Portugal Golden Visa 2026.

The Portugal Golden Visa is a residence-by-investment programme that grants non-EU nationals a Portuguese residence permit in exchange for a qualifying investment in one of the routes defined by law — non-real-estate collective investment undertakings, scientific research, artistic production and cultural heritage, job creation or business investment. It requires substantially less physical presence than ordinary residence permits and may contribute to a future nationality application once the applicable legal residence period is met.

No. The Golden Visa remains available through the investment routes defined by law. Property acquisition and a simple capital transfer are no longer eligible, and qualifying investments may not be directed, directly or indirectly, to the real-estate sector.

Yes. Citizens of the United States, United Kingdom, and most other countries outside the EU remain eligible to apply for the Portugal Golden Visa through qualifying investments.

Yes, provided each family member meets the statutory conditions. Eligible family members may apply without the prior residence period normally required from a sponsor. Under the rules applicable to the Golden Visa, an eligible dependent adult child is not required to study in Portugal, provided the remaining statutory conditions are met.

No. The Golden Visa requires substantially less physical presence than ordinary residence permits. The specific periods arise from the applicable regulations and should be confirmed for each renewal. The commonly used average of seven days per year should not be presented as wording taken directly from the statute.

The qualifying route and investment documentation must be determined before the residence application is filed. A later change requires a separate legal assessment and cannot be assumed to preserve the original application.

Processing times vary but typically range from 6 to 18 months, depending on AIMA workload and the completeness of your application. We work to minimise delays by ensuring thorough documentation.

No. Once the applicable legal residence period is met — as a rule, seven years for nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries and EU Member States and 10 years for other nationals, under Organic Law no. 1/2026 of 18 May, as corrected by Declaration of Rectification no. 17/2026/1 —, you may apply for Portuguese nationality, commonly referred to as Portuguese citizenship, but it is not automatic. The requirements include knowledge of the Portuguese language, culture, history and national symbols under the implementing regulations, together with the criminal and security assessment defined by law.

If your application is refused, you have the right to appeal or reapply. We analyse the refusal reasons and advise on the best course of action, whether that is an administrative appeal or a corrected resubmission.

The amount depends on the route: €250,000.00 for artistic production and cultural heritage (€200,000.00 in low-density areas), €500,000.00 for scientific research (€400,000.00 in low-density areas), €500,000.00 for non-real-estate collective investment undertakings, €500,000.00 for business investment with job creation or maintenance, or the creation of at least 10 jobs (8 in low-density areas). Government fees and legal costs apply on top of the investment; we set out the full cost structure in the initial consultation.

The D7 visa is based on stable passive income and requires making Portugal your effective residence, while the Golden Visa is based on a qualifying investment and requires substantially less physical presence, as defined in the applicable regulations. The right route depends on how much time you intend to spend in Portugal and on your income and investment profile.