Key Takeaways
- The Portugal Golden Visa gives you and your family the right to live, work, and study in Portugal, plus visa-free travel across the Schengen Area for up to 90 days within any 180-day period.
- Portugal remains one of the few European programs that offers a path to citizenship without requiring relocation, although current rules ask most applicants to reside in Portugal for 10 years before applying for citizenship.
- Compared with other options, such as Greece and Spain’s former program, Portugal combines flexible stay requirements with a clear route from temporary residency to permanent residency and, ultimately, citizenship.
- The Golden Visa process usually spans 12 to 18 months, and support from an experienced Portuguese immigration lawyer is essential to handle application steps, family inclusion, and renewals correctly.
- VIDA Capital, an advisory firm, guides investors into the VIDA Fund and the Portugal Golden Visa process, helping you structure a compliant plan for your family’s future in Portugal. Speak with VIDA Capital to review your options.
Understanding work and study permissions in Portugal
Work and study rights shape how quickly your family can integrate into life in Portugal. These rights determine whether you can continue your career, choose suitable schools, and plan for your children’s long-term education without disruption.
The Portugal Golden Visa grants residency in Portugal only. During the residency period, you can live, work, and study in Portugal, and travel within the Schengen Area without a visa for short stays. Full rights to live, work, and study anywhere in the European Union only arise after you obtain Portuguese citizenship.
Strong residency programs combine three elements: immediate permissions in the host country, family inclusion on the same terms, and a predictable route to long-term status and citizenship. Portugal’s framework performs well on all three.
The Portugal Golden Visa: what you can do with your permit
Golden Visa residence permits give you broad day-to-day freedom in Portugal from the moment your card is issued.
Key permissions include:
- Full employment rights in Portugal, with no restriction on sector or seniority
- Ability to start or own a business in Portugal
- Access to public and private schools and universities in Portugal for you and your dependents
- Access to Portugal’s public healthcare and other public services
- Visa-free travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period
These rights extend to your family members included in the application. The main applicant can usually include a spouse or recognized partner, dependent children who are full-time students, not working and not married during the residency program, and in some cases dependent parents. For a partner, you can present either a marriage certificate or other proof of a long-term relationship.
Your residence card is initially valid for two years. You must then renew it for two further two-year periods, keep your eligible investment in place, and meet the minimum stay requirement of 14 days in Portugal every two years.
Discuss whether the Portugal Golden Visa fits your family’s plans with VIDA Capital’s advisory team.
How Portugal compares with other European options
Portugal, Greece, and Spain’s former program all attracted international investors, but they differ in work rights, family treatment, and citizenship pathways. Spain has now withdrawn its Golden Visa, and Greece requires full relocation for long-term status, which makes Portugal’s approach stand out for Plan B strategies.
Comparison table: work and study permissions in leading European programs
|
Criterion |
Portugal Golden Visa |
Greece Golden Visa |
Spain (Former Program) |
|
Immediate Work Rights |
Full rights to work and establish a business in Portugal |
No automatic right to work, separate permits generally required |
Work rights linked to residence permit, program discontinued |
|
Immediate Study Rights |
Full access to public and private education for applicant and dependents in Portugal |
Access to public and private education in Greece |
Access to public and private education, program discontinued |
|
Family Inclusion Rights |
Spouse or partner, dependent children, and in some cases parents, with the same residency, work, and study rights in Portugal |
Spouse, dependent children up to 21, and parents included, with residency and education rights |
Family inclusion broadly aligned with main applicant, program discontinued |
|
Path to Citizenship and Long-Term Status |
Temporary residence for up to 5 years, then eligible for permanent residence, then citizenship after 10 years of residence for most applicants, 7 years for CPLP and EU citizens, subject to language and integration rules |
Citizenship generally after 7 years of living in Greece and paying taxes, with integration requirements |
Citizenship after 10 years of continuous residence when program existed |
|
Residency Requirement |
14 days in Portugal every two years, suitable for Plan B strategies without full relocation |
Limited stay requirement to keep the permit, but long-term residency and citizenship require living in Greece |
Regular presence required for long-term status, and continuous residence for citizenship |
Portugal is currently one of the only countries in Europe that offers a route to citizenship without the need to relocate, provided you meet the residency and legal requirements over time. Greece and Spain require you to live there to keep long-term residency, which makes Portugal attractive if you want flexibility while keeping a structured Plan B.
From residency in Portugal to EU citizenship
The Golden Visa starts with residency in Portugal and can end with a Portuguese passport if you follow the rules over time. The process usually spans 12 to 18 months from starting your application to receiving your first residence card, and support from a specialist Portuguese immigration lawyer is essential at each step.
The typical path includes:
- Submitting your application with your lawyer, including investment documentation and family records
- Attending biometrics, then receiving your first two-year temporary residence permit
- Renewing your permit for two-year periods while maintaining your investment and minimum stay
- Applying for permanent residency after five years of legal residence in Portugal
- Applying for citizenship after 10 years of residence for most applicants, or 7 years for nationals of Portuguese-language countries (CPLP) and EU citizens
As the approval card issuance usually takes a year, you will most likely only need to do a single renewal instead of two in the 5-year period.
Portugal’s Parliament approved a new citizenship framework in October 2025. This new law introduced longer timelines for most applicants and should apply to Golden Visa residents unless they have already submitted their citizenship application before the new law is published.
During the residency phase, your rights remain limited to Portugal, with only short-stay travel across the Schengen Area. Once you become a Portuguese citizen, you can live, work, study, and access public healthcare and education in any EU or Schengen Zone country.
Contact VIDA Capital to map out a realistic schedule from Golden Visa residency to long-term status.
How the VIDA Fund supports your Portugal plan
VIDA Capital is an advisory firm that helps clients invest in the VIDA Fund, a regulated fund that focuses on asset-backed investments in Portugal’s hospitality sector.
The VIDA Fund buys existing hospitality assets and gives them a second life by transforming and operating them under improved concepts and management. This approach creates:
- Ownership of tangible assets in Portugal’s hospitality market
- Potential for value creation through repositioning and active operations
- A focus on capital preservation, backed by real operating assets rather than purely intangible strategies
The fund’s historical returns illustrate how this strategy has worked to date, although historical returns are not a guarantee of future returns. VIDA Capital’s role is to guide you through fund selection, Golden Visa requirements, and coordination with your immigration lawyer, so your residency and investment strategy align.
Reach out to VIDA Capital to understand how the VIDA Fund can support your Portugal Golden Visa application.
Frequently asked questions about work and study permissions
Can I work in other EU countries with a Portuguese Golden Visa?
No. During the residency period, your right to work and study applies only in Portugal. You can travel within the Schengen Area without a visa for short stays, but you cannot work or study in other EU countries based on the Golden Visa alone. After you obtain Portuguese citizenship, you gain full rights to live, work, and study in any EU member state.
Do Golden Visa holders need a separate work permit to be employed in Portugal?
No separate work permit is required. Your Portugal Golden Visa residence card already gives you full employment rights in Portugal. You can accept a job, run your own company, or act as a self-employed professional without a separate authorization.
Are my children eligible for public education in Portugal with the Golden Visa?
Yes. Children included as dependents in your Golden Visa application can enroll in Portugal’s public schools and, if you choose, in private or international schools. They pay domestic tuition at Portuguese public universities. After your family obtains Portuguese citizenship, your children can access universities across the EU with the same freedom as other EU citizens.
How does the Portugal Golden Visa support capital preservation through investment funds?
The VIDA Fund, available through VIDA Capital’s advisory services, invests in hospitality assets that the fund buys and transforms, giving them a second life. The strategy focuses on owning and operating physical properties, which provides asset backing that can help manage downside risk compared with purely financial instruments. The fund aims for stable returns and capital preservation, but historical returns are not a guarantee of future returns.
What happens to my work and study rights during the citizenship application process?
Your rights to live, work, and study in Portugal continue while your citizenship application is processed, as long as your residence or permanent residence permit remains valid. There is no interruption to your ability to work or access education in Portugal. Once citizenship is granted, your rights expand from Portugal-only to the entire European Union and Schengen Zone.
