Requirements for obtaining the Golden Visa Who is eligible for the Golden Visa?Īny third-country national-meaning anyone except Portuguese and EU/EFTA citizens-can apply for the Golden Visa after completing a suitable investment into Portugal. While a conservative government introduced the program in 2012, the current socialist coalition government has even expanded the program since seizing power at the end of 2015.īy far the leading share of Golden Visas have been issued to Chinese nationals (although their share has been declining recently), followed by Brazilian, South African, Turkish, and Russian citizens. That’s great news for prospective investors, as the program has broad support from nearly all political parties in Portugal.
As of this writing, the total investment into Portugal as a direct result of the program has reached a whopping €4,851,321,701. While the program has benefited more than 6,500 foreign investors so far, it has also been beneficial for the Portuguese economy. What’s unique about the permit is that the investor only has to spend about seven days per year in Portugal to maintain the residency, while still reaping all the benefits of being an EU resident-including visa-free travel in the entire Schengen area. With this lengthy intro out of the way, let’s get started! History of the Portuguese Golden VisaĮstablished in 2012, Portugal’s Golden Residence Permit Program (ARI) enables non-EU/EEA citizens to obtain a special residence permit in exchange for a 5-year investment in Portugal. In any case, I will only recommend products that I believe are the best fit for my readers. Also, by signing up for certain services through links or introduction forms in this article you help support my work as I’ll get a small referral fee. Do your own due diligence before taking any action. That being said, I want to make clear that I’m neither a lawyer nor a financial advisor, and no information in this article is to be taken as legal or financial advice. I’ve also met with dozens of professionals, including fund managers, real estate developers, lawyers, and immigration consultants-all in an effort to identify the best available paths to Portugal’s Golden Visa, and keeping this article up-to-date. That’s why, when writing this extensive handbook about the Portuguese Golden Visa, I enlisted the help of Alexander Dumont dos Santos-an independent lawyer with several years of experience assisting clients with their Golden Visa applications. Unfortunately, the information you find when searching about the Portuguese Golden Visa is often unreliable, biased, or out-of-date.