How to Get Portugal Citizenship by Investment in 2026: Complete Guide

Portugal does not grant citizenship directly in exchange for investment. However, a financial contribution can provide residence through the Golden Visa and become the first step towards citizenship by naturalisation. The minimum investment is €250,000.

Golden Visa holders become eligible to apply for citizenship after 7 years of legal residence if they are nationals of a Portuguese-speaking country, and after 10 years in other cases. Citizenship is not automatic, and applicants must meet the other naturalisation requirements.

Applicants may also qualify on one of the following grounds^{[1]Source: Regional Attorney General's Office of Lisbon website: Nationality Law No. 37/81, of October 3rd}:

1. Descent. This route is available to descendants of Portuguese nationals.
2. Marriage. A foreign national may qualify through marriage to a Portuguese citizen.
3. Standard naturalisation. This route is available to foreign nationals who have been legally resident in Portugal for at least 7 or 10 years, depending on their nationality. Applicants must first obtain a residence permit through employment or another qualifying basis.

The Portugal Golden Visa itself has little in common with standard visas. It is a residence permit, which allows the holder to enter and leave Portugal unlimited times, relocate to the country, and travel to other Schengen states visa-free for up to 90 out of any 180-day period.

Eligibility requirements

The principal applicant must be a third-country national aged 18 or over who makes a qualifying investment and maintains it throughout the residency period. The investor must also have no criminal record and must not be subject to a ban on entry into the Schengen Area.

Family members eligible for inclusion alongside the principal applicant are as follows:

• spouse or legally recognised partner;
• children under 18 in the custody of either parent;
• dependent children aged 18 to 26 who are unmarried and enrolled in full-time education;
• dependent parents of either spouse aged 66 or over, or aged 55 or over if financially dependent.

Investment requirements

The Portugal Golden Visa programme offers 5 investment options:

• support for arts and preserving cultural heritage — €250,000+;
• purchase of units in investment funds — €500,000+;
• financing scientific research — €500,000+;
• investing in a local company and creating 5 jobs — €500,000+;
• opening a company in Portugal and creating 10 new jobs.

The investment amount does not depend on the number of family members in one application. However, additional expenses arise — for example, an application fee of €632.1 per family member. The residence permit cards cost €6,314.2 per person, and medical insurance costs about €400 per person.

The most popular option is purchasing investment fund units, as the investment is recoverable and may generate a profit.

Residency requirements for maintaining the Golden Visa

One of the features that distinguishes the Portugal Golden Visa from other residency routes is its low physical presence threshold. Investors are not required to relocate to Portugal.

The minimum stay requirements are as follows:

• 7 days of physical presence in Portugal during the first year of the permit;
• 14 days of physical presence during each subsequent 2-year renewal period.

The initial residence permit is valid for 2 years and is renewable for further 2-year periods, provided the investment is maintained and the minimum stay requirement is met.

The 7-day-per-year requirement applies only to maintaining and renewing the Golden Visa. Obtaining citizenship after 7 or 10 years may require a longer period of residence in Portugal.

There are 5 ways leading to Portugal citizenship: naturalisation, marriage to a country’s citizen, having Portuguese ancestry, being born in the country or being adopted by a citizen. The Portuguese Nationality Law has been regulating all the paths since 1981^{[1]Source: Regional Attorney General's Office of Lisbon website: Nationality Law No. 37/81, of October 3rd}. 

In May 2026, a new law introduced major changes to the citizenship legislation, including stricter naturalisation requirements, longer residence periods, and changes to several citizenship routes^{[2]Source: Diário da República Portal: Amendment to Law No. 37/81, of October 3rd}.

Naturalisation

Naturalisation is the most common path to the Portuguese passport. Over 500,000 people have become Portuguese citizens between 2010 and 2024^{[3]Source: According to the National Institute for Statistics in Portugal}.

Adult foreigners may qualify for Portuguese citizenship after at least 7 years of legal residence if they are citizens of an EU member state or a Portuguese-speaking country, and after at least 10 years if they are nationals of another country.

A foreigner must reside in Portugal on legal grounds regulated or recognised by Portuguese authorities. That can be any Portuguese residence permits — temporary or permanent, visas, or entry authorisations^{[1]Source: Regional Attorney General's Office of Lisbon website: Nationality Law No. 37/81, of October 3rd}.

For citizenship purposes, consecutive and non-consecutive periods of legal residence may be combined. These periods must fall within the following maximum intervals:

• 6 years for stateless persons;
• 9 years for citizens of EU member states and Portuguese-speaking countries;
• 12 years for nationals of other countries^{[2]Source: Diário da República Portal: Amendment to Law No. 37/81, of October 3rd}.

Short visits under the Schengen 90-day rule should not be treated as qualifying residence for citizenship. Non-EU nationals generally need a long-stay visa or residence status to live in Portugal for more than 90 days. EU citizens may stay for up to 3 months without any permits but usually need to register their residence for longer stays.

The physical-presence requirements depend on the type of permit. A standard temporary residence may be cancelled if its holder is absent without an accepted reason for more than 6 consecutive months or 8 non-consecutive months during the permit’s period of validity.

A residence permit is granted on various grounds: family reunification, study at a Portuguese university, or work in a local company. Anyways, an applicant must come to Portugal to apply for a residence permit.

Financially independent people can get a D7 Visa, which allows the holder to enter Portugal and apply for a residence permit. The main requirements include:

• have a passive income of €920+ per month;
• confirm €11,040 in savings;
• rent or buy residential property in Portugal.

Applicants can include their spouse or partner, children, and financially dependent parents. Adding a spouse or dependent parent increases savings by 50%, while each child increases it by 30%. The minimum monthly income requirement does not change.

A residence permit is valid for 2 years, renewable for further 3 years, provided the person lives for at least 8 months per year in Portugal.

Foreigners working remotely for a foreign employer can apply for the Digital Nomad Visa, also known as the D8 visa. It allows applicants to live in Portugal, provided they earn at least €3,680 per month, have savings of at least €11,040, and rent or own accommodation in Portugal.

There are two options:

• temporary stay visa valid for up to 1 year, not available for renewal;
• residence visa that leads to a residence permit issued for 2 years and available for renewal for a further 3 years.

The digital nomad can include their spouse or partner, children, and financially dependent parents in the application. The savings increase by 50% for a spouse or parent and by 30% for each child. The required monthly income requirement remains unchanged.

Experienced professionals, entrepreneurs, and innovators can obtain residence in Portugal through the Global Talent Programme. Applicants must cooperate with a Portuguese university through research, mentoring, guest lectures, or innovation projects. No investment or business incorporation is required.

Applicants need to meet the following requirements:

• have a bachelor’s degree or higher;
• prove 3 to 5 years of professional experience;
• have no criminal record;
• confirm savings of at least €15,000;
• rent or own accommodation in Portugal. 

A spouse or partner, dependent children, and financially dependent parents may also obtain residence through family reunification.

The programme fee starts at €170,000 and covers the main applicant and up to 3 family members. The residence permit is issued for 2 years and can be renewed for a further 3 years.

Descent

Having Portuguese descendants can lead to obtaining a passport in Portugal.

Grandchildren of Portuguese citizens obtain ‘citizenship by origin’, even if the applicant’s parents are not Portuguese nationals. Such applicants must formally declare their wish to become Portuguese and prove their ties to the country, including knowledge of the language, culture, national history, civic rights and duties, and political system.

Descendants of Portuguese Sephardic Jews can no longer apply for citizenship through the former special route^{[2]Source: Diário da República Portal: Amendment to Law No. 37/81, of October 3rd}.

Birth or adoption

Children can automatically obtain Portugal citizenship by birth if they are born on the country’s territory and at least 1 of their parents is a Portuguese citizen. If a child of a Portuguese citizen is born abroad, they still get citizenship: a child must be registered at a Portuguese consulate abroad^{[1]Source: Regional Attorney General's Office of Lisbon website: Nationality Law No. 37/81, of October 3rd}.

A child born in Portugal to foreign parents does not automatically acquire Portuguese citizenship. For children born after May 19th, 2026, citizenship may be claimed if, at the time of birth, at least 1 parent had been legally resident in Portugal for at least 5 years^{[2]Source: Diário da República Portal: Amendment to Law No. 37/81, of October 3rd}.

If a Portuguese citizen adopts a child born in another country, such a child can get Portugal citizenship after completing the adoption procedures^{[1]Source: Regional Attorney General's Office of Lisbon website: Nationality Law No. 37/81, of October 3rd}.

Portugal citizenship is available to foreigners who meet the following conditions:

1. Are over 18 or legally emancipated from parents according to Portuguese law.
2. Have resided in Portugal for at least 10 or 7 years on legal grounds, for example, with a residence permit. The applicant cannot be absent from the country for more than 6 consecutive months or 8 months in total during the validity of their residence permit.
3. Have a basic proficiency in the Portuguese language — at the A2 level or higher^{[4]Source: Diário da República: Decree-Law No. 237-A/2006, of December 14th}.
4. Have no criminal records with convictions of 3 or more years of imprisonment under Portuguese law. 
5. Don’t pose a threat to Portuguese national security, for example, through terrorist activities.

Additional requirements may apply if a foreigner applies for citizenship on other grounds. Investors provide valid residence permit cards, confirming that they maintained the status for 10 or 7 years and made investments in Portugal.

An applicant for citizenship by naturalisation, including the investment path, prepares the following documents:

1. Сitizenship application form filled out in Portuguese.
2. Valid Portugal residence permit card.
3. Birth certificate.
4. Police clearance certificate confirming the applicant has no criminal records or convictions. The applicant must get certificates from all countries where they have lived for more than a year since they turned 14.
5. Certificate confirming proficiency in Portuguese at the required level.
6. Bank or employer letter stating the applicant’s income exceeds the minimum wage of €920 per month.

The applicant doesn’t have to get a police clearance certificate and a confirmation of residence in Portugal, because the Agency for Integration, Migrations and Asylum of Portugal, AIMA, has such information on the country’s residents.

All document copies must be translated into Portuguese, if necessary, and notarised.

To qualify for citizenship, a foreigner must be able to keep up an everyday conversation and write simple texts in Portuguese^{[4]Source: Diário da República: Decree-Law No. 237-A/2006, of December 14th}. 

Basic language proficiency must be confirmed with a certificate, and the level corresponds to A2 or higher according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, CEFR. There are several ways to prove your knowledge of Portuguese.

1. Pass a government-approved exam — Prova do Conhecimento da Língua Portuguesa para Aquisição da Nacionalidade, PaN^{[5]Source: Institute for Educational Assessment: Portuguese Language Proficiency Test for Nationality Acquisition regulations}. You can book a date in advance online, but the exam itself is conducted in person in Portugal. As of 2026, the registration fee is €65.

2. Attend public classes in Portugal. The classes are offered by public schools, IEFP training centres, and Qualifica centres. A combined A1 and A2 programme usually consists of 150 hours of study and takes around three to nine months to complete, depending on the timetable. Courses may be delivered in person or online, and most are free.

Applicants who complete level A2 or higher receive a certificate that can be used as proof of Portuguese proficiency when applying for citizenship.

3. Get a CIPLE certificate — Certificado Inicial de Português Língua Estrangeira^{[6]Source: Centre for Evaluation of Portuguese as a Foreign Language: Initial Certificate of Portuguese as a Foreign Language details}. The certificate is issued for passing an exam for the A2 level. The exam takes place at an accredited centre, Centro de Avaliação de Português Língua Estrangeira, in Portugal or abroad and costs €95, as of 2026.

4. Provide an educational certificate. Knowledge of Portuguese may be proved with a certificate from a recognised public, private or cooperative educational institution showing that the applicant successfully studied Portuguese or Portuguese as a non-native language for at least two academic years.

If a citizen of another country is willing to obtain a passport from Portugal, they won’t need to renounce their first passport. Portugal allows multiple citizenship. However, each of these countries, including Portugal, will oblige an individual to respect its laws. For example, a foreigner with 2 passports will pay taxes in both the country of origin and Portugal unless there are double tax treaties.

If a citizenship applicant seeks help from a legal professional, they can submit their application online^{[7]Source: Portuguese nationality online service: official portal}.

Applying without a lawyer’s help is also possible: the application can be sent by mail to the corresponding authorities.

If you need to get your Portugal passport extended, you should schedule the appointment at Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado in Portugal; it can be done online^{[8]Source: Appointment booking platform SIGA: official website}.

It is important to note that the new passport issuance is possible no earlier than 6 months before the current passport expires. The following documents are needed at the appointment:

• valid ID
• expired passport;
• proof of residence.

The cost of renewing a Portuguese passport depends on the place of application and the processing time. In Portugal, fees generally range from €65 for standard processing to €100 for same-day collection. Applications submitted abroad usually cost between €75—120, excluding delivery fees. A new passport can also be issued if the previous one is lost or stolen^{[9]Source: The Portuguese public services portal: Application for a Portuguese electronic passport}.

Portuguese citizenship gives investors and their families greater freedom to travel, live, and work across Europe while retaining long-term ties to Portugal. It can also provide access to wider financial, healthcare, and education opportunities.

1. Moving to Portugal

Portugal is the 7th safest country in the world^{[10]Source: Vision of Humanity: 2026 Global Peace Index}, with locals welcoming immigrants. The country also has a warm climate, a comparatively low cost of living, beautiful nature with clean oceanic beaches, and a rich history and culture. The Portuguese economy is relatively stable and steadily growing. 

All things considered, Portugal might be a nice place for living, studying, and doing business.

2. Keeping the first citizenship

Unlike Austria or Spain, Portugal allows its citizens to have several passports. Thus, an investor doesn’t have to give up their first citizenship when obtaining Portuguese nationality, provided the country of the first citizenship allows dual citizenship, too.

3. Potential liquid assets and passive income

If an investor gets a Golden Visa for purchasing investment fund units, they get an additional source of passive income. Such an investment can yield a profit between 6 and 10% per annum.

4. Visa-free travelling to 182 countries

Portuguese citizens don’t need visas to visit other Schengen states and the UK for 90 days in half a year. They also freely enter Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, and Brazil. Trips to Australia, New Zealand, the USA, and Canada require an online electronic travel authorisation.

5. Passing citizenship to future generations

Children of Portuguese citizens, as well as some other descendants, may be eligible to obtain Portuguese citizenship even if they are born outside Portugal, subject to the applicable legal requirements and registration procedures. This means that future generations may also gain the rights associated with Portuguese and EU citizenship.

Unlike a residence permit, citizenship is not tied to maintaining a particular investment or immigration status, making it a more lasting status for the holder.

6. Freedom to live, work, and do business in any EU country

Portugal is a member of the European Union. Thus, its citizens have the right to choose any member state for living and employment without the need for additional permits.

7. Services of European banks, medical clinics and educational institutions

Portuguese residents and citizens can open accounts in any bank in the region. Portuguese citizens don’t need a medical visa or a student residence permit to get treatment or study at any institution within the EU.

The Portugal citizenship by investment route involves a multi-year commitment across several administrative, legal, and financial dimensions. Applicants who understand the specific failure points before entering the process are better placed to manage them.

Biometric appointment delays and the gap between application and valid status

Waiting times for biometric appointments at AIMA may take several months. The absence of a physical residence card while the appointment is pending can create complications at Schengen borders, as interim documentation is not universally recognised in the same way as the card itself.

Building biometric appointment waiting times into the overall project timeline from the outset reduces the risk of downstream scheduling conflicts.

Deadline for age eligibility for dependent children

Dependent children can be included up to the age of 26. A delay of 2—3 months can mean a child falls outside the programme's eligibility window entirely. Unlike most procedural delays, an age-based exclusion cannot be corrected after the fact. 

Where a dependent child is approaching the age threshold, the application timeline should be treated as fixed and urgent from the outset.

Capital lock-in for 5+ years

Investors using eligible investment funds must maintain the investment for at least 5 years. An early withdrawal may result in the loss of residence status. In practice, the fund’s own term may extend beyond the minimum 5-year holding period. Many of them retain capital for 6—11 years before completing their investment cycle and distributing proceeds. 

Investors should therefore review the fund’s duration, extension provisions, exit mechanism, and liquidity conditions before investing.

No refund for donation-based options

The cultural and science contribution options involve a non-recoverable expenditure, not an investment that can be returned at the end of the qualifying period. 

Making the refundable and non-refundable distinction explicit at the earliest stage of route comparison helps applicants assess the true financial cost of each option.

Unintended tax residency if physical presence exceeds 183 days

The Portugal Golden Visa is structured around a minimal physical presence requirement that does not in itself trigger Portuguese tax residency. However, applicants who begin spending more time in Portugal may cross the 183-day threshold and incur tax obligations they did not anticipate. 

Tax residency implications should be reviewed alongside the immigration planning, not treated as a separate matter to be addressed later.

Enhanced compliance scrutiny

Applicants holding passports from jurisdictions subject to elevated compliance review have experienced more detailed source-of-funds scrutiny, longer internal processing periods, and in some cases a narrower range of eligible funds willing to accept their applications. 

A realistic assessment of compliance exposure at the outset allows for better document preparation and appropriate fund selection.

Immigrant Invest is an international consulting company that helps investors and their families obtain residence and citizenship through investment programmes. Our team provides legal, compliance and investment support throughout the entire application process.

Applying for the Portugal Golden Visa and proceeding to citizenship by naturalisation involves a sequence of administrative, legal, and financial steps that span at least 10 years.

Immigrant Invest provides structured professional assistance throughout this process with:

• pre-screening against international risk databases before any financial commitment;
• itemised breakdown of all expected costs;
• assistance with NIF registration, banking, documents, appointments, and biometrics;
• guidance tailored to the relevant consulate and filing jurisdiction;
• recommendations limited to CMVM-licensed funds that pass internal review;
• ongoing monitoring of legal and regulatory changes;
• support from an in-house legal team, including lawyers in Portugal.

This approach reduces avoidable delays, improves cost transparency and limits the risk of committing money to an unsuitable application.

We have an office in Lisbon, Portugal, which enables our team to work directly with Portuguese authorities, lawyers, banks and investment providers. This helps our clients resolve local administrative matters more efficiently. We also have offices in Austria, Malta, the UAE, Türkiye, and other countries.

1. Portugal does not offer citizenship by investment. However, it is possible to obtain a Portuguese passport after 10 or 7 years of residency in the country. The residence permit can be obtained through the Portugal Golden Visa.
2. The minimum investment required to participate in the programme is €250,000 for supporting arts and cultural heritage. 
3. The main applicant can include family members in the application. The Portugal passport price will depend on the number of applicants.
4. There are other ways to obtain a Portuguese passport, including marriage to a country’s citizen, having Portuguese ancestry, being born in the country, or being adopted by a citizen.