How to move to Portugal from the UK: getting a residence permit by investment

After Brexit, citizens of the UK can still travel to Portugal visa-free for up to 90 days every half a year. For those who want to stay longer, rules have changed.

Living and retirement in Portugal are still possible. For that, you will need to obtain residency in the country. Investing in a Golden Visa or obtaining a D7 visa for financially independent individuals are the most convenient options for people who don’t work or study in Portugal.

Working in Portugal is now available to citizens of the UK after obtaining a work permit or a Blue Card, which is essentially a residence and work permit for highly qualified professionals. These are the Golden Visa and the D7 visa — their main requirement is only to have enough funds.

Investors with a Golden visa or a residence permit after the D7 Visa also have a right to work and run a business in Portugal.

There are many ways to obtain a residence permit in Portugal. Most of them include major life events, such as marriage, employment by a local company or enrolling at a Portuguese university. However, there are two options to obtain Portugal residency for UK citizens who are not willing to change their whole lifes and tie it to Portugal just yet. These are the Golden Visa and the D7 visa — their main requirements are only having enough funds.

Golden Visa holders can live in Portugal for as long as they want, provided that they renew their residence permit on time every two years. On the other hand, if the investor is not living in Portugal, they are obliged to spend at least seven days a year within the country to keep the residency.

This option is available to anyone who has reached the age of 18 years old, has no criminal record, and has earned investment money outside of Portugal.

The D7 visa allows people with passive income or remote jobs to obtain residency in Portugal.

Everything you need to know about the D7 visa to Portugal

To be able to apply for a D7 visa, one has to have a passive income equal to the minimum salary in Portugal, which in 2022 is €705 per month —renting real estate, intellectual property, or securities, as well as pension and salary from a remote job count. Aside from that, the applicant has to rent or buy housing to be able to apply for the residency.

This type of visa is valid for four months and allows two entries into the country. Once the applicant has arrived in Portugal, they apply for a residence permit. The residence permit issued based on the D7 visa is valid for two years. After that, it can be extended for another three years.

To keep the residency and be able to renew it afterwards, the holder has to spend a significant part of every year in Portugal; the required period is six months in a row or eight months in total.

The Golden Visa program has been operating in Portugal since 2012. In ten years, it has provided residence permits to over 27,000 investors from all over the world.

Anyone who meets the requirements of the program may join it. The main requirements for applicants are:

• age over 18 years old;

• no criminal record or prosecution;

• investment money is earned outside of Portugal;

• the legality of income is proven;

• no depts in Portugal;

• medical insurance is provided.

Along with the investor, their close family members can also join the program. This applies to the spouse, children under 18 and financially dependent children under 26, financially dependent parents, and siblings under 26 years old under the investor’s custody.

There are seven investment options to join the Golden Visa program:

1. Real estate purchase. Investors can either buy a building built more than 30 years ago for at least €350,000 or newer real estate for €500,000 or more. The investment threshold is lower for properties located in sparsely populated areas — at least €280,000 for older buildings and €400,000 for newer ones.

2. Purchase of investment fund units. The minimum fund investment is €500,000 with a minimum holding period of 5 years.

3. Supporting arts and restoring cultural heritage. The threshold for those who want to invest in the development of arts is €250,000.

4. Investment in research activities. For those who are willing to invest in research activities in Portugal, the threshold is €500,000.

5. Capital transfer. €1,500,000 of funds transferred to a Portuguese bank also counts as an investment.

6. Business investment. Foreigners who create at least five new job openings by investing €500,000 and more are also eligible for the Portugal Golden Visa program.

7. Opening a company. A new business registered in Portugal that provides at least ten new job openings gets its owner a Golden Visa.

The purchase of real estate and investment in funds are the most popular options among Golden Visa applicants. These options are relatively fast and returnable in a few years. The real estate can be resold after five years of ownership, and the minimum time of holding fund shares is also five years.

Real estate purchase is also one of the most affordable options. Getting the Golden Visa will take at least €280,000 and 8 to 10 months. Here’s how the process goes with the help of Immigrant Invest specialists.

Opportunity to reside in Portugal. Any residence permit allows living in Portugal without any limitation as long as the permit is valid. Portugal attracts retirees, digital nomads, and expats from all over the world with its mild climate, access to the ocean, rich cultural heritage, and relatively low prices.

Why expats choose Portugal for relocation

Tax optimisation. New residents of Portugal can obtain a beneficial Non-habitual Resident (NHR) tax status for ten years. It reduces the tax on income earned within Portugal from the potential 48% to 20% and allows avoiding any tax on global income at all.

Access to local English-speaking schools and kindergartens. For those who are considering moving to Portugal with kids, there is no need to switch to homeschooling. There are lots of English-speaking educational facilities. For instance, there are more than 20 international schools in Lisbon alone.

Access to local healthcare. In Portugal, healthcare is generally cheaper than in the UK. A visit to a general practitioner will cost you around €5, and treatment in an accident and emergency department will be €15.

Prospect to obtain a Portuguese passport. Anyone legally residing in Portugal for five years can apply for citizenship and get a passport.

The applicants must prove that they have spent the required time in Portugal. For Golden Visa residents, the requirement is seven days per year, and the D7 visa holders, on the other hand, have to spend at least 183 days a year within the country.

Aside from that, applicants will have to prove their knowledge of Portuguese by taking an exam or providing a certificate from an educational institution in a Portuguese-speaking country.

After five years of residing in Portugal, Golden Visa holders can apply for Portugal citizenship. The requirements for applicants include:

How to obtain Portugal citizenship after holding a Golden Visa

• physically residing in the country for at least seven days during the first year of holding the Golden Visa and for at least 14 days during the two subsequent 2-year periods;

• absence of criminal records for offences that carry a prison sentence of three years or more by Portuguese law;

• prove knowledge of the Portuguese language.

To prove the knowledge of the language, one has to provide a certificate of Portuguese proficiency at the A2 level. There are several ways to do so, including attending classes in an educational institution and passing a state tasting.

The list of documents to apply for citizenship includes:

• an identity document;

• a birth certificate;

• a certificate of non-conviction;

• a certificate confirming knowledge of Portuguese at the A2 level;

• a completed application form.