The Portuguese Golden Visa is the most successful residency and citizenship by investment programme, in Europe.

Golden Visa residency permits allow investors and their families to hold a European residence permit within six months and travel throughout the Schengen Area without any additional documentation. After completing the 5-year Golden Visa Program, the investor becomes eligible to apply for Portuguese citizenship and a Portuguese passport.

Golden Visa Portugal

Since 2012, the Portuguese Golden Visas have been granted to approximately 10,700 applicants and an additionally 17,700 have been extended to their family members.

Introduction

The Portuguese Golden Visa Programme can be extended to non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens to obtain EU citizenship and/or residency.

The Portuguese Golden Visa is the most successful residency and citizenship by investment programme, in Europe.

The golden visa residency authorization is provided by the Portuguese Borders and Foreign Agency (SEF) and provides the investor and his/her family to hold a European residence authorization within 6 months and travel across all the Schengen Area, without providing any additional documentation.

The investor becomes eligible to apply for the Portuguese Citizenship and Portuguese Passport after the 5th year of the Golden Visa Program.

According to Passport Index 2024, the Portuguese Passport is currently in the 4th position in the Global Passport Ranking.

From the moment that the Portuguese Passport is obtained, the Investor and his/her family will be allowed to live, work and study, without having to provide visa applications and extra documentation, anywhere within the European Union.

Benefits

The Investment residence visa is favorable, flexible and extended to all dependent family members.

Family reunification

Family Reunification allows the main investor’s spouse, children, and dependent parents to be incorporated in the same Golden Visa application.

Minimal stay

Minimal Stay requires 7 days on average, per year, in Portuguese territory.

Travel freely

Travel freely across the Schengen Area without any further documentation.

Portuguese passport

Portuguese passport, allows travelling across 186 countries without the hassle of visa application and extra documentation.

Favorable taxation

Favorable taxation for non-habitual residents (NHR), exemption of Wealth tax and foreign income tax.

4 Options to choose from

4 option to choose succeeding the 5 year mandatory Golden Visa period.

Types of Investments

Funds

 

Within the Golden Visa Portugal Programme, as of November 2018, both Private Equity Funds and Venture Capital Funds are now eligible for Investment.

The Portuguese Securities Market Commission (CMVM) regulates investment funds completely (Portuguese Securities Market Commission).

Since January 2022, a minimum investment of €500,000 was required to invest in private equity or venture capital funds for Golden Visa purposes.

A Fund to be eligible for the Portuguese Golden Visa must invest at least 60% of its funds in Portuguese companies.

There are currently funds eligible for the Golden Visa Programme that specialize in specific sectors, such as residential, retail, technology, agriculture, and others, while others are opportunistic and multi-sectoral in nature. 

KNOW MORE

Extended Family Eligibility

 

  • Spouse
  • Children under 18 years old
  • Children under 25 years old, enrolled as full-time student
  • Children over 18 years old that are dependent, enrolled as student and unmarried
  • Siblings under 18 years old in the custody of the applicant or spouse
  • Dependent parents of the applicant or spouse
+INFO

Application Requirements

 

  • Make an eligible investment in Portugal
  • Stay in Portugal for a minimum of14 days, consecutive or non-consecutive, for each 2-year period
  • NO age requirement
  • NO education requirement
  • NO work skills requirement
  • NO income requirement

 

Documents to be obtained in your country:

  • Valid passport and, if applicable, a valid Schengen Visa for each applicant.
  • Criminal record certificate for each applicant who is over 16 years old, issued by the country in which the applicant has most recently reside for the minimum of a year.
  • Proof of residence issued in less than 3 months, such as a copy of the driving license, a recent utility bill or a recent bank statement for the main applicant.
  • Proof of professional occupation of the main applicant, such as letter issued by the employer or a payment slip, employment contract, annual income declaration issued by the employer.
  • Documentation proof for the eligibility of family members application (marriage certificate for the spouse, birth certificate for the children, proof of enrolment as students if over18 years old and birth certificates for the applicants having dependent parents in addition to provide evidence of no income if the parent are under 65 years old).

  • Tax Identification Number from the country of origin.

Documents to be obtained in Portugal:

  • Portuguese tax identification number (The applicant must appoint a tax representative in order to obtain the tax identification number).
  • Certificate of no debts from Portuguese tax and national insurance offices and provide proof of no Portuguese criminal record.
  • Signed statement by the applicant proving the investment fulfilment requirements.
  • Evidence that the minimum investment has been made (Document issued by the appropriate registry office and, if applicable, a letter from a local bank confirming the transfer of required funds).
  • Receipt of payment of the application fee.

Regarding documents obtained in your country: Please note, most documents need to be apostilled or legalized in the nearest Portuguese consulate or by an apostille of Hague convention. Additionally, documents not in Portuguese are required to be translated by a Portuguese consulate accredited translator or by a Portuguese lawyer.

Regarding documents obtained in Portugal: Power of Attorney with the necessary powers to represent the investor before the Portuguese Tax Offices, dully legalized by the Portuguese Embassy, with the Hague Apostille or prudentially by a Portuguese Lawyer or Notary. Proof of health Insurance (if the investor have been living in Portugal for 1 year or more). The Bank’s compliance department might ask for further documents for the opening of the Bank Account. All the aforementioned documents must be either in Portuguese or English.

Process

Government Fees

There is an initial fee per application charged by the Portuguese government to the Main Investor and to every applicant under his/her application. The residence permit issue fee is also charged per applicant. You can find the transcript of fees per stage of application in the table below.

Golden Visa Government Fees