passport of Portugal

Portugal Passport

Passport rankings out of 193 countries

Freedom of travel31

Asset protection36

Quality of life30

"Plan B"26

About Portugal

Portuguese passport can be obtained by birth, naturalization, repatriation and marriage. It allows you to choose any EU country for life, receive education and medical services in Europe on preferential terms, visit 187 states without a visa, including the United States and Canada.

The state is located on the Iberian Peninsula, washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. On the continent it borders on Spain. Portugal is an industrial-agrarian country: wines, olive oil, fabrics and other products are produced there. Tourism is developing in the coastal and mountainous regions of the country.

Portugal is a member of the European Union and the Schengen zone. In the country, you can get a residence permit for investments from 250,000 €. The Portugal residence permit card allows you to travel without visas around the Schengen countries, relax or live in Portugal, and in five years to obtain citizenship of the country.

Population

10.3 million

Capital

Lisbon

Official language

Portuguese

GDP per capita

$19.897

Time zone

UTC+0…+1

Currency

Euro

Portugal passport ranking and benefits

  • 1

    Visa-free travel to 187 countries

    The Portugal passport gives visa-free access to the Schengen countries, the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, and other countries.

  • 2

    Living in Portugal or moving to any EU country

    Portugal is a part of the European Union. Its citizens can choose any EU country to live in, including Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Lichtenstein. There is no need to get a residence permit before moving — it’s enough to register upon arrival.

  • 3

    Doing business, working or studying in Europe

    The power of the Portugal passport allows citizens to save money on education in European schools and universities. There is also no need to get a student visa. Moreover, Portuguese citizens can get a job or found a company in any EU country.

  • 4

    Medical treatment in the best clinics in the world

    Portuguese citizens get medical insurance called EHIC. It makes medical treatment in EU clinics cheaper. In addition, they don’t need a medical visa to get treatment in the Schengen countries, the UK or the USA.

Grounds for obtaining a Portugal passport

Portugal allows dual citizenship

birth icon

Birth to citizens of the country

marriage icon

Marriage to a citizen of the country

government icon

Work for the country's government

naturalization icon

Naturalization

Estimated time: 6 years

repatriation icon

Repatriation

adopt icon

Adoption

family icon

Parents citizenship

diamond icon

Special conditions

investment icon

Special services to the state

Obtaining a Portugal passport by naturalization: requirements for applicants

Knowledge of state language

Assimilation or cultural knowledge

Stable financial status

Good health

No criminal records

Portugal passport for investors

Investors can obtain Portugal citizenship by naturalisation. Therefore, they first obtain a residence permit by investment. Investors don't need to live in Portugal to get citizenship: it is enough to have a resident status for 5 years. It can be done by staying in the country for 7 days a year.

€250,000+

Investments for getting a residence permit

6+ months

Period of obtaining a residence permit

5 years

Naturalisation period

Who can get a Portugal residence permit

  • Investor with a legal income

    • over 18 years old

    • with no criminal records

    • with medical insurance

    • with money for investment earned outside Portugal

  • Spouse

    • of opposite sex

    • with no criminal records

  • Children under 26

    • financially dependent on the investor

    • children over 18 must study at a university and be registered at the same address as the investor

  • Parents

    financially dependent on the investor

Investment conditions

There are seven options for participating in the Portugal Golden Visa programme:

  • €280 000+ — a purchase of the real estate;

  • €500 000+ — a purchase of units of investment funds;

  • €250,000+ — a contribution to support culture and art;

  • €500,000+ — investments in scientific projects;

  • €600,000+ — investments in a business with the creation of 5 jobs;

  • €1,500,000+ — a capital transfer;

  • founding a company and creating at least 10 jobs.

The investment sum doesn’t depend on the number of family members. Most investment options provide an opportunity to return investments after 5 years.

The most popular options are purchasing real estate or units of investment funds.

An investor can buy a new property or one that is for renovation. The minimum property cost is €350,000 if it’s for renovation and €500,000 if it’s a new one. The cost decreases by 20% if the property is in an underpopulated area.

Besides investing, the applicant pays government fees and for medical insurance and legal services.

Expenses for a family of 4

Investor and their spouse and children of 10 and 17 years old

Expenses

Purchase of real estate

Purchase of units of investment funds

Investments

€280,000+

€500,000+

Taxes and fees

6 to 8% — title transfer

0,8% — stamp fee

0.3 to 0,8% of the cadastral value — annual property tax

Up to 7,5% — fund’s commission

0.5 to 3% — annual fund’s commission on profit

0% — tax on the gain on investment for a foreigner in Portugal

14% — tax on the gain on investment for tax residents of Portugal

Application fee

€2,132

€2,132

Fee for residence permit cards

€21,300

€21,300

Medical insurance

€1,600+

€1,600+

Individual cost calculation for obtaining a Portugal residence permit

The calculation includes all associated expenses, a payment schedule and the cost of legal support services for obtaining status.

Get the cost calculation

Step-by-step procedure for obtaining a Portugal passport by investment

1

1 day

Preliminary Due Diligence

A certified Compliance Anti Money Laundering Officer checks the information on the investor against international databases. Our check helps to decrease the refusal risk to 1%.

The preliminary Due Diligence is obligatory as we don’t sign a contract with an investor without it. If we’ve discovered a risk of refusal, we offer a suitable solution: add more documents or choose another investment programme.

Evaluate your chances of passing

Take a short anonymous test and learn more about the nuances of Due Diligence checks

2

1—3 weeks

Selection of real estate or fund for investment

The investor chooses the priority variants of real estate or funds.

3

2—5 days

Trip to Portugal

A trip to Portugal is required to get a tax identification number, open a bank account and examine real estate. It is also necessary to sign a letter of attorney for a lawyer in Portugal so that they could act on the investor’s behalf.

4

1—2 months

Fulfilment of investment conditions

The investor buys real estate or units of an investment fund. Immigrant Invest lawyers accompany the deal and are in charge of its clean title.

5

Up to 2 months

Collecting documents and sending them for consideration

Immigrant Invest lawyers provide an investor with a list of personal and financial documents needed to apply. They also fill in forms, notarise copies and translations, and collect documents that prove the fulfilment of the investment condition.

Electronic copies of the documents are sent to the Migration Service of Portugal for consideration.

6

1 day

Submitting biometrics

Investors and all their family members included in the application come to Portugal to submit biometrics and original documents. An appointment is booked in advance in the electronic registry of SEF.

7

4—6 months

Approval and obtaining residence permits

It takes up to 6 months since the biometrics and original documents have been submitted for consideration to SEF. When the application is approved, the investor pays residency card fees. They are prepared within 2 weeks. The documents are given to the investor or a lawyer with a letter of attorney.

8

Every 2 years

Extending a residence permit

The Portugal residence permit is extended every 2 years. To retain the status, it is needed to spend 7 days per year in Portugal, or 14 days within two years.

The procedure of the residence permit extension is similar to applying. The investor needs to gather all the same documents, apply, submit biometrics and get a residence permit card.

9

5 years after getting a residence permit

Applying for citizenship

To obtain Portugal citizenship, investors and their family members need to preserve their residence status for 5 years. They also need to prove they know Portuguese at the A2 level and have no criminal records. Children under 12 are exempt from the language exam.

Frequently asked questions

  • How to obtain Portugal citizenship?

    A strong Portugal passport can be obtained by birth, naturalisation, repatriation, adoption, or marriage. Citizenship by investment can be obtained after 5 years of resident status.

    Portugal citizenship can’t be obtained by investment. However, the country offers a residence permit by investment. First, applicants get a residence permit and then, after 5 years, citizenship.

  • Do I need to live in Portugal to obtain citizenship by naturalisation?

    No, if you have got a residence permit by investment. In this case, it is enough to fulfil the programme requirements and spend 7 days a year in the country. 5 years after having a resident status, the investor can apply for citizenship.

  • How much do I need to invest in getting a Portugal residence permit by investment?

    At least €250,000.

    Two of the most popular options are a purchase of the real estate for €280,000+ or units of investment funds for €500,000. The investment amount doesn’t depend on the composition of the family.

  • What are the benefits of Portugal citizenship?

    Portugal is a part of the European Union. This is why its citizens can move to any EU country and benefit from education and medical treatment preferences. Moreover, it is easier for them to get a job or found a company there than for citizens of non-EU countries.

    The Portugal passport is powerful and allows entering 187 countries visa-free. Among them are the Schengen states, the UK, the USA, Australia, and Japan.