Investment Immigration: Portugal Golden Residence Investor Programme
Golden Residence Permit
Portugal offers a Golden Residence Permit Programme that allows applicants to get a residence permit by investing in Portugal. Potential investors, entrepreneurs and businessmen can apply for a residence permit in Portugal by acquiring real estate, transferring capital, or creating jobs in the country.
This programme allows a non-Portugal citizen to apply for temporary residence in Portugal in order to conduct investment activity, without having a full residency visa while entering the country.
The temporary residence permit is initially granted for one year. It can thereafter be renewed for two years. On expiry of the first renewal, the applicant can apply for further renewal for two more years. Through this process, a total of five years’ residency can be obtained in Portugal.
After five years of lawful residence, an applicant is eligible to apply for permanent residency. At the end of the sixth year, the applicant can also apply for citizenship of Portugal.
Benefits of the Golden Residence Permit Programme:
An investor who obtains residence permit in Portugal is entitled to the following benefits:
- No visa required to enter Portugal
- Visa-free travel within the Schengen area
- Live and work in Portugal while maintaining existing residency in another country
- Study in Portugal
- Opportunity to get temporary residence, permanent residence and citizenship of Portugal for your family members
- Get permanent residency after five years of residence, subject to fulfilling the terms and conditions of the programme
- Get citizenship of Portugal after six years of residence, subject to fulfilling the terms and conditions of the programme.
Who Can Apply Under the Golden Residence Permit Programme?
Any third country citizen who can make an investment as an individual or through a company setup in Portugal or any other EU country and who, in addition, are stably settled in Portugal, can apply under this programme.
The applicant should not:
- have been convicted of any punishable offense in Portugal with imprisonment of more than one year
- have been banned from entering the territory of Portugal following expulsion
- have had an alert in their name issued in Schengen Information System as a listed person
- have had an alert in their name issued in Integrated System of the Portuguese Immigration Service
In addition, the applicant must also fulfil the investment and residency eligibility requirements.
Minimum Stay:
Under this programme, a minimum residence of seven days in the first year and 14 days in the subsequent periods of two years is required. The stay can be consecutive or un-sequential.
Processing Time:
An application which is submitted with all required documents will be validated in a maximum period of 72 hours.
Documents Required: Portugal Investor Residence Programme
- Valid passport
- A Schengen Visa, when applicable
- Criminal record provided by the applicant’s country of origin or the country where the applicant has been residing for more than a year
- Consent to undergo a criminal record check in Portugal
- Declarations indicating absence of debts to the Portuguese Tax Authorities and Portuguese Social Security
- An affidavit stating the intent to fulfil the investment requirements
- Proof of health insurance
- Receipt of application fee