Portuguese citizenship by investment: possible or not?

You can apply for a Portuguese passport after 5 years of living in the country. This is one of the fastest naturalizations in the EU.

Portuguese citizenship gives you the right to live, work and study in all countries of the European Union. Unlike permanent residence, a citizen of the country receives political rights - to choose and be elected. In addition, you can enjoy all the benefits available to the Portuguese in the fields of education, medicine, and social security. A Portuguese passport allows you to travel visa-free or with a visa on arrival to 186 countries.

Typical immigrant journey to Portugal:

• Get a Schengen visa type C
• Get a national visa type D for 6 months
• Get a residence permit in Portugal for 1 year
• Extend residence permit for 2 years
• Extend residence permit for another 2 years
• Obtain permanent residence after 5 years of residence in Portugal, provided that you are in the country for more than 183 days a year
• Apply for Portuguese citizenship immediately after receiving permanent residence, i.e. after 5 years of living in the country
• The wait to receive a Portuguese passport is about 1 year

Grounds for obtaining citizenship

There are different ways to obtain Portuguese citizenship, and almost all of them will require time investment. However, compared to other EU countries, you will have to wait less. You can apply for a passport after 5 years of residence in Portugal. For comparison, naturalization in Greece lasts 7 years, and in Italy and Spain it will take as long as 10 years.

Reasons for obtaining Portuguese citizenship:

• Golden visa, Buying property in Portugal,
• Investments in the country's economy,

Regardless of the method of obtaining Portuguese citizenship, the immigrant will receive the same rights and responsibilities as local residents. All adult applicants first go through the procedure of obtaining a residence permit, then permanent residence, and only then can they apply for citizenship.

Methods of obtaining

There are several ways to legally obtain Portuguese citizenship. They differ in terms, set of documents and conditions. In almost all situations, you first need to obtain a residence permit.

When purchasing real estate

Purchasing Portuguese real estate does not entitle you to an internal passport. When purchasing expensive real estate, you receive a “golden visa”. It gives a foreigner most of the rights of citizens, with some exceptions.

To obtain such a visa and residence permit, a commercial, industrial or residential building must meet the following requirements:

• the cost of the house ranges from 350,000 to 500,000 euros (the minimum price differs in different regions of the country);
• the age of construction is more than 30 years;
• The property is located in a sparsely populated region of the country.

Only after 6 years of permanent residence in Portugal can you apply on a general basis. During this time you must have a residence permit.

For investment

In addition to buying real estate, you can invest in other sectors of the country's economy:

• purchase shares of Portuguese companies for 1 million euros, open a deposit and buy government bonds;
• support research activities with an amount of 350 thousand euros;
• with the help of 250 thousand euros, take care of the preservation of the country’s cultural heritage;
• purchase shares in investment funds for 500 thousand euros.

The main condition for obtaining a privileged visa is the creation of at least 10 jobs with this money. To immediately solve this problem, you can open a small business in Portugal. Or invest money in an existing enterprise, but agree to create 10 additional vacancies. Moreover, there are tax breaks for investors in the country. Dual citizenship is attractive to international businessmen.

A “golden” visa gives the right to enjoy almost all the benefits of the country. You just won’t be able to vote in elections, make investments using credit funds, and will have to keep the business for at least 5 years.

A residence permit for investors allows you to stay in the country for at least 7 days a year without losing your resident status.

You can apply for citizenship, even with large investments, no earlier than after 6 years.

Through marriage

It will not be possible to arrange a fictitious marriage. The Portuguese Ministry of Justice will accept the application after 3 years of marriage. During these years, the applicant must have a Portuguese residence permit. You can be outside the state for no more than 270 days at all times. Over the past year, no more than 90 days.

The Portuguese government recognizes unregistered civil marriages. To obtain a Portuguese passport, you must prove in court that you live together and maintain a common household.

Naturalization

This is the most common way to obtain citizenship in Portugal. After visiting the state on a tourist or work visa, you need to obtain a residence permit. It will have to be extended for the next five years. Only after this can you pass an exam on language proficiency and the degree of integration into society, and obtain permanent residence. After 6 years of residence in Portugal you are allowed to apply.

In order for the residence permit to remain valid, you must stay on the territory of the state for at least 183 days annually.

By birth

Citizenship is passed on by blood. That is, if one of the parents has a Portuguese passport, then the child has every right to such citizenship, regardless of the place of birth.

If a child is born in Portugal, he immediately receives its citizenship. If the birth took place in another country, then the Portuguese parent needs to contact the embassy to obtain the relevant documents.

If a foal was born to Russian parents, this does not give him the right to automatically obtain citizenship. There are a number of mandatory conditions:

• parents have lived in the country for more than 10 years;
• all this time they had a residence permit;
• The child graduated from the 4th grade of primary school.

If Portuguese is one of the official languages ​​in the parents’ homeland (Brazil, Angola and others), then the mandatory period of residence is reduced to 6 years.

By origin

To do this, it is necessary that the blood relatives be Portuguese. This could be parents or grandparents. Brothers and sisters are not such relatives.

Adoption

A child adopted by Portuguese citizens automatically receives Portuguese citizenship. The main thing is that adoption is legal in all countries.

Golden visa

The Portuguese government introduced a program for obtaining a residence permit through investment in 2012. This scheme is often called the golden visa. However, this name is not entirely correct. After all, we are talking not just about obtaining a visa, but a residence permit and actual immigration to Portugal. However, this visa is called a gold visa (or rather a residence permit) due to the fact that it provides a number of advantages over the regular naturalization procedure. The main thing is the quick and guaranteed receipt of a residence permit, subject to all the conditions of the program.

An investor and his family become residents of Portugal very quickly: a residence permit card is issued in 2-6 months. However, to obtain a residence permit they are not required to know Portuguese (unlike the usual procedure). But in the future, when applying for citizenship, you will still have to pass an exam on knowledge of Portuguese, but you need to know the language at a very basic level - A2.

Foreign investors who choose to move to Portugal and become tax residents of the country can receive tax benefits under the Non Habitual Resident (NHR) program for ten years. Thus, the income tax rate, which can reach 48% in Portugal, is reduced under this scheme to a fixed rate of 20%. In this case, the investor is exempt from paying taxes on income received outside Portugal.

Another feature is that Portugal does not require permanent residence in the country on a golden visa. To maintain residency status, you only need to stay in Portugal for 7 days a year and maintain your investments. In this case, you can extend the residence permit indefinitely. However, if you want to obtain permanent residence and citizenship in the country, you will have to live permanently for more than 6 months a year for 5 years. However, after receiving permanent residence, you can withdraw from the investment and complete the program; your permanent resident status will not be lost. As soon as an investor has received permanent residence in Portugal, he immediately applies for citizenship.

The Portugal Golden Visa is one of the most popular residence by investment programs in Europe, mainly because it leads to European citizenship in just five to six years (depending on the speed of the application).

How to get a golden visa?

• Buy housing in Portugal from 500 thousand euros;
• Buy Portuguese real estate for renovation from 350 thousand euros;
• Purchase shares of Portuguese companies, government bonds or open an account in a Portuguese bank for an amount of at least 1 million euros;
• Donate from 350 thousand euros to research activities in the country;
• Donate from 250 thousand euros to restore the cultural heritage of Portugal;
• Purchase shares in investment funds in the amount of 350 thousand euros;
• Open a business and create at least 10 jobs for the Portuguese.

Options

There are several grounds for obtaining an internal passport of a given state. Each option for obtaining Portuguese citizenship has its own nuances. The grounds for becoming a resident are as follows:

• buying a property;
• large investments in the economy;
• marriage to a Portuguese;
• for adopted children;
• by birth;
• naturalization.

The latter method is labor intensive and requires residence in the country for 6 years. There are government programs that help ease the process of obtaining citizenship.

Do you want to get EU citizenship in 12 months? Take the free test and find out your chances.

When purchasing real estate

One of the options for investing in the country’s economy is purchasing real estate. Persons who purchased an object in the amount of 350 to 500 thousand euros. Such a purchase provides grounds for obtaining a residence permit in Portugal. But real estate purchased by a foreigner must meet the following requirements:

• built at least 30 years ago;
• located in a sparsely populated region.

The period of residence before applying for Portuguese citizenship must be 6 years. Many people consider this a disadvantage in this option.

For investment

This is the most acceptable option in terms of speed. If a foreigner can invest 280 thousand euros in the Portuguese economy, then within a year he will receive an internal passport of this state. It is important that 10 jobs are opened with this money. You can create a business and hire 10 workers, or invest in production, which will hire an additional 10 people.

After six months of residence in the country, the investor is provided with tax benefits, which makes doing business more comfortable.

Investors are entitled to apply for a golden visa. This document is in many ways equivalent to the rights of an internal passport, except for an electoral one. After receiving such a visa, there are 3 conditions for the applicant:

• Bank loans cannot be used for investment;
• it is prohibited to get rid of the enterprise for 5 years;
• With a visa, the investor is required to spend at least 7 days a year in the country.

This contributes to the development of business in the country and the creation of jobs.

Through marriage

This is an option for spouses, one of whom is already a Portuguese citizen. The relevant authorities check very seriously whether there is a fictitious marriage. First of all, spouses must live together for at least three years. Knowledge of the Portuguese language is also tested. The applicant can reside in the country with a residence permit for three years before submitting the application. In total, during this time you can stay outside the territory of Portugal for no more than 270 days.

Even cohabitation can become a basis for obtaining citizenship. But in this case, the competent authorities should provide proof of joint residence and common household management.

Naturalization

In this way, it is possible to obtain citizenship for any person. First you need to enter the country as a tourist. The next step is to obtain a residence permit and renew it annually. The main condition is that you must live in Portugal for at least 6 years, with at least 183 days each year.

When naturalizing, it is mandatory to learn Portuguese and pass an exam. The application may not be approved the first time; you will have to try to apply another year.

By birth

In order to obtain citizenship by birth, it is not enough to simply be born in the territory of the country in question. It is necessary that the child’s parents, if they are both foreigners, have a residence permit and have lived in the country for at least 10 years.

Citizenship can be acquired automatically by birth if one of the parents is a Portuguese citizen.

By origin

For such a basis, it is necessary that direct relatives up to the second generation have a Portuguese passport. This could be parents, as well as grandparents. In this case, sisters, brothers and cousins ​​are not suitable. You can move in with your parents even if the applicant for citizenship is of legal age.

Adoption

If a Russian child is adopted by a resident of Portugal, then the baby automatically receives citizenship of this country. This basis operates in the same way as the right to a passport by birth.

Do you want to be guaranteed to obtain a residence permit, permanent residence, or citizenship in another country? See the rating of reliable migration companies!

Buying a property

Purchasing real estate remains the most popular way to obtain a residence permit for investment. In 2021, more than 93% of investors chose this option among all golden visa program options in Portugal.

Portugal provides a residence permit for the purchase of real estate worth more than 500 thousand euros. This amount can be reduced to 350 thousand euros for housing under renovation, over 30 years old and located in the historical district of the city.

Under the terms of the program, you can purchase several real estate properties; you do not have to buy one expensive house or apartment. The main thing is that the total investment amount exceeds the minimum requirements. Housing is allowed to be rented out, so you can earn income in euros.

Note. You can get a residence permit for purchasing housing in Lisbon, Porto and on the coast only until January 1, 2022! The Portuguese authorities will then issue residence permits for investments in real estate located exclusively in the interior regions of the country, in the Azores or Madeira.

Investor immigration begins with obtaining a one-year residence permit. He can renew his residence permit as long as he maintains his investment in real estate. However, after 5 years of living in Portugal, the investor receives permanent residence. After this, he can sell the property without losing his resident status. You can apply for Portuguese citizenship immediately after receiving permanent residence, i.e. after 5 years.

A residence permit is also received by the investor’s family: spouse, minor children under 18 years of age, adult children under 26 years of age and financially dependent on the investor, as well as elderly dependent parents over 65 years of age.

Moving to Portugal through real estate investment

Citizens from Russia are moving to Portugal under a real estate investment program. By 2020-2021, their number was 232 people.

Portuguese citizenship, including for Russians, is issued under general conditions. They depend not only on Eurozone policies.

Local authorities are developing their own policies aimed at simplifying the issuance of residence permits and Portuguese citizenship.

Investment amounts in Portuguese real estate

Portuguese citizenship cannot be obtained through the purchase of real estate. Just the fact of purchasing it is not enough.

Purchasing Portuguese housing first gives you the right only to receive a Golden visa and a residence permit (residence permit).

When purchasing and registering residential or commercial real estate in your name in Portugal, you have a chance to register a passport, because a residence permit is the first stage of its potential issuance.

An important factor is the cost of real estate. There can be several objects.

Price depends:

• from the actual current state;
• its historical and architectural value.

An amount of at least 250,000 euros (€) will be required for the purchase to be considered an investment.

The buyer's financial contribution to the restoration of historical housing is taken into account. In practice, few people use this opportunity.

A real estate investment is considered to be:

1. Investments in euro currency (€) in the amount of 350,000 for the purpose of restoring a historical property built over 30 years ago;
2. Purchase of any real estate in the amount of 500,000 euros (€). You can buy two or three apartments for this amount.

How to obtain citizenship and passport after the “Golden Visa” (Portugal Golden Visa)

Portugal has a golden visa program. The purchase of construction projects for the above amounts entitles you to a “golden investor visa” and automatic registration of a residence permit in Portugal.

An important point: you cannot automatically obtain Portuguese citizenship when purchasing real estate.

1. A residence permit is issued based on the purchase of real estate.
2. According to it, you must be in Portugal for at least 7 days a year for 5 years.
3. The applicant must speak Portuguese at level A2.
4. Then you can submit documents for permanent residence and Portuguese citizenship.
5. Thus, you can become a citizen of the country 6 years after purchasing real estate and staying in Portugal legally.

Members of the investor's family receive a residence permit a little later - after 6-8 months.

You cannot sell real estate for 5 years. Immediately after the purchase you can obtain a residence permit. There is no need to renew it.

After 5 years - permanent residence is granted under simplified conditions, after another 1 year - a passport.

An undoubted advantage is the absence of an obligation for continuous year-round residence in the Republic. It is enough to officially spend only 7 days a year in Portugal.

Portuguese citizenship, granted by investment, gives the right to live in any EU country

Thus, the Republic ensures the restoration and support of the housing stock through the attraction of foreign investors, their investment activities, and, accordingly, at their expense.

Read on our website: countries that grant citizenship when purchasing real estate in 2021.

Residence permit for children, wife and other family members

For real estate investments, in addition to the main applicant, a residence permit will also be issued for the following family members.

1. Children under 26 years old. Children over 18 years of age must be financially dependent on the investor, for example, studying at university at this time. It is important that they officially live at the same address according to registration. A child under 18 years of age can obtain a Golden Visa together with their father or mother at any time without additional restrictions.
2. Legal wife or husband of the investor. Civil marriage is not taken into account.
3. Elderly parents over 65 years of age.

Brothers, sisters, adult children and common-law wives cannot automatically obtain a residence permit together with the main investor.

After how many years of ownership can a property be sold?

Real estate can be sold after 5 years of ownership, while the person retains the residence permit. If the property is sold before 5 years, the person loses the right to a residence permit.

Consequently, he will also not be able to apply for a Portuguese passport.

Naturalization

Any foreigner who has legally lived in the country for more than 5 years can obtain Portuguese citizenship by naturalization - with a residence permit and permanent residence permit. There are several ways to move to Portugal and obtain a residence permit.

Ways to obtain a residence permit in Portugal:

• Buying a home
• Investments in the country's economy,
• Studies,
• Job,
• Startup opening,
• Family reunification,
• Financially independent persons
• Refugees.

An important condition for obtaining citizenship by naturalization is not to leave the country for more than 183 days a year. You must also prove knowledge of the Portuguese language at a basic level of A2 and financial independence.

After submitting the documents, you will have to wait for a decision from the Portuguese authorities for about a year, and sometimes even longer. The applicant may not be approved on the first attempt, and will then need to apply again.

Requirements for obtaining Portuguese citizenship by naturalization:

• Be over 18 years of age;
• Have resided permanently and legally in Portugal for at least 5 years;
• Do not leave Portugal for more than 183 days a year;
• Know Portuguese at a basic level (A2);
• Have enough funds to live in the country;
• Not have been convicted of a crime punishable under Portuguese law by imprisonment for more than three years;
• Have real connections with the Portuguese community.

Documents for naturalization:

• Application for citizenship;
• Birth certificate, original and copy;
• A copy of the residence permit in Portugal;
• A document issued by SEF confirming legal residence in Portugal for at least five years;
• Certificate of passing the Portuguese language exam at level A2;
• Confirmation of connections with the Portuguese community - documents for the purchase of real estate, a child’s birth certificate, copies of residence permits of family members, etc.
• A certificate of good conduct issued by the Portuguese authorities, not older than three months;
• A certificate of good conduct issued by the authorities of the country of origin, not older than three months, certified by the Portuguese consulate;
• Proof of sufficient funds to live in Portugal - bank statement, certificate from employer indicating monthly salary, tax return for the previous year;
• Confirmation of registration with the Social Security Service;
• Proof that the applicant has completed compulsory military service in his country or documents confirming his exemption from it;
• Copies of passports used in the last five years;
• Medical certificate confirming the absence of dangerous diseases.

The package of documents is submitted to the Portuguese Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF). Documents must be translated into Portuguese and certified by a notary, and also have an apostille.

Required documents

When applying for citizenship, the applicant must provide a certain package of documents. It is generally standard for all countries of the European Union. It includes:

• international passport (both current and all previous ones);
• civil passport and its photocopy;
• four color passport size photographs;
• birth certificate;
• document for the right of legal residence in Portugal;
• documentary evidence of a legal source of income, as well as data on its amount. A sufficient amount of income implies the accommodation of the applicant and his family without attracting subsidies from the state;
• confirmation from the Portuguese fiscal authorities that there are no tax debts;
• a certificate of no criminal record in your home country;
• a certificate issued by the Portuguese Ministry of Internal Affairs, which confirms the applicant’s law-abiding nature;
• the result of a medical examination in one of the Portuguese clinics;
• certificates of passing exams for language proficiency and integration into society (if the applicant is not exempt from passing them);
• a document of ownership of real estate in Portugal or a long-term rental agreement.

It is likely that the Portuguese authorities will require additional documents, which will depend on the reasons why citizenship is requested. The applicant must also explain in writing whether he will renounce his previous citizenship.

All documents issued to the applicant outside the European Union will require translation into Portuguese and notarization. The translation must be done in an accredited bureau.

A Portuguese passport automatically makes its holder an EU citizen

Marriage

The spouse of a Portuguese citizen receives a passport after 3 years of marriage. However, the foreign citizen is not required to reside permanently in Portugal during this time. However, it is important that the spouses live together during the marriage and can confirm this.

An applicant for a country passport through family reunification demonstrates knowledge of Portuguese at A2 level and connections with the Portuguese community. It must be confirmed that the applicant has not committed any crime punishable by local law with imprisonment for more than three years. When applying for citizenship, the Portuguese spouse cannot be a civil servant of a foreign country.

Documents for obtaining citizenship by marriage:

• Marriage certificate;
• Birth certificate of both spouses;
• Certificate of foreign citizenship;
• Certificate of good conduct;
• Confirmation of connection with the Portuguese community.

Documents for obtaining citizenship through marriage are submitted to the Civil Registry Office in Lisbon, Registros Centrais.

By origin

The Portuguese Nationality Law of 1981 is based on the principle of jus sanguinis ("law of the blood"), whereas the previous law of 1959 was based on the principle of jus soli ("law of the soil"). This change in law made access to naturalization difficult for many years, not only for first-generation migrants, but also for their children and grandchildren. In 2006, this situation changed slightly, but the legislation remained with an emphasis on jus sanguinis.

In 2021, amendments were made to the citizenship law, which reduced the minimum period of residence of foreigners in the country to apply for a passport from 6 to 5 years. This period can be reduced to 3 years for people from countries where the official language is Portuguese (for example, Brazil). In 2021, the citizenship law was changed again and made it easier for children of foreigners born in Portugal to obtain citizenship.

Portuguese citizenship, however, is predominantly transmitted by blood. A child automatically receives citizenship of the country if at least one of his parents - mother or father - is Portuguese. However, a child has the right to citizenship even if he has at least a grandparent who is a Portuguese citizen. It does not matter where the child was born - in Portugal or abroad. The only requirement when born in another country is to apply for Portuguese citizenship.

If foreigners have acquired citizenship by naturalization, their minor children also have the right to become Portuguese citizens. However, adult children undergo the naturalization procedure independently, i.e. prove residence in the country for the last 5 years and knowledge of Portuguese.

Citizenship will also be granted to children born in Portugal to foreign parents who have a valid residence permit and have lived in the country for more than 1 year. This is the latest change to the citizenship law - in the spirit of "rights of the land" but with a minimum residency requirement.

Refusal to obtain citizenship: main reasons

• The applicant provided false information or an incomplete package of documents;
• Income level is insufficient to live in the country;
• No evidence of significant connection with the Portuguese community has been provided;
• Conviction for a crime punishable by more than three years' imprisonment under Portuguese law:
• Government service or voluntary military service in another foreign country.

Ani Muradyan All articles by this author