The Portuguese Government has approved a legal regime in order to grant a residence permit for investment activities in the country, the so-called Golden Visa.
Presently, non-European Union citizens will have the following investment options:
- Creation of at least 10 jobs;
- Capital transfer of at least € 500.000,00 for research activities carried out by public or private scientific institutions that are part of the national scientific and technological system;
- Capital transfer of at least € 250.000,00 to support the investment or artistic production, recovery, and maintenance of national cultural heritage through public institutes and central or peripheral direct administration services, entities in the public business sector, public foundations, private foundations with public utility status, intermunicipal entities, entities in the local business sector, municipal associative entities and public cultural associations, which develop projects related to artistic production or the recovery and maintenance of the national cultural heritage;
- Capital transfer of at least € 500.000,00 intended for acquiring participation units in investment funds (non-real estate collective investment schemes) or venture capital funds focused on the capitalisation of companies, constituted under Portuguese legislation, with maturity, at the time of the investment, of at least five years and at least 60% of investment value is made in commercial companies based in national territory;
- Capital transfer of at least € 500.000,00 destined to the incorporation of a commercial company with head office in the national territory, combined with the creation of five permanent jobs, or to increase the share capital of a commercial company with head office in the national territory, already existing, with the creation of five permanent jobs or maintenance of 10 permanent jobs, for a minimum period of three years.
The main advantage of the Golden Visa is that investors will be granted the right to reside in Portugal, move freely within the Schengen Area, apply to Portuguese nationality following a period of five years and provided certain other conditions are also met, while making a valuable investment in the country. The Golden Visa regime also allows for the regrouping of the family members.