Golden Visa - Portugal

Once the Golden Visa Residency Permit is granted, you will have the right to:

• Reside in Portugal during the whole duration of the visa
• Work and study anywhere within the European Union
• Travel freely through the 26 Schengen countries of the European Union
• After a total of 6 years in Portugal, you can obtain permanent citizenship with the same rights as any other Portuguese or European Union citizen

The Golden Visa Portugal program permits the following family members to join the Golden Visa holder in Portugal:

• Spouse
• Minor dependent children
• Minor adopted children
• Full-age dependent children who are still full time students
• Dependent parents of either the Golden Visa holder or spouse
• Minor dependent brothers or sisters who are under guardianship of the golden visa holder

Family members receive the same rights and will also be eligible for permanent residence after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.

Bricksave focus on 2 levels of investment which qualify for the Portugal Golden Visa Program:

• €350k – €500k properties. The applicant can purchase Real Estate located in urban areas, but only properties constructed more than 30 years ago and that are in need of refurbishment.
• €500k (and more) – All types of Real Estate investments are available.

The Portugal Golden Visa Program requirements vary according to your level of investment. However, the investor is required to obey the following:

• Keep the real estate investment for a period of 5 years
• The funds must come from outside of Portugal
• 7 days minimum stay in Portugal during the first year
• 14 days stay in Portugal for each of the next periods of 2 years

All third-country citizens who conduct an investment activity, as an individual business person or through a company set up in Portugal or in another EU Member State and who, in addition, are stably settled in Portugal, provided these citizens fulfill the quantitative requirements and the time requirements set out by the relevant legislation, may apply for a Residence Permit for Investment.

• The program is available to everyone except Portuguese and EU/EFTA citizens
• You must not have a criminal record
• You have no references in Portuguese Immigration and Schengen Services (a valid document for legal entry and stay in Portugal may be requested)

The documentation needed varies according to the level of investment. For a €500k investment you will need the following documents:

• Final Deeds of Purchase, or Promissory Contract
• Declaration issued by a financial institution accredited or registered in national territory by the Bank of Portugal confirming an actual international bank transfer for purchasing or for payment as initial deposit of the sale agreement
• Certificate of the Land Registry Office issued within the prior 45 days, comprising the registrations, endorsements, and entries in force and proving the ownership of the real estate, free of any encumbrances, or certificate of registry comprising the provisional record of purchase, when legally feasible, with initial deposit
• Official Tax Description of the Real Estate, where legally feasible
• Excerpt of the Commercial Register issued within 45 days in case the investment is made by means of a single-member limited company of which the applicant is the proprietor

All documentation (unless otherwise noted) needs to be issued within 90 days before your online application. Anything issued by a foreign entity has to be legalized (e.g. with an apostille if your country of origin has signed the Hague convention). Any document that is not in Portuguese must be translated and certified.

The applicant will have two main types of charges, the actual real estate investment (deposit and cost of the property, taxes, stamp duty and fees) and the Golden Visa application costs. Other associated costs may include charges for ascertaining the relevant paperwork in your home country and translation and apostille services.

Buying real estate in Portugal attracts certain taxes (the main one being the Property Transfer Tax or IMT), stamp duty and fees. These can change often so we recommend an investor’s budget of around 9%-10% to cover those costs.

Government fees per family member for application of the Golden Visa are €5,147.80. Renewal fees every two years apply at 50%. There is an additional processing fee of €514.80 on application and renewal for the main applicant plus € 80.20 per family member. Furthermore, applicants should plan for lawyers’ fees, typically €4,000 – €5,000 per family.