3 Key Notes When Investing in Portugal Golden Visa

Portugal’s Golden Visa has been around for over 10 years and remains one of the fastest ways to obtain European residency. Many investors choose this program for the opportunity to live, work, and access the EU. However, starting from 2025, significant legal and regulatory changes require investors to prepare their applications and financial plans more carefully.

1. The Portuguese Constitutional Court has issued an important ruling:

• Golden Visa holders can immediately bring their spouse, children, parents, and other family members without having to prove prior cohabitation.
• The law that required a 2-year waiting period for family reunification has been abolished.
• The rights of investors and highly skilled workers remain unchanged.

The President vetoed the new bill and requested Parliament to review it, to ensure fairness and legality.

Currently, Golden Visa holders still enjoy their full benefits, especially family reunification made easier. This is positive news for those who already have or are preparing to submit their Golden Visa applications.

2. Constant Policy Updates

Over the past 3 years, Portugal has repeatedly amended immigration and even nationality laws. Key updates include:

• October 2023: The popular real estate investment route was closed under the Mais Habitação law. New applicants must choose alternative routes such as investment funds, cultural sponsorship, or research projects.
• June 2025: Parliament proposed increasing the residency requirement for citizenship applications from 5 years to 10 years (7 years for citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries). Stricter requirements were also added regarding language skills, cultural knowledge, and social integration.
• June 2025: The government also considered expanding tax incentives and maintaining support for foreign investors through the Golden Visa program.

For investors, each amendment feels like the “rules of the game” being rewritten mid-match. Still, these changes aim to create a more transparent and sustainable immigration system. Investors must stay updated to build effective residency strategies in Portugal.

3. Delays in Residency Application Processing

Previously, investors could receive their first residence permits just months after applying. But since 2022–2023, due to political changes and the restructuring of SEF, processing times have become much longer.

Details:

• Applications submitted in early 2021: Mostly processed smoothly, with many investors already receiving their first residence permits, though renewals are slower.
• Applications submitted in 2022: Only a small portion were approved by mid-2025, while most are still waiting for decisions or biometric appointments.
• Applications submitted from late 2022 onward: Many cases remain nearly “frozen,” with no progress.

The main reason is that the newly established AIMA had to take over thousands of pending cases from SEF. The Portuguese government is now digitizing procedures to speed up Golden Visa processing.

Despite these challenges, the Golden Visa program continues to show strong appeal, especially in non-real-estate routes. For example, in 2024, the Cultural Heritage & Arts investment option attracted around €12 million, marking a 165% increase compared to 2023.

Book a 1:1 consultation with OMG Visa today to begin your Portugal Golden Visa journey.