Programme Overview
Portugal Residency
From €500,000 (cultural donation routes from €250,000) — financed against your portfolio, not liquidated from it.
Or compare it against the other programmesPortugal at a glance
The Portugal Golden Residence Permit Programme offers a pathway to European residency through qualifying investments. Portugal provides an attractive lifestyle, favorable tax regime, and access to the Schengen Area.
Investment from
€500,000
cultural donation routes from €250,000
Processing
23-39 months
Stay required
7 days
Residency. Spouse and dependants included. There is a pathway to citizenship.
Portugal Residency — investment routes
Cultural Heritage Donation
Non-refundable donation to support Portuguese arts, culture, or national heritage preservation projects
- ▪Investment of €250,000 ($275K USD)
Equity Funds & Private Equity
Investment in qualifying equity funds, venture capital, or private equity funds focused on Portuguese businesses
- ▪Investment of €500,000 ($550K USD)
Business Investment
Capital transfer for investment in Portuguese company or business activities
- ▪Investment of €500,000 ($550K USD)
Scientific Research
Investment in research activities conducted by public or private institutions
- ▪Investment of €500,000 ($550K USD)
Portugal Residency benefits
- Visa-free travel throughout Schengen Zone
- Minimal physical presence requirements (7 days per year)
- Include spouse, dependent children, and parents
- Access to Portuguese healthcare and education
- Path to EU citizenship after 10 years (7 years for CPLP citizens)
- Right to live, work, and study in Portugal
- Favorable quality of life and climate
Eligibility Requirements
- ▪Non-EU/EEA/Swiss national
- ▪Clean criminal record
- ▪Valid health insurance
- ▪Proof of sufficient funds
- ▪No prior visa refusals or overstays
- ▪Minimum investment maintained for 5 years
Who can be included
- Spouse or common-law partner
- Dependent children under 26
- Dependent parents and in-laws
- All family members receive same residency rights
Taxation
Portugal offers a favorable 10% flat tax rate on foreign pension income for residents. While the NHR regime closed to new applicants in 2024, this attractive pension tax benefit remains available.
Residency requirements
Minimum 7 days per year in Portugal (14 days over 2-year period). Can be non-consecutive days.
Path to citizenship
Eligible to apply for Portuguese citizenship after 10 years of legal residency (extended from 5 years in May 2026). Citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries (CPLP: Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, etc.
Application process
Typical duration: 23-39 months- 01
Preparation & Investment
2-3 monthsDocument gathering, due diligence, and execute qualifying investment
- 02
Biometrics & Application
2-4 monthsSchedule biometrics appointment and submit application to AIMA (formerly SEF)
- 03
Processing & Approval
18-30 monthsCurrent backlog at AIMA results in extended processing times for Golden Visa approval
- 04
Permit Collection
1-2 monthsSchedule appointment to collect residence permit card
Costs and fees (Commission)
Every charge the programme makes, and the sales commission an intermediary adds on top of them.
Initial Application Fee
€6,325
Government processing fee paid when submitting your application
Residence Card Issuance
€5,325
Fee for issuing your Golden Visa residence permit card
Family Member Fees
€5,325 per person
Each dependent family member pays this fee for their residence card
Legal Fees
€10,000-€25,000
Immigration lawyer fees for full application management
Document Preparation
€2,000-€5,000
Translations, apostilles, certifications, and notarization
Fund Setup Costs
€2,500-€5,000
One-time fees charged by investment fund for subscription
Sales commission
€25,000–€50,000
Usually taken as a share of the fund subscription, and rarely itemised on the quote.
Fee based model
The same programme, bought without an intermediary's commission.
You save
€25,000–€50,000
The sales commission on the left, which you do not pay. The $2,500 fee replaces it.
Total estimated cost
€300,000–€600,000
including investment, plus the sales commission above.
Total estimated cost
€275,000–€550,000
The programme's own charges, plus the $2,500 fee. No commission.
What the advice costs
The programme costs the same. The advice does not.
Through a commission
€25,000–€50,000
Sales commission on Portugal. Usually taken as a share of the fund subscription, and rarely itemised on the quote.
Through a fee
$2,500
Six months as a private client — route selection, the financing, the portfolio, and me on the end of a phone. Twelve months is $5,000. Paid by you, so the answer can be no.
Total saving
€25,000–€50,000
The whole commission, before the $2,500 fee, which is charged in dollars. The programme costs what it costs either way.
This is the commission only. The licensed agent, the legal work and the government fees in the list above are payable whoever advises you, and nothing here removes them — a saving that quietly included a statutory fee would be the same trick in the other direction.
Commission ranges are typical rather than universal, and no firm is named. They are not published anywhere, which is the point of them.
Before you spend €500,000
Portugal has a cheaper route, and it is not this one.
The commission-driven salesperson will not mention it.
The D7 asks for about €11,000 a year of passive income instead of €500,000 of capital. For a large number of people it is the better instrument, and it costs a fraction. Whether it suits you turns on one question, and it is not a question about money.
Only one of these two routes pays a commission, which is why you rarely see them side by side. Reviewed September 2026.
Golden Visa
D7 — passive income
What it actually is
Residence by investment
Residence by passive income
The financial test
€500,000 into a qualifying investment fund
€920 a month of passive income — €11,040 a year
Time you must spend in Portugal
About 7 days a year, on average
You have to live there
Citizenship
10 years — or 7 for EU and CPLP nationals
10 years — or 7 for EU and CPLP nationals
Capital at risk
€500,000, exposed to fund performance
None — it is an income test, not an investment
Who it genuinely suits
Someone who wants the option, and does not intend to move
Someone who intends to actually live in Portugal
Do you want to move to Portugal, or do you want the option to?
Since May 2026 both routes take the same ten years to citizenship — seven if you hold an EU or CPLP passport. What separates them is what they ask of you in the meantime. The D7 asks you to live in Portugal. The Golden Visa asks for about a week a year.
If you genuinely intend to move, take the D7 and keep your €500,000. If you want the option without rearranging your life, the D7 cannot give it to you at any price — you would lose the permit.
Either way the money question is identical: what the capital does while the application runs, and what it is doing in ten years. That is the conversation worth having first, and it is the same conversation whichever route you take.
Fund Your Portugal Investment with a Lombard Loan
Instead of liquidating your portfolio to fund the From €500,000 (cultural donation routes from €250,000) Portugal investment, use your existing assets as collateral and keep your money working for you.
Traditional: Liquidate Assets
- ✗Sell From €500,000 (cultural donation routes from €250,000) from your portfolio
- ✗Trigger capital gains tax (up to 20%)
- ✗Lose years of compound growth
- ✗After 10 years: €1.08M
Lombard Loan: Keep Your Portfolio
- Borrow From €500,000 (cultural donation routes from €250,000) against €1.00M collateral
- No capital gains event triggered
- Portfolio continues growing at 8%
- After 10 years: €2.01M
10-Year Wealth Projection
Is Portugal right for you?
Ideal for
- Investors seeking EU citizenship with minimal physical presence requirements
- High-net-worth individuals who want access to the NHR tax regime
- Families who want to include multiple generations on one application
- Business owners looking for EU market access
- Retirees seeking a favourable tax environment for foreign pensions
- Those planning eventual relocation to Europe with flexibility on timing
Consider alternatives if
- ▪Investors who specifically want to own Mediterranean real estate (consider Greece or Malta)
- ▪Those seeking immediate citizenship (consider Caribbean CBI programmes)
- ▪Applicants with limited budgets under €250,000 (consider Turkey or Latvia)
- ▪Those unwilling to learn basic Portuguese for citizenship
Alternative programmes to consider
Greece
If you want to purchase real estate directly. Greece permits property investment from €400,000, or €800,000 in prime areas, with no minimum stay requirement.
ExploreMalta
If you want faster citizenship (12-36 months). Malta offers direct EU citizenship through its Exceptional Investor Programme.
ExploreRelated Resources
Fund Your Investment with a Lombard Loan
See how portfolio-backed lending can preserve your wealth while funding your residency investment.
Portugal Golden Visa Complete Guide
Investment options, tax benefits, and the path to EU citizenship.
Greece vs Portugal Comparison
Which EU Golden Visa programme suits your goals?
Complete Guide to Golden Visa Financing
Compare all financing methods: Lombard loans, fund financing, and traditional options.
Elsewhere
If this one is not the fit, these might be
FAQs
Half an hour, $100, no commission.
Whether Portugal is right for you, what it will actually cost, and whether a visa with no capital contribution gets you the same place for nothing.