One of the world’s most popular residency-by-investment programs, Portugal’s Golden Visa program gives you, as well as your spouse and dependent children, the right to residency in Portugal for five years, the ability to apply for permanent residency after 5 years and citizenship after 6 years without the need to reside in Portugal.
Possibly one of the most attractive things about Portugal’s Golden Visa program is that the applicant and their family need only visit for two weeks every two years in order to renew the Portuguese Golden Visa, and citizenship can be granted without the applicant having resided in the country.
Citizenship of Portugal and a second passport conveys the right to live, work and study anywhere in the European Union, and the Portuguese residency card granted through the Golden Visa program allows the holder to travel freely throughout the EU Schengen zone.
Investors having acquired residency through the Golden visa program will need to demonstrate ties to the country and pass a basic language test.
Sample breakdown of costs and fees of a Golden Visa Investment:
Golden Visa – Initial Application
(Investor + 3 family members):
Initial Submission Fee: €782,00
Initial Approval Fee: €21 298,40
Total: €22 080,40
Golden Visa – renewals
(per renewal – Investor + 3 family members):
Initial Submission Fee: €782,00
Renewal approval Fee: €10 649,20
Total: €11 431,20
Property purchase
(example for 1 residential property):
Price: €500 000,00
IMT (Transfer Tax): €28 964,75
Stamp Duty: €4 000,00
Notary & Registration Costs: €2 000,00
Total: €539 964,75
Golden Visa Steps and Procedures
Acquisition of the property or properties
Signature of the Promissory Contract and Provisional Registration
Upload all required documents to SEF’s platform
Payment of the Immigration Office application fee (€ 532.70 for the investor plus € 83.10 for each family member)
Validation of the application by the Immigration Office
Online scheduling of an appointment for biometrics
Visit of the whole family to the Immigration Office for biometrics appointment and delivery of original documents
Approval of the Golden Visa application
Payment of the Immigration Office’s approval fees (€ 5,324.60 per applicant) and issuing of residency cards
