How to Obtain Portuguese Residency by Investment

Portugal is an open country when it comes to foreign investors, no matter if they are EU or non-EU citizens. While the first category of entrepreneurs has the advantage of moving here without applying for any visa, non-EU entrepreneurs can immigrate to Portugal through a specific Golden Visa program under which they can obtain residency.

If you are a non-EU citizen interested in obtaining residency by investment in Portugal, you can rely on our golden visa specialists for the conditions you must fulfill and assistance during the application procedure.

Conditions to be elected for the Portuguese residency by investment scheme

Individuals who want to move and obtain Portuguese residency by investment must meet several conditions in order for their applications to be considered under the golden visa program. Among these, one must be a non-EU citizen and must have a clean criminal record. Recently, the Portuguese authorities have introduced a new condition and that is for the applicant not to be flagged for refusal of entry in the Schengen Information System. Once these requirements are met, the candidate can continue his or her candidacy and will need to submit proof of the legitimacy of the funds and their origin outside the EU.

For those who want to apply for golden passports in Portugal, our golden visa specialists can provide tailored immigration services.

Investment requirements for buying a golden visa in Portugal in 2026

Making a significant contribution to the Portuguese economy is one of the mandatory requirements for being accepted in the residency by investment program. Luckily, Portugal allows for several options under golden passports for those with various interests and these are:

1. capital investment under which the investor can purchase various financial-related assets;
2. business investment which requires the investor to inject capital in a Portuguese company;
3. investment in various cultural projects, such as arts or sports, which requires a rather low amount of money;
4. research and development activities are also on the list of investment options for applicants.

If you need assistance in choosing the right option for applying for Portuguese residency by investment in 2026, our local consultants can explain the conditions available for each of them.

We can also assist investors interested in buying golden visas in other European countries.

What is the minimum amount of money for Portuguese residency by investment?

Luckily, Portugal has one of the lowest investment requirements when it comes to obtaining residency by investment which consists of at least 250,000 euros for investments in the preservation of cultural assets and heritage.

The other amounts of money related to the investment options presented above are:

• 500,000 euros for buying company or investment shares, or capital venture investment;
• the former EUR 1,000,000 bank-deposit option was abolished in October 2023.

The option should rely on the needs of the applicant when applying for Portuguese residency by investment, as this country does not require foreign citizens to live in the country in order to obtain it.

If you need assistance in applying for residency by investment in Portugal in 2026, do not hesitate to solicit the support of our agents.

Our services are available in various golden visa countries in Europe, but also outside it. Among these, we can help you apply for a golden visa in the USA.

Advantages of the Portuguese Golden Visa Program in 2026

There are many reasons to choose Portugal for residency by investment and among these, we should mention that the applicant is not required to actually live in this country in order to be issued a permanent residence permit. Moreover, he or she is only required to visit the country for several days a year. Similar requirements apply in other European golden visa countries.

As mentioned earlier, the Portuguese residency by investment program suffered a few modifications and one of the most important refers to the reduction of the waiting period for obtaining a golden visa/citizenship by investment. Under the new scheme, one can apply for a permanent residence permit with AIMA (the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum) after 5 years.

Foreign citizens who want to apply for residency by investment in Portugal in 2026 can rely on the support of our agents who can help with the following:

• documents preparation,
• documents filing,
• assistance after relocation.

The Portuguese residency by investment scheme of 2026 is similar to those of citizenship by investment countries.

Wealthy overseas investors could obtain residency in Portugal under the Golden Visa program, also known as the Residence Permit for Investment (ARI), if they made a financial contribution. Investments made in Portugal through this program increased by a total of 41.9% in 2022. However, the program was reformed by Law 56/2023 (October 2023), which removed real estate and capital-transfer routes, or better said, people who want to submit their applications can do so without the guarantee to actually being issued residency.

Changes to the Golden Visa Scheme for Portugal

If at some point, the government was discussing the termination of the residency by investment program, the central authority decided to keep it with a few amendments. One of the most important refers to the abolition of real estate-related investments. However, a new option was introduced with the main advantage of requiring a low amount of money – EUR 250,000.

This option is available for those interested in the creation of art or the conservation and restoration of the cultural heritage in Portugal. In addition, a new option is business setup with a minimum investment of EUR 500,000 and the creation of at least 5 permanent jobs.
‍Our local golden visa agents can offer more information on all the changes brought to the program.

Portugal residency by investment in numbers

Here are some interesting numbers about obtaining Portuguese residency by investment:

• the visa processing time is 12 to 18 months;
• the starting investment amount is 250,000 for cultural donations, but higher sums for other investments are also available, which enables you to choose;
• after 5 years, you can apply for permanent residency;
• the minimum period to hold the investment is 5 to 6 years (until citizenship or permanent residency is obtained);
• the visa also leads to citizenship, provided the A2 language and residency criteria are met (10 years of legal residence since the 2026 Nationality Law amendment);
• if you do not plan to apply for citizenship, 7 days annually on average (7 days in the first year and 14 days in any other following two years) are sufficient to gain residency;
• you will get visa-free entry to more than 170 countries after getting citizenship.

If you are interested in obtaining Portuguese residency or golden visa/citizenship by investment in 2026, our golden visa specialists can help you from the beginning to the end of the application procedure. Do not hesitate to contact us for complete information about the requirements in other citizenship by investment countries.