How to Benefit from the Golden Visa Program in Portugal

Portugal is one of Europe’s sunniest countries and this is one of the important reasons for foreign citizens from Europe and the rest of the world to move here. However, there is more to Portugal than its weather, as this is also one of the golden visa countries on the Old Continent where residency and citizenship by investment can be obtained.

There are many benefits that come with a golden visa in Portugal and below, our immigration specialists present the main advantages of relocating here based on this scheme.

Why apply for a golden visa in Portugal?

In order to understand how you can benefit from Portugal’s Golden Visa Program, you should first know the conditions for obtaining it. These are:

• a minimum investment of 250,000 euros in arts, culture or other national value heritage projects;
• capital investment in a company of at least 500,000 euros in an SME (small or medium-sized enterprise);
• investment of at least 500,000 euros in research activities (the former 1,000,000 euros bank-transfer option was abolished in October 2023).

One of the main benefits of applying for a golden visa in Portugal is, therefore, the multiple investment options.

If you wish to buy a golden visa and cannot decide on one of the citizenship by investment countries to move to, let our specialists help you by presenting you with various options.

The advantages of obtaining a Portuguese golden visa

After choosing the investment option, here is what you will benefit from after taking part and successfully applying for the Golden Visa Program in Portugal:

1. you can obtain permanent residency after 5 years, or citizenship after 10 years of legal residence;
2. it is flexible in terms of residency requirements, as you don’t need to live when you seek to become a permanent resident or citizen of Portugal;
3. you can move to Portugal with your family who can also obtain residency here;
4. you will automatically become an EU resident and move freely in all Schengen area;
5. you can retire, work, or own a business based on your investment option.

There are many advantages linked to enrolling in the golden visa/citizenship by investment and our agents can offer more information on them. Additionally, we can help you with various immigration services for obtaining golden passports.

Quick access to permanent residency and citizenship in Portugal in 2026

Portugal is one of the few European countries to allow non-EU citizens to apply for permanent residency after 5 years and for citizenship after 10 years of legal residence. There are no differences between the two options as you only need to visit the country and spend between 7 and 14 days during the years the investment must be maintained. If you decide to apply for citizenship by investment, you need to relocate here and pass a Portuguese language test in order to demonstrate your connections to this country.

We can also assist those who want to relocate to Spain, Portugal’s neighboring country. Similar services are available in other citizenship by investment countries.

Extended family residency in Portugal

Another benefit of the Golden Visa Scheme in Portugal is that upon relocation, you can bring your spouse and children who can become residents of this country. They can study in Portugal or even in other EU countries. Also, you and your family do not need to renounce your old citizenship when obtaining the Portuguese passport, as this country allows double citizenship.

With respect to family members, they too need to visit the country every year when seeking to settle here.

Our golden visa agents can provide all the details related to the documents that need to be prepared when applying for golden passports.

EU residency

Portugal is a member of the European Union which means a golden visa/citizenship by investment for this country grants automatic access to EU residency. This way, as a golden visa holder you will be able to move freely through Europe, conduct business activities, and even study in one of the other member states. Additionally, Portugal is part of the Schengen area, therefore you can also travel to other similar countries.

The Portuguese Golden Visa is also available to applicants who are US citizens. The real estate investment option was removed from the program in October 2023, although foreign-owned real estate offers many benefits to tax residents of the United States. With the Golden Visa program, US business owners may decide to extend their operations to Portugal. The country is a desirable place to relocate because of the tax incentives available for companies.

Choose the activities you want to perform

Portugal offers a multitude of options under the golden visa program, among which you can run your own business here or retire if you want to buy a property. In terms of business, Portugal is very flexible, as non-EU investors who have businesses in other EU countries can simply relocate them without being required to start new ones.

Why choose to apply for a golden visa in Portugal in 2026

Citizens of non-EU countries who want to buy golden visas in Portugal at the level of 2026 will benefit from one of the most friendly programs developed in Europe. Apart from the fact that this is of the sunniest countries on the continent, there are plenty of activities one can complete here.

Although the requirements changed in October 2023 (no more real estate or bank-deposit options), with the help of our specialists, you will be able to relocate here quite fast.

Third-country citizens can apply for a temporary residence permit with a visa waiver to conduct business inside the country under the regulations governing the issuance of a Residence Permit for Investment. The following benefits are available to Golden Visa recipients:

• waiver of residence visa required to enter Portugal;
• living and working in Portugal, provided they remain there for a minimum of 7 days during the first year and a minimum of 14 days during the following years;
• travel within the Schengen Area without a visa;
• reunion of the family;
• requesting permanent residency (in accordance with Act number 23/2007 of July 4, which is the Aliens Act);
• securing Portuguese citizenship through naturalization.

If you want to take advantage of one of the fastest ways of immigrating to Europe, the golden visa in Portugal is one of the best options in 2026.

Tax advantages for golden visa applicants in Portugal

Different tax rules are one of the main advantages in many golden visa countries, and in Europe, Portugal is one of them. If you relocate here through this program, you can benefit from:

• a flat tax rate under the IFICI regime (which replaced NHR for new residents from 2024) if you carry out a qualifying activity, meaning a 20% income tax rate applied to the income derived in Portugal;
• no wealth tax, as Portugal still applies this policy to its citizens and foreigners who move here;
• no inheritance and gift tax on the assets held in your country of origin by you or direct family members;
• no capital gains in cryptocurrency assets if you keep them for more than one year.

In addition to these existing benefits, the IRS Jovem regime in force since 2025 offers tax incentives to all young taxpayers (not only golden visa applicants) up to the age of 35.

Immigration statistics

In 2024, there were 10,749,635 people living in Portugal. Immigration increased significantly from 83,654 in 2020 to 177,557 in 2024, whereas the number of emigrants stayed largely constant between 25,000 and 34,000 every year. Also, from 57,768 in 2020 to 143,641 in 2024, the net migration balance more than doubled.

According to a United Nations report, 127,184 foreign migrants, mostly from Latin America, Europe, and Africa, resided in Portugal in 2024. The largest group, comprising Brazil (173,266), Mozambique (90,640), and Cabo Verde (76,835), reflects Portugal’s post-colonial migration connections as well as linguistic and cultural ties. Due to the return migration of Portuguese-born emigrants and their families, France (117,183) is the most common European origin, followed by Ukraine (60,056).

If you have decided that Portugal is the right country for you and your family and want to apply for a golden visa program, do not hesitate to contact us for assistance in starting the application procedure. We can also advise on other golden visa countries.