To get a Portugal Golden Visa, you need to make one qualifying investment, keep a clean criminal record, and spend only about a week a year in the country. The Golden Visa is a residence permit that Portugal grants to non-EU nationals who invest in the country. Notably, it is one of the few residency routes in Europe that does not ask you to actually live there. This page covers the part most searchers get wrong: who qualifies, which investments still count, what you have to file, how many days you owe, and which family members you can bring. In contrast, cost, the application steps, fund selection, processing time, and the citizenship path each have their own guide, and we link to them where they belong.
Here is the whole process in five steps, so you can see where the requirements fit before we go deep:
- Get a Portuguese tax number (NIF) and open a Portuguese bank account.
- Choose a qualifying investment route and make the investment.
- Assemble your documents (passport, criminal-record certificate, insurance, proof of investment).
- Submit the ARI residence-permit application to AIMA.
- Attend biometrics and collect your residence card.
For the full walkthrough of each step, see how to apply step by step. For the program from top to bottom, see the Portugal Golden Visa complete guide.
Who qualifies for the Portugal Golden Visa?
You qualify if you are a non-EU, non-EEA, and non-Swiss national, at least 18 years old, with a clean criminal record and the means to make one qualifying investment. The Golden Visa, known in Portuguese law as the ARI (Autorização de Residência para Investimento), is residence granted in exchange for a qualifying investment by a non-EU national (aima.gov.pt). In fact, nationality is the first gate: the whole program exists to give non-Europeans a residency route that EU citizens do not need.
Specifically, the four core conditions are simple to state and worth checking in order. You must hold a nationality outside the EU, the EEA, and Switzerland. You must be a legal adult. You must have no serious criminal conviction. And you must be able to fund your investment with money you can prove was lawfully earned.
That last point does more work than most applicants expect. Portugal, like every EU member state, applies anti-money-laundering checks to investment migration. As a result, the source of your funds is examined, not just the amount. For example, salary, business proceeds, an inheritance, or the sale of an asset all qualify, provided you can document the chain.
Do you qualify? The eligibility checklist
- Non-EU, non-EEA, and non-Swiss nationality
- At least 18 years old
- A clean criminal record (no conviction carrying more than one year)
- A lawful, documented source for your investment funds
- The ability to make and hold one qualifying investment for at least five years
In practice, the lawful-source-of-funds evidence bar trips more applicants than the investment amount itself. In fact, the money is rarely the problem; the paper trail proving where it came from is where files stall. [NEEDS-AUTHOR-INPUT: Vanessa to add a short observation on the source-of-funds documents clients most often struggle to produce, no figures.]
Getting help with this Qualifying for the Golden Visa comes down to two things: assembling a compliant eligibility file (source-of-funds evidence, criminal-record certificate, NIF, a Portuguese bank account, and the sworn investment declaration) and matching yourself to the right qualifying route. Applicants with clean, well-documented finances and time to spare often handle this themselves. Where the assisted route earns its keep is in clearing the lawful-source-of-funds bar and choosing the route that fits your money and your goals, all handled remotely from the US. Roots Global assembles the eligibility file and helps clients select a qualifying investment route, remotely where possible.
Which investments still qualify, and which were removed?
Real estate no longer qualifies. You now qualify through a qualifying fund, a cultural donation, scientific research funding, or a business that creates jobs. Specifically, these routes replaced the old property option and the large capital-transfer option when Portugal reformed the program in late 2023 (Lei 56/2023, dre.pt).
The reform, part of the Mais Habitação housing law, cut two of the most popular routes. In particular, buying property no longer earns a Golden Visa, and the EUR 1.5 million capital-transfer route was also removed. Notably, what remains is a set of routes aimed at the productive economy rather than the housing market.
| Route | Minimum | Key condition | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying fund | EUR 500,000 | CMVM-registered venture-capital or private-equity fund, at least 60% invested in Portuguese companies, minimum 5-year maturity | Available |
| Cultural or artistic donation | EUR 250,000 (EUR 200,000 in low-density areas) | Support for national heritage, the arts, or cultural production | Available |
| Scientific research | EUR 500,000 | Contribution to an accredited Portuguese research institution | Available |
| Business and job creation | EUR 500,000 plus 5 jobs, or create 10 jobs (8 in low-density areas) | Incorporate or reinforce a company registered in Portugal | Available |
| Real estate purchase | REMOVED Oct 2023 | No longer accepted | Removed |
| EUR 1.5M capital transfer | REMOVED Oct 2023 | No longer accepted | Removed |
The fund route has become the default choice since the reform. To qualify, the fund must be registered with the CMVM (Portugal's securities regulator). It must also invest at least 60% of its capital in Portuguese companies, and hold a maturity of at least five years, which aligns with the residency hold. One condition catches people who are looking for a workaround: since the 2023 reform, the fund must have no real-estate exposure, direct or indirect. In fact, "no real estate" means two things at once: no direct property purchase, and no fund that itself invests in property. That closes the indirect route that once let applicants reach real estate through a fund wrapper. Fund selection, and the US tax treatment of these funds, is a topic in its own right: see qualifying investment funds.
This section is about eligibility, not the total bill. That said, government fees, legal fees, and the per-dependent costs sit outside the headline investment, and they add up. For the full arithmetic, see the full cost breakdown. If you would rather not tie up half a million euros at all, the Portugal D7 visa is the passive-income alternative for people with pension or remote income who are willing to live in Portugal.
What disqualifies you?
You cannot use the Golden Visa if you already hold EU, EEA, or Swiss citizenship, if you have a serious criminal conviction, or if you cannot prove your money was lawfully earned. These are the grounds that end an application before the investment is ever reviewed.
Notably, four disqualifiers cover almost every rejected file. First, nationality: EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens already have free movement, so the route is not open to them. Second, a criminal record: a conviction for a crime punishable by more than one year in prison is a bar. Third, the source of funds: money that cannot be traced to a lawful origin fails the anti-money-laundering check. Fourth, failing to keep the investment in place for the full five-year hold, which does not block your application but ends the residency if you exit early.
A "no" on any of the first three checks ends the file. In contrast, the stay commitment is different: you meet it after you are approved, not before, and it is the lightest obligation in the program.
What documents do you need?
You need a valid passport, a clean criminal-record certificate, proof of health insurance, a Portuguese tax number, a local bank account, and proof of your qualifying investment. The list is not long, but each item has formatting rules that catch people out, especially the translation and apostille requirements.
The table below is the core document set. Notably, foreign public documents (your criminal record above all) usually need an apostille under the Hague Convention and a sworn Portuguese translation before AIMA will accept them.
| Document | Who needs it | Format notes |
|---|---|---|
| Valid passport | Main applicant and each dependent | Copy of the biographic page; valid well beyond the application date |
| Criminal-record certificate | Main applicant and dependents aged 16+ | From your country of nationality and residence; apostilled and translated into Portuguese |
| Proof of health insurance | Everyone on the file | Valid in Portugal and Schengen-wide, for the full permit period; travel-only cover is not enough |
| NIF (Portuguese tax number) | Main applicant and dependents | Issued by the tax authority, in person or through a representative |
| Portuguese bank account | Main applicant | Used to route and evidence the qualifying investment |
| Proof of the qualifying investment | Main applicant | Fund subscription statement, donation receipt, or company documents; sworn declaration where required |
| Passport photographs | Everyone on the file | Recent, biometric standard |
Two items on that list are worth treating as up-front prerequisites rather than paperwork you gather at the end. Specifically, the Portuguese tax number (NIF) and a Portuguese bank account are the first practical steps, obtained before you invest. The investment itself is routed and evidenced through the account and tied to your NIF. Both can be arranged remotely without flying to Portugal. In practice, you grant a power of attorney to a representative who obtains the NIF and opens the account on your behalf, which is how most non-resident applicants handle it. The health insurance is the other item people underestimate. The cover must be valid in Portugal and across the Schengen area for the full period of the permit, not merely a travel policy bought for the trip. Travel-only insurance may cover your first entry. However, AIMA expects resident-grade cover that stays in force for as long as you hold the residence permit.
After you file, you attend a biometrics appointment. Since late 2023, that stage is handled by AIMA (the Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo), which replaced the former immigration service, SEF (portugal.gov.pt). In fact, any older guide that still refers to "SEF" is out of date on the authority, even where the underlying rules are unchanged.
How long the AIMA stage takes is a separate question with its own answer: see processing timeline. This guide states only that AIMA is the body you deal with.
How long must you stay in Portugal?
Very little. You must average about 7 days a year in Portugal, counted as 14 days across each two-year renewal cycle, and you do not need to live there. In fact, this light stay rule is the reason the Golden Visa suits people who want EU residency without relocating (aima.gov.pt).
The precise rule is 7 days in your first year, then 14 days in each subsequent two-year cycle. You can spend them in one trip or spread them out. That said, competitor guides sometimes state higher figures, but the applicable rule for current ARI holders is the 7-day and 14-day standard, and that is what your renewals are assessed against.
Missing the days matters at renewal, not day to day. AIMA checks your presence when you renew the permit. As a result, a shortfall can put a renewal at risk, so the days are worth tracking from the start. In practice, the mistake we see is not people staying too little; it is people miscounting where one two-year cycle ends and the next begins, then arriving short at renewal. [NEEDS-AUTHOR-INPUT: Vanessa to add a short observation on how the cycle miscount typically surfaces at renewal, no figures.] The exact counting mechanics, what a missed cycle costs you at renewal, and how the stay rule compares across residence routes are covered in Golden Visa minimum stay.
Because this is a residence route and not a live-there route, your days in Portugal are a minimum, not a cap. That said, you can spend far more time in the country if you want, but the permit does not require it.
Which family members can you include?
You can bring your spouse or partner, your dependent children, and your dependent parents on the same application. Family reunification is built into the Golden Visa, so your household applies together rather than through separate processes (dre.pt). In particular, each category has its own dependency test.
Who counts as a dependent
- Spouse or legal or de facto partner
- Children under 18
- Children aged 18 to 25 who are unmarried, financially dependent, and enrolled in full-time education
- Parents (ascendants) aged 65 or over, or younger where they are financially dependent on you
- Your partner's parents, under the same dependency test
The adult-child and parent categories turn on dependency, which is a documented test, not an assumption. For example, a 22-year-old university student who is unmarried and relies on you financially can usually be included; a working, independent 22-year-old cannot. For parents, the 65-and-over threshold is the simple case, and documented dependency can extend it to younger ascendants.
Notably, parents are the category applicants most often assume they cannot include, then find they can. The dependent-ascendant route is broader than most people expect, and it is worth testing before you rule a parent out. [NEEDS-AUTHOR-INPUT: Vanessa to add a short observation on dependent-parent inclusions clients assume they fail but qualify for, no figures.]
The step-by-step of adding each family member (the documents per person and the sequencing) is its own guide: see including family members.
After you qualify: residency, renewal, and citizenship
Hold your investment and meet the stay rule for five years, and you become eligible to apply for permanent residency. Note the change carefully: five years now leads to permanent residency, not citizenship. The Golden Visa is a five-year path to settled status, where you keep the investment in place, renew the permit on schedule, and clear the light stay requirement across each cycle. In contrast, citizenship is a separate, longer step that no longer arrives at the five-year mark (Lei Orgânica 1/2026, dre.pt).
Naturalization changed in 2026. Under Lei Orgânica 1/2026, in force 19 May 2026, Portugal moved the general naturalization requirement to roughly ten years of legal residence. A shorter track, about seven years, applies to nationals of the EU and CPLP (Portuguese-speaking) countries. Notably, the clock is now generally counted from the date your first residence card is issued, not from the application. There is no grandfathering of the old five-year citizenship route for new applicants: anyone who had not already filed falls under the new ten-year (or seven-year) clock. Importantly, the Golden Visa's own residency and stay requirements are unchanged; the reform is to the citizenship timeline that sits at the end of the road, not to how you qualify for or hold the visa.
The year-by-year path, the A2 Portuguese language test, and how permanent residency compares with citizenship are covered in full in path to citizenship.
See also
- Portugal Golden Visa complete guide
- how to apply step by step
- Golden Visa minimum stay
- full cost breakdown
- Portugal D7 visa
Frequently asked questions
Does real estate still qualify for the Portugal Golden Visa?
No. Buying property stopped qualifying for the Golden Visa when Portugal reformed the program in October 2023 under the Mais Habitação law (Lei 56/2023, dre.pt). In fact, the EUR 1.5 million capital-transfer route was removed at the same time. The current routes are a qualifying fund, a cultural donation, scientific research funding, or a job-creating business investment. Any guide that still lists property is out of date.
How many days a year do I have to stay in Portugal?
An average of about 7 days a year. The precise rule is 7 days in your first year, then 14 days across each subsequent two-year renewal cycle (aima.gov.pt). You can take those days in one trip or spread them out, and you do not need to live in Portugal. AIMA checks your presence at renewal. As a result, it is worth tracking the days from the start.
Can I include my parents in my Golden Visa application?
Often, yes. Parents (ascendants) aged 65 or over can usually be included, and younger parents can qualify where they are financially dependent on you (dre.pt). The test is dependency, documented rather than assumed. Similarly, your spouse's parents can be included under the same test. This is the family category applicants most often wrongly assume they cannot use.
What disqualifies you from the Portugal Golden Visa?
Three things end most applications. You are ineligible if you already hold EU, EEA, or Swiss citizenship, since the route is for non-Europeans. A serious criminal conviction (a crime punishable by more than one year) is a bar. Similarly, funds you cannot prove were lawfully earned fail the source-of-funds check (aima.gov.pt). Exiting the investment before the five-year hold ends the residency.
Do I need to live in Portugal to keep the Golden Visa?
No. This is the feature that sets the Golden Visa apart from routes like the D7. You keep the permit by meeting the light stay rule, an average of about 7 days a year, and by holding your qualifying investment (aima.gov.pt). Consequently, you can continue living and working anywhere in the world and still maintain and renew your Portuguese residency.
Is the Portugal Golden Visa ending or suspended in 2026?
No. The Golden Visa remains open in 2026. Portugal reformed it in late 2023, removing the real-estate and large capital-transfer routes, but the program itself continues through the fund, donation, research, and business routes (portugal.gov.pt). Rumors of closure usually confuse the 2023 route changes with an end to the program. For a running record of changes, follow our Golden Visa news updates.
Do I need a university degree or to speak Portuguese to qualify?
No, not for the Golden Visa itself. There is no degree requirement and no language test to obtain or renew the residence permit (aima.gov.pt). That said, a basic Portuguese requirement (A2 level) applies only later, if you go on to apply for citizenship. That language stage, and how it fits the timeline, is covered in path to citizenship.
How much money do I need for a Portugal Golden Visa?
The qualifying investment starts at EUR 250,000 for the low-density cultural-donation route and EUR 500,000 for the fund, research, and business routes (dre.pt). On top of the investment, budget for government processing fees, legal fees, and a per-person charge for each family member. The full arithmetic, including per-dependent costs, is in the full cost breakdown.
This article is for general information only and is not legal or tax advice. Visa rules and tax regimes change frequently. Verify current requirements with the relevant authority or a qualified professional before acting.
About the author
Vanessa Mororó is Head of Legal, Portugal at Roots Global. She advises HNWI and US-cross-border clients on Portuguese nationality, residency, and immigration matters, including the Golden Visa. LinkedIn.
Author bio is a placeholder pending Vanessa's final review. Years of experience, alma mater, and complete Person-schema fields will be confirmed before publication.
