Portugal Citizenship By Investment

Social Security Benefits

The social security system in Portugal covers the self-employed and employees. Through this system, these people get benefits such as the following:

• Death benefits.
• Invalidity benefits.
• Maternity benefits.
• Occupational diseases benefits.
• Pension benefits.
• Unemployment benefits.

Portugal Health Care Benefits

When you are a citizen of Portugal you will also gain access to their free healthcare benefits. Their public health care system is very strong and is one of the best in Europe, only having a few exceptions that are not covered.

The uncovered health care includes family doctor visits and emergency room visits. While these are not covered they only cost between €5-20.

However, this is only true once you have gained citizenship by investing after 5 years of investing through the Golden Visa program. Until you gain citizenship you will be considered a temporary resident, and this requires private insurance.

Private insurance in Portugal can cost you between €400-1,000 per annum, but it will vary depending on how comprehensive you need the insurance to be.

Those who are prepared to invest a significant amount into Portugal and its economy will have a variety of options available to them for investing.

Investors can choose from a range of opportunities for investing. Consider the following options:

• Start up a company in Portugal that creates at least 10 new jobs.
• Transfer a minimum investment of €250,000 to aid in the reconstruction of the national heritage, or invest in the arts and culture sector.
• Invest a minimum of €500,000 into purchasing venture capital fund units or investment funds.
• An investment of a minimum of €500,000 into financing scientific research activities.
• Invest a minimum of €500,000 into local companies or businesses to generate 5 new jobs.
• Make an investment contribution of a minimum of €1,500,000 in capital transfers to Portugal.

Be aware that as of 2025, it is no longer possible to obtain the visa by making investments into real estate purchases and real estate-related funds.

How Do You Apply?

To begin your application you will need to prepare your documents in advance. When you submit your application for a Portugal Golden Visa, you need to show your application form alongside some additional documents. These include the following documents:

• A valid passport, which has to be valid for a minimum of 6 months from the application date.
• 2 photographs, passport sizes, that comply with Portugal visa photograph requirements.
• Proof of health insurance in Portugal.
• A sworn statement proving that you will continue to maintain your investment for 5 years minimum.
• Any criminal record certificate from any country in which you have lived for over 12 months. These certificates have to have been issued within 3 months before the date of your application and need to show that you have no criminal record recorded in any of these countries.
• A payment receipt from the Golden Visa (ARI) portal.

Aside from the documents shown above, you will also need to provide documents that are specific to your investment. These are as follows per the types of investment you are making:

Real Estate In Renovation/Regeneration

• Documentation from the relevant entity confirming property location in the regeneration area.

Capital Transfer Of Over €1,000,000 Into A Bank Account

• Registered Portuguese bank declaration confirming the deposit has been made. The deposit must also be charge-free.

(Note: As the Portuguese Government is reviewing the Golden Visa program the above routes for citizenship have been under review and are not currently available. Ensure you stay updated on the pathways available to citizenship through investment or contact us at +1 844 290 6312)

Arts/Culture Investments

• A declaration from the Portuguese registered concerned bank confirming the deposit required has been made.
• A declaration issued by the Portuguese Strategy, Planning, and Cultural Assessment Office, stating necessary consultations have been made with relevant authorities in the sector of the investment made, and your investment is supported in its legibility.

Investment In Scientific Research

• A statement from a Portuguese-registered bank that confirms that the required deposit has been made.
• A statement from the scientific research institute in which you have invested, to confirm the investment has been made.

An Investment To Create A Minimum Of 10 New Jobs

• Copies of employment contracts for each new employee.
• Extract from the Register of Companies if you are a company shareholder,
• Declaration from a bank that has been registered in Portugal confirming that the required deposit has been made.

Be aware that any documents that are not written in Portuguese or English will need to be sent to a certified translator to be translated into the language. After this, you will be required to notarize the document.

Any documents that you have that need to be legalized can be done by your local Portuguese Embassy, or through an Apostille Stamp.

Once this is done, and you submit it online, every document you submit needs to be no larger than 4MB and needs to be in a PDF document format.

Step-By-Step Application Process

You will need to go through several steps to complete your application for the Golden Visa, these are as follows:

Select Investment Option

Select one of the investment options, set up meetings if necessary, and meet with lawyers if necessary, or get representation.

Open A Bank Account And Gain Tax Number

You will need to open a bank account in Portugal by visiting one and setting it up in person. You will also require a tax number (NIF number) which is gained by requesting one from the local office of Tax and Customs Authority. You will need ID and documents confirming your income and address.

Fulfill Investment Program Requirements

You need to agree on investment with legal representational aid. Make the necessary transfer to your Portuguese bank account and then to the investment as selected.

Prepare Documentation

Gather your documentation as required to apply. All documents not written in Portuguese or English now need to be translated. These documents will then need to be notarized by you for them to be ready for the SEF.

Application Submission

Complete the SEF’s online application form for a Golden Visa application and upload the necessary documents in their PDF format. Pay the fees required which are €533.00 and then an additional €533.00 per each additional family member.

Biometric Submission

All applicants and included family members will also need to submit biometric information.

Application Confirmation

Once your application has been approved, you and any additional family members will be granted residence permit cards. This is valid for a year and can be renewed until you are eligible for Portuguese citizenship after five years.

You cannot obtain Portugal citizenship until five years after your initial Golden Visa investment application approval. Once these five years have passed you can then apply for citizenship. You will need to fulfill additional citizenship requirements to become a legal citizen. These requirements include the following:

• You will need to demonstrate that you have ties within the Portuguese community.
• Demonstrate you have no tax obligation in Portugal.
• Have proof of a clean criminal record.
• Show proof that you know the Portuguese language to a minimum of level A2.

The cost of applying for citizenship by naturalization is €250.

You can get a Portuguese passport by investment as part of the citizenship application by naturalization after 5 years of having a Golden Visa.

Once you have been granted citizenship you will get an ID card, after this, you can get an international Portugal passport for the cost of €65.