Visas

What is the Portugal Golden Visa?

One of the most attractive routes to dual citizenship in the world.
If you don’t want to live in Portugal full-time, you may want to consider the Golden Visa route as an alternative.
This requires a significant upfront investment, with the lowest level currently €280,000 and the highest at €500,000.
With the Golden Visa, you’re not required to live in Portugal, but you’ll need to spend at least two weeks every year in-country to maintain your residency status.
Get our map of eligible regions and investment amounts required.

Portugal offers eight different routes to a Golden Visa, You can choose to invest in any off the following:

• real estate
• venture capital funds
• Cultural arts and heritage projects
• Portuguese entrepreneurship
  Deposit 1 million euros into a Portuguese bank account. Learn more about each of these investment types.

After deciding on and executing your investment, you can apply for a five-year temporary residency permit, which takes you all the way to the point of being eligible for citizenship, without needing to renew along the way.
With the Golden Visa, you’re not required to live in Portugal, but you’ll need to spend at least two weeks every year in-country to maintain your residency status.  

What are the Benefits of the Portugal Golden Visa?

Visa Exemption
The Portugal Golden Visa allows you to enter Portugal and the Schengen area (26 EU Countries). You can travel freely without requiring a visa, essentially granting you the travel privileges of European Union citizens.

Ability to Stay in Portugal
The visa grants you the right to live, study and work in Portugal as if you were an EU citizen.

Family Perks
The Portugal Golden Visa does not only grant the investor privileges but also their family members. The program includes family reunification, meaning that a spouse, minor children, children over 18, children over 18 who are studying, and parents who are financially dependent on the investor are all granted the same rights. They can all live and work in Portugal and travel freely within the Schengen area, as well as enjoy all the visas’ benefits.

Permanent Residence: Does the Portugal Golden Visa Lead to Permanent Residence?

The investor can apply for permanent residence if they follow all the requirements and complete the 5 years requireed.

Citizenship: Does the Portugal Golden Visa Lead to Citizenship?

After legally residing in Portugal for at least 6 years, the investor can apply for Portuguese citizenship and potentially obtain a passport. However, to get citizenship you must obtain an A2 Portuguese language certificate, prove you have links to the country such as through your investment, provide documents such as proof of a Portuguese bank account, and have no criminal record.

6. Tax Incentives: Non-Habitual Resident Tax Regime

The Portugal Golden Visa provides some inviting tax incentives. You will not be faced with any tax responsibility unless you become a tax resident, meaning you spend more than 183 days of the year in Portugal. If so, under the Portugal Gold Visa, you can follow the Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) tax regime where you transfer your tax residency to Portugal. Here are the benefits of this tax regime:

• Your pension income is taxed at a flat rate of 10%, including retirement savings and life insurance.
• Income from “high value-added activities” in Portugal is taxed at 20%. This includes employment and self-employment income from activities of scientific, artistic, or technical character performed in Portugal. Still, you will pay the same income tax as ordinary tax residents for other types of domestic income.
• You will only be taxed on your worldwide income after the first 10 years of residence.
• Foreign interest, dividends, rents, and property capital gains can be exempted from taxation. You will also not pay an inheritance or wealth tax.

Portugal Golden Visa through Property Investment

You can get a Portugal Golden Visa by purchasing a property. Most people think you need to purchase property that costs at least €500,000 in Portugal to get a Golden Visa. However, you can spend less. If you purchase real estate in a low-density area in Portugal, the minimum to spend is €400,000. You can also buy real estate that is over 30 years old in an urban rehabilitation area and renovate it for at least €350,000.

You do not need to buy one property, you can purchase multiple properties. Just make sure to meet the minimum amount. You can also combine your investment with other applicants. For example, if you purchase a €1 million house with a friend, both of you can apply for the Portugal Golden Visa, as each of you has spent a minimum of €500,000.

If you do not rent out the property, you do not pay any tax on it. However, if do, your real estate income is taxed at a flat rate of 28%. However, since January 2022, you cannot purchase residential properties in Lisbon, Porto, and coastal towns. Only residential properties in Azores and Madeira, as well as interior territories, are now eligible for the Portuguese Golden Visa through residential real estate investment.

Take a look at where you can purchase property in Portugal to be eligible for the Golden Visa and which type of investment (residential and commercial) below.
Map was made at datawrapper…

Portugal Golden Visa through an Investment Fund

You can also choose to spend a minimum of €500,000 subscription in a qualifying Portuguese investment fund. In Portugal, these are known as "fundos de capital de risco" and are investment funds that support Portuguese businesses.

Portugal Golden Visa through a Capital Transfer

The most expensive option to qualify for a Portugal Golden Visa is making a capital transfer of a minimum of €1.5 million, as of 2022, to Portugal. You must have proof of bank transfer deposits to Portugal from an international account that adds up to at least this amount.

Portugal Golden Visa through Job Creation

You can also obtain a Portugal Golden Visa through job creation. There are two main investment options in this category. The first option is to create a minimum of ten new full-time jobs in a Portuguese business that you own. You do not need to invest a certain amount here.

The second option has two requirements. First, you invest a minimum of €500,000 in an existing Portuguese business. Second, that business must create a minimum of five new full-time jobs within three years.

Portugal Golden Visa through a Donation

There are two types of donations that qualify an applicant for the Portugal Golden Visa. You can either invest a minimum of €250,000 in preserving national heritage or €500,000 in a research and development activity in Portugal.

What is the Portugal D7 Visa?

The Portugal D7 Visa, also called the Passive Income Visa is a lot more affordable, requiring no investment. The key factor is that your income should originate from outside Portugal.  This visa is for non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens who want residence in Portugal and have a reasonable passive income such as real estate, a retirement pension, investment dividens or aa salary. The minimum income required is

• €8,460 per year for the main applicant
• For a spouse, you must add 50% to this (€4,230)
• per dependent child, you must add 30% to this (€2,538)

Here are the main eligibility criteria for the Portugal D7 Visa.

• Non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizen
• Minimum passive income of €8,460 per year (+ 50% for spouse and + 30% for dependent child)
• Clean criminal record
• Proof of residence address in Portugal (rental or purchase)
• You need to spend at least 16 months in Portugal during the first 2 years

BENEFITS TO D7 VISA

Visa Exemption
The Portugal D7 Visa allows you to enter Portugal and the Schengen area. You can circulate freely without a visa. As an American citizen you are not restricted to a maximum stat of 3 months.

Family Reunification
The Portugal D7 Visa allows you to request family reunification once you have your visa. This is where your family members are granted the same residency rights as you. You will have to prove your relationship to any family members that you would like to include in the program. The following qualify for family reunification: partner, children under 18, dependent children over 18 that are studying, your parents, your partner’s parents, and minor siblings. These can all live and work in Portugal and travel freely within the Schengen area, as well as enjoy all the visas’ benefits.

Permanent Residence: Does the Portugal D7 Visa Lead to Permanent Residency?

The Portugal D7 Visa allows you to obtain permanent residence, eventually. You can obtain legal residency in the first year. You can then renew your residency for two years successively. After five years of legal residency, you can apply for permanent residency.

Citizenship: Does the Portugal D7 Visa Lead to Citizenship?

The Portugal D7 Visa can lead to citizenship. After six years of legal residency, you can apply to become a Portuguese citizen. To become a citizen, you must obtain an A2 Portuguese language certificate, provide documents such as proof of a Portuguese bank, and have no criminal record.

Tax Incentives: Non-Habitual Tax Regime

You can become a non-habitual resident (NHR) and enjoy the incentives of this fiscal regime. This tax regime allows you to transfer your tax residency to the country. Here are the benefits of this tax regime:

• You can be eligible to not pay ANY tax on pensions, rental income, real estate gains, and income from non-Portuguese sources if your country has a Double Taxation Agreement (DTA) with Portugal. You would instead pay taxes in your country of origin. The UK, USA, and many more countries have a DTA with Portugal where this is the case.
• If your pension income is taxed in Portugal, it will be at a flat rate of 10%, including retirement savings and insurance.
• Income from “high value-added activities” in Portugal is taxed at 20%. This includes employment and self-employment income from activities of scientific, artistic, or technical character performed in Portugal. Still, you will pay the same income tax as ordinary tax residents for other types of domestic income.
• You will only be taxed on your worldwide income after the first 10 years of residence.
• You will not pay an inheritance or wealth tax.

Portugal D7 Visa: Cryptocurrency

Portugal is one of the last European crypto havens. The Portuguese Tax & Customs Authority (PTA) officially announced in 2019 that buying or selling cryptocurrency in Portugal is tax-free. You will not be charged VAT or Personal Income Tax (IRS) on any crypto transaction. However, businesses that provide services related to cryptocurrency are taxed on their gains. There are many factors that determine whether this is the case like your profit and the frequency of your trade. To be sure, contact a tax advisor in Portugal.

What is the Portugal D2 Visa?

The Portugal D2 Visa allows entrepreneurs, freelancers, and independent service providers to reside in Portugal. The Portuguese government started this visa in order to raise external resources and investments to grow the Portuguese economy. This visa only applies to non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens who wish to start a business or relocate their existing business to Portugal. You can also choose to invest in an existing business in Portugal. The Portugal D2 Visa can be a viable route to permanent residency and citizenship for those looking to work for themselves in Portugal.

Portugal D2 Visa Requirements

If you are an entrepreneur, freelancer, or independent service provider from outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland looking to reside in Portugal, you might be eligible for a Portugal D2 Visa. You must show that you either have set up a company operating in Portuguese territory or that you have the financial resources in Portugal that demonstrate you can set up a company in Portugal. You can obtain these financial resources through a proof of loan from a Portuguese bank. There is no official amount that you need, but the recommended amount is at least €5,000.

You will also need to show that you have enough money to sustain yourself. For yourself as the main applicant, you must have 100% of the minimum salary which is €8,460 per year. For a spouse, you must add 50% to this (€4,230) and for a dependent child, you must add 30% to this (€2,538). Therefore, for a couple with one child, you would need around €15,300 a year to be eligible for the D2 visa.

Applicants must also produce a solid business plan that will be reviewed for its social, economic, and cultural impact. This plan should prove that your business will thrive and lead to economic growth.

Lastly, applicants must explain in their application why they have chosen Portugal as their business location. Rather than just focusing on the cost of living and climate, essentially why the country would be positive for you, also focus on how your company will impact Portugal and satisfy the needs of the population. It might be that you will be creating multiple jobs in Portugal or solving a particular issue that has not yet been addressed in the country.

What are the Benefits of the Portugal D2 Visa?

1. Visa Exemption
The Portugal D2 Visa allows you to enter Portugal and the Schengen area (26 EU countries). You can circulate freely without a visa. The D2 visa essentially grants you the travel rights of all European Union citizens. This is perfect for entrepreneurs who want to travel through Europe to network and build corporate connections.

2. Family Perks
You don’t need to leave your family behind with the D2 Visa. This visa allows for family reunification where your family members are granted the same residency rights as you. This means that a partner, children under 18, dependent children over 18 that are studying, parents, and minor siblings. From getting permanent residence to tax incentives, family reunification grants all the same rights to your family. You will have to prove your relationship to any family members included in the program.

3. Permanent Residence: Does the Portugal D2 Visa Lead to Residence?
Yes! Right after receiving your D2 Visa, you have to book an appointment with the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) to obtain a residency permit. Your D2 Visa is only valid for 120 days, but if you carry proof that you have booked this appointment, you are good to go. You will renew your residency until the 5-year mark when you can apply for permanent residency.

4. Citizenship: Does the Portugal D2 Visa Lead to Citizenship?
You can become a Portuguese citizen after 6 years of legal residency. To do so, you need to learn Portuguese and obtain an A2 Portuguese language certificate, have a clean criminal record, and provide documents such as proof of a Portuguese bank account.

5. Tax Incentives: Non-Habitual Tax Regime
With a Portugal Golden Visa, Portugal D7 Visa, and Portugal D2 Visa, you can become a non-habitual resident (NHR) and enjoy the incentives of this fiscal regime. This tax regime allows you to transfer your tax residency to the country. To be eligible, you cannot have been taxed in Portugal during the five years before the application. However, this does not apply to corporate tax.

Here are the benefits of this tax regime:

• You can be eligible to not pay ANY tax on pensions, rental income, real estate gains, and income from non-Portuguese sources if your country has a Double Taxation Agreement (DTA) with Portugal. You would instead pay taxes in your country of origin. The UK, USA, and many more countries have a DTA with Portugal where this is the case.
• If your pension income is taxed in Portugal, it will be at a flat rate of 10%, including retirement savings and insurance.
• Income from “high value-added activities” in Portugal is taxed at 20%. This includes employment and self-employment income from activities of scientific, artistic, or technical character performed in Portugal. Still, you will pay the same income tax as ordinary tax residents for other types of domestic income.
• You will only be taxed on your worldwide income after the first 10 years of residence.
  Foreign interest, dividends, rents, and property capital gains can be exempted from taxation.
  You will not pay an inheritance or wealth tax.