Portugal Golden Visa

There are many benefits to moving to Portugal including the beautiful coastlines, friendly people, vibrant food, and sunny weather.

Under the Golden Visa Scheme, foreign nationals can benefit from additional perks which include the following:

• Qualifying for residency with one of the lowest investment thresholds in Europe
• Maintaining a residence permit without having to live full-time in Portugal. Golden visa holders can keep their Portuguese residence permits by only staying in the country for at least an average 7 days a year
• Foreign nationals can apply for Portuguese citizenship after 5 years of holding a Golden Visa (this is one of the quickest pathways to citizenship in Europe)
• Visa-free travel to 188 countries once the visa holder becomes a Portuguese citizen and acquires a Portuguese passport

In addition to these benefits, Portugal offers a favorable tax regime and allows visa holders to travel freely in the European Schengen visa zone without needing additional travel permits or visas.

Individuals who are not citizens of the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA), or Switzerland are welcome to apply for a Portuguese Golden Visa.

All applicants must be at least 18 years old and have no major criminal offenses in their home countries and/or Portugal. Furthermore, the funds used for investment should originate from outside of Portugal.

In addition, Golden Visa applicants will need to make a qualifying investment in one of the following categories:

• Real Estate – recent changes mean any investment properties must be in the Autonomous Regions of the Azores and Madeira or in the interior territories. Properties outside of these areas will not be eligible to support Golden Visa applications.
• A venture capital fund
• Transfer of capital
• Company formation
• Donation

It should be noted that the minimum investment required for a Portuguese Golden Visa is €500,000, although most applicants invest more.

If approved for a Portuguese Golden Visa, visa holders will have up to 4 months in Portugal to apply for a Portuguese residence permit.

To obtain a residency permit, foreign nationals will need to apply for a permit at the Portuguese Immigration and Borders Service known as Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (SEF) in Portuguese.

The initial residence permit will be valid for 2 years. During this time, the Golden visa holder will need to spend at least 14 days in the country during that time (at least 7 days per year).

Residence permits can be renewed and will be valid for an additional 3 years. During these 3 years, the visa holder must spend at least 21 days in Portugal (7 days per year) in order to satisfy Portuguese Golden Visa residency requirements.

To apply for a Portugal Golden Visa, all applicants must go through a series of application steps which are as follows:

Register your Golden Visa Application online

Applicants can go on to the Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (SEF) and register their Golden Visa application at the ARI Portal. Golden Visa applicants can apply themselves or use legal representation if they choose. Before visa applicants begin their Golden Visa application, they should decide which type of investment they will proceed with.

Submit the necessary supporting documents

As part of the visa application, all Golden visa applicants will need to submit a variety of supporting documents with their application. These documents will need to be uploaded in PDF format (max. 4 MB). If dependent family members are included in the visa application, the applicant will need to submit evidence of a relationship with these dependents.

Finish up the visa application

At this point of the application stage, applicants will need to finish up tying up any loose ends with their Golden Visa application. This may include paying the visa application fees and finalizing the investments in Portugal. When this is all done, you can then submit your application in full online through the ARI portal.

Interview and Biometrics Appointment with SEF

After you have submitted your application form along with all the necessary paperwork, you will then be asked to book an appointment with SEF for an interview and to submit biometric information for yourself and any dependent family members who will be sponsored on the Golden Visa. It should be noted that most applicants wait around 2 months to receive confirmation from SEF and to proceed with scheduling a biometrics appointment.

Receiving your Golden Visa

If approved for a Golden Visa, you can then travel to Portugal and apply for a residence permit. Applicants usually wait around 4 months after their biometrics appointment to receive notification from SEF that their visa application has been approved.

Golden Visas can be renewed after 2 years if the visa holder maintains both the residency and investment requirements necessary.

Applicants will need to submit the following documents along with their Portugal Golden visa application:

• A valid passport or another valid government-issued travel document (these documents must be valid for at least 6 months)
• 2 passport photos (these must meet Portuguese visa photo standards)
• Proof that the visa applicant has health insurance (either confirmation that the applicant is enrolled in the National Health System in Portugal or has health care coverage from an international insurance company)
• Criminal records from the applicant’s current country of residence. These must be issued within 3 months of the Golden Visa application.
• A written and sworn declaration by the applicant that he/she will maintain their investment in Portugal for at least 5 years
• Receipt of payment of the visa application fee (this must be printed from the ARI portal)
• Completed authorization form for SEF to access criminal records in Portugal
• Any documents demonstrating a good standing with the Portuguese Tax and Customs Authority & Social Security system (This must be issued within 45 days of Golden visa application)
• Proof of investment in Portugal

All documents submitted will need to have been issued within 3 months from the start of the Golden Visa application.

Important documents that are not from a Portuguese entity will need to be legalized with an apostille (if from a country that is part of the Hague convention) or legalized at the nearest Portuguese Embassy.

Documents that are not in English or Portuguese will need to be accompanied by certified translations.

These translations will need to be notarized. If you are unclear about the paperwork needed to support your Golden Visa application you may wish to seek the advice of an immigration expert.

The evidence which you will be required to provide regarding your investment in Portugal will be dependent on the type of investment you have made.

Evidence of real estate investment

If you have decided to invest in Portuguese real estate, you may need to submit the following documents as part of your Golden visa application:

• A deed or promissory sale agreement of the property bought. This must be accompanied by proof of a deposit payment
• A Land Register Certificate proving that you have ownership of the property
• Any evidence issued by the appropriate authorities that prove the property acquired is in a regeneration area in Portugal (if applicable)

Evidence of Investment Fund

If the Golden visa applicant has decided to invest in a Portuguese investment fund, then he/she will then need to submit proof of subscription from the fund management company.

Evidence of Capital transfer investment

If the applicant has decided to invest in Portugal by transferring their wealth into Portugal, then he/she will need to submit a declaration from a Portuguese financial institution that the applicant has deposited at least €1 million into their Portuguese bank account.

Evidence of Company Investment

Applicants who have decided to invest in or start a Portuguese business will need to submit the following:

• Evidence that the business has generated at least 10 new jobs
• Declaration from a Portuguese bank proving that the applicant has deposited the required capital necessary for company investment
• Employment contracts for each employee of the Portuguese business
• An extract from the register of companies ( if the applicant is a shareholder)

Evidence of donation

If the applicant would like to invest in the arts or scientific research in Portugal by making a donation, then they will be required to submit the following documents:

• A declaration from a registered Portuguese bank proving that the applicant has deposited the required capital
• A declaration supporting that a donation was made to a public or private scientific research institution (if donating to research)
• A declaration from the Portuguese Strategy, Planning, and Cultural Assessment Office (if donating to the arts). This document must also provide evidence that the assessment office has consulted with the appropriate authorities in their investment sector.

If you have any questions regarding what financial evidence is needed or what will be accepted, contact an immigration attorney who is experienced in the Portuguese immigration system.

In addition to investment and legal fees associated with applying for a Golden Visa, all applicants will be responsible for the following fees associated with their application:

• Golden visa processing fee: €533 per applicant ( €83 for each dependent being sponsored in the application)
• Initial Golden visa application fee: €5,325
• Renewal application fee: €2,663
• Certified translations and notarization: costs will vary

Applicants who are renewing their Golden visas will need to pay both the renewal fee and visa processing fee.

Golden visa holders will be responsible for paying the taxes related to their investment in Portugal if it generates an income.

However, golden visa holders who spend more than 183 days of the fiscal year in Portugal will become tax residents in Portugal and will therefore be subject to the Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) Tax program.

For example, foreign investors who acquire real estate in Portugal will need to pay real estate acquisitions taxes, annual local taxes, and even rental income taxes if the property is rented out.

Local tax rates for property owners in Portugal are known as Imposto Municipal Sobre Imoveis (IMI) and usually range in price from 0.3%-0.8% depending on the property.

Rental property taxes are higher with a 28% flat tax rate however all costs related to maintenance, repair, and IMI may be deducted from the rental tax amount. Of course, if the property owner decides to sell their property for a profit, the sale will be subject to a capital gains tax if the property was acquired or purchased after 1998.

Through the NHR program, Portuguese tax residents are offered certain tax benefits such as tax exemption from almost all of the tax resident’s foreign source income and a 20% flat rate for certain professions.

For more information about the benefits of the Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) tax program, speak with an experienced Portuguese attorney today by calling: +1 844 290 6312

Part of the requirements for the Golden Visa program is that foreign investors make their investments from a Portuguese bank account.

Fortunately, opening a bank account in Portugal is fairly easy for non-residents and foreign nationals. To open an account, the foreign investors will need the following:

• A valid passport or another government-issued travel document that proves identity and nationality
• The investor’s telephone number in Portugal
• Proof of address from the investor’s current country of residence
• Payslips or other evidence which offers proof of income
• The investor’s NIF (Número de Identificação Fiscal) number

Opening a Portuguese bank account is not an overtly time-consuming activity. It normally takes about half a day to visit the bank branch and open an account.

To obtain a NIF number (Portuguese tax identification number), foreign nationals will need to visit a Finanças office (a local Portuguese tax office) with proof of address from their current country of residence and a form of government-issued ID.

Most NIF applicants receive their NIF number within an hour or so.

Individuals who are not in Portugal can still apply for a NIF number if they appoint a Portuguese attorney or another representative as their proxy.

Golden visa applicants can sponsor eligible family members for dependent visas. The family can apply together in the same application process. Those who are eligible to join the main applicant in Portugal include the following:

• Spouses or Civil Partners of the main applicant
• Unmarried children under the age of 18
• Unmarried children under the age of 26 who are dependent on their parents and enrolled as full-time students
• Other legal dependents who are under the age of 18
• Parents of the main applicant who are over the age of 65

It should be noted that applicants who are applying for dependent visas will need to pay an additional €83 visa processing fee for each dependent being sponsored in the application.

After the visa application has been submitted online, the Golden visa applicant will then need to wait for SEF to contact them for an interview and biometric collection.

It can take anywhere from 2-6 months for SEF to get in contact with the visa applicant, depending on the SEF office where the applicant is applying.

If the visa applicant is approved for a Portuguese Golden Visa after the interview, the applicant will then receive their Golden Visa cards.

Residence permit cards which will need to be applied for after visa approval usually take around 4 months to receive.

To take part in the Golden Visa program, applicants are not required to pass a Portuguese language proficiency test. The program is open to all foreign nationals who speak a variety of languages.

However, if the Golden visa holder would like to apply for citizenship in Portugal after 5 years of holding a Golden Visa, then the foreign national will be required to pass a Portuguese language test.

To prove that they have basic knowledge and understanding of the Portuguese language, foreign nationals will need to pass the A2 Portuguese (CIPLE – Certificado Inicial de Português Língua Estrangeira) test.

This test is roughly 2 hours long and is comprised of 3 sections testing the foreign national’s Portuguese language skills in oral comprehension, reading and writing, and oral expression.

After 5 years of maintaining both the residency and investment requirements of the Golden Visa in Portugal, foreign nationals are eligible to apply for Portuguese citizenship if they are able to meet the following requirements:

• The foreign national does not have any outstanding tax payments in Portugal
• The foreign national has a clean criminal record from both Portugal and their former country of residence
• The foreign national has passed the A2 Portuguese language proficiency test

When applying for Portuguese citizenship, the Golden visa holder will need to submit their Portugal naturalization application to the Central Registry Office at the Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado (IRN). This application should be sent along with the following documents:

• The foreign national’s birth certificate
• Proof that the foreign national has passed the A2 Portuguese language test
• The foreign national’s passport or another valid travel document
• Any information regarding the foreign national’s current residence permit in Portugal
• Criminal record certificates
• Any evidence regarding the foreign national’s date and place of birth, their current occupation and place of residence, and any other countries previously resided in by the foreign national
• A document from SEF which proves that the Golden visa holder has been a legal resident in Portugal for at least 5 years

Portuguese citizenship applications normally range in cost from €175–250 and usually take around 6 months to 1 year to process.

Golden visa applications can be made by a non-EU citizen with the need of a lawyer however given the amount of money invested into this scheme, it is highly recommended that all Golden visa applicants hire an attorney experienced in Portuguese immigration law to help with the application process.

Not only can an attorney help applicants with their visa application and process, but they will also stay up to date with all the latest changes in the Portuguese Golden Visa Scheme, which will help visa applicants apply without delays and confusion.

Furthermore, individuals who decide to hire a Portuguese attorney to assist with their application can use their attorney to act as a proxy to submit visa applications, open a Portuguese bank account, and even obtain a NIF number all on their client’s behalf. For more information on the legal services which an experienced immigration lawyer can provide, call one of our immigration experts today at +1 844 290 6312 to learn more.