Key Takeaways
- The Portugal Golden Visa grants Portuguese residency and visa-free travel across the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, with very low physical stay requirements.
- You only need to spend 14 days in Portugal during each two-year residency period, which can be spread across multiple short trips.
- Careful documentation of your trips and support from a Portuguese immigration lawyer are essential for smooth renewals and long-term compliance.
- Portugal remains one of the only countries in Europe offering a path to citizenship without relocation, while Greece and legacy Spanish programs require real relocation to keep long-term residency.
- VIDA Capital offers tailored advisory support on fund-based Golden Visa strategies; speak with the VIDA Capital team about starting your Portugal Golden Visa journey.
Unpacking the Portugal Golden Visa: A Flexible Path to Portuguese Residency
The Portugal Golden Visa program is designed for international investors who want a reliable “Plan B,” mobility in Europe, and a clear route to Portuguese residency through investment funds. The standard route now requires a minimum investment of €500,000 in eligible investment funds, which makes experienced legal and advisory support essential.
Golden Visa residency lets you live, study, and work in Portugal, and travel visa-free across the Schengen area for short stays. It also offers a path to Portuguese citizenship, and once you hold a Portuguese passport, you can live, work, and study anywhere in the European Union.
Explore whether the Portugal Golden Visa is the right fit for your long-term residency strategy with VIDA Capital’s advisory team.
Portugal Golden Visa Minimum Stay: Just 14 Days Every Two Years
Portugal’s Golden Visa is widely misunderstood regarding physical presence. Many investors assume they must spend months in Portugal each year to keep residency, which is not the case.
The requirement is straightforward: you must spend at least 14 days in Portugal during each two-year residency period. These days can be split across several trips, which makes the program highly compatible with global business travel and family schedules. This light-stay structure is a core reason Portugal remains a strong option for investors who cannot relocate but still want a European foothold.
Step-by-Step Guide to Portugal Golden Visa Minimum Stay Requirements
Step 1: Initial Temporary Residency Permit (First 2 Years)
Your Golden Visa journey starts when your first temporary residency card is issued. This card is valid for 2 years. During those 2 years, you must spend at least 14 days in Portugal. The days can be non-consecutive, so you can combine business trips, holidays, and family visits.
Support from a Portuguese immigration lawyer is essential at this stage to prepare your application, structure your documentation, and ensure that all fund-investment and compliance requirements are correctly met from the outset.
Step 2: First Temporary Residency Renewal (Years 3 and 4)
The first renewal gives you another 2-year residency card. You must again spend at least 14 days in Portugal during this new period. The rule stays the same, which makes long-term planning much easier.
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. A local lawyer coordinates timing, documentation, and appointments so you stay compliant without unnecessary travel.
Step 3: Second Temporary Residency Renewal (Years 5 and 6)
The second renewal covers years 5 and 6 of your Golden Visa journey and repeats the same rule: at least 14 days in Portugal over that 2-year period. By this point, immigration authorities will review your full residency history, so clear records of each trip become particularly important.
Your immigration lawyer reviews your travel history, confirms that you meet the 14-day requirement in each period, and ensures that your fund investment remains eligible and properly documented.
Step 4: Applying for Permanent Residency (After 5 Years)
After keeping temporary residency and meeting the stay requirements across 5 years, you can apply for permanent residency in Portugal. You must maintain your qualifying fund investment and continue to meet minimum stay rules until permanent residency is granted.
Permanent residency offers added stability, including long-term rights to live, work, and study in Portugal, while you continue your path toward citizenship.
Step 5: Applying for Citizenship (Current 10-Year Rule, as of October 2025)
Portugal’s Parliament updated the citizenship law in October 2025. Most applicants now need 10 years of legal residency from the date of their first residency permit before applying for citizenship. Nationals of Portuguese-language countries (CPLP) and EU citizens generally have a reduced requirement of seven years. The new framework should apply to Golden Visa holders unless they have already submitted their citizenship application before the new law is published.
Throughout this period, you continue meeting the 14-day-per-two-year minimum stay requirement. The main advantage remains unchanged: you can work toward Portuguese citizenship without relocating full time to Portugal.
Documenting Your Stays: Practical Steps to Stay Compliant
Clear documentation is essential for every renewal. Portuguese authorities primarily check passport entry and exit stamps, but supporting evidence is helpful.
Maintain a simple file for each trip that includes:
- Passport pages showing entry and exit stamps for Portugal
- Boarding passes or e-tickets
- Accommodation receipts or confirmations
A Portuguese immigration lawyer or advisory firm, such as VIDA Capital, can help you track this information and prepare it in a format that aligns with immigration office expectations. This structure reduces the risk of delays or questions at renewal and protects your long-term residency strategy.
How Portugal’s Stay Rules Compare with Other European Options
Portugal’s Golden Visa is notable for combining a light physical presence requirement with a clear path to citizenship without relocation. Greece and Spain take a different approach, particularly for long-term residency and citizenship.
|
Feature |
Portugal Golden Visa |
Greece Golden Visa |
Spain Golden Visa (closed to new applicants) |
|
Minimum stay for residency |
14 days per 2-year period |
No formal minimum for residency permits |
No formal minimum for legacy permits |
|
Path to citizenship |
Yes, after 10 years from the first permit |
Yes, after at least 7 years of living in Greece and paying taxes, with integration requirements |
Available only to legacy holders, usually with strict relocation and tax-residency rules |
|
Relocation requirement for long-term residency |
No relocation required, only periodic short stays |
Need to live in Greece to keep long-term residency and qualify for citizenship |
Need to live in Spain to keep long-term residency and qualify for citizenship |
|
Key advantage |
Citizenship path without relocation |
Entry ticket to Greece with a higher relocation commitment later |
Legacy-only option, no new Golden Visa applications |
Portugal is currently one of the only countries in Europe that offers access to citizenship without the need to relocate. Greece and Spain both expect long-term physical presence and tax residency to keep long-term permits and to qualify for citizenship, while Portugal’s 14 days every two years remains very competitive for a “Plan B” strategy.
Using VIDA Capital’s Advisory to Support Your Residency and Investment Goals
Meeting Portugal’s Golden Visa stay rules unlocks Portuguese residency, visa-free access to the Schengen area for short stays, and a practical route toward citizenship over the long term. For many investors, the main challenge is not the stay requirement itself, but coordinating legal, immigration, and fund-investment decisions across several years.
VIDA Capital acts as an advisory firm focused on fund-based Golden Visa strategies. The VIDA Fund invests in Portugal’s hospitality sector by buying and renovating existing hospitality assets, giving those properties a second life rather than building new ones. Any reference to past performance or returns must be read with care, because historical returns are not a guarantee of future results.
VIDA Capital works alongside your Portuguese immigration lawyer to align your investment choice, paperwork, and travel planning with all residency requirements. Contact VIDA Capital for tailored guidance on structuring your Portugal Golden Visa and stay strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Portugal Golden Visa Minimum Stays
Q: Do the 14 days for the Golden Visa minimum stay requirement have to be consecutive?
A: No. You can split the 14 days across multiple trips within each two-year period. This structure makes it easy to combine business visits, family holidays, and inspection trips without major changes to your travel calendar.
Q: What happens if I do not meet the minimum stay requirement for my Portugal Golden Visa?
A: Missing the 14-day requirement can lead to a refusal of your renewal application, which may end your residency and affect your future eligibility for permanent residency or citizenship. Careful planning with your immigration lawyer helps you avoid this risk.
Q: Is the minimum stay requirement the same for my family members?
A: Yes. Each family member included in the Golden Visa application must meet the same 14-day-per-two-year requirement. This applies to spouses, dependent children who qualify under the program rules, and dependent parents.
Q: How does the new 10-year citizenship rule from October 2025 affect minimum stay requirements?
A: The stay rule itself did not change. You still need to spend at least 14 days in Portugal during each two-year residency period. The main change is the total time you must hold residency before applying for citizenship, which is now 10 years for most applicants.
Q: Can I track my Golden Visa stays on my own, or do I need professional help?
A: You can track your stays yourself, but professional support is strongly recommended. A Portuguese immigration lawyer and advisory firms such as VIDA Capital help you maintain accurate records, coordinate renewal dates, and keep your fund investment aligned with immigration rules over the full life of the program.
Conclusion: A Light-Stay Route to Long-Term Security in Europe
The Portugal Golden Visa offers a clear structure: invest through a qualifying fund, spend 14 days in Portugal every two years, maintain your residency and investment for 5 years, then progress toward permanent residency and, over time, Portuguese citizenship.
This framework lets you preserve your current lifestyle while creating a long-term option in an EU member state for you and your family. With the right advisory team and a dedicated Portuguese immigration lawyer, the administrative process and stay tracking become manageable and predictable.
