Golden Visa Portugal

The Portuguese golden visa is a manner of acquiring residency in the country (and in some cases even Portugal citizenship) through investments in real estate for third-country nationals.

Individuals who are interested in immigration to Portugal in 2025 and wish to obtain a golden visa in Portugal can reach out to one of our immigration agents for complete details as well as assistance during the application procedure.

The Golden Visa program has received an important update starting with 2025, following the removal of the option of receiving residency through investments in real estate.

What are the conditions for obtaining the golden visa in 2025?

The residence permit for investment purposes is offered to third-country nationals who are able to make a substantial investment in qualifying investment funds, to support artistic or scientific activities, or for the creation of a new Portuguese company/funding an existing one, with the additional creation of a minimum number of job positions.

Investors interested in applying for a golden visa for Portugal in 2025 can read more about the specific investment amounts below in this article.

The Residence Permit for Investment (ARI) is a temporary residence permit that grants the holder the following rights:

• He/she can enter the country without a residence visa and travel within the Schengen areas without a visa;
• Reside in the country and work in the country, provided that he/she remains in the country for at least 7 days (in the first year) and no less than 14 days in the following years;
• Reunite with family members (have the spouse or children also move to Portugal, for example);
• Apply for permanent residency after five years, under the currently applicable conditions;
• Apply for Portuguese citizenship by naturalization, should the investor qualify with the requirements.

If you do not qualify for a residence permit for investment purposes, short-term residency in Portugal is also possible through other types of visas. Foreign nationals are not conditioned to invest in the country, they can come and work as digital nomads, they can take up regular employment, or they can reunite with their family members. Our team can give more details about the types of temporary and permanent residence permits, their conditions and renewal.

What is the minimum investment amount?

Although investments in real estate are no longer a route to obtain residency in Portugal, third-country investors and entrepreneurs continue to have access to other forms of investment, most notably those in qualifying investment funds.

Below, our immigration experts list the main options currently available to those who apply for a residence permit for investment purposes, which can be referred to as a golden visa for Portugal:

• Create at least 10 jobs in the country;
• Transfer at least EUR 250,000 to support artistic production or the maintenance or recovery of national cultural heritage;
• Capital transfer of at least EUR 500,000 in a qualifying investment fund, such as private equity funds or venture capital funds;
• Capital transfer of at least EUR 500,000 to create a new commercial company registered in Portugal, or to fund an existing registered legal entity; in this case, the condition to create or maintain five permanent job positions is also in place; when maintaining or creating jobs in an existing company, these need to be maintained for at least 3 years;
• Capital transfer of at least EUR 500,000 in scientific or technology research.

The aim of these investments is to contribute to the country’s economic growth (fund subscriptions), preserve Portugal’s rich culture and history (via investments in cultural heritage and art), solidify the country’s position as a science/tech innovator, and contribute to the local economy through job creation and the set up of new businesses.

An option is in place for the optimization of the investment in low-density areas. This is applicable to qualifying investments in cultural heritage and art, as well as science and research investments located in these low-dentist areas.

Investors who wish to make an investment in a particular area can discuss their options with our Portugal immigration agents. Our lawyers can help guide you when selecting the right region and make your selection a strategic one in order to maximize the benefits you can gain under the golden visa in Portugal.

The ARI regime is not applicable to EU, EEA, Swiss or Andora citizens. The investment activity can be performed personally or through a Portuguese company/a company incorporated in another EU state that has a permanent establishment in Portugal.

Foreigners from outside the EU/EEA can also move to the country with a nomad visa for Portugal. This type of permit is especially designed for digital nomads, those who derive their income from activities performed outside of Portugal, through remote business activities. Applicants should note that this is not the same as the visa for passive income (derived from rent or pension).

How can one apply for a golden visa in Portugal?

The applicant is required to first make the investment and then apply for the golden visa in Portugal. The applicant will also need to provide adequate documentation to prove that he has no criminal record and also provide proof that he has medical insurance in the country.

The required documents are as follows:

• passport or another valid travel document;
• evidence of health insurance;
• criminal record extract from the country of origin;
• tax identification number evidence;
• authorization for the consultation of the Portuguese Criminal record;
• statement of compliance with the time and amount requirements;
• tax obligation fulfillment proof (negative debt declaration).

The applicant can also be required to fill in an address and a telephone number, preferably in the national territory. A legal representative can be appointed to handle the application for a residence permit for investment. In this case, the individual acting in this capacity will need to register for this purpose online (using the same portal as the investor would) and follow the guidelines presented as such. Some foreign investors may prefer this method. If so, you can reach out to our Portugal immigration agents who can help during this procedure.

A mandatory online pre-registration is required. When the applicant opts for a family reunification purpose, he will need to create a group profile for application and will need to identify each family member as well as the degree of relationship.

How does one acquire residency through the golden visa program?

When entering into the golden visa program in 2025, the applicant can apply for permanent residency after five years without having to reside in Portugal. The conditions are more flexible than for those who would wish to acquire residency through conventional methods. When using a golden visa, the applicant and the family need to come to Portugal for less than one month every two years in order to renew the golden visa. An immigration lawyer in Portugal who works in our team can give you more details.

The permanent residence permit for investment purposes, including investments in real estate, is subject to case analysis and it is regulated by amendments to a special ordinance. One of our immigration lawyers in Portugal can provide investors with complete details about the legal framework governing this type of visa. Certain fees apply for the issuance of the residence permit for investment activities. Some of these fees are listed below:

–              The fee for the receipt and analysis of the request for granting or renewing the Residence Permit for Investment (ARI), including the receipt and analysis of requests for granting or renewing the permit for family reunification that can be received is € 605 for the online application;

• The fee for granting the residence permit for investment purposes is €6,045 when making an online submission;
• The renewal of a residence permit for investment purposes is €3.023.

Other fees apply for the renewal of the investment activity residence permit as well as for the residence permit for the family members (separate fees are payable by the holder and by the family members). Please keep in mind that these fees can be subject to change.

The permanent residence permit in Portugal, which may be obtained after having held the golden visa in Portugal, is issued once the applicant has made a proper application for long-term resident status and has submitted all of the needed documents. These are the following:

• two identical color photographs and there is a requirement for them to be taken against a blank background allowing for proper identification of the applicant;
• a valid travel document or a certified copy thereof;
• proof of having stable and regular income, sufficient for one’s own subsistence and that of the relatives, without applying for the welfare subsystem in the country;
• proof of accommodation;
• authorization for the authorities to consult the criminal record;
• proof of tax and social security payments;
• proof of having held a temporary residence permit for at least five years;
• proof of having sufficient knowledge of the Portuguese language.

Those who apply for the golden visa in Portugal will need to keep in mind that the language requirement is an important one and, in the five years before they apply for permanent residence, they have several options to present as proof of language proficiency, including: 

• a certificate of eligibility issued by an official Portuguese teaching institution or a private teaching establishment recognized by law;
• the certificate of completing the Basic Portuguese issued by the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training;
• the certificate of completing the Basic Portuguese course and the passing of a test in an Assessment Centre of Portuguese as a foreign language, recognized by the Ministry of Education and Science;
• an alternative is to provide in addition to these a certificate of completing level A” or higher of the Course on Portuguese as Host Language; one of four Portugal immigration lawyers can provide more details on the specific requirements that apply in this case.

Another important condition for obtaining the permanent residence permit in Portugal is for the applicant to not have been subject to a custodian sentence or sentences that individually or jointly exceeded one year of imprisonment in the five years immediately preceding the application for the permit. This is a condition even if the enforcement of the sentence has been suspended (in case of felonious crime).

We invite you to watch the following video about the Golden Visa:

Family reunification under the Portugal golden visa regime

Foreign nationals who apply for the ARI/Golden Visa can also apply simultaneously for family reunification. The family members included herein are the spouse, the minors or incapable children who are in the care of both or one of the spouses, the adopted minors, the adult unmarried child in the care of both or one of the spouses who is attending an educational establishment (regardless of the country), the first degree relative in direct ascending line as well as minor brothers who are in the care of the applicant when this decision is one made by a competent authority and it is also recognized by Portuguese law. we recommend reaching out to one of our Portugal immigration specialists for complete details about the conditions for family reunification under the Golden Visa scheme and in general. 

Lawfully living in the country based on a permanent residence permit allows the foreign national to apply for Portugal citizenship after a number of years.

Population statistics in Portugal 

The Portuguese golden visa scheme is one that attracts many investors and owns its popularity due to its flexibility. Portugal is the country of immigration of choice for many foreign nationals, because of its climate and affordable quality of life. 

Some of the data available on the Golden Residence Permit program over the years is listed below by our team:

• 1009 permits issued in 2018;
• 1810 permits issued in 2018 for family reunification purposes under this scheme;
• 3952 permits issued to immigrants from China, followed by 590 for immigrants from Brazil; the following countries are South Africa, Turkey, and Russia.

Portugal continues to have a positive migration balance, as pointed out by the National Statistical Institute in its most recent report on the country’s demographic situation, issued for the year 2023:

• The country’s total population was estimated at 10,639,726 in 2023, an increase compared to the previous year;
• 189,367 permanent immigrants settled in the country in 2023, which is also an increase compared to 2022;
• 41,393 foreigners decided to acquire Portuguese citizenship in 2023.

Foreign nationals who wish to know more about Portugal’s immigration policy can reach out to our agents. We can provide complete information about the types of visas, including the golden visa, as well as guide investors throughout the application process. Entrepreneurs who are planning on making a significant investment in Portugal can reach out to us for an initial consultation regarding the nature of the planned investment and whether or not it is acceptable to obtain a residence permit for investment purposes.

If you are interested in other matters concerning citizenship in Portugal, our team can answer your questions. Working with a local specialist is advisable and helpful in all cases, even when the applicant is interested in applying for a short-term visa. By being well aware of the entirety of the applicable conditions and steps, you will be able to submit an application that will be processed in the shortest possible time.

For more information on how to obtain a golden visa in Portugal in 2025, we invite you to contact us.