European residency, on your own terms.
The Portugal Golden Visa (ARI) grants residency in exchange for a qualifying investment, with one of Europe's lowest stay requirements and a real path to permanent residency and citizenship. The rules changed in 2023, so the route you read about last year may be closed. We work only from what's live now, review your case and quote it clearly.
What the Golden Visa is
Residency without relocating.
The Golden Visa (officially the ARI. Autorização de Residência para Investimento) is Portugal's residency-by-investment programme. In exchange for a qualifying investment, you and your family receive Portuguese residence permits, but unlike the D7 or D8, you're not required to live in Portugal. The stay requirement averages around a week a year, which is what makes it uniquely suited to investors who want an EU foothold without moving.
Those years of residency still count: after five years you can apply for permanent residency and, in time, citizenship, an EU passport, subject to the language and residency conditions in force. It's an investment route with an immigration outcome, and the detail matters.
Minimal stay
On average around seven days a year, no need to relocate full time.
Family included
Your spouse, dependent children and dependent parents can be included.
Schengen travel
Residency lets you travel visa-free across the Schengen Area.
Path to citizenship
Counts toward permanent residency and, in time, an EU passport.
The current routes
The 2026 investment options.
These are the qualifying routes after the 2023 reform, with the current 2026 minimum investment for each.
| Route | Minimum investment | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Investment fund | €500,000 | Units in a qualifying Portuguese venture-capital / private-equity fund (non-real-estate). The most common route today. |
| Company + jobs | €500,000 | Incorporate or reinforce a Portuguese company and create at least five permanent jobs. |
| Job creation | 10 jobs | Create ten permanent jobs in Portugal (fewer in low-density areas), no fixed capital sum. |
| Scientific research | €500,000 | Fund research activity carried out by accredited Portuguese institutions. |
| Cultural & artistic heritage | €250,000 | Support the arts or the recovery of national heritage (from €200,000 in low-density areas). |
The real-estate route is closed
Since Portugal's Mais Habitação law came into force in October 2023, the Golden Visa no longer accepts property purchases, real-estate investment funds, or the €1.5 million capital-transfer route. A lot of older guidance online still describes these, they are no longer available. The routes in the table above are what qualifies now.
Stay & timelines
Low presence, long horizon.
Two numbers define the Golden Visa in practice: how little you need to be in Portugal, and how long the process realistically takes. We're candid about both, including the current AIMA backlog, so you plan with real expectations.
~7 days a year
The average physical-stay requirement, roughly seven days in year one, and fourteen days across each subsequent two-year period.
~12–18 months
Typical processing time to the residence permit. AIMA (the immigration authority) currently has a significant backlog, so timelines vary.
5-year clock
Your residency counts toward permanent residency and citizenship after five years, subject to the conditions in force.
Renewals
The permit is renewed in cycles, each time confirming your investment is maintained and the minimal stay met.
How we handle it
From review to residence permit.
Eligibility & route review
We assess your goals and budget, confirm which current route fits, and set out the real costs and timeline, before you spend anything or commit capital.
NIF & Portuguese bank account
We arrange your Portuguese tax number and open the bank account you'll use to move funds and make the qualifying investment.
Make the qualifying investment
With independent legal and fund partners, you complete the investment and obtain the documentation the application requires.
AIMA application
We assemble and submit your full ARI application, investment proof, criminal record, insurance and personal documents, for you and your family.
Appointment & residence cards
You attend your AIMA biometrics appointment; your residence permits are issued and then renewed in cycles. We coordinate throughout.
What you'll need
The core of the file.
Every case is different. Once you send your request, your specialist reviews your situation and gives you a tailored, plain-English checklist and a clear cost breakdown, no generic PDF.
Request a review
Is the Golden Visa right for you?
Free and no obligation. Sign in or create a free account, tell us your goals and budget, and a specialist reviews the right route and quotes it, usually within one business day.
FAQ
Good questions, answered.
Carreh assists with the preparation and submission of Golden Visa (ARI) applications and coordinates independent legal and investment partners. Carreh does not provide investment advice; qualifying investments are made through regulated third parties. Routes, amounts, stay rules and timelines shown are current indicative figures for 2026, confirmed for your case before you commit capital. Final decisions rest with AIMA; Carreh does not guarantee approval and does not set immigration rules.
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