Yes. The Portugal Golden Visa is still available in 2026, and it is actively accepting new applications. If you have read that it was suspended, cancelled, or scrapped, that is a misreading of what actually happened. The program was reformed, not ended. You can still apply today through a qualifying investment.
Here is the plain-English version. A 2023 law removed two of the old ways to qualify, the property-purchase route and the capital-transfer route, but it left the rest of the program running. The main route now is a EUR 500,000 investment into a regulated Portuguese fund, with donation, research, cultural-heritage, and job-creation routes also open. The Golden Visa itself, the residence-by-investment permit, is very much alive.
This page is the straight yes-or-no answer and the reason for the confusion. For the full program walkthrough, see the Portugal Golden Visa complete guide, and a dated log of every change sits in Golden Visa news and changes.
Is the Portugal Golden Visa suspended or ended?
No. The Portugal Golden Visa is neither suspended nor ended, and applications are open in 2026. The program is running, the immigration authority is processing files, and you can still qualify through a current investment route. What ended in 2023 was one popular way in, buying property, and that single change is where almost all the "it was suspended" talk comes from.
The program operates under the ARI regime, the Autorização de Residência para Investimento, created by Lei 23/2007 and administered by AIMA, the immigration authority that replaced SEF in late 2023. That legal basis is still in force. Here is the myth versus reality:
- Myth: the Golden Visa was suspended. Reality: it is running and accepting applications in 2026.
- Myth: the whole program was abolished. Reality: only two investment routes were removed; the rest continue.
- Myth: it is about to close. Reality: no closure date has been announced, and the fund route is stable.
- Myth: you have missed your chance. Reality: the qualifying routes are open to new applicants today.
Getting help with this The task behind this search is easy to get wrong: confirm that you still qualify under the current rules, then apply before any further change. You can read the qualifying routes and file on your own if you enjoy the paperwork. In practice, the value of the assisted route is confirming your eligibility against the post-2023 rules, choosing a compliant route, and filing cleanly while the program is open. Roots Global tracks the program's status and prepares and files Golden Visa applications for clients.
What changed in 2023? (the Mais Habitação reform)
One law in 2023 reshaped the Golden Visa, and it is the source of nearly all the confusion. The "Mais Habitação" (More Housing) package removed the routes tied to real estate to cool a housing market under pressure, not to end investment migration. The program itself stayed open through its other routes.
The instrument is Lei 56/2023, which amended the ARI regime in Lei 23/2007. It closed the property-purchase route and the pure capital-transfer route, and kept the qualifying-investment routes that do not feed housing demand. For the plain timeline of this and every later tweak, see Golden Visa news and changes.
Two routes closed; the rest of the program kept running.
| Investment route | Status since Oct 2023 |
|---|---|
| Real-estate purchase | Removed |
| Capital transfer (bank deposit) | Removed |
| Investment fund (EUR 500,000, CMVM-regulated) | Open, now the main route |
| Donation to research activities | Open |
| Support for artistic production and cultural heritage | Open |
| Job creation | Open |
Which investment routes are still open in 2026?
Several routes remain open, and the EUR 500,000 investment-fund option is now the one most applicants use. It routes your capital into a Portuguese fund regulated by the CMVM, the securities-market regulator, rather than into property. The full mechanics of the fund route sit in Golden Visa investment funds, and the total cost across fees and family members is in Golden Visa cost breakdown.
Here are the routes you can still qualify through in 2026:
- Investment fund, EUR 500,000. A subscription into a qualifying CMVM-regulated fund that does not invest in real estate. This is the dominant current route.
- Research investment. Capital committed to accredited scientific-research activities in the Portuguese science and technology system.
- Artistic and cultural-heritage support. A qualifying contribution to artistic production or the maintenance of national cultural heritage.
- Job creation. Creating a qualifying number of full-time jobs in Portugal, or investing in a company that does.
The non-fund routes carry their own thresholds, but the number to anchor on for the mainstream path is EUR 500,000 into a qualifying fund. Whichever route you choose, you register with AIMA and meet the light stay rule that keeps the residence permit alive.
Why do people think the Golden Visa was suspended?
Two things drive the confusion: misread headlines and Spain. When the property route closed in 2023, much of the coverage read as though the whole Golden Visa had been switched off, and that framing stuck even though only one route had gone. Portugal's loud housing-policy debate at the time made "the Golden Visa is over" an easy but wrong headline.
The second reason is a genuine mix-up with a different country. Spain abolished its Golden Visa in 2025, ending residence-by-investment there entirely. Spain's exit was reported at the same time as Portugal's reform, and the two blurred together. The distinction is simple: Spain closed its program; Portugal changed the way into its own.
Did the 2026 citizenship reform close the Golden Visa?
No. The 2026 nationality reform changed how long citizenship takes, not whether you can get a Golden Visa. The program is open, and you invest and receive a residence permit exactly as before. What changed is the citizenship timeline at the far end of the journey.
In short, five years of legal residence now leads to permanent residency rather than to a passport, and citizenship generally takes about ten years, or seven for nationals of EU and Portuguese-speaking (CPLP) countries, counted from when your first residence card is issued. That is a separate reform from the 2023 investment-route change, and the year-by-year detail belongs in Golden Visa citizenship path. For the purposes of this page, the point is narrow: neither reform closed the Golden Visa.
See also
- Portugal Golden Visa complete guide (G2) for the full program overview and route map.
- Golden Visa investment funds (G3) for the EUR 500,000 fund route mechanics.
- Golden Visa cost breakdown (G6) for government, fund, and legal fees per family member.
- Golden Visa citizenship path (G9) for the 2026 nationality reform and the year-by-year path.
- Golden Visa news and changes (G7) for a dated log of what changed and when.
Frequently asked questions
Was the Portugal Golden Visa suspended? No. The Portugal Golden Visa was reformed, not suspended, and it is accepting applications in 2026. In October 2023 a law removed the real-estate and capital-transfer routes, and that change was widely misread as the whole program stopping. The residence-by-investment regime continues under Lei 23/2007, administered by AIMA.
Is the Portugal Golden Visa ending? No end date has been announced, and the program is open in 2026 through its qualifying-investment routes. The 2023 reform narrowed the ways to qualify, and further adjustments are always possible, so applying while the fund route is open is the practical move. Dated updates live in Golden Visa news and changes.
Can I still buy real estate for the Portugal Golden Visa? No. The real-estate-purchase route was removed in October 2023 by the Mais Habitação law (Lei 56/2023), so buying property no longer qualifies you for the Golden Visa. You can still qualify through the EUR 500,000 investment-fund route and the donation, research, cultural-heritage, and job-creation routes.
Is it too late to apply for the Portugal Golden Visa? No. The program is open to new applicants in 2026 through the current routes, chiefly the EUR 500,000 fund investment. Because the rules have already changed once and could change again, the sensible approach is to confirm your eligibility now and file while the routes are open.
Did Portugal cancel the Golden Visa like Spain? No. Spain abolished its Golden Visa in 2025; Portugal did not. Portugal reformed its program in 2023 by removing the property and capital-transfer routes, but the ARI regime keeps running through its fund, donation, research, cultural-heritage, and job-creation routes. The two countries took different paths and are frequently confused.
How much do I need to invest in the Portugal Golden Visa now? The mainstream route is EUR 500,000 into a qualifying CMVM-regulated investment fund. Other routes, such as donations to research or the arts and job creation, carry their own thresholds. The full cost picture, including fees and family members, is in Golden Visa cost breakdown.
Does the 2026 citizenship law affect the Golden Visa? It affects the citizenship timeline, not the Golden Visa's availability. Since 19 May 2026, five years of legal residence leads to permanent residency, and citizenship generally takes about ten years, or seven for EU and CPLP nationals, counted from your first residence card. The Golden Visa itself is unchanged; the detail is in Golden Visa citizenship path.
Disclaimer
This article is for general information only and is not legal or tax advice. Visa rules change, and the Golden Visa has already been reformed once, so verify current requirements with the relevant authority or a qualified professional before acting. Last updated: July 2026.
About the author
Vanessa Mororó is Head of Legal, Portugal at Roots Global, where she advises HNWI and US cross-border clients on the Portuguese Golden Visa, residence permits, and immigration matters, including the current ARI investment routes and AIMA procedures. Connect on LinkedIn.
