From €250,000
The cultural and heritage route is the lowest entry point. The fund, research and business routes begin at €500,000.
Portugal Golden Visa
A Portuguese residence permit through qualifying investment, open to non-EU investors and their families. Property is no longer one of the routes: the programme now runs through funds, cultural support, scientific research and business investment.
Ask about the Portugal route
Five questions, and an adviser comes back within one working day with the route that fits your budget, your family and the time you can spend in Portugal.
Portugal at a glance
Investment thresholds, an indicative filing-to-card timeline and the separate nationality rules.
Indicative 12–18 months
A market update dated 9 October 2026 gives 12–18 months from filing to the first card as a planning range. AIMA does not guarantee this timing; delayed and older cases can take longer.
A two-year permit
Issued for two years and renewable while the qualifying investment is held and the conditions are met.
Citizenship is separate
Under the Nationality Law effective 19 May 2026, most new naturalisation applications require 10 years of legal residence, or seven for EU and Portuguese-speaking-country nationals, plus other conditions. Earlier pending applications have transitional treatment.
Investment routes for Portugal’s Golden Visa
Residential and commercial property stopped qualifying in 2023, so every current route runs through funds, contributions or business activity.
Qualifying investment fund — from €500,000
Invest from €500,000 in a qualifying non-property fund. Check liquidity and costs before subscribing. AIMA route rules.
- No property assets; five-year minimum fund maturity
- At least 60% invested in Portuguese companies
- Review lock-up, redemption and transfer terms
- Check management and exit charges
- Maintain investment for renewals; capital at risk
Cultural and heritage support — from €250,000
A non-refundable contribution to approved artistic work or heritage conservation. Reported as reducing to €200,000 in eligible low-density areas.
- Contribution from €250,000
- €200,000 in eligible low-density areas
- Approved artistic production or heritage conservation
- Non-refundable, so nothing is returned at the end
- The lowest entry point of the four routes
Scientific research — from €500,000
A contribution to research carried out by approved Portuguese institutions, reported as reducing to €400,000 in eligible low-density areas.
- Contribution from €500,000
- €400,000 in eligible low-density areas
- Paid to institutions inside the national research system
- The project has to be an approved one
- Non-refundable, like the cultural route
Business and jobs — from €500,000
Capital into a Portuguese company that creates at least five permanent jobs, or the creation of ten permanent jobs with no minimum investment stated.
- €500,000 of capital into a Portuguese company
- At least five permanent jobs created with it
- Or ten permanent jobs, with no minimum investment stated
- The jobs are kept while the permit runs
- The company has to be an existing or newly formed Portuguese one
Portugal Golden Visa costs beyond the investment
AIMA government charges effective 1 March 2026, shown per applicant. Digital rates apply only where the reduced channel is available; the investment and private fees are separate.
Application assessment
As of 1 March 2026, AIMA lists €632.10 for an eligible digital ARI application or €842.80 at the standard rate, per applicant. The assessment fee also applies to renewals and relevant family applications. See the dated AIMA update and fee table.
First permit issuance
AIMA lists €6,314.20 at the eligible digital rate or €8,418.90 at the standard rate to issue the first ARI permit. With assessment, that is €6,946.30 or €9,261.70 per person across the two stages. Qualifying family members have corresponding charges.
Later renewals
The renewal charge is €3,157.80 digital or €4,210.30 standard. Including a fresh assessment fee, plan for €3,789.90 or €5,053.10 per person per renewal at the listed March 2026 rates. Verify the applicable channel and tariff when AIMA issues the payment notice.
Fund and case expenses
The qualifying investment sits outside these government fees. Budget separately for legal work, fund due diligence, translations, apostilles, insurance and banking. Fund entry, annual management, performance, transaction and exit charges vary by product; check the key information document and fund rules before subscribing.
Benefits of Portuguese residency
The permit grants residence in Portugal and short-stay travel across the Schengen Area, subject to the applicable travel rules. A spouse or partner and qualifying dependent relatives may apply with their own evidence and fees.
AIMA describes a minimum stay of seven days in the first year and 14 days in each subsequent two-year period for the ARI permit. Residence for tax purposes is a separate assessment.
Permanent residence and naturalisation require separate applications. For nationality applications filed after 19 May 2026, the current law generally requires seven years of legal residence for EU or Portuguese-speaking-country nationals and 10 years for other nationals, alongside language, civic and other conditions. A Golden Visa does not confer citizenship automatically.
Portugal Golden Visa application process
Five stages from route selection to the first card. A 12–18-month filing-to-card window is a dated market estimate, not an AIMA deadline.
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01
Consultation
Your circumstances, your family and what you want the permit for, measured against the four routes - and a plain answer on which of them is open to you.
Step 1 24 h -
02
Due diligence and documents
Source-of-funds review, the checklist for every applicant, translations, apostilles, and the Portuguese tax number and bank account the application needs.
Step 2 from 2 weeks -
03
The investment
Fund subscription, cultural contribution, research contribution or company capital, with the transfer documented the way the authority expects to see it.
Step 3 varies -
04
Filing
The dossier lodged with the Portuguese immigration authority, fees paid, and the correspondence kept in one place from then on.
Step 4 Application and review -
05
Decision and the card
Attend biometrics, complete official review and pay the issuance charge when directed. The 9 October 2026 market estimate is 12–18 months from filing to the first card for new cases. AIMA has not guaranteed that range, and document or appointment delays can extend it.
Step 5 Indicative 12–18 months
Schengen travel with Portuguese residency
Plan short visits to 28 other Schengen countries with a valid Portuguese residence permit and passport.
Visa-free
Portugal
Hover or tap a country to see its name. Use the arrow keys to explore with a keyboard.
- Travel area
- Schengen Area
- Short-stay rule
- 90 / 180 days
- Travel documents
- Passport + permit
The 90-day allowance is shared across the other Schengen countries within any rolling 180-day period. Time spent in Portugal under your Portuguese residence permit is assessed separately.
Carry your valid passport and residence permit on every trip. Short-stay travel access does not itself grant the right to live or work in another Schengen country. See the official Schengen travel guidance for document requirements.
Visa-free
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FranceVisa-free -
GermanyVisa-free -
ItalyVisa-free -
SpainVisa-free -
GreeceVisa-free -
NetherlandsVisa-free -
AustriaVisa-free -
SwitzerlandVisa-free -
SwedenVisa-free -
BelgiumVisa-free -
BulgariaVisa-free -
CroatiaVisa-free -
Czech RepublicVisa-free -
DenmarkVisa-free -
EstoniaVisa-free -
FinlandVisa-free -
HungaryVisa-free -
IcelandVisa-free -
LatviaVisa-free -
LiechtensteinVisa-free -
LithuaniaVisa-free -
LuxembourgVisa-free -
MaltaVisa-free -
NorwayVisa-free -
PolandVisa-free -
RomaniaVisa-free -
SlovakiaVisa-free -
SloveniaVisa-free
No destinations match your search.
Eligibility for Portugal’s Golden Visa
Six conditions every applicant meets, whichever route they choose - and two Portuguese registrations to arrange before the money moves.
A non-EU passport
The programme is for nationals of countries outside the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland.
Eighteen or over
The main applicant must be of age; dependants are included on the same application under their own conditions.
A clean record
Criminal record certificates from your country of nationality and residence, and from Portugal, with the compliance checks that follow.
Funds from outside Portugal
The investment must be made with lawfully sourced capital brought in from abroad, and the trail has to be documented.
Healthcare cover
Show evidence of healthcare cover for each applicant. AIMA accepts proof of Portugal’s National Health Service coverage, where applicable, or qualifying health insurance.
A NIF and a bank account
A Portuguese tax number and a Portuguese bank account, both opened before the investment is made.
Is Portugal the right route for you?
Tell us what you want the permit for, who is coming with you and what you would rather not invest in. We will say which of the four routes fits, what it costs in full, and how it compares with the other countries we cover.
Portugal Golden Visa: common questions
Route eligibility, family inclusion and what the residence permit does not grant automatically.
What is the minimum investment?
It depends on the route. Cultural and heritage support starts at €250,000, reported as €200,000 in eligible low-density areas. The investment fund, scientific research and business routes start at €500,000, with research reported as €400,000 in a low-density area. Government fees, legal and fund charges, due diligence and family costs sit on top of all of them.
Can I still qualify by buying property?
No. Residential and commercial property acquisition stopped qualifying in 2023 under the housing legislation, and the current routes are funds, cultural support, scientific research and business investment. Property can still be bought in Portugal, but it no longer earns the permit.
Do I have to live in Portugal?
Not full time. The stay requirement is reported as seven days in the first year and fourteen days in each two-year period after it, which is among the lightest in Europe. Living there is a separate decision, and one that changes your tax position.
Can my family be included?
Yes. A spouse or partner, dependent children and dependent parents may be included on the same application, each with their own evidence of dependency and their own set of certificates. We check every family against the rules before anything is filed.
Does the permit lead to citizenship?
Not automatically. The Golden Visa is a residence permit; permanent residence and naturalisation are separate decisions. For a new nationality application, the law effective 19 May 2026 generally requires 10 years of legal residence, or seven for EU and Portuguese-speaking-country nationals, with further language, civic and other requirements. Nationality applications already pending when that law took effect follow the previous rules.
Other residency routes in Europe
Compare this programme with the other European routes we cover. Figures are starting investment amounts; government payments, fees, taxes and other costs are additional.
