Portugal Golden Residence PermitPortugal Golden Residence Permit

For a decade the Portuguese golden visa meant a flat in Lisbon or Porto and a residence card. The property route closed in October 2023; what remains is a subscription to a qualifying investment or venture-capital fund, a donation to research or culture, or a job-creating business. The permit is granted for two years and renewed, the family is included, and the residence requirement is an average of seven days a year.

Two things have changed the calculation. Processing at the immigration agency has run to a year or more for first approvals, and the nationality law now sets ten years of legal residence and a Portuguese language test before citizenship can be sought. A Schengen residence with almost no presence obligation is still a real thing to hold; a European passport is no longer the near-term reason to hold it. This is a programme we refer rather than transact.