Grounds for obtaining citizenship by investment in Portugal
Non-EU citizens can simplify their way to citizenship by getting a Golden Visa first. Thus, they will be able to get a passport:
- five years later;
- without living in the country permanently — it is enough to spend 7 days a year in Portugal instead of 8+ months as required for other residence permits;
- by confirming the basic proficiency in Portuguese.
The Golden Visa itself has little in common with standard visas. Actually, it’s 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.
An investor qualifies for the Portugal Golden visa if they have a legal source of income outside Portugal and no debts in the country. In addition, an applicant must have no convictions or criminal records in the biography.
The investors’ spouses, children up to 26 years old, parents and siblings can get Golden Visas, too. Adult family members must financially depend on the main applicant.
In 2023, the Portugal Golden Visa program underwent significant changes after passing the Mais Habitaçāo bill. The new legislation stipulates that purchasing real estate or bonds or opening a bank deposit are no longer on the options list for receiving Portugal nationality by investment.
The Portugal Golden Visa program offers five investment options as a result:
- 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 doesn’t depend on the number of family members in one application. However, additional expenses arise — for example, an application fee of €582 per family member. The residence permit cards cost €5,812 per person, and medical insurance costs about €400 per person.
General Portugal citizenship requirements for applicants, including investors
Portugal citizenship is available to foreigners who meet the following conditions:
- Is over 18 or legally emancipated from parents according to Portuguese law.
- Have resided in Portugal for at least 5 years on legal grounds, for example, with a residence permit.
- Have a basic proficiency in the Portuguese language — at the A2 level or higher.
- Have no criminal records with convictions to three or more years of imprisonment under Portuguese law.
- 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 five years or longer and made investments in Portugal for citizenship.
Documents required for Portugal investment passport application
An applicant for citizenship by naturalisation, including the investment citizenship path, prepares the following documents:
- A citizenship application form filled out in Portuguese.
- A valid Portugal residence permit card.
- A birth certificate.
- A 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.
- A certificate confirming proficiency in Portuguese at the required level.
- A bank or employer letter stating the applicant’s income exceeds the minimum wage of €820 per month.
The applicant doesn’t have to get a police clearance certificate and a confirmation of residing in Portugal: 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.
How to confirm basic proficiency in the Portuguese language for citizenship application
To qualify for citizenship, a foreigner must be able to keep up an everyday conversation and write simple texts in Portuguese. 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).
Pass a government-approved exam — Prova do Conhecimento da Língua Portuguesa para Aquisição da Nacionalidade (PaN). You can book a date in advance and pay a fee: €15 if you hold the exam in Portugal and €20 for an exam organised at a Portuguese consulate or embassy abroad.
Attend public classes in Portugal. The classes usually occur four times a week, for three or four months. They are free of charge, but a certificate costs €7. There are no exams; only your attendance and completing homework count.
Get a CIPLE certificate — Certificado Inicial de Português Língua Estrangeira. 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, and costs €72.
Provide a certificate from a school or a university. You can get confirmation if you are a pupil or a student at an institution where they teach in Portuguese. A diploma can serve as language proficiency proof if you have already graduated. However, only diplomas issued in Portuguese-speaking countries are accepted, namely Portugal, Angola, Brazil, Guinea‑Bissau, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Sao Tome, or Principe.
Getting dual citizenship in Portugal
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 two 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.
Applying without a lawyer’s help is also possible: the application can be sent by mail to the corresponding authorities.
Obtaining Portugal citizenship by investment: a step-by-step procedure
Investors get Portugal citizenship by naturalisation. Thus, they get a residence permit first — a Golden Visa, then maintain the residence status for five years, pass a language proficiency test, and then apply for investment citizenship.
Obtaining Portugal citizenship is a comparatively simple procedure because an applicant doesn’t have to take an oath of allegiance or pass a history exam like in most EU countries.
An investor can become a Portuguese citizen in approximately six and a half years, including the time for obtaining a Golden Visa and waiting for a decision on their citizenship application.
The application processing at AIMA takes most of the time as the agency must examine all the investor’s documents to confirm their identity and reliability.
The Portugal Golden Visa is valid for two years but can be extended, each time for another two years.
The investor confirms they still meet the investment program conditions to renew their residence permit. That includes owning an investment asset, having no convictions and spending at least seven days a year in Portugal.
Applications for citizenship are accepted at registry offices by appointment. You can choose the closest one to your place of residence in Portugal or apply to the central office in Lisbon — Conservatória dos Registos Centrais. An application fee of €250 is paid at the chosen registry office.
The processing time depends on the application queue in the Institute of Registries and Notary (IRN).
First, they check whether the applicant has provided all required documents. Then, the IRN confirms the period of legal residency, and the police ensure that the applicant has no convictions in Portugal. When the information is verified, the application is passed to the Minister of Justice, who gives the final approval.
The ID card can be used in Portugal and for travelling within the Schengen Area. The applicant will receive it by mail at their registration address in Portugal.
A Portuguese citizen can travel visa-free to 172 countries. However, in most cases, they need an international passport to cross borders. One can get it by applying to a local office of Lojas de Cidadão.
An application for an international passport costs €65. An additional €10 is charged for forwarding the document by mail. The passport will be ready in five business days.
Naturalisation and other non‑investment paths to Portugal citizenship
There are five 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.
Naturalisation is the most common path to the Portuguese passport. In fact, Portugal has the second-highest naturalisation rate in the EU — 5.2%. Over 450,000 people have become Portuguese citizens since 2010, according to the report by the Observatory for Migration.
Adult foreigners can qualify for Portugal citizenship by naturalisation if they have lived there for at least five years. A child under 18 can apply for citizenship if they meet at least one of the conditions:
- Their parent has lived in Portugal for at least five years.
- A parent has a legally registered place of residence on the Portuguese territory.
- A child has studied at a Portuguese pre-school, basic, secondary or vocational education institution for at least a year.
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.
The period of legal residing in Portugal is a sum of all periods of staying on the country’s territory. The residing can be continuous or at intervals. However, the qualifying period is within the last 15 years only.
Portugal's immigration policy has seen positive developments, notably allowing individuals to apply for citizenship after five years of residency request, rather than waiting for five years after obtaining residency, as previously required. This marks a departure from the previous rule of waiting five years after receiving residence permit cards.
However, it's essential to note that these proposed amendments are not yet law. The expected approval of these changes is anticipated in February 2024, with official implementation upon publication on the state's official website, Diário da República.
Therefore, de facto, it is enough for a foreigner to spend four months a year in Portugal to qualify for citizenship — that’s an average residing period within 15 years. However, it will require entering Portugal at least twice a year:
- a non-EU citizen gets a Schengen visa to visit Portugal, but it allows a stay of up to 90 days in half a year;
- EU citizens can stay in Portugal without a visa for the same 90 days out of 180.
To live in Portugal continuously or be able to spend more than three months in half a year in the country, a foreigner usually needs a residence permit. But here is a trick because you are typically required to spend a total of more than 8 months a year in Portugal to maintain your residence permit.
Legal residing for an investor with a Golden Visa
When applying for Portugal citizenship by investment, a Golden Visa holder confirms that they remained a Portuguese resident for five years. In this case, spending 7 days a year, or 35 days in five years, qualifies as a sufficient period of legal residing.
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. Entrepreneurs who want to run a business in Portugal can get a D2 visa. Participants of the Portugal Golden Visa Program can enter the country on a C-type Schengen tourist visa.
A residence permit is valid for one or two years, depending on the obtaining grounds. If a resident still qualifies for the permit, it can be extended.
After five years of maintaining a Portugal residence permit, a foreigner can apply either for permanent residence or directly for citizenship.
Steps for obtaining Portugal citizenship by naturalisation
Descent. The Portuguese Nationality law doesn’t distinguish ancestry as a separate path to citizenship. However, de facto, having Portuguese descendants can lead to obtaining a passport in Portugal.
Grandchildren of Portuguese citizens obtain “citizenship by birth”, even if the applicant’s parents are not Portuguese nationals. Such an applicant must declare their desire to become a Portuguese citizen with an application to the Migration Service and confirm their ties to the country, e.g., by sufficient knowledge of the Portuguese language.
Portugal is the only country with a legally regulated naturalisation path for descendants of Sephardic Jews, who were banished from the country in the 15th century. An applicant must prove that they have ancestors who were Sephardic Jews of Portuguese origin and effective ties to the country. By law, Sephardic ancestry qualifies as a naturalisation path.
Marriage. A foreigner can get a Portugal passport if they have been in a registered marriage with a Portuguese citizen for at least three years. Besides, a three-year partnership without registration also counts, but the relationship must be proved in court first.
The relationship must be active and valid when a foreigner applies for Portugal citizenship by marriage. However, if the spouses get divorced in the future, it won’t affect their citizenship status.
Birth or adoption. Children can automatically obtain Portugal citizenship by birth if they are born on the country’s territory and at least one 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.
If a child is born in Portugal to resident permit holders, such a newborn gets Portugal citizenship by birth. In this case, the period of parents’ residing in the country is unimportant. A child born in Portugal to foreign parents also gets citizenship if both or one of the parents has lived in the country for at least a year, irrespective of their legal status.
If a Portuguese citizen adopts a child born in another country, such a child can get Portugal citizenship after completing the adoption procedures.
Comparison of paths to Portugal citizenship
Requirements | Naturalisation with a Golden Visa | Standard naturalisation | Marriage to a Portuguese citizen |
Timeline of obtaining a residence permit | 8—10 months | 3—12 months | 3—12 months |
Family members eligible for a residence permit | Spouse, financially dependent parents and children under 26 | Spouse, financially dependent children | — |
The time applicants must spend in Portugal | 7 days a year | 8 months a year | The spouses can live in another country |
Time frame for citizenship application | 5 years | 5 years | 3 years |
How to renew a Portuguese passport
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.
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 renewal of a Portugal passport costs €100—120, depending on the urgency with which the passport needs to be issued. Renewing the passport is also possible in case of theft or loss, provided that a Portuguese resident still has a valid ID.
Top-7 Portugal citizenship benefits for investors
1. Getting a passport without permanently residing in the country. Obtaining an EU country citizenship usually requires living on its territory for more than a total of 8 months a year. But if an investor gets a Portugal Golden Visa, they need to spend only 7 days a year in Portugal. Therefore, 35 days of residing during the five years of maintaining the Golden Visa is enough to apply for Portugal citizenship.
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. 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 172 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 and Brazil. Trips to Australia, New Zealand, the USA, and Canada require an online electronic travel authorisation.
5. Moving to Portugal. Portugal is one of the five safest countries in the world, 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.
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.
Is the Portugal Golden Visa ending?
The Portuguese government approved the legislation that rules out some of the most popular options for those who want to obtain a Portugal passport by investment — but the program as a whole has not ended yet.
Investors can no longer participate in the Golden Visa program by purchasing real estate or making a capital transfer. However, the following options are still available:
- support for arts and cultural heritage — €250,000+;
- purchase of investment funds units — €500,000+;
- financing scientific research — €500,000+;
- investing in a local company and creating 5 jobs — €500,000+;
- setting up a new company and creating 10 jobs.
Key things to know about Portuguese citizenship by investment
- Portugal does not offer citizenship by investment. However, it is possible to obtain a Portuguese passport after five years of residency in the country. The residency permit can be obtained through the Portugal Golden Visa.
- The minimum investment required to participate in the program is €250,000 for supporting arts and cultural heritage.
- The main applicant can include family members in the application. The Portugal passport price will depend on the number of applicants.
- 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.
Frequently asked questions
The only path to Portugal citizenship by investment is getting the country’s Golden Visa first. The Golden Visa is a residence permit obtained by investing at least €250,000 in the country’s economy.
The Golden Visa allows investors to live in Portugal and travel visa-free to other Schengen countries. If an investor remains a Golden Visa holder for five years in a row, they can apply for Portugal investment citizenship.
No, it doesn’t. In 2023, the Portuguese authorities changed the Golden Visa program rules so that real estate purchases can no longer be an option for prospective Portuguese residents or citizens.
However, other options, including investing in arts, business, science and fund units, remain applicable on the same terms.
Yes, it is easy compared to most other EU countries. To become a Portuguese citizen, a foreigner must legally reside in the country for five years, for example, on a residence permit. Another condition is to confirm the basic proficiency in Portuguese on the A2 level.
An applicant for citizenship doesn’t have to get permanent residence before applying for citizenship, take exams on the country’s history or culture, and give up their first passport. Investors with Golden Visas don’t even have to spend most of the year in Portugal: it is enough to visit the country for a week every year to maintain residency and qualify for citizenship.
Approximately six and a half years. The period will include:
- 2 to 12 months on obtaining a residence permit.
- 5 years of legal residing in Portugal before applying for citizenship.
- 7 to 12 months of waiting for a decision on your citizenship application.
Yes, it does. A foreigner doesn’t have to give up their first passport, provided the country of the first citizenship doesn’t require it.
Yes, it can be. For example, if it turns out that the person provided falsified information about themselves when applying for citizenship or became involved in activities threatening the country’s security and public order.
You need to legally reside in Portugal for five years with a residence permit or permanent residence, confirm your basic proficiency in Portuguese with a certificate and apply for citizenship at a local registry office.
Portugal citizenship is granted for life and can be inherited by the citizen’s children.
You need to get an international passport first, as it’s needed for trips outside the Schengen Area. An international passport is issued upon application to a Lojas de Cidadão office and paying a fee of €75. You will get the passport within five business days.
Portuguese passport holders can travel visa-free to 172 countries, including the Schengen states, the UK, the USA, and Japan. The passport is used when registering for a flight and crossing borders.
Depending on the path the investor chooses for obtaining the Golden Visa, the minimum investment can be between €250,000 and €500,000. Additional fees, such as application fees, issuance of residence permit cards and medical insurance, can amount to over €6,000 per person in the application.
The cheapest way to participate in the Portugal Golden Visa program is an investment of €250,000 into qualified projects in Portuguese arts, national heritage and culture.
Obtaining a Golden Visa allows you to qualify for a Portuguese passport in 5 years. Investors only need to reside in Portugal for 7 days a year, in comparison with 8 months a year required for other residency types holders. A Golden Visa is a fast and secure way to become a citizen of Portugal.
Indeed, you can, provided that other countries also permit it. Portugal is widely recognised for its stance on dual citizenship, which enables individuals to simultaneously possess citizenship in Portugal and other countries of their preference, subject to the respective nations’ regulations.
Yes, it is possible to obtain Portuguese citizenship without living in Portugal through several means, such as:
- ancestry — If you have Portuguese or Sephardic Jewish ancestors, you may be eligible for citizenship by descent;
- marriage to a Portuguese citizen;
- investment — Portugal offers a residency-by-investment program, or a Golden Visa.
When applying for Portugal citizenship by investment, a Golden Visa holder confirms that they remained a Portuguese resident for five years. In this case, spending only 7 days a year, or 35 days in five years, qualifies as a sufficient period of legal residency.