Renting in Portugal: Everything you need to know
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Portugal Golden Visa: full guide (2025)
The Portugal Golden Visa is most commonly obtained by investing in a qualifying venture capital fund, creating jobs, or supporting research, arts, or culture in Portugal.¹
As of October 2023, real estate investments are no longer eligible for the program.²
This guide to the Golden Visa (Portugal) covers the Golden Visa Portugal requirements, the benefits of holding a Golden Visa, and how much it’ll cost you.
We’ll also touch on how Wise can help you save money on currency exchange and cross-border payments when you live, work and invest internationally.
What is the Portugal Golden Visa program?
The Portugal Golden Visa program — also called the Residence Permit for Investment Purposes — allows eligible investors to get a Portuguese residency permit¹. This Golden Visa entitles holders and their immediate family to live, study and work in Portugal without restrictions. After around 5 years, providing all requirements have been met, holders can apply for Portuguese citizenship.
Portugal is an attractive expat destination, with friendly people, great cuisine, and an enviable climate. It’s also got good infrastructure and a relatively low cost of living, which can mean your money goes further compared to other European countries.
Investors can choose to live in Portugal — but it’s only mandatory to spend around 7 days a year in the country. This also makes the Golden Visa an attractive option for people who prefer to split their time between Europe and the US.
Overview
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Benefits of getting a Golden Visa
Getting a Golden Visa will mean going through an administrative process, paying fees, and locking up a good chunk of money in a Portuguese investment. However, in return, Golden Visa holders are entitled to some pretty big benefits:
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💡 Portugal discontinued its popular Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) tax regime in 2023 and replaced it with the new Incentive for Scientific Research and Innovation (IFICI) program, or NHR 2.0. This program offers a flat 20% income tax rate for eligible employment and self-employment activities within Portugal for up to 10 years.¹
The most notable factor is perhaps that Golden Visa holders are able to apply for Portuguese citizenship after a wait of only 5 years.
Getting Portuguese citizenship means you can hold a Portuguese passport and enjoy visa-free travel to many countries around the world.
Who’s eligible for a Golden Visa in Portugal?
The good news is that any non-EU citizen over the age of 18 may be able to apply for the Golden Visa Portugal program as long as they can make a qualifying investment.
We’ll cover investment requirements in just a moment — first, let’s look at the general Golden Visa eligibility criteria.
Golden Visa Portugal requirements
To apply for a Portugal Golden Visa you must:
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Residency requirements for the Portugal Golden Visa
While there is a residency requirement for Golden Visa Portugal applicants, it’s a pretty low threshold, which effectively means you’d only need to spend an average of a week a year in the country.
That means that you could apply for a Golden Visa and then split your time between the US and Portugal if you choose to do so.
Gaining legal residency in Portugal doesn’t automatically mean you become a tax resident for Portugal. To be a tax resident, you’ll usually need to be in Portugal for more than half the year.
If you’re spending your time between countries, you’ll need to check how the rules around tax impact you based on the specifics of your situation — taking professional advice is usually a smart move.
Which investment types qualify for the Golden Visa?
The Golden Visa program was launched in 2012, and had a specific aim of pulling foreign investment into the country following the economic crisis.
As of October 2023, with the introduction of the "Mais Habitação Law," the program has changed a lot. Real estate investments and real estate fund investments, some of the most popular ways to get the Portuguese Golden Visa, no longer qualify.²
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Unfortunately, the following popular investments are no longer available:
- Real estate purchases
- Capital transfers of 1,500,000 EUR or more
- Investment in funds that are related to real estate
The Portuguese government reassesses the investment amounts and conditions from time to time, and each investment type has its own conditions that you must maintain for as long as you hold the Golden Visa.
Costs and fees of Portuguese residency by investment
The costs involved with applying for a Portuguese Golden Visa can be split into several different categories:
- Government fees
- Required investment
- Legal fees
Golden Visa: government fees
The government fees payable for applying for a Golden Visa are as follows:
| Government fee | Cost |
|---|---|
| Processing charge | 605.10 EUR |
| Application fee (1st application) | 6,045.20 EUR |
| Renewal fee (subsequent renewals) | 3,022.60 EUR |
| Total fee | 9,672.90 EUR |
How much will this cost you in USD? Check out the conversion below:
Golden Visa: required investment
You’ll then need to invest through your chosen investment route, as detailed above. This is the most costly element of the process, although you’re no longer required to maintain the investment once you either become a Portuguese citizen or give up your Golden Visa status.
You may be able to withdraw your investment or capital if you’ve chosen to place money in a Portuguese fund or transfer your assets to Portugal under one of the other investment routes.
Golden Visa: legal fees
Legal fees are more variable as the costs you pay will depend on the level of service you need. It’s possible to apply for a Golden Visa without any specialist legal support, but most people choose to have a lawyer or agent help them put together their application pack.
One reason for employing an agent or lawyer to support your application is that all documents that are not issued in Portugal are likely to need to be legalized and, in some cases, apostilled.
Any documents that are not in English or Portuguese will need to be translated too — this can push up costs further, and naturally may take some time to arrange. Having a helpful agent or legal adviser on hand can take some of the pressure off and make the entire application process run more smoothly.
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Getting a Golden Visa in Portugal: step by step
Here’s what you’ll need to do to apply for your Portugal Golden Visa.
Step 1. Collect all the required paperwork
Unsurprisingly, applying for a Golden Visa will mean collecting a broad range of supporting documents. It’s common for applicants to have an agent or lawyer support their application to help with this process and ensure all the paperwork is in place prior to making an application.
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Documents may need to be legalized and translated depending on the issuing country.
Step 2. Get a NIF and open a bank account
If you don’t already have a NIF (Número de Identificação Fiscal)
You’ll also want to open a local bank account — this is needed prior to making your eligible investment for the Golden Visa program. Transfer funds to your Portuguese account and then make the investment from that account in order to show the authorities proof of the payment.
Opening a bank account in Portugal should be fairly straightforward, especially if you’re in the country already and intend to stay there for most of your time.
If you’re non-resident, or don’t intend on staying in Portugal beyond the mandatory 7 days a year required by your visa, you might need to shop around a little more to find the best bank account for your needs. If you’re employing an agent or lawyer they may have suggestions about which banks serve customers with your needs best.
Step 3. Make your investment
You’re ready to make your eligible investment. The steps to take here will vary based on the type of investment you choose. If you’re working with a lawyer, they’ll walk you through all the steps that you need to take.
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Step 4. Apply for the Golden Visa Portugal program
Once your investment is completed, it’s time to formally apply for your visa. Applications are submitted to the Portuguese immigration authorities — AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo).
All application documents must be uploaded and submitted through the AIMA online portal.
If you’re working through an agent or lawyer, they’ll support this stage and ensure you have everything required for your application to be processed. It’s common to wait a couple of months before you hear back from AIMA about the next steps.
Step 5. Attend your face-to-face AIMA meeting
Once your application has been received and checked over, you and any dependents listed on the application will need to attend a face-to-face AIMA meeting. Here you’ll give biometric information to support your visa application.
Step 6. Receive your Golden Visa
Golden Visas for you and any family members named on your application will be released once they have been processed. This can take around 4 months — you’ll be able to collect them or have them delivered to your home address once they’re ready.
Timeline for the Golden Visa in Portugal
Here’s how the Golden Visa application and renewal timeline typically works.
Years 1 and 2
Golden Visas are initially issued for 2 years. During this time, you’ll need to continue to meet all the eligibility requirements, maintain your investment, and stay in the country for a minimum of a week every year.
Around 3 months before your visa runs out, you’ll need to submit a renewal application. This involves paying another fee and submitting some supporting information and biometrics.
Years 3 and 4
Renewed Golden Visas are usually issued for 3 years. Standard requirements, including residency criteria, continue to apply during this renewal phase.
Year 5
Your renewed Golden Visa will expire at the end of year 5 — at this stage, you and your family have a few different options:
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If you choose to apply for citizenship or permanent resident status in Portugal, you’ll no longer need to maintain the investment required under the Golden Visa program.
Dual nationality is recognized in Portugal so you wouldn’t need to surrender your original citizenship to gain your Portuguese passport. Some other criteria also apply — including the need to speak basic Portuguese and pass a language test.
If you don't want to take up permanent residency or citizenship, you can apply once more to renew your Golden Visa.
Portugal residency by investment FAQ
Still got questions about the Portuguese Residence Permit by Investment — the Golden Visa? Here are some common questions and answers to help.
Are there any changes to the Portuguese Golden Visa in 2025?
The Portuguese Golden Visa program went through major changes in 2023, when the government introduced the "Mais Habitação Law." This update completely removed real estate investments as a qualifying option for the Golden Visa. It also got rid of the capital transfer option of 1,500,000 EUR or more.
The information in this guide reflects the 2025 rules and requirements. As the details do change from time to time, you’re advised to double-check again prior to making your application, to make sure you have all the most up to date information to hand.
Was the Golden Visa suspended in Portugal?
Portugal’s Golden Visa program is still up and running. The program is reviewed regularly, and changes do take place, such as the increases to required investment amounts and changes to the real estate acquisition route which are set out above.
Will your family also get residency in Portugal?
If you apply as the principal applicant on the Portugal Golden Visa program you can also add your immediate family to your application.
For this visa type, dependents who are entitled to apply with you include:
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Does Portugal extend its Golden Visa?
Portugal Golden Visas are issued initially for a 2 years, After this, they may be renewed for 3 years at a time. After 5 years, Golden Visa holders may apply for citizenship in Portugal if they choose to.
Portugal is an attractive place to live, study or work — and its Golden Visa is rightly regarded as one of the best available options for people looking to move to Europe through investing there. This guide covers all the basics about how Golden Visas work, the application process and costs — perfect if you’re just starting your research into how best to make your dream of a new life in Portugal come true.
Take all the professional advice you need to make sure the process of applying for a Golden Visa is smooth — and don’t forget to use Wise to cut the costs of currency exchange when you’re sending money internationally.
Source:
- Global Citizen Solutions - Portugal Golden Visa
- Global Citizen Solutions - Is the Portugal Golden Visa ending?
- Global Citizen Solutions - Portugal Golden Visa Investment Fund
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This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.
We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
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