MaltaResidency
- Min. investment
- €375,000+routes from €99,000
- Time to approval
- 6–8 months
- You receive
- Residence permit
Residency by Investment
Portugal Golden Visa
Europe's best-known golden visa: EU residency with a minimal stay requirement and a potential path to citizenship after seven to ten years of legal residence.
Time to residency
10–14 months
Minimum investment
€500,000+
Figures as of August 2026, per the official program source — confirmed on application.
Program Overview
About the Portugal program
In brief
The Portugal program is a residency-by-investment program that grants the right to live in Portugal. The minimum qualifying investment is €500,000+, and approvals typically take 10–14 months. Presence requirement: About 7 days per year on average. Figures are indicative minimums for the main applicant.
Portugal's golden visa remains Europe's most sought-after residency by investment program. Since the 2023 reforms, the primary route is a subscription to a qualifying investment fund; real estate no longer qualifies.
The program's minimal stay requirement — roughly seven days a year — makes it uniquely flexible for global families. The naturalization clock lengthened in 2026: for applications filed from 19 May 2026 it runs to seven years of legal residence for nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries and ten years for everyone else, counted from the issue of the first residence permit.
Presence requirement
About 7 days per year on average
Document validity
Permit renewable; permanent residence, and a potential path to citizenship after 7–10 years of legal residence
Dual nationality
Portugal permits dual citizenship if you later naturalize
Program Finder
Plan Portugal for your family
Estimate the total cost with every government fee, check who in your family can be included, get the document checklist for everyone applying, and see how Portugal ranks against the other 17 programs.
What Portugal's Golden Visa unlocks
The ARI is a full residence permit earned by investment — since October 2023 through funds, research, culture, or job creation. What it changes from day one:
- A full residence permitLive, work — employed or self-employed — and study in Portugal from day one; the golden visa is not a visitor status.
- Schengen mobilityVisa-free movement across the Schengen Area, 90 days in any 180, on a Portuguese residence permit.
- Seven days a yearThe stay requirement is about seven days in the first year and fourteen per subsequent two-year period — residence without relocation.
- Family reunificationSpouse or partner, children under 18, dependent student children under 26, and dependent parents all receive their own permits.
- Healthcare and schoolsAccess to the SNS public health service and public education on residents' terms.
- Citizenship: 7 or 10 years nowSince Lei Orgânica 1/2026 (in force 19 May 2026), naturalization requires 7 years' residence for CPLP and EU nationals and 10 for everyone else — counted from your first residence card, plus A2 Portuguese.
Capabilities follow from the status itself — citizenship or residence as the program grants it; specifics are confirmed during your assessment.
Investment Pathways
Investment Fund Subscription
From €500,000
Subscription to a qualifying Portuguese investment or venture capital fund. Real estate no longer qualifies.
Held for the duration of the permit
Cultural Heritage Donation
From €250,000
A donation supporting artistic production or the restoration and maintenance of Portuguese national cultural heritage. The lowest-cost qualifying route.
Scientific Research Contribution
From €500,000
A capital transfer supporting public or private scientific research within the Portuguese national scientific and technological system.
Terms move: Portugal's naturalization timeline lengthened in 2026 (seven to ten years for applications filed from 19 May 2026). The golden visa remains open — the citizenship clock simply runs longer.
Explore your route
From (indicative)
$581,000
Capital treatment
Held for the duration of the permit
Subscription to a qualifying Portuguese investment or venture capital fund. Real estate no longer qualifies.
Who comes with you
- Spouse or partner of the main applicant
- Dependent children
- Dependent parents
Family additions are quoted individually — request your exact figure
Application Timeline
Government processing time
The Portugal authorities publish a processing time for complete files — the numbered stages below show where those months go. Here is the figure to plan around.
10–14 months
Official processing time, complete files
Plan around the top of the range — 14 months end to end leaves room for queries without changing your plans.
Your dates
Complete files are typically processed in 10–14 months.
Based on the officially published range — last re-verified August 2026. Government timelines are not guaranteed.
- 1
Months 1–2
Investment & preparation
Completion of the qualifying investment, NIF registration, and document preparation.
- 2
Months 3–6
Application submission
Online submission and payment of processing fees.
- 3
Months 7–12
Biometrics appointment
In-person biometrics appointment at the migration agency (AIMA).
- 4
Months 12–14
Permit issuance
Issuance of the golden visa residence permit cards.
Requirements
- Qualifying investment maintained for the duration of the permit
- Clean criminal record in Portugal and country of residence
- Minimal physical presence of roughly seven days per year
- Valid health insurance covering Portugal
Family Eligibility
- Spouse or partner of the main applicant
- Dependent children
- Dependent parents
Required documents
The standard checklist for a single applicant. Get the checklist for your whole family in the Program Finder.
- Passport Every applicant
- Portuguese NIF & bank account Main applicant
- Criminal record certificate Adult applicants
- Proof of qualifying investment Main applicant
- Maintenance declaration Main applicant
- Tax & social-security clearance Main applicant
- Health insurance Every applicant
- Family civil documents Dependants
Exact formats — apostille or legalization, sworn translation, issue dates — vary by your country of origin and are confirmed document-by-document during your engagement.
What to Weigh
Honest advice includes the trade-offs. Before committing to the Portugal program, consider:
- Fund investments carry market risk and are not capital-guaranteed — fund selection and diligence matter enormously.
- Processing backlogs at AIMA have been significant; realistic timelines run longer than official ones.
- The citizenship path requires basic Portuguese (A2), and the clock lengthened in 2026 — seven years of legal residence for nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries, ten for everyone else, for applications filed from 19 May 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still qualify by buying property?
No — real estate was removed from the program in 2023. The primary route today is a €500,000 subscription to a qualifying Portuguese investment fund.
Does the five-year path always lead to citizenship?
No path to citizenship is guaranteed. After seven years of legal residence (nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries) or ten years (everyone else), for applications filed from 19 May 2026, you may apply for naturalization, subject to language and integration requirements and the law in force at that time.
How do I choose a qualifying fund?
Funds vary widely in strategy, fees, and exit terms. We work with independent counsel to diligence CMVM-regulated options and match them to your risk tolerance.
Regulatory framework
Law 23/2007, Article 90-A
Legal Regime of Entry, Stay, Exit and Removal of Foreigners
Enacted 4 July 2007 · property and capital-transfer routes closed 7 October 2023
Residence permit for investment (ARI) — as amended by Law 56/2023 (“Mais Habitação”)
Article 90-A grants a renewable Portuguese residence permit to third-country nationals who make and maintain a qualifying investment. Since Law 56/2023, real-estate purchase and simple capital deposits no longer qualify — the routes are fund subscription, scientific research, cultural support, and job creation. Naturalization timelines are set separately by the Nationality Law, rewritten by Lei Orgânica 1/2026.
View the law (opens in a new tab)Official consolidated text — Diário da República
Sources & verification
Program terms are set by the issuing government and may change without notice — figures last re-verified against the official source in August 2026. Investment figures are indicative minimums for the main applicant; fees, due diligence, and family additions are quoted individually. Government timelines are not guaranteed.
Alternatives
Related Programs
Families often weigh this program against these alternatives.
GreeceResidency
- Min. investment
- €400,000+routes from €250,000
- Time to approval
- 3–6 months
- You receive
- Residence permit
HungaryResidency
- Min. investment
- €250,000+
- Time to approval
- 3–6 months
- You receive
- Residence permit
Is Portugal right for your family?
A private assessment covers eligibility, total cost, and timeline for your situation — and says so if another route fits better.