Portugal residence permit by investment for living by the ocean and traveling around Europe visa-free
Download the guide Calculate the costPortugal started issuing residence permits in return for investment in 2012. 27,000 applicants received “golden visas” in the last 10 years.
Applicants are offered a choice of eight investment options. The option of purchasing a property for restoration for €350,000 or more modern real estate for €500,000 has proven to be particularly popular. The option to buy units in investment and venture funds for €500,000 is also gaining popularity.
These and other popular options also allow the initial investment to be returned after five years by selling the property or units in a fund.
After five years as a Portuguese resident, the investor and their relatives can apply for permanent residence or citizenship. At the same time, they are not required to live in Portugal: as long as they spend seven days a year in the country their residence permit remains valid.
Portuguese residence permit holders can visit the Schengen countries without a visa and spend up to 90 days out of 180 there.
A residence permit by investment gives the holder the right to enter Portugal at any time, even when the borders are closed to tourists. Residence permit holders can stay in the country indefinitely. At the same time, living in Portugal is a right, not an obligation for Portuguese residence permit holders.
Investors can obtain a special Non-habitual Resident (NHR) status in Portugal for 10 years. A NHR is not taxed in Portugal on income earned in other countries and their tax on income earned in Portugal is reduced to 20%. Without preferential status, the income tax rate in Portugal can be as high as 48%.
Investors can apply for permanent residence or Portuguese citizenship after five years as a resident. At the same time, they are not required to live in the country as long as they do not violate the terms of the program and regularly renew their residence permit.
Portuguese citizens can choose to live in any EU country for life and travel visa-free to 187 countries around the world, including the United States, Canada, the UK and Australia.
financially dependent on the investor if younger than 65
Portugal offers investors seven options. The most popular one is the purchase of new residential real estate or properties for restoration. Investors can buy residential properties in the inland territories of Portugal, the Azores and Madeira. You can also purchase commercial properties in any region of Portugal.
Investors are offered two options:
1. €350,000 — a purchase of real estate built over 30 years ago or located in areas of renovation. If the object is also located in a sparsely populated area, its cost can start from €280,000.
2. €500,000 — a purchase of newer residential and commercial property in Portugal. €400,000 if the object is less than 30 years old and located in a sparsely populated area.
The property can be sold after five years and the money can be returned.
Purchase real estate | €280,000+ |
Transfer tax | 6 to 8% of the real estate value |
Stamp duty | 0.8% of the property value |
Annual property tax | 0.4% of the cadastral property value |
Medical insurance | €400+ per person |
Application fee | €533 for each family member |
Residence permit card | €5,340 for each family member |
This is the best way to get a residence permit in Portugal if the investor and his family do not plan to live in Portugal or do not want to invest in real estate.
An investment fund is a financial company whose task is to attract and increase the capital of investors. The fund collects investors’ money and puts it in selected assets: residential or commercial real estate, Portuguese companies, industrial facilities or the European stock market.
The minimum investment in funds is €500,000. You need to invest for at least 5 years, but more often the money is returned after 6 to 10 years. After receiving a profit, the fund distributes it among investors, minus a commission.
Purchase units in an approved fund | €500,000+ |
Commission when investing | Up to 7.5% |
Annual commission on profits | 0.5 to 3% |
Tax on investment income for those who are not tax resident in Portugal | 0% |
Tax on investment income for tax residents in Portugal | 14% |
Medical insurance | €400+ per person |
Application fee | €533 for each family member |
Residence permit card | €5,340 for each family member |
with the creation of at least five jobs
Get an individual calculation for your family with all associated costs and government fees
Make an individual calculationResidence permit by investment | Other types of residence permits | |
Exam on knowledge of the Portuguese language | No | Yes |
Compulsory stay in the country | 7 days a year | 183 days a year |
Required to live in the country for the citizenship | No | Yes |
Probability of refusal | Low | High |
Our certified Anti Money Laundering Officer carries out practically the same Due Diligence check as the program department. Our verification allows us to identify all potential stumbling blocks in advance and reduce the risk of the application for a residence permit being rejected to 1%.
Our Due Diligence check is mandatory. We sign an agreement with the investor only after carrying out our check. If, during the check, risks are identified, we offer a solution that circumvents the problem: for example, we may recommend choosing another program or attacing additional documents to the application.
The preliminary check is confidential and we only need to see the investor’s passport before conducting the check.
Immigrant Invest’s real estate specialists select several properties for the investor to consider. If necessary, an employee of the company in Portugal goes to the site to take photographs and videos of the property. When an investor chooses a priority option, we negotiate the terms of the purchase-sale of the property with the seller on behalf of the investor.
The investor needs to visit Portugal to see the selected property and choose the appropriate option. Within two or three days, they can open a bank account, get an individual foreigner’s number at the tax office and draw up a power of attorney for their lawyer in Portugal.
Immigrant Invest’s lawyers accompany the purchase process up to its conclusion and are responsible for the legality of the transaction.
The investor’s lawyer in Portugal signs a preliminary sales contract and closes the deal. The investor transfers the money. The lawyer in Portugal receives the ownership certificate for the property through a power of attorney. This certificate will be needed when applying for a residence permit.
Immigrant Invest’s lawyers provide the investor with an individual list of documents that must be provided in order to apply for a residence permit. They also fill out the relevant state forms, translate and certify documents and collect the documents related to ownership of the property. This takes up to two weeks.
Electronic copies of the documents are sent for consideration to the SEF, the Portuguese Immigration Office. There, the application is considered for 4-6 weeks.
The investor and their family need to come to Portugal to submit their biometric data for residence permit cards and submit original documents. The biometrics are recorded in advance in the SEF electronic register.
When the investor and their family have submitted their application and their biometrics, SEF will issue a confirmation document to them. This can be used to live in Portugal until the residence permit cards are issued, but you cannot enter or leave the country until the residence permit cards are received.
SEF checks the documents of the investor and their family. This takes up to six months from the date the original documents and biometric data are submitted.
When approval is received, the investor pays the fee for the residence permit cards. They are prepared within two weeks and issued personally to the investor or their lawyer by proxy, who then sends the documents to the investor.
In order to maintain a residence permit, the investor and their family members must spend at least seven days a year in Portugal. The residence permit has to be renewed every two years. The procedure is similar to the initial application: you need to collect the same documents and submit them in electronic form, submit biometrics and originals, and obtain new residence permit cards.
Portugal’s residence permit card needs to be changed regularly. Over time, other needs may also arise, such as a residence permit for a newborn child or a new spouse. You may need to collect documents for citizenship or to become a tax resident. This is how we can help.
We help our clients renew and extend their residence permit cards every two years.
We prepare the required package of documents and submit them on behalf of the investor.
We help the spouse, children and parents of investors obtain a residence permit by adding them to the original application.
We help our client obtain preferential tax status, provided that they spend more than 183 days a year in Portugal.
We prepare applications for a replacement residence permit card and make sure a new residence permit card is received.
We prepare the required documents and fill out the forms for our clients.
We help the investor choose a finished apartment or buy one under construction. We closely follow each step of the purchase transaction.
Schedule a meeting in one of the offices or online. A lawyer will analyze the situation, calculate the cost and help you find a solution based on your goals.
A Portuguese residence permit can be obtained by an adult investor with proven legal income earned outside Portugal. They must have a valid no criminal record certificate. They must also have medical insurance coverage.
Together with the investor, a residence permit can be obtained by their spouse, children under 26 years old and parents at least 65 years old. Adult children must be financially dependent on the investor: for example, if they are students at a university, their educational costs have to be paid by the investor.
The Portuguese residence permit program offers investors eight investment options. The smallest investment amount of €250,000 is payable when the applicant selects the option to support Portuguese culture and art.
The most popular options are purchasing real estate for restoration for €350,000 or any other property for €500,000. There is also growing demand for purchasing investment fund units for €500,000.
Some options allow the initial investment to be returned to the investor. For example, real estate and securities can be sold five years after obtaining a residence permit. In the meantime, the investor must continue to hold the investment and can receive rental income and benefit from the growth in the value of their assets.
No one can guarantee that you will obtain a Portuguese residence permit by investment. If someone makes such a promise, the offer is almost certainly fraudulent.
To reduce the risk of rejection to 1%, Immigrant Invest conducts a preliminary Due Diligence check. The investor’s documents are reviewed by a certified Anti Money Laundering Officer who is an expert on Due Diligence in different countries. If they find a potential weak point, we will look for an alternative solution to circumvent or avoid the problem: for example, we may add additional documents for submission or recommend another program.
In order to maintain your residence permit, you need to spend at least seven days a year in Portugal. It is also important to renew your residence permit card on time every two years.
The investor pays a number of taxes when buying and maintaining a home. Income derived from sources in Portugal is also taxed.
If an investor lives in Portugal for more than 183 days a year, they become a tax resident and begin to pay taxes at the rates for residents of the country.
The investor is not required to permanently live in Portugal, take a language test or serve in the army.
We will select a country and status that will solve your problems, we will accompany the whole process.
Choose an office for a meeting Schedule an online meeting