portuguese consulate-accredited translator or by a Portuguese lawyer.
*Bank account opening has another set of documents requirements
Documents to be obtained in Portugal
- Applicant’s permission for the authorities to access his/her Portuguese criminal record.
- A Portuguese tax identification number (note that you must appoint a local tax representative in order to obtain it).
- Certificate of no debts from the Portuguese tax and national insurance offices.
- Signed statement by the applicant that he/she will fulfil the investment requirements.
- Evidence that the minimum investment has been made (this consists of a certificate issued by the appropriate registry office and, where applicable, a letter from a local bank confirming the transfer of the required funds).
- Receipt of payment of the application fee
Articles on Portugal Golden Visa
There is currently an intention expressed by the Portuguese Government to terminate the Golden Visa program in 2023.
