Portugal Golden Visa
Application Fee
€632.10
≈ $707
Processing Time
about 2 years
Duration
24 months
Overview
The Golden Visa is a Portuguese residence permit for investors from outside the EU. The fund route needs €500,000 placed in a non-real-estate fund set up under Portuguese law. Property purchases no longer qualify.
Applicants must be at least 18. The first card is valid for 2 years, and holders have the right to live and work in Portugal. Government fees are charged per person, with an analysis fee at filing and a larger grant fee after approval.
The main catch is time. Portugal's immigration agency, AIMA, takes about 14 to 24 months to reach a first card, and the investment must stay in place for five years from the date the permit is granted.
Eligibility Requirements
The route is for citizens of countries outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, so nationals of those areas do not use it.
Min Investment
€500,000
≈ $559,303
Application Fee
€632.10
≈ $707
one-time
Renewal Cost
€3,158/yr
≈ $3,532/yr
Min Age
18 yrs
Duration
24 months
Physical Presence
7 days/yr
Requirements Checklist
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How and where to apply
Online through the AIMA ARI portal, with biometrics taken in person in Portugal.
Tax Information
Portuguese tax residence
A person becomes a Portuguese tax resident by spending more than 183 days in Portugal in any 12-month period, or by keeping a home there that looks like a habitual residence.
United States side
The United States and Portugal have an income tax treaty that has applied since 1 January 1996.
Living in Portugal
COL Index vs NYC
48.8
Monthly Cost (excl. rent)
$776
1BR Rent (City Center)
$1,040
Safety Index
66.7
Healthcare Index
72.0
Quality of Life Index
169.5
Time Zone
UTC+00:00
Capital
Lisbon
Population
10.3M
Official Languages
Portuguese
Avg Internet Speed
260 Mbps
Public Transit Quality
Good
With a budget covering rent and living costs, you'd need roughly $1,816/mo for a comfortable single-person lifestyle in Portugal.See how far your money goes →
🏙️ Best Cities in Portugal for Golden Visa Holders
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✦ 80Qualifying routes
The permit is officially the Autorização de Residência para Atividade de Investimento (ARI). New applications go through one of the routes AIMA lists for it. The fund route, which most applicants use, needs units in non-real-estate funds set up under Portuguese law. The fund must have a maturity of at least five years when the money goes in, and at least 60 percent of its investments must go to companies headquartered in Portugal.
A cultural donation route starts at €250,000 and is 20 percent lower in low-density territory. Other routes cover scientific research institutions, setting up a company in Portugal and job creation.
Government fees
Fees are charged per person. Filed online, the analysis fee is €632.10 and the permit grant fee is €6,314.20, against standard rates of €842.80 and €8,418.90. A renewal costs €3,157.80 online or €4,210.30 at the standard rate, and the analysis fee applies again. The grant of permanent ARI residence costs €8,840.00 online or €11,786.70 at the standard rate. The rates are indexed to inflation each March.
Stay requirement and renewals
Holders must spend at least 7 days in Portugal in the first year and at least 14 days in each two-year period after that. The first card is renewed at years 2 and 4.
Family members
Dependents can be included. AIMA lists a separate fee line for permits granted to family members reunited with an ARI holder.
Permanent residence and citizenship
Permanent ARI residence becomes available at year 5. Citizenship is a separate application. Since 19 May 2026 it requires 10 years of legal residence, or 7 for citizens of CPLP countries, counted most likely from the issue of the first card. Applications filed by 18 May 2026 keep the old rules.
Work Permissions
Application Steps
- 1
📋 Get a Portuguese tax number
- 2
📋 Make the qualifying investment
- 3
📬 File through the ARI portal
- 4
⏳ Wait for the biometrics call
14 to 24 months
- 5
📅 Attend biometrics in Portugal
- 6
📬 Pay the grant fee and receive the card
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Frequently Asked Questions
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At a Glance
Last verified: November 6, 2026