Key Takeaways
- The Portugal Golden Visa grants residency rights in Portugal, along with visa-free travel across the Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
- Golden Visa holders must spend at least 14 days in Portugal in every two-year residency period, which can be met through one trip or several shorter visits.
- The program usually involves a 5-year path to permanent residency and, under the 2026 rules, a longer path to citizenship, while allowing you to maintain your primary life elsewhere.
- Portugal remains one of the only European countries that offers a path to citizenship without requiring relocation, which supports a practical “Plan B” strategy for globally mobile families.
- Contact VIDA Capital to plan your Portugal Golden Visa strategy and understand your physical presence obligations.
Portugal Golden Visa Overview: A Flexible Path to Residency in Portugal
The Portugal Golden Visa offers residency in Portugal through qualifying investment funds, since personal properties no longer qualify. Residency allows you to live, work, and study in Portugal and to travel visa-free within the Schengen Area for short stays, while you keep your main home and business interests elsewhere.
The program requires only 14 days of physical presence in Portugal in every two-year residency period. This light requirement suits investors who value mobility and want a robust Plan B without full relocation.
Physical presence rules sit at the core of the program. Clear planning around each residency card and renewal, ideally with a dedicated Portuguese immigration lawyer, helps you stay compliant while keeping your visits efficient.
Discuss your Portugal Golden Visa strategy with VIDA Capital.
Initial Residency: Navigating the First 5 Years of Physical Presence
The First Temporary Residency Card (Years 1–2)
Your Golden Visa journey begins with a temporary residency permit that is valid for two years. You must spend at least 14 days in Portugal during this period. Those days can be consecutive or split across separate trips.
All main applicants and family members attend a biometric appointment in Portugal for the initial application. This trip counts toward your 14-day requirement. Many investors combine biometrics with a short family visit to explore schools, neighborhoods, and lifestyle options.
The Golden Visa process, from application submission to card issuance, usually spans 12 to 18 months. Support from an experienced Portuguese immigration lawyer is essential for preparing documents, scheduling biometrics, and responding to any requests from the authorities.
First Renewal (Years 3–4): Maintaining Your Residency
The first renewal extends your temporary residency permit for another two years. You again need to show at least 14 days of physical presence in Portugal during this card’s validity.
At renewal, you must confirm that you still hold a qualifying investment, typically through a regulated investment fund, and provide updated documentation such as clean criminal records and new biometrics. A lawyer coordinates this process and helps align your travel schedule with the residency requirement.
Second Renewal (Years 5–6): Transitioning Toward Permanent Residency
The second renewal, when needed, covers years five and six and maintains the same requirement of 14 days of presence in Portugal during the two-year period. After five years of temporary residency and ongoing compliance with investment and stay rules, you can apply for permanent residency.
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. This timing reduces administrative effort while you work toward permanent status.
|
Stage |
Card Validity |
Minimum Physical Presence |
|
Initial Permit |
2 years |
14 days within a 2-year period |
|
1st Renewal |
2 years |
14 days within a 2-year period |
|
2nd Renewal |
2 years |
14 days within a 2-year period |
Permanent Residency: The 5-Year Milestone and Ongoing Commitment
Permanent residency becomes available after five years of temporary residency, provided you respect the 14-day stay requirement in each qualifying period and keep your investment in place. You retain the right to live, work, and study in Portugal, and to travel within the Schengen Area under the usual 90/180-day rule.
Investment maintenance remains important. Many investors choose diversified, regulated funds that focus on Portuguese assets. Advisory support from firms such as VIDA Capital helps align fund selection with both immigration rules and personal risk preferences.
Speak with VIDA Capital about Golden Visa-compliant fund options.
Citizenship: Physical Presence Under the New 2026 Framework
Extended Timelines for Golden Visa Holders
Portugal’s Parliament approved new citizenship rules in October 2025. From 2026 onward, Golden Visa holders must complete 10 years of legal residency in Portugal before applying for citizenship. Nationals of Portuguese-language countries in the CPLP and EU citizens qualify after seven years.
The new framework applies to almost all Golden Visa holders. Only those who submitted a citizenship application before the new law was published can rely on the previous five-year rule.
Sustaining Physical Presence for Citizenship Eligibility
The Golden Visa’s physical presence rule does not change under the new citizenship timeline. You still need at least 14 days in Portugal in each two-year residency period, even during the longer path to citizenship.
This structure allows investors to pursue Portuguese citizenship without full-time relocation. Over 10 years, you meet the requirement through short, planned visits that deepen your connection to the country.
Once you secure Portuguese citizenship and a passport, you gain the right to live, work, and study in any EU or Schengen Zone country, along with access to public healthcare and education systems across the bloc.
|
Applicant Type |
Pre-2026 Requirement |
2026+ Requirement |
|
Standard applicants |
5 years of residency |
10 years of residency |
|
CPLP / EU nationals |
5 years of residency |
7 years of residency |
|
Physical presence |
14 days every 2 years |
14 days every 2 years |
How Portugal’s Physical Presence Rules Compare in Europe
Portugal remains one of the only European countries offering a path to citizenship without requiring relocation. The 14-day requirement every two years is light compared with programs that expect year-round residence.
Spain ended its Golden Visa for new applications in April 2025, although existing holders can still renew. Greece maintains a Golden Visa, yet investors generally need to live there and pay taxes for at least seven years to qualify for long-term residency and citizenship. Greece and Spain both require residence to keep a long-term status, while Portugal accepts limited stays.
Portugal, therefore, continues to be a competitive choice for a Plan B, combining a clear route to citizenship with limited time on the ground.
Explore whether the Portugal Golden Visa suits your family’s Plan B with VIDA Capital.
Strategic Pathways to Residency and Citizenship with VIDA Capital
The Portugal Golden Visa offers a balance between flexibility and commitment. You gain residency rights in Portugal with modest physical presence, a structured path to permanent residency, and, over a longer period, access to EU citizenship, all while maintaining your primary base elsewhere.
Effective planning requires coordination between your immigration lawyer, tax advisers, and investment advisers. Key tasks include tracking stay requirements, keeping your regulated fund investment compliant, and preparing documentation for renewals and, later, a citizenship application under the 2026 framework.
VIDA Capital operates as an advisory firm focused on Golden Visa-eligible investment funds, including the VIDA Fund, which buys and gives a second life to hospitality assets in Portugal. The team helps you understand the rules, select suitable fund investments, and coordinate with your legal counsel so that each step of the process stays on track.
Contact VIDA Capital for tailored guidance on your Portugal Golden Visa plan.
Frequently Asked Questions About Portugal Golden Visa Physical Presence
What is the minimum physical presence required for the Portugal Golden Visa?
The Golden Visa requires at least 14 days of physical presence in Portugal in every two-year residency period. These days can be spread across multiple trips or completed in a single visit, as long as the total meets or exceeds 14 days within the card’s validity.
What is the physical presence requirement when applying for permanent residency?
The physical presence requirement stays the same when you move from temporary to permanent residency. You must continue to spend at least 14 days in Portugal in each two-year period and keep your qualifying investment in place.
Changes to citizenship timelines and stay rules from 2026
From 2026, most Golden Visa holders need 10 years of residency in Portugal before applying for citizenship. CPLP nationals and EU citizens can apply after seven years. Across this period, the rule of 14 days every two years remains in force.
What is the possibility of pursuing EU citizenship without full-time relocation?
The Golden Visa enables investors to pursue Portuguese citizenship while living primarily outside Portugal. By planning short visits that meet the 14-day requirement every two years, you can maintain your existing residence and business activities while progressing toward long-term residency and, eventually, citizenship.
How does VIDA Capital help investors meet physical presence requirements?
VIDA Capital supports investors in structuring Golden Visa plans around their travel and family schedules. The advisory team works with your Portuguese immigration lawyer to align biometrics, renewals, and visits with the 14-day rule, while monitoring investment compliance and helping you stay on track for permanent residency and future citizenship.
