Portugal Golden Visa: Minimal Residency for EU Citizenship

Key Takeaways

1. The Portugal Golden Visa grants temporary residency in Portugal, with a minimal stay requirement of 14 days every two-year period.
2. After five years of temporary residency, investors can apply for permanent residency in Portugal, while citizenship generally requires 10 years of residency under the updated 2025 framework.
3. Current rules focus on qualified investment funds, as personal properties no longer qualify for Golden Visa eligibility.
4. The Portugal Golden Visa program usually takes 12 to 18 months from initial investment to receiving the first residency card, so early planning with a lawyer is important.
5. VIDA Capital helps investors structure Golden Visa-qualified fund investments and coordinate with legal partners in Portugal; contact VIDA Capital to discuss your Portugal Plan B.

Understanding Portugal’s Golden Visa: Your Gateway to EU Residency

How the Portugal Golden Visa Supports Global Mobility

Portugal’s Golden Visa program grants qualifying non-EU investors and their families a temporary residency permit that is initially valid for two years. The permit allows holders to live, work, and study in Portugal and travel visa-free within the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The Golden Visa grants residency rights only in Portugal, while Schengen access is limited to short stays.

How Portugal’s Golden Visa Compares With Other EU Residency Options

Portugal has one of the lowest stay requirements among comparable European residency programs. Spain ended its Golden Visa program in April 2025, and Greece requires at least seven years of living there and paying taxes to qualify for citizenship and long-term residency. Portugal remains one of the only countries in Europe that offers a path to citizenship without requiring relocation, making it an effective Plan B for globally mobile families.

Speak with VIDA Capital about structuring a Portugal Golden Visa strategy aligned with your current lifestyle

Physical Stay Requirements for Portugal Golden Visa: From Temporary to Permanent Residency

Meeting the Minimal Stay Requirement While Maintaining Flexibility

The Portugal Golden Visa requires at least 14 days of physical presence in Portugal in every two-year residency period. This can be one longer stay or several shorter trips. The requirement allows investors to maintain their main home and business interests elsewhere while steadily building a long-term residency position in Portugal.

Proving Your Stay: Documentation You Need

To prove each required stay, investors provide boarding passes for entry and exit, plus invoices that show their Portuguese tax identification number (NIF), such as hotel bills or retail receipts. Each family member included in the Golden Visa application must provide their own boarding passes and NIF-linked invoices. Keeping a simple file of travel and spending records for each trip helps ensure smooth renewals.

From Temporary to Permanent Residency After Five Years

Golden Visa holders who maintain their qualifying investment and meet the stay requirement for five years can apply for permanent residency in Portugal. The minimum investment is currently 500,000 euros in eligible funds. Permanent residency offers long-term security in Portugal while investors continue working toward citizenship under the 10-year residency framework.

Citizenship Timelines for Golden Visa Applicants: The New 2025 Framework

Understanding the 10-Year Citizenship Rule

Portugal’s Parliament updated citizenship rules in October 2025. Most Golden Visa applicants must now complete 10 years of residency before applying for citizenship. This rule applies to new Golden Visa applicants and to existing holders who had not filed a citizenship application before the new law was published. Nationals of Portuguese-language countries (CPLP) and EU citizens generally qualify for citizenship after seven years of residency.

Building Toward Citizenship While Keeping a Minimal Presence

The minimal stay requirement of 14 days in every two-year period remains the same for the full 10-year timeline. Investors can maintain their existing global commitments while gradually building toward eligibility for a Portuguese passport. Once citizenship is granted, Portuguese passport holders can live, work, study, and access public healthcare and education in any EU or Schengen Zone country.

Investing for Your Golden Visa: The VIDA Capital Approach

Using Qualified Funds Instead of Personal Properties

Current Golden Visa rules no longer allow investments in personal properties to qualify for residency. Investors instead meet the minimum 500,000 euro threshold through eligible investment funds. VIDA Capital focuses on connecting investors with asset-backed fund structures in Portugal’s hospitality sector. These strategies prioritize underlying tangible assets, which can often be sold if needed, rather than relying only on operating cash flows.

The VIDA Fund: Giving Hospitality Assets a Second Life

The VIDA Fund buys and transforms underperforming hospitality properties across Portugal, giving these assets a second life. The fund does not build new hospitality assets; it acquires existing ones and improves their operations and positioning. An integrated owner-operator model supports hands-on execution and aims for stable, long-term performance. The fund is supervised by the Portuguese Securities Market Authority (CMVM) and audited twice a year by Deloitte. Any historical returns of the VIDA Fund do not guarantee future returns.

Contact VIDA Capital to review how the VIDA Fund can support your Golden Visa objectives

The Portugal Golden Visa Application Process: A Step-by-Step Overview

Key Preparations With Legal Counsel

A specialized Portuguese immigration lawyer is essential for each stage of the Golden Visa process. With legal support, investors obtain a Portuguese tax identification number (NIF), open a Portuguese bank account, and complete the 500,000 euro investment in a qualifying fund. The full Golden Visa process, from investment to receiving the first residency card, usually spans 12 to 18 months.

Application, Biometrics, Residency Cards, and Renewals

Your lawyer submits the initial Golden Visa application online for you and all eligible family members, including spouses or partners, minor children, and dependent adult children who are full-time students, not working, and unmarried for the entire residency period. Relationship proof can be a marriage certificate or other evidence in the case of a common-law partner. After approval by AIMA, each applicant attends an in-person biometric appointment. Once the application is fully processed, you receive a temporary residency card valid for two years. 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. To renew, you must show that the investment is maintained, the minimum stay requirement is met, and criminal record checks remain clear.

Frequently Asked Questions About Portugal Golden Visa Residency

Do I have to live in Portugal to maintain my Golden Visa residency?

You are not required to relocate to Portugal to keep your Golden Visa. You must spend at least 14 days in Portugal in every two-year period and maintain your qualifying investment. This framework allows you to preserve your existing lifestyle while progressing toward permanent residency and potential citizenship.

How do I prove my minimum stay for the Portugal Golden Visa?

Acceptable proof includes boarding passes showing entry and exit dates for Portugal and invoices with your Portuguese NIF, such as hotel, restaurant, or store receipts. Each family member needs separate boarding passes and NIF-linked invoices. Consistent recordkeeping simplifies renewals.

Can I include my family in my Golden Visa application?

Yes, you can usually include your spouse or partner, minor children, and dependent adult children who are full-time students, not working, and unmarried throughout the residency program until the Golden Visa application process is complete. You provide a marriage certificate or other relationship proof for partners and documentation confirming each child’s dependency and student status.

Has the Portugal Golden Visa program been canceled, or did rules only change?

The Portugal Golden Visa program remained active through 2024 and 2025 and continues to accept applications in 2026. Recent changes shifted eligibility from personal properties to qualified funds and extended the citizenship timeline to 10 years of residency for most applicants. Investment funds such as the VIDA Fund remain accepted instruments for meeting the 500,000 euro minimum.

Conclusion: Using Portugal’s Golden Visa as Your Long-Term Plan B

The Portugal Golden Visa offers a clear, low-presence route to long-term residency and eventual citizenship, without requiring relocation. A 14-day stay every two years, a qualifying fund investment, and structured legal support can position you and your family for a flexible European future. Greece and Spain now require ongoing residence to protect long-term status, while Portugal continues to allow a practical Plan B based on limited physical presence. Reach out to VIDA Capital to explore whether a Portugal Golden Visa and the VIDA Fund fit your long-term strategy.