Did you know about the Portuguese Golden Residence Permit Program?
Now, non-EU citizens can look forward to fast-track immigration to Portugal, thanks to this new program. This special residence permit, also called Golden Visa, will be offered to investors, who fulfill certain conditions.
In order to enter this program, the minimum quantitative requirements imply, at least, one of the following investments, personally or through a company, in national territories:
a) Capital transfer with a value equal to or above 1 million Euros
In the case of a transfer of capital in an amount equal to or above 1.000.000 Euros, the applicant must present a declaration issued by a Portuguese financial institution stating that the applicant is the sole or the first holder of the capital. If it is an investment made by a company, evidence must be given through an up to date commercial registration certificate declaring the holding of the stake in the company, valued at the amount of the investment required for this purpose.
b) The creation of, at least, 30 job positions
In the case of investment activity that leads to the creation of at least 30 jobs, the applicant must prove the registration of the employees for social security purposes by presenting an updated certificate issued by the respective authorities.
c) Purchase of a property with a value equal to or above 500 thousand Euros
The most accessible investment activity leading to a golden visa is by acquiring property for at least 500.000 Euros. In this case, the applicant must prove full ownership of the property, which has to be free from any liabilities. This is done by presenting the respective up to date land registry certificate.
Investing in property also implies the payment of taxes, such as the Property Transfer Tax (“IMT”- Imposto Municipal sobre as Transmissões Onerosas), the Stamp Duty (“IS”- Imposto do Selo) and the annual Municipal Property Tax (“IMI”- Imposto Municipal sobre Imóveis).
