Gold Visa

Real estate investment covers:

- Acquisition of one or more properties of a total value equal to or greater than 500,000 Euros

Or

- Acquisition of one or more properties completed more than 30 years ago or located in urban rehabilitation areas, with urban rehabilitation works carried out in accordance with their law, in the overall amount equal to or greater than 350,000 Euros.

This investment modality includes:

- Commercial or residential real estate. - Properties purchased in co-ownership, provided that the investor's share is at the minimum value indicated. - Properties purchased individually or through single-person companies by quotas of which the investor is a partner. - Properties leased. - Behaved properties, in the part exceeding the minimum amount of the investment.

The legislature establishes the possibility of reducing the values in question by 20% if real estate is located in areas of low population density.

According to current law, it is considered a territory of low population density, if it has less than 100 inhabitants per km2 or if the GDP of that same region is below 75% of the national average.

The residence permit shall be granted for a period of one year, renewable for two successive periods of two years and presupposes the maintenance of the investment for a minimum period of 5 years and the stay in Portuguese territory of 7 days (followed or interpolated), in the first year, and 14 days (followed or interpolated) in subsequent periods of two years.

The authorisation may be extended to the investor's relatives and after the initial period of 5 years, the residence permit may be granted on a permanent basis. Portuguese nationality by naturalization may be requested after 6 years.

The Portuguese Government in 2012 tabled the Portuguese Immigration Law, a special legislation that simplifies the allocation of residence permits to foreigners wishing to invest in Portugal, making this country a privileged gateway to Europe for those wishing to enjoy freedom of movement in the Shengen Space (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Lithuania Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Sweden and Switzerland).

New changes to the procedures allowing, through investment, the obtaining of the visa called Golden Visa or Gold Visa were published on 2 September 2015.