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calendar iconJanuary 22, 2024
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Portugal Golden Visa renewal: how to replace an expiring card?

Residence permit cards under the Portugal Golden Visa program must be renewed every 2 years. To apply for a new card, the program’s participants must keep the investment and spend at least 14 days in the country.

Let’s discuss the procedure, timing and fees for the Portugal Golden Visa renewal.

Alina Mishurenko
Alina Mishurenko

Explained how to renew a residence permit in Portugal

Renewal of a Portugal residence permit

Portugal Golden Visa renewal: how to replace an expiring card?

When to renew a Portugal residence permit?

The Portugal Golden visa program requires investors to renew their cards every two years. After five years of holding a Portugal residence permit, one can apply for permanent residence or citizenship.

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Obtaining a Portugal Golden Visa

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+2 years

The first renewal of a residence permit

3

+2 years

The second renewal of a residence permit

4

Applying for PR or citizenship in Portugal after 5 years of residency

To renew a resident card in Portugal, applicants must prove that they still hold the investment. Also, visiting Portugal is obligatory: investors and their family members spend 14 days there every two years while they maintain residency.

The application for renewal must be submitted at least 30 days before the Portugal residence permit expiry date. If one has missed the date, their residence permit may be renounced unless they prove they have had a legitimate reason for the delay.

Discover the benefits of the Portugal Golden Visa and a unique way to EU citizenship

The procedure for Portugal Golden Visa renewal

The Portugal Golden Visa renewal time is 2—3 months. A week or two is needed to prepare all the necessary documents, and the remaining time is for submitting the documents, consideration of the application and getting new cards.

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1. Collection of the documents.

Investors and their legal representatives collect all necessary documents for the application; the complete list depends on the chosen investment option and the family composition.

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2. Application submission.

Applicants or their lawyers schedule the application for the residence permit renewal in the Portal ARI (Autorização de Residência para Investimento). Then applicants submit their documents and biometrics to SEF, a Portuguese Foreigners and Borders service.

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3. Obtaining a new residence card.

After getting approval from SEF, investors get their residence cards.

The cost of a Portugal residence card renewal

Investors pay government fees to renew their residence permits. Also, they need legal services and health insurance to apply.

Government fees for a Portugal residence permit renewal:

  • €540 — analysis of the application;

  • €2,697 — renewal of a residence permit.

Additional costs include legal services. Also, all applicants must provide valid health insurance; it costs about €400 per person for a year. The price depends on the age and health condition.

If you get your Portugal residence permit with Immigrant Invest, our assistance with renewals is already included in the cost of our services. We’ll remind you of the card renewal in advance, help collect all necessary documents, and apply for and get a new residence permit.

Individual cost calculation of the residence permit in Portugal

Individual cost calculation of the residence permit in Portugal

Documents for a Portugal residence permit renewal

The essential list of documents for a Portugal Golden Visa renewal includes the following:

  • a passport;

  • an expiring Portugal residence permit card;

  • health insurance;

  • documents proving that an applicant has sufficient funds for living and rented or owned housing in Portugal;

  • a certificate of no criminal record from the country of residence if an applicant lives outside Portugal;

  • permission to SEF to check for criminal background in Portugal for each applicant over 16;

  • documents proving that the applicant has no tax or social insurance debts, if necessary;

  • a completed application form;

  • a receipt on payment for the analysis of the application.

Also, the SEF can ask for confirmation of spending the required 14 days in Portugal. In this case, an applicant submits documents proving their stay: boarding passes, receipts from hotels and shops in the country, or others.

According to the chosen investment option, the applicant submits some additional documents. For example, to prove to own a property of €500,000+ in Portugal, one should provide an acquisition deal of the real estate and the Land Register Certificate. In some cases, a pre-contract agreement may also be suitable for the first Portugal residence permit renewal.

Immigrant Invest lawyers will provide you with a complete list of documents according to your particular situation.

Ojasvat, 36 years old

One of the Indian IT company founders

How to open a company in Portugal and get a Golden Visa

Ojasvat is a co-founder of an Indian IT company. The business has grown, so the partners decided to open a branch in the EU and decided that he would move to Portugal to manage the new office.

Immigrant Invest Helped Ojasvat to get a Golden Visa for opening a company and creating ten job positions. To renew the permit, he will provide ten work contracts, a confirmation that he’s still a co-founder of the company, and documents proving no tax or social insurance debts.

Learn a case

Benefits of a Portugal Golden Visa

An investor can enjoy several benefits after obtaining a residence permit in Portugal.

Living in Portugal. Investors can stay in Portugal for the time of their residence permits validity. The warm climate, picturesque landscapes, world-famous beaches and golf courses can make life there pretty enjoyable.

However, investors mustn’t move to Portugal to maintain their status. So, they can come for vacations or create a “back pocket residence” there.

Visiting the Schengen Area visa-free is possible if you stay for 90 days out of 180. Time spent in Portugal doesn’t count.

Tax optimisation for a person is possible if they get a status of Non-habitual Resident (NHR). It allows one to pay a fixed tax of 20% on income earned in Portugal and 10% on pensions from other countries. Also, investors can get a tax exemption on some foreign incomes.

Getting citizenship in an EU country. To apply for a passport, investors must maintain their residence permits for five years, learn Portuguese at the A2 level, and provide documents proving their eligibility.

Portugal citizenship allows one to live in the country or move to another EU state, get an education and medical treatment in the EU on preferential conditions, and travel visa-free to 180+ countries.

Dual citizenship is allowed in Portugal; one won’t need to renounce other countries’ citizenship if they also enable their citizens to have two or more passports. And if dual citizenship is prohibited in your home state, you may apply for permanent residency in Portugal after the same five years.

Immigrant Invest is a licensed agent for citizenship and residence by investment programs in the EU, the Caribbean, Asia, and the Middle East. Take advantage of our global 15-year expertise — schedule a meeting with our investment programs experts.

Will you obtain a residence permit in Portugal?

Practical Guide

Will you obtain a residence permit in Portugal?

Frequently asked questions

  • How long is a Portugal Golden Visa valid?

  • How do I renew my Portugal residence permit?

    Suppose you have got your residence permit by investment. In that case, you must collect all the necessary documents, schedule the application at the Portal ARI, and submit biometrics and the application to SEF in person.

    Some residence permits may be renewed automatically after applying on the SEF website. This path is available for holders of residence permits for working, Highly Qualified Activity, studying in a higher education facility in Portugal, and some others. However, investors can’t renew their residence permits this way.

  • Should I apply for the Portugal Golden Visa renewal in advance?

  • What time can I spend outside Portugal without losing my residency?

    With a Golden Visa, you may live outside Portugal most of the year. The requirements are pretty mild for investors: they must spend at least 14 days every two years in the country to maintain residency.

  • How much does the renewal of a residence permit in Portugal cost?

    Government fees are €3,236 per person. In addition, all applicants need to have health insurance and pay for legal services necessary for the preparation of the documents.

  • How much are the costs of obtaining a Portugal Golden Visa?

    The investment amount under the Portugal Golden Visa Program depends on the chosen option and starts from €250,000. Also, investors pay government fees, taxes, and legal costs and buy health insurance for each family member.