🇵🇹 Portugal · Golden / Investor visa
Portugal Golden / Investor visa approval odds
Portugal's Golden Visa (ARI) still grants EU residence, but since the October 2023 reform the real-estate and pure capital-transfer routes are gone. In 2026 the main routes are €500,000 in a qualifying Portuguese fund (venture capital or private equity, non-real-estate), €500,000 into research or a company that creates jobs, or a €250,000 cultural-heritage donation (€200,000 in low-density areas). Approval depends on making a compliant investment and passing source-of-funds due diligence — not discretionary factors — and it needs only about 7 days per year of physical presence.
Last reviewed July 2026 per our editorial standards. Source: AIMA — Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (aima.gov.pt) .
a golden (investor) visa to Portugal is decided mainly on whether your qualifying investment is genuine and your funds are lawfully sourced. Public statistics point to an approximate base approval of around 90% for this route for a typical applicant — but your own profile can move that figure a lot in either direction.
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Your trip
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Key requirements
- Non-EU/EEA/Swiss national, 18+, with a clean criminal record
- A qualifying investment held for at least 5 years: €500k regulated fund (non-real-estate), €500k research, €500k company plus 5 jobs, 10 jobs created, or a €250k cultural donation
- Funds genuinely transferred into Portugal from abroad, with a documented lawful source
- Portuguese NIF and bank account
- Maintain an average of about 7 days per year of physical presence in Portugal
- Valid passport, health insurance, and biometrics at an AIMA appointment
Money & funds
From €250,000 (cultural-heritage donation; €200,000 in low-density areas) up to €500,000 for the mainstream routes — a regulated venture-capital/private-equity fund, scientific research, or €500,000 plus 5 jobs in a company. The real-estate and old €1.5M capital-transfer routes were removed in October 2023.
Typical timeline
Backlog-dependent: AIMA carries a very large case backlog, so the first residence card commonly takes ~12–24 months (some 2026 files closer to 9–12). Fees paid before recent reforms protect your residence and citizenship clock against these delays.
Common refusal reasons
- Trying to use a route that no longer qualifies (real estate or the old capital transfer)
- Unproven lawful source of funds, or an AML/KYC failure
- A fund that is not compliant (must be ≥ 60% in Portuguese companies, non-real-estate, 5-year)
- Criminal-record or security issues
- Investment not actually executed, or not maintained for the holding period
What actually moves the needle
A qualifying investment at the required threshold
This is the heart of golden decisions for Portugal. Make it concrete and documented rather than assumed.
A fully documented, lawful source of funds
Officers weigh this alongside everything else — gather clear evidence before you apply.
A clean criminal and security record
Officers weigh this alongside everything else — gather clear evidence before you apply.
Avoid the common pitfall
The most frequent reason this route fails is an investment below the threshold, or funds you cannot fully document. Address it directly and you remove the biggest doubt.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still get a Portugal Golden Visa through real estate in 2026?
No. The real-estate and property-rehabilitation routes were removed on 7 October 2023. Qualifying investment is now funds, scientific research, a cultural donation, or company/job creation.
What is the lowest-cost Portugal Golden Visa route now?
The €250,000 cultural-heritage donation (€200,000 in low-density areas). The mainstream capital route is the €500,000 regulated investment fund.
How long until citizenship on the Golden Visa?
Since the May 2026 nationality reform, 7 years (EU/CPLP) or 10 years (other nationalities) of legal residence — up from 5. The clock runs from your first residence-permit issuance. Educational summary, not legal advice.
Is the €1.5 million capital-transfer route still available?
No — it was eliminated by the 2023 reform. Some older web pages still list it, but it no longer qualifies.
