Singapore Business Visa
Offshore services
Bundled Services
Top Citizenship & Residency
Articles & Research
About Us
Contact Us
From EUR 250,000: cultural heritage donation
5-year EU citizenship path
Only 7-day annual presence required
From EUR 250,000: cultural heritage donation
5-year EU citizenship path
Only 7-day annual presence required
00000001
Visa-free entry to
The E.U. and the Schengen Area countries
00000002
Fast application processing
8-9 months.
00000003
An opportunity to live in any EU country
No residence limits in Portugal, and up to 90 days per year in other EU countries
00000004
Tax exemptions
No tax on global income for 10 years, and a 20% exemption in income tax for NHR holders
00000005
Return on investment
Partaking in investment funds, purchasing hotel shares or rental property with an annual return of up to 7%, and a return on initial investment in 5 years
00000003
Business opportunities
Expansion and entry to the international market
00000007
The prospect of acquiring EU citizenship in 5 years
For investors who retain assets and extend their residence permit under the Golden Visa program terms
00000008
No restrictions on dual citizenship
No need to renounce your existing citizenship in the future when obtaining a Portuguese passport
00000009
US E-2 visa
After obtaining Portuguese citizenship, you have access to a US E-2 investor visa
00000009
When you want EU residency with one of the lowest physical presence requirements (7 days per year)
When you can deploy EUR 250,000 to EUR 500,000 across donation, funds, capital, or job creation routes
When you want a 5-year path to Portuguese and EU citizenship via naturalization
When family inclusion (spouse, dependent children, dependent parents) matters for your structure
01
Detailed step-by-step process
02
Requirements for all eligible applicants
03
Required documents for each step of the program
04
Answers to frequently asked questions
Portugal Golden Visa
Cultural and Artistic Heritage Donation — from EUR 250,000 to qualifying Portuguese heritage projects
Make a non-refundable contribution of EUR 250,000 or more to qualifying arts and cultural heritage restoration projects in Portugal. The cheapest Portugal Golden Visa route since the October 2023 abolition of the real estate path. Eligible projects must be approved by the Portuguese Ministry of Culture.
Scientific Research Investment — from EUR 500,000 to Portuguese R&D institutions
Transfer EUR 500,000 or more to Portuguese scientific research institutions for qualifying research activities. The investment must be directed to public or private research entities approved by the Portuguese government. This route supports R&D across biotechnology, technology, life sciences, and engineering disciplines.
More details
Regulated Investment Funds — from EUR 500,000 in qualifying Portuguese funds with no real estate exposure
Transfer EUR 500,000 or more for the acquisition of shares in qualifying Portuguese investment funds. The funds must be regulated by the CMVM (Portuguese Securities Market Commission), have no real estate exposure under the Mais Habitação reform, and maintain investment in Portuguese assets. The hold period is 5 years from Golden Visa issuance.
More details
Capital Investment Plus Job Creation — from EUR 500,000 in Portuguese business with 5 permanent jobs
Invest EUR 500,000 or more to start a new company in Portugal and create at least 5 permanent jobs, or use the capital to increase the share capital of an existing Portuguese company while also creating or maintaining at least 5 permanent jobs. The investment and jobs must be maintained throughout the Golden Visa validity.
More details
Job Creation Only — create 10 permanent jobs in Portugal (or 5 in low-density areas)
The most ancient country in the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal combines Mediterranean climate, full EU and Schengen membership, and one of Europe's most flexible residency-by-investment programs anchored on the 2023 Mais Habitação reform.
The Portugal Golden Visa is one of Europe's most established residency-by-investment programs, launched in 2012 under Law 23/2007 (Foreigners Law) Article 90-A and significantly reformed on October 7, 2023 under the Mais Habitação law, which abolished the real estate investment route entirely. Surviving routes include cultural and artistic heritage donation from EUR 250,000, scientific research investment from EUR 500,000, capital transfer to qualifying Portuguese investment funds (no real estate exposure) from EUR 500,000, capital investment for Portuguese business and job creation from EUR 500,000, and job creation routes for 10 permanent positions in Portugal (5 in low-density areas). Applications are administered by AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo), which replaced SEF in October 2023. Family inclusion covers spouse, dependent children, and dependent parents. Portuguese citizenship via naturalization is available after 5 years of legal residency, subject to a B1 Portuguese language test and civic knowledge requirements. The Portuguese passport ranks among the world's top 5 with visa-free access to 190+ destinations including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia.
Officially published timeline
4 to 6 months
Real timeline, based on our practical experience
6 to 12 months
of passports
Visa-free
travel to the Schengen area countries
Key countries
The EU
Fast-track visa
the US, Canada, Australia
Visa-free
countries
Key countries
The EU
Fast-track visa
the US, Canada, Australia
Visa-free
countries
Key countries
The EU
Fast-track visa
the US, Canada, Australia
Visa-free
countries
Key countries
The EU
Fast-track visa
the US, Canada, Australia
Visa-free
travel to the Schengen area countries
Key countries
The EU
Fast-track visa
the US, Canada, Australia
Decades of cross-border citizenship expertise: Golden Harbors advisors have helped HNW families navigate every active European Golden Visa program. For Portugal specifically, we coordinate Golden Visa applications directly with licensed Portuguese immigration counsel and AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo), which replaced SEF in October 2023.
End-to-end paperwork management: From the Service Agreement to Portuguese residence permit collection, we handle every interaction with Portuguese counterparties including NIF registration, bank account opening, AIMA biometric appointments, and post-grant compliance. You stay informed at each milestone and approve key decisions remotely.
.svg)
Bicontinental coverage: Our team is positioned across the United States and Europe, allowing us to coordinate Portugal Golden Visa applications with European banking (Millennium BCP, Novobanco, BPI), source-of-funds documentation, NIF and Portuguese tax setup, and home-jurisdiction tax structuring in a single integrated workstream.
Rigorous due diligence: For Portugal Golden Visa applications, we cross-check investment route compliance under the 2023 Mais Habitação reform (cultural heritage, scientific research, capital investment, fund investment, or job creation), source-of-funds documentation, and tax compliance across all jurisdictions before any submission to AIMA.
Tested by time:
years of learning and working across industries and global mobility solutions. Our team has learned all the nuances and possible pitfalls and will help you avoid them
Convenient team structure:
our team is located in both the U.S. and Europe, so we have the best coverage to assist you
We take preparation seriously:
planning, due diligence, and data cross-checks minimize the risk of rejection. We only work with vetted and government-licensed partners in Portugal
We take care of the paperwork:
and handle all the interactions with counter-parties while you enjoy your everyday comforts. You still keep the remote control over each step
Enter your estimated application start date and get a clear timetable for each step
1
Sign the service agreement with Golden Harbors, complete intake forms, and pay the initial retainer and due diligence fees.
30
Golden Harbors helps you obtain a Portuguese tax ID (NIF), open a Portuguese bank account, and select the qualifying investment route under the 2023 Mais Habitação reform (cultural heritage donation, scientific research, capital investment, regulated investment funds, or job creation).
60
Execute the qualifying investment and submit the full Golden Visa application package to AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo), which replaced SEF in October 2023. Documentation includes apostilled identity documents, source-of-funds evidence, criminal record certificates, and investment route documentation.
180
AIMA reviews the application and supporting documents. Background checks are conducted by Portuguese authorities, and preliminary approval is granted. Post-2023 AIMA backlog may extend this phase.
14
Visit Portugal for biometric data submission at AIMA. This is the only mandatory in-person step in the Portugal Golden Visa process.
Up to 14 days
Receive the final decision and your 2-year Portuguese residence permit card delivered via DHL Express. The permit is renewable for additional 3-year periods on continued investment compliance, with citizenship eligibility after 5 years of legal residency.
Every client is unique
Every case requires an individual approach and solution. Our years of experience in the industry allow us to provide both.
We will answer all your questions and provide detailed information about the available second passport and residency programs to help you make the right choice.
Victoria
Lead Attorney at Golden Harbors
Victoria
Lead Attorney at Golden Harbors
Obtain
a new citizenship and passport
get
additional residency or a Golden Visa
and also
file, register a company, and open bank accounts offshore
.png)
If you are looking for a comprehensive review of whether this program is the best fit for you, please get in touch with your trusted advisors at Golden Harbors
victoria cold
Lead Attorney at Golden Harbors
.svg)
.webp)
.webp)
.webp)
.webp)
.webp)
.webp)
.webp)