The Portugal Golden Visa Programme 2022

Your first and second visas now last two years and during each two-year period, you will need to spend 14 days in Portugal. The final visa which is issued at the end of your fourth year is valid for one year and during this time you must spend seven days in Portugal.

No, you do not need to take a language test in order to become a resident. However, you will need to take a test if you decide to apply for Portuguese citizenship.

You will need to pay for the minimum investment sum (€350,000 or €500,000 depending on the property) yourself in order to qualify for the Portuguese Golden Visa programme. However, if you purchase a property for €700,000 in Lisbon where the minimum sum of investment is usually €500,000, you can get a mortgage to cover the remaining €200,000. The interest rates in Portugal are incredibly low so this is quite an attractive option for buyers.

If investing €500,000 or more in Portuguese property it is usually eligible for the Portuguese Golden Visa programme, providing it is not located in a high-density coastal area. However, your lawyer will still perform due diligence as other factors may impact the property’s eligibility. Eg. if there is a court action against the owner and the property is collateral.

For €350,000, it is a little bit different as you will need to prove that the property is old enough and ensure that the proposed works are in line with what is needed to qualify for the Golden Visa programme.

Yes, but all individuals must invest at least €500,000 each to be eligible for the visa.

Yes, as long as the total amount invested is €500,000 or more.

Yes. Following the UK’s departure from the EU, UK citizens can now apply for Portuguese Golden Visas for themselves and immediate family members.

Properties can be either commercial or residential. Off-plan properties are eligible for the Golden Visa scheme too.

While buying costs cannot be added to the property purchase price, you can factor in the renovation costs. This means that it is possible to qualify for the Golden Visa if you buy a property for €300,000 and spend €50,000 on renovation.

€350,000.

You will need to incorporate a company and invest €350,000 into it. So you will need to set up a bank account for the company and a personal bank account in Portugal. You will then need to transfer the money from abroad into your personal Porutugese account and then transfer the money into the company’s account. On top of this, you will need to create five permanent jobs and these jobs need to last for at least three years. remember that having employees comes with many other additional costs. These include income tax and salaries and social security contributions for your employees. Plus, it is important to remember that in Portugal employees are paid a mandatory 13th and 14th salary. 

Yes, there are numerous qualifying funds that allow you apply for a Portugal Golden Visa and the minimum sum of investment is €500,000.

Portugal Golden Visa investment funds are becoming increasingly popular and 2021 was the most successful year to date with 79 Golden Visas issued this way.

The pre-approval stage takes around three months from the submission of the application.

Once you are pre-approved you can come to Portugal to submit your biometric data. Once this data is submitted it can take up to six months to receive your residency card. 

If the property has a PH licence you can apply for the Golden Visa programme straight away once you sign the CPVC and pay €500,000 or €350,000 to meet the minimum sum of investment.

You can stay beyond 90 days as you are waiting for your residency card but you won’t have your Portuguese resident rights yet which may be problematic as you can’t access healthcare etc. 

Once you receive your residency card, you are free to travel throughout the Schengen zone. With a Golden Visa, you have the same rights as any legal resident which means that you can live in Portugal and access the healthcare system etc. This also means that if you are elsewhere in the world and there is another major lockdown, you can still get a repatriation flight back to Portugal. 

Once you have made the investment, submitted the documents correctly and received your approval, your Golden Visa is guaranteed. We work with Legal Square in Portugal who have a 100% success rate managing Golden Visa applications. They will ensure that your investment qualifies for the programme before you make the investment and inform you precisely what documents you and your family need in order for your Golden Visa application to be successful.

Yes, absolutely. In order to apply for citizenship, you need to be a resident for at least five years so you will be able to apply at a later date. When your Golden Visa runs out after five years you can apply for permanent residency instead of citizenship. This option is quite popular with Golden Visa investors from China as they need to forfeit their Chinese passport in order to apply for Portuguese citizenship as China doesn’t allow dual citizenship. By becoming a permanent resident they can still hold onto their Chinese passport. 

Yes.

You do not necessarily need to become a Portuguese tax resident if you apply for a Golden Visa. But if you receive a salary in Portugal, social security and income tax will need to be paid. If you live abroad and work abroad, you pay your taxes in that country – not Portugal. 

However, it might be advantageous to become a tax resident as Portugal has a lucrative Non-Habitual Residential tax scheme. Providing that certain conditions are met, the NHR scheme can significantly reduce your taxes during the first 10 years of residency.

No, Portuguese citizens can also apply for the NHR programme too so long as they have not been tax resident in Portugal for the past five years. For example, if a Portuguese citizen moves to Switzerland for five years and then returns to Portugal they will be eligible for the NHR programme. Whilst many can benefit from this programme, do remember that not all jobs qualify for the NHR programme, take a look at our Portugal Non-Habitual Resident guide to learn more.

No, the buying costs are excluded.

Yes, you can include certain family members on the same Golden Visa application, in fact, 17,221 Golden Visas have been granted to family members to date. Qualifying family members for a Golden Visa include:

• Spouse or legal partner
• Unmarried children under 26 who are enrolled in full-time education
• Parents or parents-in-law who are 66 years old, or 55 years old and dependent on you
• Siblings under 18, if you are legally responsible for them

If you want to add your father to your application and he is over 65 you will need your birth certificate to prove the bond and also his criminal record. If he is under 65 to prove his dependency you will need to sign a declaration that he lives with you, have bank statements showing that you are transferring money to him as well as proof of retirement or no income.

Yes, if you hold a Golden Visa you are a Portuguese Resident which means that you are free to work and live in Portugal.