How to get a Portuguese Golden Visa in 5 Steps

Portugal’s Golden Visa is considered one of the best and most popular golden visa schemes in Europe.
 

If you are thinking about buying a property in Portugal to get citizenship, you’ll be among the more than 9 thousand investors.

The process for obtaining a Golden Visa in Portugal isn’t complicated, but it includes a lot of documentation. You will also need to find partners to help you with the process. Besides that, there are some eligibility requirementsyou must adhere to if you’re applying for a golden visa. For example, you’ll need to stay in Portugal for at least seven days in the first year and 14 or more days in the following years.

5 Steps of the Portuguese Golden Visa Process

1. Get a Portuguese fiscal number (NIF) and open a local bank account.
 

You will need a fiscal number (NIF) to open the bank account. This is an easy process, but you will need to find a representative with a fixed legal address in Portugal (or in the EU). This can be your lawyer, who can also help you with this process.

Tip: You should get a lawyer to help you along the process. If you don’t speak Portuguese, it is also best to work with a native Portuguese speaker.

2. Make your investment
 

There are a variety of options to get a Portuguese golden visa. When it comes to property, the minimum investment is:

• Acquisition of one or more properties with a total value equal to or exceeding 500.000 Euros
• Acquisition of property over 30 years old or property located in urban renewal areas with rehabilitation works totalling the amount equal to or greater than 350.000 Euros. These projects need to be approved by SEF and it’s essential to ensure you have the right project and legal advice before proceeding with such investment.

True Memories has experience with many applications and projects for the €350,000 reduced initiative. Please contact us for details on our real estate investments.

If you choose to make a property investment, find here how to buy a property in Portugal. True Memories has extensive expertise in the Portuguese housing market and Golden Visa investment and can help you find the property that best suits your needs.

3. Gather the documentation needed
 

You will need to gather the documentation from your country of origin. All documentation needs to be issued no more than 90 days before submitting your application. Here is the list of documents needed:

• A valid passport
• Evidence that you are legally present in Portugal (your visa, entry stamps, etc.).
• Proof that you are covered either by the Portuguese public health system or that you have private primary health insurance that will cover you for the length of your residency in Portugal
• Your criminal records from your country of origin, and/or from the country (or countries) where you have been living for more than a year.
• A statement declaring that you will comply with all the minimum investment requirements (amount and 5 year period).
• Completing a form authorizing SEF to get an extract of your Portuguese criminal records.
• Documents showing a good standing with the Portuguese Tax and Customs Authority and Social Security system.
• A receipt showing that you already paid the application processing fee.
• Specific documentation relating to your investments (depends on the investment)

Anything issued by a foreign entity has to be legalized (e.g., with an apostille if your country of origin has signed the Hague convention), and translated to Portuguese.

Your lawyer can help you with the documentation process regarding your investment and the golden visa process.

4. Submitting the Application
 

The smoothest way to submit the application is to let your lawyer handle the process. If you prefer to do it yourself or want to know about the steps, you can access the SEF application registration form.

After this, you will need to pay the processing fee and wait to hear back from SEF with preliminary approval.

5. Biometrics appointment
 

You will need to travel to Portugal for this, which should take place about 6-12 months after submitting your original application. Schedule this appointment for a date, time and place, and bring all your documentation on paper. This will get you your first residency card. After this, you should spend 14 days in Portugal during the next 2 years, and by then renew your biometrics with another appointment for the renewal of your residency card.

As you can see, the process is not too complicated, but it does take some time. If you get the right partners to help you - a lawyer, a Portuguese native speaker and a real estate agency, like True Memories, to help you find the best property for you, the process will be smoother and you won’t have to invest much time yourself for it! Speak now with our team and we can start to look for the best property options for your