Portugal Golden Visa (Residence by Investment)
Also known as: Portugal Golden Visa · Portuguese A-Residence · Portugal investment residence
What it grants
Two-year renewable residence permit in Portugal (plus Schengen travel) for qualifying investors and family. Not citizenship.
Competent authority: SEI / Portuguese Ministry of Justice
Research cutoff 2026-09-21 · 3 source references. Recheck material facts with the listed primary publishers before acting.
Quick answers
Answer-first summary from the source-dated record. Each answer is a research reference, not a personal eligibility decision.
- What does this route grant?
- Two-year renewable residence permit in Portugal (plus Schengen travel) for qualifying investors and family. Not citizenship.
- What is the published entry point?
- 250,000 EUR through Cultural support. This is not the total family or professional cost.
- Is physical presence required?
- Seven days in the first year and fourteen days in subsequent two-year periods under AIMA's current FAQ.
- Can family be included?
- Spouse (or de facto partner), minor dependent children, and dependent parents where dependency is proven.
- Does it lead to citizenship?
- Separate application: for applications after 19 May 2026, seven years for nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries or EU member states and ten for others; already-pending applications keep the previous wording.
This route fits if…
- High-net-worth individuals seeking EU residence without full-time relocation
- Families wanting Schengen access with low physical presence
- Investors preferring asset-backed (not donation) EU routes
Needs professional review
- Whether your chosen option meets current thresholds
- Dependant definitions for your family (ages, relationships)
- Presence counting for your PR / naturalization cohort
- Source-of-funds outcomes
01Summary
Portugal's ARI grants temporary residence for qualifying activities including job creation, scientific research, cultural support, eligible non-real-estate funds, and qualifying company capitalization with jobs. New real-estate and simple capital-transfer applications were removed in 2023.
The route is residence-based: it does not grant Portuguese or EU citizenship. Citizenship is a separate application with its own qualifying period — materially changed by the May 2026 nationality-law amendment (7 / 10 years by cohort).
AIMA states a minimum stay of seven days in the first year and fourteen days in subsequent two-year periods. PR and naturalization use separate tests — never treat them as one number.
02Investment options
Investment fund
500,000 EUR min · Maintain for the statutory minimum period and under the fund termsAt least €500,000 in eligible non-real-estate Portuguese investment or venture-capital fund units meeting the statutory maturity and allocation rules.
Scientific research
500,000 EUR min · Maintain the qualifying activityAt least €500,000 applied to eligible scientific research activity; a lower low-density threshold may apply.
Cultural support
250,000 EUR min · Per the qualifying instrumentAt least €250,000 applied to eligible artistic production or national cultural heritage support; a lower low-density threshold may apply.
Company capitalization and jobs
500,000 EUR min · Maintain the qualifying jobs and investment for the required periodAt least €500,000 to create or reinforce a Portuguese company together with the statutory permanent-job requirement.
03Eligibility
- Qualifying investment at the current minimum
- Clean criminal record (apostilled, translated)
- Lawful source of funds
- Health insurance
- No inadmissibility grounds
04Family & dependents
Spouse (or de facto partner), minor dependent children, and dependent parents where dependency is proven.
- Spouse / de facto partner
- Minor dependent children
- Dependent parents
05Physical presence
Presence is defined per rule dimension below — each with its own counting method. There is no single universal "days per year" number.
Permit renewal
~7 daysSeven days in the first year and fourteen days in subsequent two-year periods under AIMA's current FAQ.
Counting method: First year; 14 days in each later two-year period.
Permanent residence
~138 days5 years continuous legal residence; absence tolerance per consolidated law.
Counting method: Annual presence for 'continuous residence'; PR-specific.
06Timeline & duration
Complete clean files are commonly processed within several months; document legalisation often dominates the total. Not a guaranteed date.
Typical: 4–9 months end-to-end (2026 reference) · Duration: 2-year permit, renewable in 3-year periods; PR at 5 years.
- Renew each card cycle (2 yrs, then 3 yrs)
- Maintain qualifying investment
- Track absence limits
07Costs
Official fees are small vs. the investment; professional and due-diligence costs dominate the service side. Investment capital is at risk, not a fee.
| Component | Basis | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Illustrative fund / research / company threshold | Investment capital | 500,000 EUR |
Government charges, investment capital, professional fees and other costs are separate. Figures are research references, not quotes; verify them with the responsible authority and qualified professional before acting.
Currency conversions use a reference EUR→USD rate of 1.08 as of 2026-09-19. All program amounts are stated in official currencies; verify current rates before budgeting.
08Documentation
Valid passport (all holders)
primary
Criminal record certificate
primary — Apostilled + translated; 6-month recency.
Proof of qualifying investment
primary
Proof of source of funds
primary
Marriage certificate
spouse — Apostilled, translated.
Birth certificate
child — Apostilled, translated.
Proof of dependency
parent — Financial evidence.
09Path to PR & citizenship
Permanent residence
Yes — after 5 years of continuous legal residence (subject to absence rules).
Citizenship
Separate application: for applications after 19 May 2026, seven years for nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries or EU member states and ten for others; already-pending applications keep the previous wording.
10Risks & refusals
- Investment principal at market risk
- Threshold/options have changed before and may again
- Presence-counting errors break continuity
- Source-of-funds failure → refusal/delay
- Excessive presence can create tax residence
11Rule versions tracked
Law changes create cohorts — the version in force when you first acquired your permit or filed may govern your case. Both open and closed versions stay on record.
pt-gv-v2026.052026-05-19 – presentactiveCurrent consolidated rule set after the May 2026 nationality-law amendment.
- Naturalization: 7-year (PT-speaking/EU-EEA) vs 10-year (others) qualifying periods
- Transitional provisions for pending nationality proceedings
- RBI thresholds unchanged for this version
pt-gv-v2023.102023-10-01 – 2026-05-18closedPre-amendment rule set (5-year naturalization basis for many applicants).
- Historical 5-year citizenship benchmark
- Retained for cohort comparison only
12Sources of record
Effective 19 May 2026.
Current application, renewal and minimum-stay guidance.
Draft next-review date: 2026-10-21. A listed link and checked date do not certify that a rule is current. Recheck material facts with the responsible authority and a qualified professional before acting.