Go For the Gold: Golden Visas for Portugal In Numbers

According to SEF, the Immigration and Borders service in Portugal, the golden visa scheme has boomed and it’s no wonder. As one of the most sought after residency programs, the Portugal Golden Visa boasts superior benefits compared to other countries’ offerings.

What makes a golden visa for Portugal so attractive? In addition to visa free traveling the Schengen space and full family residency, visa holders can look forward to an expedited process for acquiring permanent residency or citizenship after only 6 years.

Non-EU nationals can acquire a residence permit and eventual citizenship in Portugal by way of profitable investment opportunities. There are several avenues investors can take to qualify, including real estate purchase, capital transfer, and job creation.

Additionally, since 2015, new laws have been put in place to lower investment requirements making Golden Visas for Portugal one of the most affordable options. Previously, the minimum real estate investment requirement was property purchase of at least €500,000, which now has been lowered to €350,000 for urban renewal purchases.

The statistics provided by SEF give us a glimpse into the Portuguese Golden Visa in numbers. Since 2012, over 3,600 Golden Visas for Portugal have been granted, the majority of them via real estate investment. Roughly 200 of Golden visas given have been through capital transfer, and only 5 by the job creation requirement.

Though the majority of investors hail from China, the golden visas for Portugal are popular for many other nationalities mainly Brazilians, South Africans, Russians, and Lebanese. Family reunification is one of the main benefits of the Portugal golden visa program, and there have been over 5,505 residence permits given to family members of investors.

One of the most stunning numbers is the total investment made through the Portugal golden visa program from 2012 through 2016. As of June 30, 2016, €2,202,691,883.35 has been invested in Portugal, with €1,985,133,634.87 by real estate purchase.